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Two former KU VCs; Prof. Olive Mugenda and Prof. Paul Wainaina are set to appear before the National Assembly Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education to answer queries Ksh6.2B loss probe.
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The committee, chaired by Luanda MP Dick Maungu, resolved to summon the former vice chancellors after members observed that Prof Okumu could not adequately respond to issues stemming from decisions made before he assumed office.
Former Kenyatta University Vice Chancellors Prof. Olive Mugenda and Prof. Paul Wainaina have been summoned by Members of Parliament (MPs) to answer questions over the alleged loss of Ksh6.2 billion and other financial management concerns at the institution.
The former VCs, together with the current Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor John Okumu, are expected to appear before the National Assembly Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education.
The committee is examining Auditor General Nancy Gathungu’s special audit report on the university’s financial statements for the 2018/2019 to 2020/2021 financial years.
The audit report also highlights unresolved queries relating to the 2014/2015 to 2016/2017 financial years.
The committee, chaired by Luanda MP Dick Maungu, resolved to summon the former vice chancellors after members observed that Prof Okumu could not adequately respond to issues stemming from decisions made before he assumed office.
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The MPs maintained that the officials who served as accounting officers during the period under review must appear before the committee to respond to the audit queries and account for the decisions made during their tenure.
“The issues being tackled relate to 2014/2015 onwards, and it would be unfair to expect the current acting Vice Chancellor to answer for matters he neither handled nor has institutional memory of,” Maungu said.
He warned that the committee would make far-reaching recommendations against anyone found culpable, emphasizing that the alleged misuse of public resources at the university would not go unpunished.
He added that the recommendations would also adequately address issues arising from decisions made before he assumed office.
“We have seen what appears to be massive looting of public funds and inappropriate conduct. Those responsible must be held to account because we cannot allow public property to be misused or looted,” said the MP.
Central Imenti MP Moses Kirima backed the proposal, citing findings from an earlier parliamentary inspection of the university’s Kigali campus. He questioned the expenditure of more than Ksh300 million on the project, arguing that investigators found little evidence to justify the amount spent or demonstrate value for money.
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The committee also questioned procurement irregularities flagged in the audit report, including the issuance of local purchase orders after goods had already been delivered and the use of expired purchase orders.
University procurement officials acknowledged the anomalies but explained that the current office holders were not in charge when the transactions took place. They told MPs that the institution has since strengthened its internal controls to prevent similar irregularities in future.
The committee further resolved to summon former procurement officials who served during the period under review, as well as the former vice-chancellors, to account for the procurement decisions.
Maungu said the committee is determined to conclude the long-running inquiry into Kenyatta University within the term of the current Parliament.
He added that the committee will conduct a series of hearings to establish individual responsibility before making recommendations on the appropriate course of action.
By Frank Mugwe
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