MPs on the spot for Faking Mileage Claims

Auditor General Nancy Gathungu has exposed another multimillion scam in the National Assembly.

Her latest report indicates that Members of Parliament have exploited weak controls to earn themselves huge chunks of money in mileage allowance.

The only document the MPs have been presenting is the claim forms, exposing a major loophole in the mileage allowance payment.

This, however, is not the first time the members of the August House have been censured over the mileage claim scam.

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In the report, Nancy Gathungu reveals that MPs have demanded millions of money without any proof of travelling to their Constituencies.

MPs have allegedly been presenting only a claim form exposing a huge loophole in mileage allowance payments.

The Kenya Kwanza administration has been on the spot for sanctioning unwarranted huge expenditures by its officials mainly on wasteful travelling expenses.

Ms Gathungu notes that close to KES 61 million is lost every month as the MPs exploit the mileage allowance loophole. 

Last year Gathungu exposed yet another scam where three MPs pocketed a cool KES 16.6 million on irregular mileage allowance claims.

The three lawmakers blew out Sh16.6 million in triple payments for domestic travel, mileage claims and overseas travel, all done on the same day.

The three MPs were paid Sh11,392,479 in domestic travel and subsistence in respect of mileage claims.

“However, no explanation was provided as to why three Members were paid twice or thrice for the same date of travel,” Nancy Gathungu, the Auditor-General said in a report to Parliament.

Ms Gathungu said further examination of payments for claims by MPs for mileage and domestic subsistence facilitation revealed instances where some legislators were paid domestic subsistence facilitation and mileage claims amounting to Sh5,219,357 on days when they were outside the country and already receiving foreign subsistence allowances.

“In the circumstances, the propriety of the expenditure of Sh11,392,479 and Sh5,219,358 included under domestic travel and subsistence in the statement of receipts and payments for the year ended June 30, 2020, could not be determined,” Ms Gathungu said.

The Treasury has allocated Parliament Sh37.7 billion in the current financial year.

MPs are ordinarily reimbursed weekly mileage of about 18,000 per kilometre for return trips per kilometre depending on the distance covered. Those travelling long distances like Mandera, Lamu, Garissa Wajir, and Turkana pocket more than Sh1 monthly.

Mileage reimbursement is usually claimed Monday to Friday by MPs also draw Sh5,000 per committee sitting, while the chairman laughs all the way to the bank with Sh15,000. Vice chairpersons draw Sh7,500.

Other perks include domestic subsistence (Sh19,000), and house allowance (Sh2000,000). And Medical (Sh10 million) among others.

In a qualified audit opinion for the year ended June 30, 2020, Ms Gathungu said the PSC spent Sh303,881,415,626 in respect of the use of goods and services.

“As disclosed under Note 4 to the financial statements, the expenditure includes an amount of Sh1,395,384,441 relating to domestic travel and subsistence out of which Sh11,392,479 was paid to the Members in respect of mileage claims.

“However, no explanation was provided as to why three Members were paid twice or thrice for the same date of travel,” she said.

She said examination of payments for claims by Members for mileage and domestic subsistence facilitation revealed instances where some Members were paid domestic subsistence facilitation and mileage claims on days when they were outside the country and already receiving foreign subsistence allowances.

“The irregular payments had not been recovered by the time of the audit in December 2020.

“In the circumstances, the propriety of the expenditure of Sh11,392,479 and Sh5,219,358 included under domestic travel and subsistence in the statement of receipts and payments for the year ended 30 June 2020 could not be determined,” Ms Gathungu said.