Corrupt county officials may be exploiting fictitious pending bills, unaccounted imprests, and missing asset registers to divert public funds, a Senate panel has revealed.
The committee noted that officials often withhold crucial documents from auditors investigating financial misconduct in counties. Additionally, bloated wage bills—fueled by ghost workers—and the absence of audit committees have contributed to the financial crisis in devolved units.
In a report tabled in December, the Senate County Public Accounts Committee highlighted the lack of a structured approach to resolving long-standing pending bills. Instead of settling verified debts first, counties continue accumulating new liabilities. The committee has urged law enforcement to investigate and take legal action against those behind fraudulent claims.
The report also flagged counties for failing to recover outstanding imprests, contrary to financial regulations, and for lacking fixed asset registers, raising concerns that public assets may be in private hands. To curb revenue losses, the panel recommended updating valuation rolls to ensure proper collection of rent and rates.
The committee further criticized county officials for delaying or refusing to provide financial records during audits, calling for stricter oversight and enforcement of financial regulations.
