MURKOMEN in another multi-billion scandal as Auditor General reveals how he ‘looted’ a whopping Ksh1.2 billion – Look! RUTO please!

Wednesday, July 3, 2024 – The Transport Ministry, led by CS Kipchumba Murkomen, has been embroiled in another multi-billion scandal.

A damning audit of Kenya's smart card driving license initiative revealed mismanagement and financial misappropriation within the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA).

The audit highlights a staggering Ksh1.2 billion discrepancy in funds and a severe delay in project implementation.

Initiated in 2017 with ambitious plans to roll out five million second-generation smart card-based driving licenses, the project has fallen drastically behind schedule.

According to Auditor General Nancy Gathungu, NTSA's management failed to enforce the use of these smart driving licenses effectively, resulting in substantial financial losses.

Out of the allocated Ksh2.03 billion, only 4,042,050 smart cards were delivered by the supplier, with a significant portion—2,562,874 cards—remaining unused in NTSA's storage, valued at approximately Ksh788.85 million.

"The failure to utilise these smart cards represents a serious lapse in financial management," stated Gathungu, emphasising the project's inability to achieve value for the Ksh1.2 billion already expended.

In addition to the smart card debacle, the audit scrutinized NTSA's implementation of the Transport Integrated Management System (TIMS), designed to centralise vehicle registrations, inspections, and driver licensing.

Despite an investment of Ksh186.48 million in the system, significant deficiencies were noted.

The TIMS, managed through the E-Citizen platform since March 2023, lacks comprehensive reporting capabilities, hindering the accurate analysis of revenue streams across NTSA's regional offices.

The Kenyan DAILY POST