By PSCU
The Principal Secretary State Department for Crop Development Mr. Philip Kello Harsama was yesterday sent away by the National Assembly Committee on Special Funds Accounts for failing to submitting documents relating to the queries raised by the Auditor General.
The Zainab Fatuma Mohammed led committee had invited the PS to examine the report of the Auditor General on the audited accounts of the Strategic Food Reserve Fund for the Financial Year 2020/2021.
Some of the issues that were raised in the auditor’s report include the unexplained variances between the statements of financial position and changes in net assets, inconsistencies between the statements of comparison of budget and the actual amounts, the statements of financial performance, unsupported trade and other payables, among others.
The legislators was surprised that despite the PS missing the previous invite as he out of the country and the meeting being rescheduled to yesterday, the PS had not submitted the responses to the issues raised by the auditor general.
It was on this account that the committee took the decision because the office of the auditor had not gone through the responses.
The chair told the PS to handle the matter with the seriousness it deserves more so at this time when the country is faced with food insecurity, and ensure that he respects the Committee’s decisions by availing himself when called upon to discuss issues affecting Kenyans .
In his response, the PS apologized to the committee on behalf of the ministry for not submitting the documents on time and acknowledged the mandate of the committee in oversighting the State Department.
The Strategic food reserve (SFR) which was established in 2015 is tasked the main responsibility of ensuring that the country attains enough food stocks through the formation of agricultural policies and regulations as well as subsidies to farmers.
The meeting was rescheduled to a later date.
