Vihiga county in debt after hosting Miss Tourism event
The county government of Vihiga has run into debts after hosting the national Miss Tourism Kenya 2016 finals.
According to a report, the county only collected Sh1.3 million in revenue from the event held in the county in June against an expenditure of Sh42.1 million.
The report by the county’s trade department the regional government has an unpaid debt of Sh18.9 million owed to different suppliers and people who provided services during the June 15 to 18 event.
‘A SUCCESS’
The report, signed by the tourism director Mr Kennedy Adagala, however, termed the exercise a “success”.
“We also had our members of staff diverting guests to other counties for accommodation and yet we had prepared our own people here with homestay facilities,” says the report dated July 22.
The county, adds the report, collected Sh779,500 from the sale of the tickets.
Another Sh772,000 was collected from the hiring of exhibition stands.
The report, which is already before Governor Moses Akaranga, said the county failed to hit its target in revenue collection due to insubordination and delays in release of funds by the county treasury.
The report further blamed the trade chief officer, Mr Moses Andagalu, of engaging suppliers without following proper channels.
Mr Andagalu has since been transferred to serve in the deputy governor’s office as a disciplinary action over the said failures.
NO VALID DOCUMENTS
Says the report: “Currently we have suppliers who want money from the department as payment for their services yet they have no valid documents to show they participated in running of the event.”
It adds: “The kind of money they are asking runs into millions. I feel the issue should be addressed as fast as possible.”
Further, the report revealed only Sh769,290 collected from the sale of exhibition booths with Sh2,710 missing.
“Some people however claimed to have wired monies directly to the Council of Governors account. We are yet to receive a report from the Council of Governors Secretariat on how much was realised (from the sale of exhibition booths),” says the ten-page report.
Other than the county government of Vihiga, other partners in the event were the Council of Governors, which injected Sh10 million, and Miss Tourism Kenya.
