The Water ministry may have lost millions of shillings through unexplained payments to water drilling contractors. The ministry is hard put to explain the debts, which now exceed US$ 13 million (€ 8.7 million) and is suspected to have been lost at the National Water and Pipeline Corporation.

In a report obtained by the Nation newspaper, the Efficiency Monitoring Unit based in the Office of the Prime Minister accuses the corporation’s board of supervising the near-collapse of the firm due to the debts.

The report recommends disciplinary action and in some cases surcharges against former managing director J K Muchemi, head of procurement Ferdinand Musakhala, finance boss Stanley Mombo Amuti, and the head of internal audit, a Mr Onguso, as “culpable for the financial malfeasance and poor management”.

According to the corporation’s chairman, Prof Stanley Shitole, two employees have been suspended and three others asked by the board to step aside to pave the way for investigations following the disappearance of more than US$ 420,000 (€ 280,000).

Related news:

• Kenya: private water supply deal sparks cost inflation fear, Source Weekly, 10 Nov 2009
• Kenya: Nairobi water board sent packing following reports on malpractices, Source Weekly, 07 Aug 2009

Contact: Ministry of Water and Irrigation, Kenya, e-mail (ps@water.go.ke)

Source: The Nation / allAfrica.com, 25 Oct 2009

Tags: africa, transparency, water resources management, water supply