This archive report was first published on 30 August 2019.
On August 30, 2019, the government began searching for the next Auditor-General, following the exit of Mr Edward Ouko, whose term ended this week. A creation of the current Constitution, the Auditor General serves for a single term of eight years and enjoys wide powers and independence.
Mr Ouko's tenure has been marked by significant achievements, including clearing the backlog of unaudited government accounts. Prior to his appointment, government accounts would often run for five years without being audited, rendering the reports meaningless for action. Under his leadership, the government audit is now up to date, with the latest audit report covering the 2016/17 financial year.
However, despite these achievements, challenges persist. As Mr Ouko noted in his parting remarks, the greatest drawback is that reports are hardly acted upon. The Auditor-General's office submits reports to Parliament or county assemblies for debate and approval, but these institutions rarely take action on the recommendations.
Every year, the Auditor-General's Report exposes massive plunder of public resources and makes explicit recommendations on sanctions to be enforced. However, Parliament and local assemblies are required to cause actions on those proposals, but that never happens. This perpetuates a cycle of graft, where perpetrators are emboldened by the knowledge that they are always safe from punishment.
As the search begins for the next occupant of the office, it is crucial that the public debates and reviews the functions and powers of the Auditor-General. Clear provisions must be made to force action on those adversely mentioned in the Auditor-General's reports. Auditing public finances should not be an annual ritual without retributions for wrongdoers.
