By The Weekly Vision
Recent investigations have unveiled serious financial mismanagement issues at the Migori County Assembly. The assembly has also been plagued by internal discord between the Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) and its leadership. The conflict peaked with the impeachment of former Speaker Owino Likowa, who was subsequently replaced by Christopher Rusana, a former executive in Migori.
Reports indicate that former Speaker Likowa’s time in office was marred by financial misconduct and the improper use of county resources. Detailed financial records reveal that the assembly spent Ksh. 233,007,662 on domestic travel and subsistence. However, this expenditure figure does not align with the Ksh. 232,626,017 recorded in the official ledger, resulting in a discrepancy of Ksh. 381,645 that remains unresolved.
Further scrutiny of payment vouchers related to domestic travel and subsistence allowances, which total Ksh. 96,494,235, uncovering significant documentation gaps. Essential records such as approvals, imprest warrants, travel evidence, and back-to-office reports were either missing or not provided for audit.
The foreign travel and subsistence budget amounted to Ksh. 21,218,901, including Ksh. 1,650,388 allocated for four officers attending a five-day conference in Ethiopia from April 26 to April 30, 2023. However, documents for this trip, including return journey visas, boarding passes, back-to-office reports, approved payment rates, and individual payment calculations, were not submitted for audit.
Additionally, Ksh. 3,882,331 was allocated for the Annual General Assembly of the Lake Victoria Region Local Authorities Cooperation (LVRLACC) held in Mbarara City, Uganda, from April 10 to April 15, 2023. Documentation supporting this expenditure, including boarding passes, approved payment rates, and individual calculations, was also missing.
Another segment of the foreign travel budget, amounting to Ksh. 3,262,835, lacked crucial supporting documents. These included approved payment rates, individual calculations, invitations, boarding passes, return visas, and back-to-office reports.
Training expenses totaling Ksh. 6,545,800 were examined, revealing that Ksh. 6,124,482 of this amount was unsupported by necessary approvals, imprest warrants, and travel documentation. The management’s failure to present imprest records and corresponding surrender documentation raises concerns about the legitimacy and accounting of these funds.
Moreover, expenditures on air ticketing services were found to be lacking essential requisitions from user departments, procurement records, bid evaluations, and contract documents. The absence of local purchase orders (LPOs) further undermines the accuracy, completeness, and propriety of the Ksh. 6,124,482 expenditure.
These findings highlight severe financial mismanagement at the Migori County Assembly and underscore the urgent need for thorough investigation and corrective action to address these issues and ensure proper financial governance.
