Lobbyists in Tana River County have called on county officials to explain how they spent millions of shillings on domestic travel during the Covid-19 pandemic.
An audit report for 2020/2021 flagged the administration for using Sh410 million amid restrictions on movement and gathering.
Activists said officials conducted online meetings and instructed county employees to work from home.
“This is not right and needs to be explained in detail. There is a lot of secret cards at play,” said Daud Dahir, an activist in Tana River.
Mr Dahir said county officials used domestic travel as a means to siphon taxpayers’ money.
He said most of the activities classified under domestic travel that cost taxpayers millions of shillings were avoidable as they did not add value to services for residents.
He cited staff bonding, cabinet meetings, retreats and committee meetings as some of the activities that could be conducted within the county to save millions.
“The travels ought to be limited to serious business like official conferences and intergovernmental meetings,” he said.
Saida Mohammed of the Citizens Forum said senior officials had used their dockets to earn themselves huge allowances.
Some of the officials, she said, claim allowances of up to Sh1.5 million after a few trips outside the county.
“Some members of the executive committee earn up to Sh800,000 in allowances, while their drivers claim up to Sh600,000. It is a loose tap,” she said.
She called out the governor, saying he spent nearly half of the financial year outside the county unlike his counterparts in the region.
The activists also reminded the governor of his public pledge at the start of his term to cut down domestic travel and make use of local hotels.
“He has done the contrary. Local hotels are chasing their dues to this day. They served the administration but have not been paid,” Ms Mohammed said.
The activists have urged the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate all domestic travel claims filed during the pandemic.
They have also demanded a thorough audit of the preceding payouts of more than Sh600 million for the 2019/2020 financial year. BY DAILY NATION