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{
    "id": 1057152,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1057152/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 212,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr.",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13156,
        "legal_name": "Mutula Kilonzo Jnr",
        "slug": "mutula-kilonzo-jnr"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, Sen. Farhiya had a proposal - and this is my last contribution - that there ought to be a method for the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya ( ICPAK ) to be outsourced at county level. A county can pick private auditors to audit its accounts or the Auditor-General is able to outsource private auditors. This is because the Auditor-General will not confess that the office has no capacity to audit the 47 counties and National Government. All of us Sen. Sakaja included are proud to have sat in the county assemblies for them to have passed the BBI which is going to bring 35 per cent. Makueni County, if all goes well, will receive an additional Kshs4 billion out of that framework. It is a very scary thought. I know Kitui, Machakos, Nairobi and Wajir counties will receive more and so will your county. It is just not audit. If we cannot get the accountability framework right, my dear Senators, we are opening up for a grand heist just like in the movies. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I have always wondered. Sen. Sakaja because you are an expert in this, can we begin questioning the wisdom. The previous Constitution had both the Controller of Budget (CoB) and the Auditor-General performing the same function. It was one office. Now I tend to believe there was wisdom in it. Let me explain why. The CoB is very quick in tabling reports on the requisitions by counties and how they spent the money. Does the CoB under the Constitution marry the requisitions and their reports with the Auditor-General’s reports? They are like two people, one left hand and one right hand that do not know what the other is doing to the extent, therefore, that county governments are altering their requisitions after they move from the CoB and the Auditor-General cannot pick it up. It is a complete waste of time. These are some of the amendments that I would have proposed that you merge those offices so that the office is able to track the “a” to “z”. You requisition in Nairobi to buy a table, when you get to the county, you buy a flask. How you alter that requisition and nobody picks it up is an amazing concept. When it comes here to the CPAIC, they make a recommendation of surcharge et cetera, but nothing happens. Accept and move on has become the mantra of the CPAIC. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, in my capacity we will try our level best to see whether we can improve the Committee or even suggest new membership. However, if we are discussing the report for the Financial Year 2014/2015 in 2021, the second term governors are going to steal like Jesus is coming because they know that the Senators who are going to raise this, are going to do so after the election, and they will most likely be in the Isle of Man or some very exotic island that has no network. There will be nothing we can do about it. Unless we can sanction them or stop them from leaving, there is nothing you can do. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the Public Finance Management Bill that we had proposed has to go through republication, in fact, had something very drastic because the Auditor-General is not going to help us. We had suggested as the Committee on Finance and Budget that we freeze some expenditure just before elections. Now that I have seen the by-election in Machakos and Makueni counties, I guarantee that governors will spend county funds to get Senators who will not question their pilferage of funds. It is going to happen unless we can lock out some of the expenses that are done sometime in 2022; it is going to be very unfortunate. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}