By Habil Onyango
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has raised concern over possible wastage of public funds amounting to over Shs.1.36 billion at the State Department for Sports.
The wastage could have been due to poor planning and failure to utilize completed projects.
The concerns arose during a session in which the Committee, chaired by Tindi Mwale, examined the State Department’s report of the Office of the Auditor-General for the 2023/2024 financial year.
Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi, who appeared before the committee to respond to audit queries, faced a hard time responding to concerns raised by members on why large sums of money were spent on the two projects without delivering value to the public.
The Auditor-General, in the report for the financial year ended June 30, 2024, flagged the demolition of part of the Jamhuri Posta Sports Ground, which had cost Sh 1.2 billion, to pave the way for the construction of the Talanta Stadium project.
The stadium is expected to host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
According to the audit, two football pitches, restrooms, and access roads constructed under the project were destroyed, raising serious concerns that a significant portion of the Shs. 1.2 billion investment may have been wasted.
Another concern in the report was the office partitioning project at Maktaba Kuu, which cost Sh 98.9 million but remained unused after completion, as staff of the State Department were relocated to Talanta Plaza.
As a result of leaving the premises unused, the department has accumulated rent arrears of Kshs. 63,923,644. This means that a combined amount of at least Kshs. 162.8 million, comprising the cost of partitioning and accrued rent, is at risk of being wasted on a facility that has not been utilized.
Hon. Mwale led the committee members in opining that taxpayers got a raw deal in the two projects.
“Do you think there was value for money in the two projects?” posed Hon. Mwale, who challenged the PS to explain the circumstances around both projects, including overlap in planning and changes in office use.
Committee members Hon. Marianne Kitany (Aldai), Hon. Victor Koech (Chepalungu), Hon. Adow Mohammed (Wajir South), Hon. Otiende Amollo (Rarieda), Hon. Edwin Mugo (Mathioya), and Hon. Nabii Nabwera (Lugari) questioned the planning process, pointing out that public funds worth over Ksh 1.36 billion had gone to waste.
In his response, PS Mwangi confirmed that the ultra-modern Talanta Stadium project overlapped with the sports ground and stated that the site had been selected for convenience.
He explained that some facilities had to be removed to allow for the construction of the new stadium, and that the contractor had agreed to rebuild the demolished amenities at a different location.
Regarding the renovations at the Maktaba Kuu office, PS Mwangi acknowledged that the department had initially intended to occupy the offices but later opted to move to Talanta Plaza to consolidate staff in one location.
He added that discussions were ongoing to offset the rent arrears against the cost of partitioning. His explanation, however, did not go down well with members, who noted that the sequence of events pointed to poor planning by the State Department that led to avoidable losses.
The House team requested the PS to avail full documentation of the two projects, and Committee Chairperson Hon. Mwale said members will conduct site visits to verify whether taxpayers’ money was put to proper use.
