One of the most iconic buildings in the city, Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) should be generating revenues for the government for the benefit of citizens, going by the events being held there almost every month.
However, the situation is different according to evidence in possession of Kahawa Tungu.
Latest is an event at KICC that hosted American R&B singers SWV and Blackstreet boys. According to minutes dated August 4, 2016, KICC CEO Nana Gecaga convinced the board to sanction the expenditure of Ksh15 million on the two groups, with a promise that they would generate Ksh45 million.
However, she ended up spending Ksh10 million more, without generating even a single cent.
KICC un-procedurally hired the services of NIMU premier event organisers to put the event in place. All the money collected from the events went back to NIMU without KICC gaining any single cent.
Gecaga is also said to have initiated the refurbishment of courtyard driveway. The contract was awarded to Kodaji Building and Construction for a total sum of Ksh71 million.
According to a letter written to the directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the project began and an interim certificate of Ksh21 million was issued by the ministry of public works. It is said that KICC paid the amount without following the laid down procedures and documentation.
“The Public Procurement and Disposal Act requires that the accounting officer should appoint a committee to inspect an verify the works that have been done as per the contract. No inspection committee was appointed,” notes the letter.
The payment was made based on cooked minutes between KICC and the contractor, where some board members who were in Mombasa at the time of the alleged meeting were listed as present.
A part from the aforementioned scandals, there is a catering firm, Street Bistro, that has been doing business in the premises since 2018 without a valid lease agreement or any contractual terms.
The firm does not pay for space, electricity, water and security services. The firm is also said to be trading with KICC, and is paid promptly.
Read: MPs Cancel Meeting With An “Unbothered” Nana Gecaga After She Showed Up In Jeans And T-shirt
Under Gecaga, KICC single-sourced Honda for the supply of motorbikes and paid Ksh2 million for it, in contravention of the Public Procurement and Disposal Act. The deal was done in pretense of partnership.
Ms Gecaga is also said to have been withdrawing contingency and entertainment allowances and claiming refunds when she travels on abroad trips whilst the perdiem is enough to cater for all travel expenses.
The dossier to the DCI also reveals that employees take salary advances and reverse the same, never to pay it. One example is internal audit manager Grace Gichuru who took a salary advance of Ksh150,000 on October 3, 2014. She immediately reversed the transaction in the system, never to pay the loan to date.
The qualification of Gecaga have been questionable since her appointment, and not even the auditor general could get hold of her certificates.
It is said that upon entry into office, Gecaga created the position of a PA, and appointed a certificate holder, whereas the position required a Masters degree.
Here’s the letter:-
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