Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha has revealed an intricate plot of how procurement officials steal from Government.
In his meeting with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Magoha stated that some 90 per cent of all lost Government money trace their roots from procurement offices.
When you start doing the budgeting process, that is where the money to be stolen is put in the budget through the collusion of finance, administration and procurement people,” said Magoha.
Today, Education CS Prof. George Magoha joined @EACCKenya during the launch of systems examination into the procurement and distribution of equipment to technical institutions in the Ministry of Education. pic.twitter.com/EJDmIFhetH
— EACC (@EACCKenya) March 10, 2020
The Education CS also revealed that procurement officers blatantly inflate the cost of products to obtain kickbacks from suppliers.
In his 2019 report, former auditor-general Edward Ouko stated that some Ksh1 trillion was wasted or lost every year through corruption.
The existence of inefficiencies and weakness in the procurement process is the main driver of corruption in Kenya. The examination into the systems and practices in the procurement process in Technical Institutions will help identify weakness and provide mitigation measures. pic.twitter.com/9VAJnJRmcd
— EACC (@EACCKenya) March 10, 2020
To bring this figure into perspective, the money lost each year could fund all development and wage bill responsibilities in all the 47 counties for two years and a half.
Auditor reports revealing those implicated in the wastage of Government resources are either gathering dust in Parliament or lying on the shelves of the investigative offices.
Corruption has caused major drawbacks to the country's development, which has led to continued lack of public trust in many sectors. pic.twitter.com/suCmY6aMT3
— EACC (@EACCKenya) March 10, 2020