Top Meru county officials summoned over Sh200m loss

The Meru County Assembly Public Accounts and Investment Committee has summoned seven top officials for alleged irregular payments amounting to over Sh200 million by the finance department.

Speaking at Meru County Assembly offices, PAC chairman Daniel Kiogora flanked by four other committee members said summoned the county secretary, executives and chief officers in the finance, health and public service departments on Thursday over the matter.

He said they would investigate an attempt to pay for non-existent food supplies to Meru Level Five hospital, questionable services rendered by two local media houses and an illegal county staff insurance cover.

He reiterated that the county executive committee member for Finance, Jacob Kirera, is also required to submit reports on construction of Kinoru Stadium, procurement of Sh7.8million hospital curtains and a private audit conducted by KPMG, a leading audit, tax and advisory firm.

The officials are expected to appear before the committee on Thursday failure to which the committee says it will take legal procedures to render whoever fails to be unfit to hold public office.

There have been complaints over delays in the Sh200 million upgrade of the stadium while procurement of Sh7.8 million curtains caused uproar.

The PAC chair, however, said that the county government owes contractors about Sh1.1 billion, an amount accumulated since 2013, noting that some contractors received their pay while others are yet to get a single cent.

This comes even as James Muthaura, the Chief Officer Finance is alleged to have resigned after declining to approve the alleged dubious transactions.