Former commissioners of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) and its ex-Chief Executive Officer have been summoned by Parliament over a string of audit queries, including alleged abuse of office, financial mismanagement, and breaches of procurement and human resource laws.
The (Bumula) Jack Wamboka led-National Assembly’s Public Investments Committee (PIC) on Education and Governance is probing issues raised by the Auditor-General in reports covering the 2021/2022 to 2024/2025 financial years.
Those summoned former is chairperson Samuel Kobia, former vice-chairperson Wambui Nyutu, her successor Dorcas Kedogo, and commissioners Phillip Okundi, Danvas Makori, and Abdulaziz Ali Farah.
Also required to appear is former CEO Skitter Wangeci Mbugua, also known as Skitter Ocharo, whose tenure was marred by controversy, including her suspension over allegations of altering her appointment letter to extend her term.
The lawmakers are in a mission in investigating a raft of financial and administrative concerns, among them a disputed Sh2.7 million taskforce allowance, over-expenditure exceeding Sh132 million, unauthorised bank overdrafts, and irregular staff recruitment.
“We have directed that all former commissioners and the former CEO appear before this committee to shed light on the audit queries. We must establish responsibility. Public officers must be held accountable for how they manage public resources,” said Igembe Central MP, Daniel Karitho, who was the sessional chairperson.
At the centre of the probe is a Sh2.165 million expenditure on taskforce allowances in the 2021/2022 financial year, flagged as irregular due to the absence of a clearly defined assignment period.
“What was the purpose of this taskforce?”Karitho posed.
NCIC Chief Executive Officer Daniel Mutegi Giti told the committee that the commission had since discontinued such arrangements.
“That was in the 2021/2022 financial year. We have taken corrective action and aligned our operations with SRC guidelines. Such arrangements are no longer in place,” he said.
However, his explanation drew scepticism from MPs after he distanced himself from the expenditure, saying it predated his tenure.
“In such circumstances, we require the former accounting officer to appear before us. You cannot say you were not there; then who do we ask?” Karitho ruled.
The committee is also investigating an over-expenditure of Sh132.08 million in the 2024/2025 financial year, where the commission spent Sh161.3 million against an approved budget of Sh29.3 million.
The bulk of the excess spending was under domestic and foreign travel, which exceeded its allocation by more than Sh112 million.
According to the Auditor-General, no documentary evidence was provided to justify the reallocation of funds, in breach of the Public Finance Management Regulations.
“This expenditure was irregular. You ought to have sought approval from the National Treasury. This is not a private entity where decisions are made unilaterally,”Karitho said.
Kilome MP Thaddeus Nzambia said the matter pointed to deeper accountability gaps.
“The main issues in this report relate to the former commissioners. We need them to appear and respond,” he said.
Giti, however, maintained that approvals were sought from the commission and that supporting minutes were available.
“We are accountable and committed to working with both Parliament and auditors. The necessary documentation exists,” he saidbut the MPs remained unconvinced saying, “You cannot budget for a small amount and then overspend tenfold without approvals and still talk about accountability. This is a serious matter,”Karitho warned.
Giti attributed the surge in expenditure to unplanned operational demands, including peace-building interventions during Gen Z-led protests.
“The protests required urgent interventions to prevent escalation of unrest and socio-economic disruption. This significantly increased travel and operational costs,” he said.
He also cited a Sh28 million UNDP-KOICA-funded programme on preventing violent extremism, as well as conflict mediation missions in areas such as Sondu-Kericho, Kitui, and Tana River.
The committee further questioned the commission’s financial discipline after it emerged that NCIC overdrew its bank accounts by up to Sh118 million without approval from the National Treasury, incurring interest charges of Sh822,345.
The Auditor-General flagged this as a violation of financial regulations where Giti attributed the overdrafts to delayed exchequer releases.
“We faced temporary cash flow constraints, particularly in meeting salaries and statutory obligations. The overdrafts were short-term and regularised once funds were received,” he said.
Central Imenti MP, Moses Kirima criticised what he termed a misunderstanding of institutional independence, “You cannot invoke independence when it comes to the use of public funds. There must be checks and balances because this money comes from taxpayers,” he said.
The audit also uncovered widespread irregularities in staff recruitment, including failure to advertise positions, lack of interview records, and hiring of unqualified personnel.
In some cases, individuals were appointed to permanent and pensionable terms without due process, while others reportedly earned salaries from multiple public institutions simultaneously.
The commission defended its recruitment decisions, saying they were aimed at addressing staffing gaps, with current staff levels at 125 against an approved establishment of 189.
“The commission made decisions to ensure optimal staffing, including engaging interns and adjusting employment terms where necessary,” Giti said.
Further concerns were raised over the confirmation of seven staff members from contract to permanent terms without clear criteria.
Giti said the decision was based on existing vacancies and the employees’ length of service.
“The commission resolved to confirm them after noting they had served for over a year and there were available positions within the approved establishment,” he said.
