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{
    "id": 1236040,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1236040/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 118,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Ugenya, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Opiyo Wandayi",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1007,
        "legal_name": "Christine Oduor Ombaka",
        "slug": "christine-oduor-ombaka"
    },
    "content": " Hon. Deputy Speaker, I want to make some short comments on this Motion. First, this is, perhaps, the third time this House is being asked to approve the appointment of an audit firm to audit the books of the Auditor-General. The last two such Motions were moved by myself in the last Parliament. Ordinarily, this is a Motion I would have no issue supporting because the matters are straightforward. Indeed, the need to audit those accounts cannot be over-emphasised given the critical role that, that office plays in ensuring that there is accountability in application of public funds that are duly appropriated by this House. I only have one minor matter, that is, whether due diligence was carried out. We are a House of records and together with the Senate, we form what is called Parliament. There is a report which has been brought to my attention that was done by a Committee chaired by Isiolo Senator, Fatuma Dullo in the Senate. This Report arose out of an inquiry into what is famously referred to as Management Equipment Scheme (MES) in the Ministry of Health. In that Report, Fatuma Dullo’s Committee indicted PKF Kenya— the audit firm supposedly gave advisory opinion to the Ministry of Health when it was conceptualising and initiating MES project. Indeed, the Committee went further to direct the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK) to undertake disciplinary action against PKF Kenya under the Accountants Act for what it called unethical and unprofessional conduct. That is what is causing me some worry. Is it true that, as a House, we carried out due diligence before arriving at the decision to recommend that firm to undertake that task? I know for sure because in the past, I have moved a Motion to appoint PKF to do this work in the last Parliament but, at that time, this report of the Senate had not come through. Now that we have a Report from the Senate which was approved with far-reaching recommendations against that audit firm, would we be in order to go ahead and ignore all the information contained in that Report and recommend that audit firm? I am not saying yes or no, but I am just stressing this out of duty to the House and to the country. Even as we approve this - which I am sure we may, given the numbers and the mood - we may have to ask ourselves some tough questions whether this is the right way to go. In my view, the money involved is little; it is about Ksh19 million, which is immaterial given the task ahead and the amount the Auditor-General’s Office is supposed to be safeguarding. However, we must get it right. If you want to get a right product, you must get the process right. That is my contention this afternoon as we ventilate on this very important matter. Otherwise, I totally support the idea that an audit firm needs to be appointed to audit the books of the Auditor-General. Thank you."
}