[kictanet] New comment on "#IFMIS Reloaded? Is this the silver bullet to corruption?"

[Kivuva]

Look like institutionalized corruption. Are we that hopeless?

On 11/10/2013, Ngigi Waithaka <ngigi at at.co.ke> wrote:
> Listers,
>
> First we have to look at 2 things here, IFMIS the Government project to
> automate the Financial affairs of Treasury and the technology platform
> behind it, Oracle. We can't really fault technology here as I want to
> believe Oracle Financials has been implemented successfully in a couple of
> projects.
>
> The way I see it is that IFMIS cannot and should not be used to stop
> corruption, but, its supposed to put in checks & balances in the whole
> process so as to make corruption that much more difficult and / or provide
> reports that can be used in an Audit Trail.
>
> Any system that allows 1 out of 3 transactions to be suspect cannot vouch
> to be a properly implemented system whichever way one looks at it! If, as
> an example, you are issuing Imprests through the system and this Imprest is
> not accounted for, and you continue to issue more of the same Imprest to
> persons who have millions already unaccounted for, then the system has
> simply been implemented badly or maybe implemented/designed in such a way
> that its is going to fail.
>
> So far, we have spent a few billion shillings on IFMIS, hiring expensive
> consultants from Dubai, buying servers with capacity that can be used to
> launch Space Satellites, and yet the end result is simply the same as if we
> were to go manual.
>
> We are also rolling out the same system that allows 1/3 of suspect
> transactions to go through to the Counties, without first getting it right
> in the Central Government, in yet the clearest indication that the new
> County Governments are all about Devolved Corruption.
>
> Bottomline, there are those who are benefiting from the current status quo.
> The Civil Servants who don't bother to attach supporting documents when
> filing for payments on IFMIS, knowing very well the system will accept them
> regardless and those who are benefiting every time this country spends a
> few billion shillings in acquiring yet more modules, when the basic ones
> are not even up to scratch.
>
> Regards
>
>
> On Fri, Oct 11, 2013 at 5:51 PM, Ali Hussein <ali at hussein.me.ke> wrote:
>
>> Edward/Listers
>>
>> Apologies for cross posting but I couldn't help but share Edward's
>> comments penned in the CIO LinkedIn Group.
>>
>> See email thread below.
>>
>> Ali Hussein
>>
>> +254 0770 906375 / 0713 601113
>>
>> "Kujikwaa si kuanguka, bali ni kwenda mbele" (To stumble is not to fall
>> but a sign of going forward) - Swahili Proverb
>>
>> Sent from my iPad
>>
>> On Oct 11, 2013, at 4:58 PM, CIO East Africa Forum <
>> groups-noreply at linkedin.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>   [image: LinkedIn]
>> <http://www.linkedin.com/e/4raa2c-hmnhdvj8-v/hom/eml-fllw_infl-h-logo/?hs=false&tok=0eObf9inhCllY1>
>>
>>
>>
>>  CIO East Africa Forum
>>
>>
>>
>>   #IFMIS Reloaded? Is this the silver bullet to
>> corruption?<http://www.linkedin.com/e/4raa2c-hmnhdvj8-v/vaq/5793625941162872832/2204816/5794430646457753600/view_disc/?hs=false&tok=1vQl74wdZCllY1>
>>
>>    Hi All
>>
>> My name is Edward and I have been privileged to be an IFMIS trainer i.e.
>> via a consultancy at Treasury we were responsible to train government
>> officials on how to use the new IFMIS system. Its basically an Oracle
>> platform with all accounting modules i.e. GL, AR, AP, PO, CM and FA
>>
>> Other than the clunky and sometimes confusing oracle interface, the
>> technology platform is OK. Being that it's an oracle platform its able to
>> handle quite a huge amount of traffic and data from ministerial to county
>> levels.
>>
>> Several security and control measures also exist to ensure correct
>> procedures are followed.
>>
>> Often times I would pose in class and ask these gentlemen and ladies from
>> GoK what their opinion on corruption and the IFMIS system was and the
>> surprising answer is that they all agreed that though the system provided
>> a
>> role in fighting corruption, the main agents of corruption were the
>> officers themselves who continuously find new ways of cheating the
>> system.
>>
>> In one class I was amused when one gentleman remarked that Kenyan babies
>> are special. So special that when they come out of their mothers womb,
>> they
>> already know how to be corrupt.
>>
>> My conclusion to the whole bit is that there is no system smart enough to
>> stop or eliminate corruption. Systems can only make it harder or slow
>> down
>> the process of corruption, but if someone is determined to be corrupt,
>> there is no stopping them. To get rid of corruption we have to look into
>> ourselves we as human beings, we as Kenyans, we as stakeholders of this
>> great country and make the decisions and choices that would see us a
>> better
>> country far removed from this vice.
>>
>> Edward Ongeso
>> CTO Integrity Systems Ltd  By Edward Ongeso
>>
>>
>> Like<http://www.linkedin.com/e/csrfBmo2/4raa2c-hmnhdvj8-v/lvc/2204816/5793625941162872832/member/5794430646457753600/true/eml-fllw_infl-like_post/?hs=false&tok=1iAU8Tx-1CllY1>
>>
>> •
>>
>>
>> Comment<http://www.linkedin.com/e/4raa2c-hmnhdvj8-v/vaq/5793625941162872832/2204816/5794430646457753600/view_disc/?hs=false&tok=1vQl74wdZCllY1>
>>
>> •
>>
>>  Follow
>> Edward<http://www.linkedin.com/e/4raa2c-hmnhdvj8-v/flg/follow/89770527/2204816/eml-fllw_infl-b-hero_fllw/?hs=false&tok=0RFwD5vNdCllY1>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>>  This email was intended for Ali Hussein Kassim (Experienced Executive at
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>> this<http://www.linkedin.com/e/4raa2c-hmnhdvj8-v/plh/http%3A%2F%2Flinkedin%2Ecusthelp%2Ecom%2Fapp%2Fanswers%2Fdetail%2Fa_id%2F4788/2t30/eml-fllw_infl-f-why/?hs=false&tok=2K3MbQVlJCllY1>.
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>
>
>
> --
> *Regards,*
>
> *Wait**haka Ngigi*
> Chief Executive Officer | Alliance Technologies | MCK Nairobi Synod
> Building
> T + 254 (0) 20 2333 471 |Office Mobile: +254 786 28 28 28 | M + 254 737 811
> 000
> www.at.co.ke
>


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Mwendwa Kivuva
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