'Ghost NGOs' in Kenya received Sh35m to fight HIV spread

NAIROBI: The National Aids Control Council (Nacc) paid money to 54 ghost community-based organisations (CBO) said to be involved in the war against HIV and Aids, an audit report has revealed.

According to the 2013-2014 government audited accounts, a total of Sh35.5 million of the Sh408 million disbursed to 421 CBOs engaged as Project Sub-Implementers (PSI) may not have been properly used for the project implementation.

However, the report does not detail of how much each of the 54 SPIs received or where they were based.

Further, the Auditor General Edward Ouko noted that the 421 PSIs were riddled with poor record keeping saying lack of proper books of account may have resulted in some of the project funds not being accounted for.

The auditor noted that inherent weaknesses in the design and architecture of the community driven development projects funded by donors and the Government in the fight against HIV and Aids had made it difficult for audit trails to be executed.

"There were no elaborate structures to achieve adequate internal and accounting controls at the tail end of the project implementation," the report noted.