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{
    "id": 1507467,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1507467/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 222,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Marsabit County, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Naomi Waqo",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I take this opportunity to second this Bill. As I do so, I must appreciate the words of wisdom from our Leader of the Majority Party on women leadership. He always supports women and will continue to do so until we achieve our goal. The Public Audit (Amendment) Bill, 2024 is one of the best Bills. Our very able Leader of the Majority Party has taken us through it and moved it in a very able way. From his words, we can clearly see that once we approve this Bill, and we will all debate, we will give the Office of the Auditor-General the power that it needs. We will empower it so that the Public Audit Act can be exercised and be relevant now. In Clause 6, we are amending the principal Act. The High Court declared the provisions of the Act unconstitutional. It reasoned that Section 4(2) of the Act resulted in unconstitutional effect by reducing the constitutional office of the Auditor-General to a statutory office, which must have affected it negatively. Once we pass this Bill, we will empower that office to run smoothly, to be effective and help the country. Clause 2 of the Bill contains amendments of definitions of terms like ‘accounting officer’, ‘Auditor-General’, ‘effectiveness’, ‘lawful’ and ‘public entity.’ This is in line with the new proposal. Once we do this, we will have accountability and qualified people in the office. The challenge in some of our Government offices is having unqualified people for particular jobs. If we have the right people like accountants who are qualified and professionals, then they can bring their professionalism into this, and to the Office of Auditor-General. Then we would be able to account and be good stewards that we need. Hon. Deputy Speaker, Clause 4 of the Bill amends Section 5 of the Act, which is on the qualification for appointment as Auditor-General. It introduces additional requirements of being a practicing member of good standing in a professional body of accountants. Most of the time, we have public servants who have been identified in corruption cases. We suffer as a country because we keep on bringing back the people who have bad records. If we have a practising member of good standing in a professional body of accounting, then we will have taken care of that problem and safeguarded that office. Again, I support and second this because Clause 6 seeks to repeal Section 8 of the Act, on Administrative Powers of the Office of Auditor-General, which include developing an organisational structure and staff establishment; and recruiting and promoting qualified and"
}