Parliament has ordered the Baringo County Government to provide documents detailing the agreement between the county, the Controller of Budget, and the Office of the Auditor General regarding the opening of 304 illegal bank accounts.
The directive was issued by senators on Monday when Baringo Governor Benjamin Cheboi appeared before the Senate Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations. The Governor has been given two days to comply with the order as per the Public Finance Management (PFM) Act.
Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka questioned how the county managed to open so many accounts to operate DANIDA funds, suggesting that some funds might have been illegally withdrawn. Nominated Senator Catherine Mumma, vice-chair of the committee, urged county governments to adhere to PFM laws, emphasizing that public money must be spent legally.
In response, Governor Cheboi explained that the county government opened the commercial accounts to run DANIDA programs, stating that it was a directive from DANIDA to facilitate easier auditing. “We had received additional grants following the proper usage,” Cheboi said.
