Embu County Assembly has invited the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to probe irregular payment of Sh3 million to a company whose contract period lapsed.
According to a report by the Public Accounts Committee on examination of Auditors General’s report for the financial year ending June 30, 2025, the County Government illegally paid Jambo Pay Company for an extension of revenue collection and management automation system.
In a motion moved by Deputy Speaker Ibrahim Swaleh, the Assembly called on the investigative bodies to take appropriate legal action on the officers involved if found culpable of breach of public procurement laws.
Swaleh, who is also the MCA Kirimari Ward, observed that a review of the records established that the contract expired on April 6, 2023 and was not extended.
He noted that the County Government however irregularly issued two Local Purchase Orders to the company without formal recommendation by the tender evaluation committee despite its contract period having expired.
“In the circumstances, the County Executive was found in breach of the law that sets out contractual obligations to a contractor after a procurement process is completed,” the report stated.
The Deputy Speaker also faulted the County Executive for perennially failing to submit documents to the office of the auditor general and end up struggling to argue their cases before relevant committees in the assembly.
He warned that the assembly will not be turned into an audit firm over the executive failure to furnish the office of the Auditor General with expenditure reports on time leading to audit queries.
The report tasked the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) in charge of Finance and Economic Planning to ensure all prior year’s audits matters are resolved and proof of the same is submitted to the assembly within 30 days.
by Samuel Waititu
