The Namibia Training Authority (NTA) issued an invoice for payment of N$119 500 to under-fire higher education, training and innovation minister Itah Kandjii-Murangi.
The invoice, which was issued on 23 May 2022, further shows that N$54 850 was made out to Lungenesia Uaseuapuami, who is the personal assistant to the minister.
The invoice also indicates that a further N$164 152 was issued for their flight tickets.
In May 2022, the Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Innovation requested financial assistance to cover Kandjii-Murangi and Uaseuapuami’s travel expenses. The request was made in a letter to the then NTA acting chief executive officer Muvatera Ndjoze-Siririka.
Ndjoze-Siririka is the director of technical and vocational education and training in the ministry headed by Kandjii-Murangi. He was seconded to the NTA as acting chief executive officer and returned to the ministry on 5 April this year.
“It is with a sense of urgency that I write to request financial assistance to cover travelling expenses for the honourable minister Dr Itah Kandjii-Murangi and for Ms Lungenesia Uaseuapuami,” the letter from the ministry to the NTA read.
According to the letter, Kandjii-Murangi was invited by the then British secretary of state for education, Nadhim Zahawi, to participate in the Education World Forum in London from 22 to 25 May 2022.
She was also expected to have engagements in the United Kingdom arranged by the Namibian high commissioner to that country.
“The honourable minister is expected to depart Windhoek on 18 May 2022 and is expected to return on 31 May 2022,” the letter stated.
The ministry said that due to the urgency of the trip, it was unable to transfer funds to cover Kandjii-Murangi’s expenses for both daily subsistence allowances and flight tickets.
A source at the NTA said the NTA board rejected the request from the ministry. “We were later informed that the money was paid,” the source said.
One month later, Kandjii-Murangi also claimed N$310 400 from the University of Namibia (Unam). Unam spokesperson Simon Namesho confirmed to The Namibian on Monday that the money paid to the minister was for an official trip.
“The Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Innovation reimbursed the full amount to the university by the end of November 2022,” Namesho said.
He added that at the time of the payment request, the ministry could not reallocate money in its budget to cover the minister’s travel and subsistence allowance.
“The university carefully reviewed the request, ensuring that all necessary measures and processes were in place, before the requested funds could be disbursed,” he said.
The payment from Unam was made in the same month that the Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust) paid N$140 600 to the minister. The funds from Nust were to cover an official trip to Korea by Kandjii-Murangi.
Affirmative Repositioning leader Job Amupanda has accused Kandjii-Murangi of unduly gaining about N$1,5 million in travel expenses from three state institutions under the ministry headed by herself. The institutions are the NTA, Nust and Unam.
Amupanda further alleged that Kandjii-Murangi claimed money from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).
On Monday, Kandjii-Murangi threatened to sue Amupanda for alleged defamation of character. She made the threat in a letter written to Amupanda through her lawyer, Clive Kavendjii of the law firm Kangueehi & Kavendjii Incorporated.
Kavendjii wrote that Amupanda portrayed the minister as unscrupulous and corrupt.
Stay informed with The Namibian – your source for credible journalism. Get in-depth reporting and opinions for
only N$85 a month. Invest in journalism, invest in democracy –
Subscribe Now!
