OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

SPOKESMAN
KICC BUILDING, 23RD
FLOOR
28th JULY 2016
Our attention has been drawn to todays erroneous Business Daily
headline which reads: State House Official Approved Ksh 400
million payments to Afya House Contractors. The Statehouse
Official referred to in the headline, is identified within the story as
the Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service. Both the story and the
headline create false perceptions of financial impropriety which
Government would like to categorically refute. To clarify on the false
information provided in the story we would like to advise the media
and the public of the following:
The expenditure referred to was irregularly approved and by
the Chief of Staff and Head of the Public Service contrary to
the law and procedure required in public expenditure.
The irregular authorization of payments may have
occasioned loss of Public Funds.
There was blatant break of the law as a result of the
authorization by the Chief of Staff and Head of the Public
Service.
The loss of Public Funds in the Ministry of Health was
facilitated by the directives from the Chief of Staff and Head
of the Public Service.

We would like to comment on the content(s) of your story as

follows: 1

The veracity of the story carried by your Newspaper is actually

wrong and has clearly manifest inaccuracies as elaborated below:
(a) The Chief of Staff and Head of the Public Service did not
and has never authorized any payments on behalf of the
Ministry and Health or any other Ministry for that matter. We
therefore wish to refute your story indicating that the chief of
staff and head of public service directed/authorized any
expenditure of funds at the ministry of health
(b) The procedure for expenditure of public funds is clearly
articulated in the Public Finance Management Act, 2012. Once
the budget estimated are approved by the national assembly
in accordance with the act, it is only an accounting officer who
can authorize payments from a ministry's vote, and in
accordance with budget estimates so approved by the national
assembly. The chief of staff and head of public service is
neither an accounting officer nor a holder of authority to incur
expenditure.
(c)

We have gone through the report quoted by business

daily and we have been unable to see anywhere where
it has even been remotely suggested that the Chief of
Staff and Head of Public Service at any point in time
directed the Ministry of Health to wire money to any
supplier. We therefore conclude that the allegations are
malicious and part of a bigger scheme to brand targeted
public servant as corrupt.

(d)

Finally, we wish to clear the air, and for avoidance of

doubt make public the contents of letter Ref. No.
OP/CAB.26/1/3A dated 24th January, 2016, referred to
by the newspaper story.

ERIC K. KIRAITHE (MBS)

2

GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN