Senator Omtatah slams auditor general over failure to audit public debt under Ruto‘s regime
Omtatah claimed that the Auditor General’s office is not fulfilling its role of auditing for lawfulness and effectiveness, particularly regarding the government’s handling of public debt.
Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has accused Auditor General Nancy Gathungu of neglecting her constitutional duty by failing to audit public debt under the administration of President William Ruto.
Speaking on Monday during an interview on Spice FM, Omtatah claimed that the Auditor General’s office is not fulfilling its role of auditing for lawfulness and effectiveness, particularly regarding the government’s handling of public debt.
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He pointed out the heavy burden of Kenya’s public debt, which he said is consuming a disproportionate amount of the country’s tax revenue.
“For every Sh100 that Kenya earns, Sh82 goes towards paying debt, leaving only Sh18 for the rest of the national expenditures,” he said.
Omtatah emphasised that the Constitution mandates the Auditor General’s office to audit public debt and other government finances within six months after the end of each fiscal year. However, he pointed out that Gathungu has only audited the previous administration.
“Article 229, clause 4, paragraph G of the Constitution states that within six months after the end of each financial year, the Auditor General shall audit and report on public debt,” Omtatah said.
“But where is the audit report for the last two years of President Ruto’s administration? Why is it that only the previous administration under former President Uhuru Kenyatta is being audited?”
Omtatah further criticised the recent special audit conducted by the Auditor General, which reviewed the last 10 years of commercial loans and discovered about Sh1 trillion in outstanding debts.
Ruto's exclusion
He questioned why President Ruto’s administration had been excluded from the audit.
“Why have you left Ruto out of this? This is politics. You cannot audit Uhuru and leave Ruto out when he has been in power for two years,” Omtatah argued.
The senator also raised concerns about the effectiveness and transparency of the Auditor General’s reports, which he claimed fail to provide conclusive findings on public spending.
“The Auditor General’s reports always conclude that we cannot tell what happened to the funds. This is not how an audit should be. The reports are supposed to be clear and conclusive,” Omtatah said.
He went on to discuss Kenya’s economic challenges, noting that despite spending billions in loans and taxes, the country has not seen substantial development in key sectors.
“If Kenya had truly spent Sh2.2 trillion every year on development, we would have seen better infrastructure, like having 35 SGRs by now. This is how the government is playing with our country,” Omtatah said, stressing the need for better financial management.
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He called for an urgent review of Kenya’s financial oversight to ensure that public funds are used effectively and that the Auditor General’s office carries out its constitutional duties with full accountability.
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