IEBC commissioner probed over Sh180m Moscow loss

Paul Kurgat. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL | NMG 

By EDWIN MUTAI

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Summary

• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has moved to block any payment of terminal dues that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) owes Dr Kurgat until the matter is resolved.
• Macharia Kamau, principal secretary in the Foreign Affairs ministry, said he had written to IEBC chairman Wafula Cebukati notifying him of an ongoing inquiry into the loss of taxpayers’ money.
• Auditor-General Edward Ouko reported that examination of the recurrent bank reconciliation statement for the month of June 2016 revealed that Sh149,323,311 and Sh28,808,743 was withdrawn from two bank accounts between 2009 and 2011.

Embattled electoral agency commissioner Paul Kurgat risks losing his terminal benefits following ongoing investigations into the loss of Sh180 million during his tenure at the Kenyan embassy in Moscow.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has moved to block any payment of terminal dues that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) owes Dr Kurgat until the matter is resolved.

Macharia Kamau, principal secretary in the Foreign Affairs ministry, said he had written to IEBC chairman Wafula Cebukati notifying him of an ongoing inquiry into the loss of taxpayers’ money.

“I have written to the chairman IEBC to notify him not to release his dues until the ongoing investigation is complete. We have sent a six-man team to Moscow to probe the loss as captured by the auditor- general in his 2015/16 report,” Mr Kamau told the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chaired by Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi.

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Mr Kamau said the ministry had also written to the Treasury requesting it not to pay Dr Kurgat his terminal benefits until the case is resolved.

Auditor-General Edward Ouko reported that examination of the recurrent bank reconciliation statement for the month of June 2016 revealed that Sh149,323,311 and Sh28,808,743 was withdrawn from two bank accounts between 2009 and 2011.

Mr Ouko said the withdrawals were not recorded in cash books, adding that payment documents in support of the withdrawals have not been provided for audit.

He said the ministry did not investigate the matter and take appropriate action as required under Regulation 90(3) of the Public Finance Management (National Government) Regulations, 2015.

Mr Kamau told PAC that Dr Kurgat was head of the Kenyan mission in Moscow between 2009 and 2012 when the money was lost.

Dr Kurgat resigned alongside IEBC vice chair Nkatha Maina and commissioner Margaret Mwachanya on March 16,  citing a lack of confidence in the leadership of Mr Chebukati.

Mr Kamau  said that a preliminary report by a six-member probe team, which is combing documents in Moscow, shows that the money was withdrawn from accounts of the mission and was not properly accounted for.

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