By Patricia Mollyne Mataga
The National Assembly Public Investment Committee on Governance and Education has put university Vice Chancellors(VCs) on notice on account of their non-compliance with the law.
This was after the Committee reviewed a report from the Office of the Auditor General which revealed a number of audit queries including non-compliance with the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal (PPAD) Act, 2015, regarding irregular procurements and use of non-competitive procurement practices.
Others were in relation to stalled/incomplete projects and failure to provide contract and tender documents for audit review.
The reports also revealed a number of unauthorized allowances including Irregular payment of sitting allowance and irregular payment of salaries.
According to the report, the institutions displayed ineffective internal audit functions and audit committees, as well as non-compliance with regional distribution in employment, among others.
A summary review of Moi University, for instance, showed an irregular banking of student fees into a Welfare Account.
Further, Kshs. 920,013,000 cash and cash equivalents captured in the consolidated statement of financial position, revealed that Kshs.7,727,190 collected at the university’s Nairobi campus had not been captured while cheques payable to Moi University had been irregularly banked in the Moi University Staff Welfare account.
The Committee, chaired by Bumula MP Jack Wamboka noted that failure to provide the supporting documentation had hampered the auditors’ ability to verify the accuracy, completeness, and authenticity of cash and cash equivalents figure of Kshs.920,013,000.
Moreover, a lack of documentation suggested that a potential fraud had been committed by the university.
The Committee further noted that a number of records contained discrepancies and were without justification, reflecting errors, omissions, manipulations and mismanagement.
In addition, the MPs pointed out that this was a red flag for fraudulent activities, and called for the accounting officer to be held accountable.
Vice Chancellors of Mount Kenya University and ZETECH University were also put to task over the placement of students by Kenya Universities and Colleges Placement Service (KUCCPS).
Mount Kenya’s Prof. Deogratius Jaganyi was tasked to explain the placement of 27,164 students by KUCCPS over a seven-year period, out of which 24,075 students enrolled.
On the other hand, ZETECH University VC Prof. Njenga Munene was put on the spot over the placement of 9,621 students by KUCCPS, out of which 7,372 students had enrolled, resulting in a variance of 2,249 students.