{"id":1236046,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1236046/?format=json","text_counter":124,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Nominated, ODM","speaker_title":"Hon. John Mbadi","speaker":{"id":110,"legal_name":"John Mbadi Ng'ong'o","slug":"john-mbadi"},"content":" Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. The issue that has been raised by the Leader of the Minority Party, Hon. Opiyo Wandayi, is a valid one. We have information that the Report that was proposed at the Senate by Dullo’s Committee was rejected. So, it is not a report that was adopted by Parliament. Two, we counter-checked with ICPAK to confirm the standing of this audit firm and we found out that it is in good standing. I want to remind Members that we have tried three times to get an auditor for the Auditor-General and we have failed. In fact, in 2017/2018 and again in 2018/2019, the tendering process was non-responsive in all the occasions. This is the first time we have, at least, found a responsive tender and the reason is simple. Most auditing firms are shying away from auditing the Auditor-General because the Auditor-General also has some work that he contracts the audit firms to do. Most of those firms prefer the work they get from the Auditor- General’s Office. Therefore, they would not want conflict of interest by auditing the same. It is a problem. I understand because out of eight firms that responded, only this one was successful to the end. The other seven were dropped at the technical evaluation stage. In a nutshell, just to respond to the concerns of Hon. Opiyo Wandayi, first, the Report of Fatuma Dullo’s Committee was not adopted by the Senate; it was defeated for whatever reasons the Senate knows best. Second, we cross-checked with ICPAK and found out that the firm is in good standing. I rest my case."}