Fred Matiang'i Summoned

Former Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Fred Matiang'i has been summoned by Members of Parliament to appear before them.

Matiang'i is expected to appear before the National Assembly's Public Investments Committee on Education and Governance next Wednesday, October 11, to answer to a decision made while serving as Education minister during the tenure of Former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The decision is the closure of the Kenyatta University campus in Kigali, Rwanda where the CS is said to have ordered its closure in 2018 without consulting other stakeholders.

Kenyatta University said the decision to close the Kigali Campus followed a directive from the Ministry of Education, even though the government had spent close to Ksh420.7 million.

An audit query flagged in the Auditor General’s report for the financial year 2019-20 raised concern regarding a possible loss of millions of taxpayers' money in the investment as there were no returns for the country.

Of the Ksh420.7 million spent, the government spent Ksh314,894,910 for the purchase of land and building cost, renovation and partitioning taking up Ksh54,073,302,

Ksh11,489,009 was spent on operating expenses while personal emoluments took up Ksh728,185.

Other expenses include furniture and equipment costs of Ksh6,657,697, Ksh24,699,246  was spent on computers and Ksh8,206,856 on motor vehicles.

“Despite the University's assurance that all necessary checks were done before opening the campus, the management has not yet recovered the full amount spent,” the auditor general report read in part.

The management, in its response, however, told the committee that following the instruction from the Ministry of Education, the University embarked on the process of closing the Campus as guided by the Treasury.

It also cited the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy during the period for the delay in the sale of the property noting as a stop-gap measure, the University Council approved leasing of the property to generate rental revenue estimated at Ksh4.5 million per month.

“The tender was evaluated but the highest responsive bidder submitted an offer that was below the market rate, hence the tender was declared non-responsive,” it submitted.

The summons, according to the committee, are thus for the purposes of accountability for such decisions which is important to prevent future mismanagement.

The Committee also summoned Professor Olive Mugenda, former KU Vice Chancellor and accounting officer during the establishment of the campus who will be required to explain the expenses incurred during the purchase and renovation of the campus.

The report follows an inspection tour to the country by a delegation of some Committee members led by Central Imenti MP Moses Kirima on September 27.

The National Treasury has since authorised the sale of the property in Kigali.

Matiang'i was last seen in the public eye in March when he appeared at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters to record a statement regarding an alleged raid at his house by police in February.