By The Weekly Vision
Top officials at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry are under immense pressure from the Auditor General and Ethics and the Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to account for Ksh.150m allocated to the ministry in the 2021/2022 financial year for the National Tree Planting Campaign.
According to sources, the Ksh.150m was allocated for the National Tree Planting Campaign to prepare a National Forest Policy, rehabilitate and restore 25 hectares in Nairobi Metropolitan, sensitize 10% tree campaign in 47 counties, rehabilitate and restore 52,415 hectares of degraded public and community forests, afforestation and re-forestation of 40 hectares at Naivasha dry port and formulate import and export rules on forest products.
However, despite the money having allegedly been spent on the programme, there is no evidence that rehabilitation and restoration of 25 hectares in the Nairobi Metropolitan area and 52,415 hectares of degraded public and community forests respectively had taken place. Further, the planned afforestation and reforestation of Naivasha dry port were not done. In the circumstances, the validity and occurrence of the expenditure of the money cannot be confirmed. It has also been discovered that one senior officer had been issued with imprest totalling Ksh. 23,343,644 which cannot be accounted for.
