The government is pushing back after a series of damning reports from Auditor General Nancy Gathungu and Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o, detailing financial irregularities at both national and county government levels.
Members of Parliament united in criticizing the two oversight offices, with Nyakang’o facing the first round of scrutiny. Following her release of the county government's half-year expenditure report for the 2024/2025 financial year, she was accused of corruption.
Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah claimed that governors were being forced to pay bribes to secure approval for their budgets. “Many governors will tell you that without paying, they don’t get justice. Corruption and inefficiencies are crippling the Office of the Controller of Budget,” Ichung’wah stated. Minority Leader Junet Mohamed echoed these sentiments, alleging widespread bribery within the institution.
The heat also turned to Auditor General Nancy Gathungu. Lawmakers accused her of bypassing parliamentary approval before making audit reports public. “Just because these offices are independent doesn’t mean they are above scrutiny,” Ichung’wah argued.
Junet Mohamed warned against releasing audit reports prematurely, stating, “Publishing findings before Parliament reviews them could destroy reputations unfairly.”
Did you read this?
The controversy follows Gathungu’s report on national government expenditures, where she raised concerns over procuring a Ksh.104 billion Social Health Authority (SHA) system.
According to the report, the acquisition process was illegal, and the government had no ownership, putting Kenyans’ data at risk.
