Auditor-General seeks Sh5bn to hire new staff

What you need to know:

  • Ouko says the bulk of the money would go towards hiring additional staff.
  • Sh2.3 billion would be used to hire more staff at the national level and Sh1.5 billion to get workers to monitor county government expenditures.

Auditor-General Edward Ouko is seeking an additional Sh5 billion from the Treasury to strengthen the implementation of the mandate of his office in the counties.

Mr Ouko said the bulk of the money would go towards hiring additional staff to increase the frequency and currency of audits of public expenditure and curb wastage of resources.

“We are desperately working to get the resources to allow us get insider reports on development projects and audit counties,” Mr Ouko said at a taxpayers’ forum in Nairobi on Tuesday.

Of the Sh5 billion, Sh2.3 billion would be used to hire more staff at the national level and Sh1.5 billion to get workers to monitor county government expenditures.

About Sh600 million would be used to tighten audit at County Development Fund boards with the remaining Sh600 million covering special projects.

“We need 500 more staff for all the counties if we have to not only report on their accounts, but also do value–for-money audit. That would be preventive and deterrent to abuses,” he said.

INDEPENDENT BUDGET

The Auditor-General’s office received Sh2.6 billion in the current fiscal year against a request of Sh5.4 billion and has been battling for autonomy from the Treasury as way to get an independent budget line.

Currently, the Kenya National Audit Office operates alongside big spenders such as the Office of the President and the Department of Defence, which Mr Ouko feels threatens the push for accountability in public offices.

Last year, Public Investments Committee said it would make changes to the Public Audit Bill, 2014, to ensure Audit Office was independent and cut the Treasury’s power in setting its budget.