The Auditor General Nancy Gathungu has put former Commissioner General of Prisons John Warioba on spot after an audit report indicated that he was provided with a residential house leased at Ksh250,000 per month for an entire year.
In the report, Gathungu states that while the retired prison boss was entitled to a house allowance of Ksh100,000, he was irregularly put in a residential building at more than double his pay grade demands.
Gathungu equally noted that the pricey accommodation was against the advice of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).
“The State Department entered into a tenancy agreement with a service provider to lease a residential house for the immediate former Commissioner General of Prisons at a monthly rent of Ksh250,000,” Gathungu observed.
No evidence
“During the year under review, the State Department paid an amount of Kshs.3,000,000 as rent in respect of the leased house. However, the Commissioner General’s letter of appointment did not indicate that his terms of employment included the provision of a leased residential house and therefore the basis for the leasing of the house was not clear.”
The auditor general equally revealed that the State Department for Corrections failed to provide evidence to confirm registration of the lease with the State Department for Housing and Urban Development.
“In addition, the higher benefit was not based on advice from the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) pursuant to the provisions of Article 230(4)(b) of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 which mandates SRC to advise the national and county governments on the remuneration and benefits of all public officers,” Gathungu stated.
Warioba was replaced in a press statement from the State House on July 12, 2024, by Patrick Arandu after his tenure in office expired.
“In accordance with the Prisons Act, His Excellency the President has appointed Patrick Mwiti Arandu as the Commissioner General of Prisons. Arandu takes over from Brigadier (Rtd) John Warioba, CBS who is proceeding on terminal leave pending the end of his tenure of office,” the statement read.
Unbudgeted expenditure
The auditor general equally revealed that the State Department for Correctional Services incurred debts of up to Ksh85 million in food and non-food items during the audit period.
“Records maintained at the Prison Staff Training College (PSTC) indicate that the College had pending bills amounting to Ksh85.8M as of 30 June 2024. The bills arose after 4,600 prison officers were sent to the College to undergo a development course after they were promoted to a higher rank (Corporal grade),” Gathungu noted.
She remarked that the college breached the law which requires that all procurement must only be commenced when there are sufficient funds to meet the cost of the items to be procured, and that the debt could have been avoided.
“This was contrary to Section 53 (8) of the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, 2015 which provides that an Accounting Officer shall not commence any procurement proceeding until satisfied that sufficient funds to meet the obligations of the resulting contract are reflected in its approved budget estimates,” she added.