Article 223 of the Kenyan Constitution 2020 gives the National Treasury powers to withdraw money from the Consolidated Fund without the parliament’s approval.
However, the law dictates that the Treasury has up to two months to seek the Parliament’s rubberstamp immediately it has made the withdrawal.
As such, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has revealed that former Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yattani allegedly withdrew up to KSh 23 billion during Rtd. President Uhuru Kenyatta’s last days in office.
However, since the withdrawal, the previous regime failed to seek the Parliament’s rubberstamp raising eyebrows from both local and international governments.
As such, the IMF has officially commenced investigations into the alleged report that Rtd. President Uhuru Kenyatta misappropriated KSh 23 billion taxpayer’s money days before handing over power to his successor William Ruto on Tuesday, September 13.
In a report by the Business Daily on Wednesday, December 21, IMF said the scrutiny is part of the Kenya Kwanza regime to “conduct a special audit at providing accountability and transparency for spending undertaken outside the approved budget.”
“A planned special audit on supplementary budgeting including under Article 223 of the Constitution to provide accountability and transparency for spending outside the approved budget is being conducted,” said IMF.
Earlier, Kivumbi.co.ke reported that the Jubilee administration spent up to KSh 23 billion just two months to the August 9, General Election without the approval of the National Assembly.
The unbudgeted spending includes KSh 810 million to the State House, KSh 2.2 billion for building a military research hospital, and KSh 4.5 billion for maize flour subsidy.
Another KSh 6 billion was spent for the purchase of a 60 percent stake in Telkom Kenya turning the operator into a parastatal while another KSh 9.5 billion was allocated for road construction.
