Questions are being raised over how millions of shillings meant for fuel were spent in Kiambu County after a new audit report exposed major weaknesses in the management of county vehicles and fuel systems.
The report by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu points to possible misuse of public funds during the financial year ending June 2025.
According to the audit findings, several county vehicles that were listed as non-operational still received fuel worth Ksh 67.5 million.
The report suggests that despite being inactive, the vehicles continued to consume large amounts of fuel, raising concerns about accountability within the county government.
The audit further revealed that 263 vehicles recorded zero mileage for nearly eleven months but were still supplied with fuel costing Ksh 98.6 million. This has sparked questions about whether the fuel was actually used for county operations or diverted elsewhere.
Another concern highlighted in the report is the lack of proper registration records for county vehicles. About 240 vehicles are reportedly operating without registration under the county executive, making it difficult to monitor their movement and usage. The report warned that such gaps create room for abuse and make tracing public assets almost impossible.
The Auditor General also questioned the county’s fuel management systems, noting that there was no clear fuel management policy in place. Without proper controls, the audit stated that it was difficult to confirm whether fuel issued through the county systems was genuinely used for official work.
More concerns emerged from the county’s fuel card system, where over 300 fuel cards were used to spend Ksh 147.2 million. However, the transactions reportedly lacked odometer readings, meaning there was no reliable way to verify how much fuel was consumed by each vehicle.
In another finding, the county spent Ksh 20.2 million on fuel for generators that could not be identified. The audit stated that the generators had no tags, ownership documents, or logbooks, making verification impossible.
The report also noted that more than 200 county vehicles remain unserviceable even as fuel spending continues to increase, adding to growing concerns over financial management and accountability within the county government.
