Kenya Power is facing a storm in Parliament after revelations that a staggering Sh274 million was paid to a consulting firm whose staff reportedly never showed up at project sites.
Furious Members of Parliament have demanded answers after Auditor General Nancy Gathungu flagged the payment in her audit report for the financial year ending June 30, 2021. The report reveals that there was no evidence the consultant’s personnel were physically present to supervise work on the taxpayer-funded Last Mile Connectivity Project.
“There were no attendance sheets, no meeting minutes – nothing to prove they were there,” the report states, raising suspicions of possible fraud or gross mismanagement.
At a heated Public Investments Committee on Energy session on Thursday, Pokot South MP David Pkosing tore into Kenya Power’s leadership, demanding full disclosure.
“It cannot be that not a single one of them reported to site. We’re talking about Sh274 million here,” said Pkosing. “Someone must be held accountable.”
Kenya Power’s Managing Director, Joseph Siror, attempted to calm the storm, defending the consultants’ absence by saying the firm was paid based on project milestones – not daily supervision.
“These consultants were overseeing multiple sites across counties,” Siror explained, adding they were working on other locations during the audit.
But the Auditor General’s team wasn’t buying it. “You can’t pay Sh274 million without proper documentation. Minutes and inspection logs are non-negotiable,” an officer said.
The committee has now demanded the names of all consultants involved, along with inspection logs, or the utility firm could face serious repercussions.
The pressure is mounting and if no clear proof surfaces soon, heads could roll at the country’s troubled power utility.
