This archive report was first published on 19 June 2020.
On June 19, 2020, President Uhuru Kenyatta nominated Nancy Janet Kabui Gathungu for the position of Auditor General, marking the second time he has restarted the process to fill the role.
Gathungu was the top candidate among the three presented to the President by the Recruitment Panel for the Selection of the Auditor General, as required by law.
Her nomination comes after the Employment Court ruled that the Public Service Commission's selection panel, which interviewed applicants for the position last year, lacked the legal competence and validity to consider any applications for the re-advertised position.
The President's decision was made weeks after the court's ruling, and it is hoped that Gathungu's appointment will help to address the issue of unaudited government accounts, which has led to several government institutions being unable to publish their accounts for 2018/19.
As a result, shareholders in several parastatals have been unable to receive dividends for that financial year, and several operations in national and county government have been grounded due to the lack of audited accounts.
The President's nomination of Gathungu is seen as a step towards resolving this issue and ensuring that government accounts are properly audited and published in a timely manner.