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{
    "id": 1271680,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1271680/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 211,
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    "content": "Accounting Officer during the financial year of an entity appearing before the Committee. Whereas Standing Order No.219 allows a Senator to attend the meeting of any select committee, the Committee observed that the principle of “nemo judex in causasua” required that “ no one should be a judge in their own case”. The Committee, therefore, resolved that Senators who find themselves in that situation would not be allowed to sit as friends of the Committee. Nairobi City County Executive had evaded oversight by the Senate for a long period and had outstanding audit reports for three financial years. The Committee eventually invited the Nairobi City County Government to review the Audit Reports for the Financial Years 2017/2018, 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 and made the following observations- There were systemic challenges in collection of Own Source Revenue (OSR) and the Committee requested the Auditor-General to conduct a forensic audit of OSR for the three financial years and present its findings to the Senate within three months. The variances cited by the Office of the Auditor-General were to the extent of close to Kshs9 billion between the collections and the reports. Nairobi City County cited frustrations in accessing records maintained by the defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS). The Committee invited the State House Comptroller, who assumes responsibility for the residual functions of NMS, and directed that systems access be granted to the County Government. The Committee also directed the fast tracking of the handover and requested the Office of the Auditor-General to conduct a forensic audit on pending bills for the three financial years. Mr. Speaker, Sir, with regard to Nairobi City County, the Committee also resolved to conduct a public inquiry into colossal legal fees, Government to Government debts Local Authorities Provident Fund (LAPFUND) and Local Authorities Pensions Trust, (LAPTRUST). The Committee also resolved to conduct a public inquiry into the Kshs5 billion commercial bank loan that the county has failed to services leading to huge interest and penalties. The Committee also took an interest in the unhealthy size and growth of wage bills in many of the counties. Consequently, the Committee wrote to seven counties; Kisii, Homa Bay, Nairobi, Nyamira, Nandi, Mombasa and Garissa to explain the measures they have taken to reduce their wage bill to the recommended 35 per cent threshold. The Committee has since invited Kisii County and given recommendations to ensure fiscal prudence. The Committee has seen an improvement in financial management in County Assemblies. The main weakness across most assemblies relates to poor assets management. Majority of county assemblies do not possess titles to the land on which the assemblies sit. The Committee has recommended that the Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee (IGRTC) should assist assemblies to secure ownership of these assets as well as those inherited from defunct councils. The Senate through the County Allocation of Revenue Act has over the years increased budgetary ceilings to county assemblies way above the recommended seven per"
}