MPs committee summons Auditor General over poor quality of reports » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 14 – Auditor General Nancy Gathungu has been summoned to appear before Parliament over what lawmakers described as poor quality audit reports that allegedly shield errant State agencies from scrutiny.

Members of the National Assembly’s Public Investment Committee (PIC) on Education and Governance yesterday accused officials from her office of colluding with government entities to sanitise their accounts.

During two separate sessions one with Kenya Space Agency Director General Hilary Kosgei and another with Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) Chief Executive Alice Kande committee chairperson Jack Wamboka alleged that some auditors were compromised and deliberately overlooking major irregularities.

“We will want to meet the Auditor General herself because this is unacceptable. The quality of audit we have now is wanting,” Wamboka, who is also the Butere MP said.

“Parliament cannot be used to rubberstamp the irregularities in government.”

The MPs claimed that auditors had been meeting agency officials privately, clearing them of wrongdoing before they appeared before parliamentary committees, and only flagging minor issues in formal reports.

Bomachoge Chache MP Alfa Miruka backed the chair’s concerns saying it was unfortunate that Parliament was being used as a rubberstamp.

“This National Assembly cannot and will not be used to rubber stamp things here. We need to deal with real issues,”Miruka stated.

Wamboka cited the KNQA’s audit record, noting it had only one audit query in the last four financial years which auditors marked as resolved despite MPs being aware of deeper issues. Similarly, he criticised the Kenya Space Agency for being given a clean bill of health despite glaring operational and staffing gaps.

The committee halted its proceedings, with Wamboka directing that the two agencies undergo fresh audits before appearing again.

A report tabled before the committee revealed that 14 Kenya Space Agency managers had served in acting capacity for over a year, while 45 employees were on short-term contracts due to delays in recruitment approvals from the National Treasury.

The agency also lacked an internal audit unit and had 59 staff against an approved establishment of 77.

At KNQA, the report flagged severe understaffing with only 39 employees in post against an approved 126 and failure to surrender Sh7 million in excess collections to the National Treasury, in violation of public finance regulations.

“In the circumstances, management was in breach of the law,” the report stated.