Stalled Knec building gets Sh500m again in budget

 

A building that has taken 33 years to complete has been allocated Sh500 million in the 2021/2022 financial year for its completion as MPs warned that it will not be business as usual if it is not completed this time.

The Sh500 million is in addition to Sh395 million that was allocated to complete the Kenya National Examinations Council headquarters, known as Mitihani House, a in the supplementary budget in this financial year of 2019/2020.

Mooted 33 years ago, the building is yet to be completed to date and the National Assembly education committee is now accusing some individuals of benefiting from the incomplete project each financial year.

Education committee chairperson Florence Mutua told the Sunday Nation that there are few individuals at Mitihani House who are benefiting from the project.

“It is a shame that a few individuals want the status quo to remain,” Ms Mutua said.

“The building must be completed to save taxpayers money that is being wasted on rent and logistics amounting to over Sh110 million per year. This amount doesn’t include the printing of exams which is done annually in Britain causing another huge expense,” Ms Mutua added.

The Busia Woman rep said with the new competence based curriculum system, a lot of assessments which culminate to the final grading of the pupils will be conducted thus this will increase exam printing trips, which is totally unnecessary if Mitihani House is completed.

“What will be needed in the next budget is now the purchase of the machines for printing exams to save taxpayers loss of funds,” Ms Mutua said.

Consolidate Knec activities

Kisauni MP Ali Mbogo questioned why Mitihani House continues getting millions each financial year and it is not being completed.

“Thirty three years is a long time and this is a project which should have been concluded a long time ago. These are the issues we expect the budget committee to take seriously because those are public funds,” Mr Mbogo said.

The Budget and Appropriations Committee in its report warned government ministries and agencies against initiating new projects before completion of existing ones.

The committee chaired by Kieni MP Kanini Kega said ministries that start new projects before completing ongoing ones will face budgetary cuts.

“Sanctions should be instituted against ministries, departments and government agencies that introduce new projects before completion of existing ones,” says the committee in its report tabled in the House last Wednesday.

The intention of constructing the new Mitihani House was to consolidate all Knec activities under one roof.

The project involved the construction of three interconnected blocks of office space referred to as Towers A, B and C comprising one common basement, ground floor and six upper floors on each tower.    BY DAILY NATION