Senate watchdog committee has pushed Baringo Governor Benjamin Cheboi over non compliance of Public Finance Management Act and operating illegal bank accounts against the tenets of County Government Act 2012
Appearing before the Sanate Devolution and Intergovernmental Committee under led by Catherine Mumma, it was found out that the County Executive of Baringo had 304 commercial bank accounts instead of operating with Central Bank of Kenya as stipulated in the law
County Governments are supposed to deposit monies into an account which is domiciled at CBK except for imprests to avoid loopholes of corruptions and unnecessary expenditure
However, Governor Cheboi defended the numerous bank accounts stating that it was for donars [Danida] who insisted to have every dispensary have it’s own bank accounts as a requirement for them to pay watchmen, cleaners and other subordinate staffs
“The truth of the matter is that all these bank accounts opened were requirements by the donar before you receive their funds from Danida, we have several healthcare facilities and dispensaries.
None of the officials from the county is authorised to access the funds apart from Health County Executive Committee Member,” Cheboi defended
While Kisii Senator Dr Richard Onyonka pressed hard even demanding chair to summon controller of budget over the plunged audit queries, Cheboi maintained that county government had no interest in opening account other than for specific functions
“Danida have their accountants who monitors the use of their donation. Every grants or conditional grants which comes to the counties must be received by respectful bank account. And because Baringo has higher no of health facilities than Nakuru and Kericho, we end up having so many bank accounts
Bungoma Senator Wakoli Wafula questioned why there are issues that cleaners, watchmen and massagers haven’t been paid so far yet the county government received the monies from the donar
UDA Nominated Senator George Mbugua asked why should one dispensary have several bank accounts