Parliament ‘spent Sh2.1bn on repairs, security system’
Continental House, Nairobi, where some MPs’ offices are located.
Parliament used Sh2.1 billion on capital projects and the Integrated Security Management System (ISMS). The cash was used for painting and general repair of buildings and buying the system.
Details are contained in the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) report for 2019/20. Over Sh4.8 million of the recurrent expenditure of the commission’s budget was used in refurbishing and furnishing the official residences of National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi and his Senate counterpart Ken Lusaka. Speakers vacate the residences upon leaving office.
A further Sh2 million was used to refurbish the office of Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC). General and leakage repairs at the Senate Speaker’s residence on Bogani Road, Kiambu, cost taxpayers Sh1.8 million.
Sh3 million was used on minor repairs and furnishing work at the National Assembly Speaker’s official residence on Thigiri Road. Installation of a solar water heater was also done. On the capital projects, the report indicates that PSC carried out external painting of all Parliament buildings, which include Imani House, Continental House, County Hall and the main premises. There was also refurbishment of the restaurant on the seventh floor of Continental House and electrical repair at KICC, where some MPs’ offices are located. The commission also carried out a facelift of the office of the director general of the joint services, the boardroom on the 11th floor of Protection House and the health club in the basement of Continental House. Vertical blinds were installed at the fifth, 11th and 13th floors of Protection House.
“Maintenance unit is a department in the joint services that is mandated in the provision of a safe, healthy and friendly environment that facilitates the provision of effective and efficient services of MPs and staff. The department does not only provide effective and sustainable engineering support services in repair and maintenance but also in the PSC project management,” reads the report
Sunday Nation made a formal request through an email to the PSC to be provided with the specific vote heads of the maintenance done, but Clerk of the Senate Jeremiah Nyegenye explained the issues asked falls under different accounting officers, saying he will revert with a substantive report.
“As explained to you in a telephone conversation earlier, the information you require relates to matters under three separate and distinct accounting units and, therefore, three accounting officers, to whom this has been forwarded for compilation,” he emailed.
Parliamentary Joint Services director general Clement Nyandiere, under whose docket capital projects fall and is also the accounting officer of the joint services, said he was out of office but promised to give a comprehensive response tomorrow, on the amount spent on each item.
“These are projects that we sought approval from the Head of Public Service and we have all the documents. I cannot remember all the details, but the only one I remember off-head is the Sh11 million used for painting of all Parliament buildings. The rest I have to compile the documents from the accounts department,” he told Sunday Nation.
The PSC has three vote heads—vote 2041, which is for the Senate, with the accounting officer being its Clerk, who is also the secretary of the commission; vote 2042 for the National Assembly, with the accounting officer being its Clerk, Michael Sialai; and vote 2043, which belongs to the Parliamentary Joint Services, with the accounting officer being its director general. The third vote includes the joint services and the Centre for Parliamentary Studies and Training—established under sections 33 and 34 of the Parliamentary Service Commission.
