Cracks emerge as Nairobi County Speaker disbands PAC, water committees

Cracks have emerged at the Nairobi City County Assembly after Speaker Ken Ng'ondi disbanded two committees.

In his communication from the chair, Ng'ondi, on Wednesday, said that the disbandment of the Public Accounts Committee and Water Committee was justified under standing orders for the effectiveness and efficiency of the assembly.

"Notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Orders 1, 20 and 209, I direct for the disbandment of PAC committee, to reconstituted, and the Committee of Water and Sanitation, pursuant to Standing Orders 168(2) and 171(1), be disbanded and reconstituted," he declared. 

Justifying his decision, Ng'ondi stated that a sectoral committee is meant to serve for three sessions since the establishment of a new assembly.

"A member appointed to a sectoral committee at the commencement of a county assembly shall serve for three sessions and the committee shall thereafter be reconstituted to serve for the remainder of the term of that county assembly," reads the standing orders. 

Going further, the speaker noted that the legislators needed to establish the difference between the PAC committee and the assembly leadership.

His directive came against the backdrop of allegations of 'forged' 2020-2021 financial statements, as indicated by the Senate Public Accounts Committee (PAC). 

However, Ng'ondi defended the assembly leadership, saying many challenges were faced during the financial year under review, including the assembly having multiple acting clerks and speakers.

 "I appeared before the Senate PAC committee and I had reservations with the report for FY 2020-21. There was no proper administration during that period and I do not know why the speaker and the leadership should be blamed," he countered the allegations. 

The absence of documents for audit queries during previous committee meetings, particularly compared to submissions made to the Senate PAC, drew criticism from members.

Last week, a Senate committee requested the Auditor General to conduct a detailed investigation into the financial records of the Nairobi County Assembly over the past four years.

It further called on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to conduct an inquiry within the assembly to uncover individuals responsible for the misappropriation of over Sh1.3 billion allocated to the County Assembly.

The revelations surfaced during a probe by the Senate County Public Accounts Committee into the Auditor General's reports spanning four financial years, revealing a pattern of interdictions and suspensions within the County Assembly's accounts department.

Led by Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang’, the committee painted a grim picture of the county assembly's financial management.

The committee expressed concern over the ineffectiveness of the audit committee, deficiencies in primary oversight, and the complete dysfunctionality of primary controls.

"What we have been treated to is beyond audit. Documents signed by an interdicted officer cannot be admissible before the committee. EACC must carry out a forensic audit of the Nairobi County Assembly while the DCI must move and determine criminal culpability because the issues in the Assembly go beyond the audit," Kajwang said.