Counties on the Spot for Embezlement of Funds

According to the commission the funds have been stolen through manipulation of the imprest system with all those the counties currently under investigation.

EACC is accusing the affected county government of faking documents and failing to follow laid procedures aside from using the manual system in accessing the money.

However, the commission has sent circulars to the said counties requiring them to take urgent reform measures on how to manage its systems.

While pointing an accusing finger at the accounting officer for the current crisis EACC Head of Corporate Affairs Eric Ngumbi exchequer had lost millions through fictitious imprest claims.

“We have written to the County Secretaries and Clerks of Assemblies who are the accounting Officers charged with the responsibility of protecting public funds and as well investigating twenty counties over massive losses of funds through manipulation of the imprest system,” he added.

Addressing the press in Sawela Lodge in Naivasha, Ngumbi said that the commission had come across tens of cases in the counties under investigation where the system had been abused.

“We are investigating cases where some county officials claimed to have travelled outside the country and received millions but this was fictitious,” he said.

Ngumbi noted that the imprest was now the new form of embezzling county funds warning that anyone found culpable would face the full wrath of the law.

While calling for prudent use of the county funds, the senior EACC officer warned that if the exercise was not tamed, it could lead to financial crisis in the counties.

The head of corporate at EACC noted that they are relying on evidence from the Auditor-General while terming the use of manual processing of the cash as illegal and open to manipulation.