Francis Muli
Anti-graft agencies are training their guns towards the management of Turkana University over embezzlement of at least Ksh121 million through imprest, petty cash, double payment for goods and falsification of documents.
According to reports by People Daily, those targeted include accountants and individual officers accused of withdrawing huge amounts of money to meet fictitious budgets.
A recent audit report dated between November 26 and December 1 reveals that cash procurement of Ksh5,124,402 lacked details and breakdown hence could not be accounted for.
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“As observed, the office has a high appetite for cash transactions. The accountants and individual officers withdraw huge amounts to meet the budget of various departments,” reads the audit report.
The management, to justify withdrawals, said that university vehicles were routinely repaired but the records of the repairs were not available.
“One can’t be sure whether the vehicles are repaired or not,” the auditor says.
At one time, an accountant in the institution is said to have withdrawn Ksh5 million on June 8, 2017, without any explanation, according to the internal auditor.
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During an alleged meeting of the university council members in Mombasa on June 8, 2017, Ksh2.3 million was withdrawn for imprests, but the auditor said that the meeting may not have taken place.
“There were no indications of receipts of cash showing that it had been spent,” the auditors say.
An additional Ksh499,800 was also withdrawn on same day to cater for meeting and purchase of utensils and water pumps, but there was no receipts or taking of items on the charge.
The audit reveals that budgets are prepared with no structured basis since there is no involvement of the various departments and no revenue taken into account.
Also, there was no pre-qualified suppliers in several quotations gathered by the auditor.
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