Auditor General Nancy Gathungu has raised concern over weak internal controls in the management of payment of mileage allowances to Members of Parliament and Senators.
In her report covering the 2023/2024 financial year, the AG noted that Ksh183,429,783 was paid to MPs who travelled to their constituencies using their private vehicles.
Likewise, Senators were paid Ksh40,182,653 for the allowance.
Gathungu added that the payments were processed after the MPs had filled out the transport claim forms.
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Consequently, she expressed that there was a need to have more accountability measures, such as demand for evidence to prove that the lawmakers actually travelled.
According to the AG, without additional accountability measures, the public could lose money through false claims.
"The claims were only supported by a transport claim form, and there were no controls or additional documentation in place to verify that a Member had travelled, which would justify the payment of the allowance," read the report in part.
"In these circumstances, the lack of internal controls in the payment of claimable allowances may lead to the loss of public funds."
MPs are entitled to receive mileage allowance when they travel to their constituencies for work as prescribed in the National Assembly Renumeration Act.
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