Probe into use of Covid funds begins

Nakuru County Assembly Committee on Disasters chairperson Stanley Karanja. [Kennedy Gachuhi, Standard]

Nakuru officials involved in the procurement and distribution of Covid-19 relief supplies are set to appear before ward representatives to provide details on how Sh279 million emergency fund was spent.

Ann Njenga, the county chief officer in charge of disaster management, yesterday appeared before the Disaster Committee chaired by Naivasha East MCA Stanley Karanja.

Njenga’s grilling ended prematurely after she failed to answer questions on how the Covid-19 emergency response funds were spent despite her being the accounting officer in the department.

“It appears we are grilling the right person but she did not have a grip on how millions of shillings were supposed to be spent under her department during the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Karanja.

Njenga had been summoned following a petition from activists who alleged that there were irregularities in the county expenditure, especially on relief supplies.

Njenga admitted that despite the Covid-19 response being under her docket, she was not fully in charge of the processes involved as other heads of the department took over some of her roles.

“I only formed the ward committees tasked with the identification of needy families and made requisition for supplies to the county government. There were many other processes that I was not in charge of,” Njenga said.

She could not respond to questions by the committee saying all files were at the Auditor General's office.