The county paid Ksh. 24,668,150 in respect of printing, advertising and information supplies and services which further include Ksh. 553,000 paid to a supplier for the supply of office stationeries. The report reveals that the Local Purchase Orders (LPO) were issued on 6th March 2020. However, the stationeries were delivered on 11th July 2020 approximately three months after the LPO was issued
Tharaka Nithi County Governor Muthomi Njuki is a man under siege. With a pending corruption case already in court, the ghost of corruption has come back to haunt him again after the Auditor General revealed that massive financial malpractices were committed during his last administration.
According to the report, the county government knowingly used suppliers not prequalified to offer services. The county paid Ksh. Ksh160, 000 to a supplier for the provision of an air ticket. However, the supplier was not on the updated list of registered suppliers. The award of the tender was in contravention of Section 95(3) of the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, 2015 which stipulates that a procuring entity shall invite tenders from only the approved persons who have been pre-qualified. In the circumstances, the county acted in breach of the law.
Further, the county paid Ksh. 24,668,150 in respect of printing, advertising and information supplies and services which further include Ksh. 553,000 paid to a supplier for the supply of office stationeries. The report reveals that the Local Purchase Orders (LPO) were issued on 6th March 2020. However, the stationeries were delivered on 11th July 2020 approximately three months after the LPO was issued.
This was contrary to Section 52. (1)(2) of the Public Finance Management (County Governments) Regulations, 2015 which stipulates that local purchase order or local service order shall be valid for a period of thirty days from the date of issue and any public officer who receives goods or services beyond the stipulated period specified commits an offence.
Governor Njuki has a pending case at the Anti-Corruption court where he was charged alongside nine county government officers, his wife Margaret Mugweru and other relatives, nine county government officials, traders and four companies.
The accused jointly faced 16 counts relating to conspiracy to commit an offence of corruption, abuse of office, failure to comply with procurement laws, money laundering, failure to pay taxes, conflict of interest and fraudulent procurement practices.
