Today the Senate County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee held a meeting with Kitui County Executive to scrutinize the Auditor General's report on Kitui County Empowerment Fund. 

The Governor for Kitui County, H.E. Dr. Julius Malombe appeared before the Committee to respond to the issues raised by the Auditor-General on the financial statements of the aforementioned fund.

The Committee noted that Kitui County had enacted legislation establishing the Emergency Fund but the regulations for same were yet to be finalised to operationalize the Fund. Further, the Committee was informed that the Kitui County Empowerment Fund was operationalized in 2021 and hence had only one audit report for the financial year 2021/2022.

After considering the report, the Committee recommended that the CEC Finance should ensure that the Fund Administrators in charge of all funds in the County make timely submission of documents during the audit process in line with the Public Audit Act, 2015, failure to which the Committee shall recommend for their investigation and prosecution in line with the Act. 

The Committee also noted that so far, the County Government of Kitui had disbursed Kshs. 150 million to various groups in the County through the Kitui County Empowerment fund but only Kshs. 3 million has been recovered to date, raising questions over the Fund’s sustainability. The Governor was therefore directed to ensure that there are no further transfers to the Fund, and also to ensure that the CECM for Finance together with the Board of the Fund institute a loan recovery strategy and submit evidence of the same to the Committee and the Office of the Auditor General for verification within 60 days. 

Lastly, the Governor was charged to ensure that there is total adherence to the laws guiding the Fund in loan approvals and recovery procedures; and to put in place debt recovery strategy policy for the management of the Fund. Governor Dr. Malombe was challenged to ensure that he leaves behind sustainable developments in Kitui County.

Sen. Godfrey Osotsi, Sen. Prof. Tom Ojienda, Sen. Ledama Olekina, Sen. William Kisang, Sen. Miraj Abdillahi, Sen. Eddy Oketch and Sen. Tabitha Mutinda were in today's meeting.