Former Treasury Cabinet Secretary claims KSh 15 billion withdrawal was legal, amid accusations of irregular approval

• Former Treasury Cabinet Secretary, Ukur Yatani, defends the Controller of Budget’s approval of the KSh 15 billion withdrawal days before the 2022 elections, citing Article 223 of the Constitution.
• Yatani denies pressuring the Controller of Budget to authorize the payment without parliamentary approval and claims the funds were used for subsidies, road construction, and a referral hospital for the Kenya Defence Forces.
• Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale dismisses Yatani’s claims, accuses him of being involved in irregular transactions and warns him to prepare to face his demons.
• Margaret Nyakang’o, the Controller of Budget, admits to approving the funds irregularly under pressure from Yatani, and tables text conversations as evidence.
• The saga highlights the importance of transparency and accountability in public expenditure and the need to uphold the law and ensure that public funds are spent in line with the Constitution.

The former Treasury Cabinet Secretary, Ukur Yatani, claims that the Controller of Budget’s approval of the KSh 15 billion withdrawn days before the 2022 elections was done in line with the law.

According to Article 223 of the Constitution, the Treasury Cabinet Secretary can approve funds not appropriated by Parliament, provided the parliamentary approval is given within two months under certain circumstances. In a statement, Yatani denied pressuring the Controller of Budget, Margaret Nyakang’o, to authorise the payment without parliamentary approval. He also argued that the funds were used for subsidies and the construction of roads and a referral hospital for the Kenya Defence Forces, which President William Ruto opened recently.

However, the Defence Cabinet Secretary, Aden Duale, dismissed Yatani’s claims, stating that no request for approval of the funds was made to the 12th Parliament during his tenure as Majority Leader.

He also accused Yatani of being used by the “Handshake brothers” to loot and warned him to prepare to carry his own cross over the alleged irregular transactions. According to Duale, the evidence against Yatani is watertight, and the former CS should be ready to face his demons.

During the Parliamentary Public Petitions Committee, Margaret Nyakang’o said that she approved the funds irregularly under pressure from Yatani. She tabled text conversations between her and the former Treasury CS persuading her to expedite the transaction. Yatani warned that he is considering taking legal action against Nyakang’o and invited the constitutional office of the Auditor General to scrutinise the expenditure.

In conclusion, this saga shows the importance of transparency and accountability in public expenditure. The public has a right to know how their tax money is spent, and those responsible for misappropriating funds must be held accountable for their actions. It is essential to uphold the law and ensure that public funds are spent in line with the Constitution.

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