The National Assembly’s Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education has pot on spot Tharaka Technical and Vocational College over Ksh 170,000 irregular allowances paid to board members during virtual meetings linked to staff recruitment.
The committee, chaired by Bumula MP Jack Wanami Wamboka, made the finding while examining the Auditor-General’s reports for the financial years 2021/2022, 2022/2023 and 2023/2024.
Lawmakers ruled that the payments were unjustified, noting that the recruitment of trainers had already been delegated to a selection panel that included representation from the board.
“The full board had no role to play in the recruitment exercise, and any allowances paid in that regard were irregular and must be recovered,” said Wamboka.
He added: “Public funds must be used strictly within the law. Where functions have been delegated, institutions cannot purport to duplicate roles merely to justify expenditure.”
According to the Auditor-General FCPA Nancy Gathungu, the institution’s financial statements for the year ending June 2024 reflected board expenses amounting to Ksh 1.9million including directors’ emoluments of Ksh 1.3million However, the audit flagged Ksh 170,000 paid to board members as allowances for attending meetings and workshops related to the review of the strategic plan and recruitment of vocational trainers, expenditures that were neither approved nor warranted.
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“The amount includes Ksh 170,000 paid to board members for activities that were outside their mandate, as the recruitment process had already been assigned to a duly constituted selection panel,” Gathungu stated in her report.
The audit further revealed that the accounting officer had formally appointed a selection panel through a letter dated June 5, 2023, to conduct interviews between June 12 and June 25, 2023, with the process scheduled to commence on July 3, 2023.
“This clearly demonstrates that the board had no direct function in the recruitment process, rendering the allowances paid an irregular charge to public funds,” the report noted.
Members of the committee who included Narok County MP Rebecca Tonkei and South Imenti MP Shadrack Mwiti also raised concerns over procedural breaches, particularly the failure by the board to provide notices for the meetings in question.
“There were no notices availed for audit verification, which is a direct contravention of the TVET Act, 2013,” Wamboka said.
“The law is clear that board members must be given at least fourteen days’ written notice before any meeting is convened, unless otherwise agreed by the requisite majority.”
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He emphasized that adherence to governance structures is critical in safeguarding public resources.
“In the absence of proper documentation and compliance with statutory requirements, the committee cannot confirm the legitimacy of the payments,” he said.
The committee has now directed that the Ksh 170,000 be surcharged and recovered from the responsible officers, warning that institutions found misusing public funds will face stricter sanctions.
“This committee will not hesitate to take decisive action against any accounting officer or board that disregards financial regulations,” Wamboka warned. “Accountability is not optional, it is a constitutional obligation.”
The findings add to growing scrutiny over financial management in public training institutions with Parliament tightening oversight to ensure value for money and strict adherence to established procedures.
Other entities that appeared before the committee included Aldai Technical Training Institute, Ol’Lessos National Polytechnic and Emsos Technical and Vocational Institute.
By Juma Ndigo
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