Higher learning institution heads have been put on notice over their failure to adequately respond to audit queries, with Members of Parliament warning of dire consequences for institutions that fail to provide clear explanations on how taxpayers’ money is managed.
The legislators, sitting in the National Assembly’s Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education (PIC-G&E), have maintained that every shilling allocated to public institutions must be accounted for and any gaps identified through audits must be addressed.
The MPs said the Auditor General's reports are meant to promote accountability in the use of public resources and should not be treated as a routine requirement.
Committee chairperson, Luanda MP Dick Maungu, said the audit process helps establish whether public funds are being used for their intended purposes while pointing out areas where institutions need to take corrective action.
“The Auditor General’s reports are not prepared in vain. They are meant to demonstrate whether public funds have been properly utilised. Where there are gaps, they must be explained and corrective measures taken,” Maungu said.
Maungu spoke on Tuesday as the Committee started reviewing Auditor General reports covering the 2018/19 to 2024/25 financial years for several state institutions under the education sector.
The institutions that appeared before the Committee included Multimedia University of Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta Foundation, Naivasha Technical and Vocational College, Gilgil Technical and Vocational College, Sot Technical Training Institute and Gitwebe Technical Training Institute.
The Committee urged accounting officers and heads of institutions to provide complete responses to audit queries and ensure public resources are managed responsibly.
Maungu said Parliament would continue playing its oversight role to protect public funds and ensure institutions act on recommendations made in audit reports.
Kasipul MP Boyd Were, who is also a member of the Committee, echoed the concerns, cautioning accounting officers against treating audit matters casually.
Were said institutions have a legal and moral responsibility to account for every shilling entrusted to them, adding that timely and satisfactory responses to audit findings are important in improving public confidence in government institutions.
“The Committee expects full cooperation from all accounting officers. Audit queries should be addressed comprehensively because accountability is at the heart of good governance,” Were said.
The Committee will continue examining the audit reports to establish whether the institutions followed public finance management laws, procurement regulations and other legal requirements while using public resources.
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