EDITORIAL: Punish reckless officials – Business Daily

News that taxpayers risk losing Sh330 million paid to a Spanish firm for the upgrade of five stadiums whose construction stalled is disheartening to say the least, coming against the background of unchecked loss of revenues.

It has emerged that the Ministry of Sports had in January 2018 paid Auditel Ingeniera Services Spain a 20 percent advance on the Sh1.6 billion contract for lighting, sound system and automated security access for the five stadiums and 10 training pitches. Works are yet to start months after the payment was made.

This speaks volumes about the sheer ineptitude of public officials that after awarding the contract and making an advance payment, they did not follow-up to establish the progress of the work.

Government projects are conceived to address the needs of Kenyan citizens, not to line the pockets of officials or give undue advantage to foreign companies.

The Auditor-General’s office has revealed that the Sh330 million payment is unlikely to be recovered since the security guarantee offered to the expired last November. The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), DCI and DPP should get to the bottom of the matter and establish how taxpayers money was lost.

The blatant corrupt practices such as this that lead to waste of taxpayers’ money should not go unpunished.