The National Assembly Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is currently requesting a specialized audit to be carried out on the utilization of Ksh.4.5 billion spent on the establishment of classrooms for the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). The committee aims to ascertain how the funds were allocated, how contractors were selected, and whether the Kenyan public received value for their investment in this project.
This decision came after Dr. Belio Kipsang, the Principal Secretary of Basic Education, informed the committee that the ministry had engaged the local community in choosing the contractors involved in the project. However, committee members strongly disputed this claim and demanded concrete evidence illustrating how the community had participated in the contractor selection process for constructing classrooms in specific schools.
Funyula MP Oundo Mudenyo challenged the assertion, stating that there was no evidence of community involvement, as the process was managed by the Director of County Education without the knowledge of the MPs representing the people. He emphasized that MPs were unaware of such community participation.
Rarieda MP Otiende Omollo added that he had no information about the contractors in his constituency or how they were chosen. He emphasized the need for convincing evidence of the community’s role in contractor selection.
Nevertheless, the Principal Secretary maintained that the community had been engaged in the process, focusing on individuals with the capacity to construct the classrooms, as coordinated by a multi-agency team. He clarified that evidence regarding those who registered and how the information was relayed to the chief’s office would be provided.
The MPs also expressed concerns about the quality of the constructed classrooms, questioning whether taxpayers received value for their money. They raised the issue of contractors receiving full payments despite potential defects, which could lead to additional expenditures for repairs.
Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera illustrated the situation in his constituency, where poorly constructed classrooms were being used as temporary shelters. He emphasized that these classrooms were not habitable.
In response, the Principal Secretary acknowledged that there were ongoing special audits to assess the quality of the buildings. He mentioned that, while some defects had been identified, the classrooms were currently in use. An official report would be presented once the audit was concluded.