Rotich: Only State House can clarify failed lifestyle audit

Treasury Secretary Henry Rotich wants Parliament to summon State House officials and the multi-agency team that vetted heads of accounts and procurement to explain why the exercise to tackle graft has not been concluded.

Mr Rotich told MPs that the lifestyle audit is beyond the Treasury and that only the team that handled the exercise can respond to their queries.

President Kenyatta ordered a lifestyle audit of the top officials in June last year and the lie-detector tests was to be completed before the start of the financial year on July 1, 2018.

Finance and National Planning Committee summoned Mr Rotich to appear Wednesday over the lifestyle audit amid reports that the tens of suspended heads of procurement and accounts continue to draw salaries without working, one year into the exercise.

“Some of these things are beyond the Treasury. We run the risk of us getting information from other entities and come to report here. It is good that you summon those with any information that you require,” Mr Rotich told the committee.

“I regret that I don’t have answers that you require. I don’t need to appear before you as you had summoned me since we think we have exhausted all the answers.”

The vetting order came days after 54 people — including the public service ministry’s principal secretary — were named to face charges related to the stealing of billions of shillings at the National Youth Service (NYS) through fictitious procurement.

Joseph Limo, the chairman of the committee, said the committee would consult and make appropriate directions.

The committee summoned Mr Rotich after the Chief Administrative Secretary Nelson Gachuhie revealed that only 552 officers had been cleared and reinstated.

He also disclosed that the Treasury was paying full salaries to officers who had been vetted but are yet to get back to work. “We as the Treasury are feeling the pinch of the slow lifestyle audit process because we are paying salary to all officers who stepped aside but have not been cleared for reinstatement”.