Ichung’wah and Junet accuse Controller of Budget, Auditor General of corruption

After a week of back-to-back explosive reports from both Auditor General Nancy Gathungu and Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o on the irregularities and breaches by both the national and county governments in their expenditures, Thursday was the turn for the government to trail the gun on the two offices.

In a show of solidarity through a broad-based approach, the MPs turned the heat on the two, with the Controller of Budget first on the crosshairs.

Nyakang’o, who on Wednesday released her half-year report on the expenditures by county governments for the first half of the financial year 2024/2025, was accused of corruption.

“The office of the CoB needs to style up. Ask any Governor…many will tell you without parting with money or paying bribes to officers in that office, Governors don’t get justice. Governors are suffering because of inefficiencies and corruption in the office of the CoB. They have to bribe officers in that office to have their expenditures approved,” said Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah.

“Governors are saying it everywhere that they have to pay to get their money approved,” added Minority Leader Junet Mohamed.

Auditor General Nancy Gathungu was not spared either in the onslaught.

“Because they are independent offices, they think the world will come crumbling down. Their independence cannot go without being checked,” Ichung’wah said.  

“Now any audit report is a confirmed report before it is brought to the House. Mr. Speaker, that culture will lead to anarchy. This will destroy people’s names,” Junet added.

The Majority and Minority Leaders accused the duo of putting the cart before the horse, by making public their findings before getting the nod from Parliament.

“That culture will destroy people’s names without recourse…there could be delays in submission of documents, miscommunication. Why then can’t the Auditor publish the reports without Parliament?” Junet posed.

“The Auditor General reports to Parliament…and they must be held accountable,” Ichung’wah added.

The Auditor General, in her report on the performance by the national government in the previous financial year, raised red flags on the procurement process of the Ksh.104 billion Social Health Authority (SHA) technology, saying the process was acquired illegally and was not owned by the government, exposing Kenyans' data to danger.