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Kenya’s top officials on the spot over transfer of Ksh8bn

Kenya’s Defence Principal Secretary Mutea Iringo speaks to the media at Harambee House on June 27, 2013. Mr Iringo has said his recent transfer has nothing to do with the audit queries. PHOTO | FILE

What you need to know:

  • Millions of shillings paid out by Office of the President officials, most of them in cash, and all charged on the government’s security accounts.

Nairobi. The Office of the President is in the spotlight over suspicious transfer of Ksh8.3 billion into and out of government’s secret security accounts. Large transactions happened during the 2013 transition, raising audit concerns.

The Auditor-General’s report, released a month ago, flagged some of the cash movements. A source with close knowledge of the workings of the OP said the large cash transfers were part of the reason President Kenyatta transferred senior officials and procurement staff.

The leaks point to serious behind-the-scenes infighting at OP, whose top officials are powerful because of their proximity to the presidency, their control of large budgets and security responsibilities.

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Former Director of Finance and Administration at the President’s Office Joseph Kirubi was removed from OP in March alongside more than 100 procurement staff after the Head of State ordered their redeployment. On Monday, Defence Principal Secretary Mutea Iringo, who as Internal PS during the transition was the accounting officer, pointed out that his transfer last Thursday had nothing to do with audit queries.

“Someone is trying to be malicious. My transfer has nothing to do with it. The mentioned amount is scandalous, it cannot be,” Mr Iringo said when contacted by the Nation.

His boss at the time, Mr Francis Kimemia who was Head of Public Service, was also demoted to the less glamorous job of Secretary to the Cabinet. The big job went to former Treasury Permanent Secretary Joseph Kinyua, who also doubles as President Kenyatta’s Chief of Staff.

The Nation has seen copies of documents which showed withdrawals of cash through accounts registered under the Commissioner of Police and Office of the President, long after the Office of the Commissioner of Police was scrapped and an Inspector-General of Police sworn in December 2012. (NMG)

In the headlines