Meru County Government refutes Controller of Budget’s report on foreign travel expenditure
By Harun Mugambi
The Meru County Government has emphatically refuted the Controller of Budget’s recent third-quarter financial report, which inaccurately claimed that the County Executive had spent Sh903.20 million on foreign travel during the Financial Year 2023/2024.
According to the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Finance, Economic Planning, and ICT, CPA Ibrahim Mutwiri Kirimi, the actual expenditure for foreign travel by the County Executive was only Sh910,000.
In an official letter addressed to the Controller of Budget, CPA Kirimi highlighted the discrepancy, pointing out that the total expenditure on foreign travel for the entire County Government of Meru was Sh43.75 million. This amount included Sh42.84 million spent by the County Assembly, with only Sh910,000 being spent by the County Executive.
CPA Kirimi expressed disbelief at the erroneously reported Sh903.20 million, stating that the County Executive couldn’t have spent such a large sum given the actual figures.
He condemned the misleading report for creating an unjustified public perception of extravagant spending on foreign travel by the County Executive.
The County Government has formally requested the Controller of the Budget to rectify the error and ensure that the correction is widely publicized to mitigate the damaging effects of the misinformation.
CPA Kirimi expressed confidence that the error would be promptly addressed, restoring the accurate financial records of Meru County.
In a press briefing, the Department of Finance, Economic Planning, and ICT reiterated that the County lacked the financial capacity to allocate such a significant amount to non-essential activities like foreign travel.
The department attributed the erroneous figure to a likely typographical error in the reporting process by the Controller of Budget.
“We have already contacted the relevant office to rectify this substantial error, and we anticipate the adjustments will be made accordingly,” CPA Kirimi assured the public.
County Secretary and head of Public Service Kiambi Atheru supported Kirimi’s statements, urging journalists to always verify information with the appropriate sources rather than relying on online misinformation.
“My office is always open for inquiries, and I am available to provide clarification instead of depending on online propaganda,” emphasized Atheru.
Earlier Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza, criticized the Controller of Budget over the controversial report .
In a post on her Facebook account, Governor Mwangaza expressed disbelief at the erroneous report, asserting that she has not used public funds for any foreign trips since taking office.
“I am shocked and dismayed by the fact that a Government Agency (COB) can give a false report at a time when our Country Kenya needs factual information to avoid civil unrest. The report, in the first sentence accurately indicates that Meru County spent Sh43.75 million on foreign travel. Out of this, the County Assembly spent Sh42.84 million. But again, the same paragraph has an error either intentional or a typo,” the Meru governor stated
According to Governor Mwangaza the Meru County executive spent only Sh 910,000 and not Sh903.20 million as indicated by the Controller of Budget.
The report claimed that a whopping Sh903.20 million was spent on foreign trips during the years 2023-2024.
She called for corrections to be made, emphasizing that the actual amount spent was significantly lower than what was reported.
“Since the 2022 elections I have never spent a single public coin on a foreign trip,” Mwangaza added.
The report indicated extravagant expenses on trips to destinations like Australia, Tanzania, Dubai, and Kampala, raising eyebrows at the staggering figures.
The County Assembly also came under fire for their frequent visits to Arusha in Tanzania, totaling Ksh.28 million in expenses.
