Stupid Blame the Machines

Kenyan Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta now blames a typographical error on the supplementary budget estimates that would have seen the public defrauded of a whooping Kshs 9 billion.

Uhuru says that the mistake was an oversight and sought to correct the impression that the Government made the error deliberately in a bid to eat from wananchi's coffers.

Capital FM in Nairobi reported that "the Sh9.2 billion discrepancy in the recently passed Supplementary Budget could have resulted from a typing error.

The error has sparked a furore with allegations that Treasury was up to ‘some mischief” in the discrepancy which was mainly concentrated in the Ministry of Education budget.

Mr Kenyatta vehemently denied these allegations and expressed confidence that the Parliamentary Finance Committee, which was probing the matter, would clear the Treasury.

“I am completely confident and sure that there was no intention by the Treasury to defraud any Kenyan and I’m sure the numbers will tally,” the Finance Minister said Mr Kenyatta emphasised that the issue had informed his decision to postpone debate of the Appropriations Bill in Parliament, pending resolution to the matter.

Early in the week an opposition Member of parliament Imenti's Gitobu Imanyara asked the minister to explain the discrepancy which he defended to the hilt saying that Mr Gitobu was yet to understand the budgetary process.

The MP wanted the Minister to explain glaring discrepancies in the documents presented to Parliament for approval of the Supplementary Budget last week.

An analysis by the Mars Group of the Supplementary Budget and comparison of figures within the Approved National Budget showed systematic differences which caused Parliament to vote additional funds to the Government when additional funds were not necessary as Parliament had approved the expenditure in June last year.