The Government lost more than KSh31 million on payment for non-operational equipment for milk plants in Kitui county in the 2020/2021 Financial Year.
This was documented in a report by the Auditor General, tabled before the National Assembly's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday, March 6.
Principal Secretary to the State Department for Livestock, Harry Kimtai, appeared before the Committee, chaired by nominated Member of Parliament, John Mbadi.
In his submissions, the PS - who also served in retired President Uhuru Kenyatta's government - explained that the Department had invested over Ksh30 million to purchase the coolers in the Financial Year.
The centres listed as beneficiaries of the programme include Mwiwe, Tagho, Masii and Yatta cooperative societies in Kitui County as the government looked to support their value chain programmes.
However, a report by Auditor General Nacy Gathungu revealed that the coolers supplied were defective and dysfunctional despite consuming millions of taxpayers' money.
The John Mbadi-led Committee demanded the PS take stern action against officers who misled the department into paying funds for unused equipment.
"Make sure you take administrative action against officers who misled you on this matter," Mbadi ordered the PS.
In addition, the PAC Committee learnt that the department could not account for Ksh8 million proceeds from selling assets, including certified seeds, breed stocks inventories and commodities from across the country.
Also highlighted in the sitting was why the Livestock Department failed to account for Ksh43.7 million collected from four Agricultural Training Institutes.
According to PS Kimtai, the funds in question were collected from programmes at the Industry Training institute -Ndombi, Meat Training Institute in Machakos, Animal Health Training Institute of Nyahururu and Naivasha's Dairy Training Institute.
In his explanation, the PS told the Committee that the funds were spent at the source upon collection by the Department.
"The funds were primarily used by the students during the period of study. The cash mainly comprises insurance, caution and practical course money," the PS explained.
In his response to the accountability concerns exposed in the Committee session, Chairman Mbadi urged the PS to develop a functional system to aid him in ensuring prudent financial management.
