The public sector is notorious for plunder and wastefulness which is highlighted every year in the auditor-general’s report, which has become a shameless ritual. In the latest report, Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu details how 21 government officials blew Sh155 million on travel allowances in one year. These public funds that could have been used to provide essential services or fix public infrastructure end up in the pockets of a few people.
It means each of these employees of the State Department of Public Works was paid Sh617,185 a month, Sh20,294 a day or Sh7.4 million a year, including weekends and public holidays, to move around, supposedly discharging their duties. Mark you, this is just a small section of the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing, Urban Development and Public Works. Besides the travel allowances, they were also paid per diem.
The per diem and allowance scheme literally loots public funds. Some officials file fictitious claims and draw payments for doing absolutely nothing. The government, as the employer, the public and would-be beneficiaries of the intended services are, therefore, being short-changed. These allowances gobbled up 20 per cent of the department’s budget for staff.
Flagging the imprest, the auditor-general categorically said this is improbable, thus a scam. A scrutiny showed the officers would have had to work for more days to justify the payments. The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) has been trying to streamline allowances in the public service by capping them at 40 per cent of an employee’s gross salary.
The expose of blatant extravagance comes as the government advocates austerity measures by curbing unnecessary local and international travel and luxuries that compound the bloated unsustainable wage bill that has hit Sh1 trillion. While public officials should be facilitated to travel on assignment, these must be justifiable and yield value for the money.
