- PAC grilled Broadcasting PS Stephen Isaboke over alleged misuse of Ksh500 million.
- MPs questioned credibility of MyGov circulation figures and payments to media houses.
- Concerns were raised over payments to People Daily, which had stopped printing.
- GAA projected Sh1 billion in revenue but only collected Ksh441 million.
- The committee directed PS to provide detailed circulation and expenditure data within two weeks.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has placed the State Department for Broadcasting and Telecommunications under sharp scrutiny over the use of Ksh500 million for advertising and printing the MyGov pullout.
PAC chair Tindi Mwale led MPs in questioning PS Stephen Isaboke, after the Auditor-General’s 2023 report flagged irregular payments processed through the Government Advertising Agency (GAA).
Lawmakers said the GAA failed to show credible records of how many MyGov copies were printed, distributed, or returned. Gatundu South MP Gabriel Kagombe took issue with payments to People Daily, alleging the paper had already stopped printing.
“The State Department is telling us they paid for printing and distribution, yet some newspapers mentioned here, like People Daily, had even stopped printing,” Kagombe argued.
PS Isaboke defended the payments, saying the accounts under review covered the 2022/23 financial year, when People Daily was still operational and contracted.
The PS admitted that projections of Sh1 billion in advertising revenue only yielded Ksh441 million, blaming ministries and agencies for failing to pay on time.
Turkana Central MP Emathe Namuar accused the GAA of overspending beyond Treasury allocations.
“Why doesn’t the agency spend within the budget given by the Treasury? Otherwise, this appears to be another window of looting,” Namuar said.
Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo demanded evidence comparing government ad spending before and after the creation of the GAA.
“Only with such evidence can we determine whether there is value for money,” he insisted.
Amollo also raised concerns that certain newspapers may have been sidelined in ad placements, but PS Isaboke dismissed the claims as unconstitutional.
Isaboke said current laws force the government to publish certain notices in print, even though most young people consume news online. He added that a review of the law would allow a hybrid model.
PAC has now directed the PS to table within two weeks a detailed report covering circulation data, expenditure comparisons, and verification mechanisms.
