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{
    "id": 1568492,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1568492/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 346,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Bumula, DAP-K",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Wanami Wamboka",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "On poor accounting standards and general incapacity of some accounting officers, the Committee found out that due to previous lack of exposure to the audit process culminating into parliamentary review, some accounting officers were ignorant or non-compliant with the various provisions of the Public Finance Management Act, 2013, and the Public Audit Act, 2015. Audit queries spanning far back as 2019 remained un-responded to by some agencies that were only jolted to action when they were invited to appear before the Committee. Most severe was the Mathioya Technical Vocational College which relied on a trainer as its volunteer accountant invariably resulting in unintended audit queries. We must thank the wisdom of the leadership of this House that saw the need to split the giant Public Investment Committee into three different Public Investment Committees. Most of these institutions were never audited. In fact, some of them were in slumberland. They never thought that they needed to account for this money. When we started auditing them, some of them were shaking. When they realised that they are now coming before a parliamentary committee, it was a headache for them. Many had many excuses on why they could not make themselves available. However, they are getting used to it with time and we are getting proper standards in auditing. The Committee recommends that the National Treasury and the Office of the Auditor- General conducts annual sensitisation and capacity building for all accounting officers and finance staff in State corporations on their responsibilities during audit cycle and adherence to internal performance agreements (IPAs). On late submission of supporting documentation, the Committee observed that some accounting officers failed to submit supporting documentation to the Auditor-General in time during the audit cycle as required under Section 68 of the e Public Finance Management (PFM) Act. This invariably led to the Committee discussing matters that will ordinarily not feature in the final report, some as mundane as accounts vote balancing. The Committee that I Chair in this House has been firm to the extent that accounting officers must provide all the documentation within the audit cycle and failure to do so will attract penalties. We have surcharged and penalised very many officers. I can report to this House that that is bearing fruit. The Committee recommends that the accounting officers to henceforth comply with section 68(2)(k) of the PFM Act, 2013, by providing supportive documentation on time. The Committee, on subsequent audits, will prescribe punitive measures to the accounting officers who will fail to adhere to the requirements. Unsecured/Untitled land holdings is an issue that cuts across most institutions. The Committee observed that there are cases where land owned by various institutions was not secured and titled accordingly. That lead to encroachment in some cases with the potential of eventual forfeiture or loss. The Committee took note of the fact that many State corporations had illegal encroachment on their land. For instance, the Kenyatta University (KU) has faced a situation where 140 acres of its land have been encroached upon by illegal squatters. Despite a court ruling in favour of the University, these squatters have persisted on the property, even constructing buildings and earning rental incomes from the unlawful use of land. This is an unlawful act being perpetrated by thieves, by people who have decided to steal public property; 140 acres of land belonging to KU have been stolen. There are high skyscrapers. Developers have built very serious buildings there. When we went there, we were equally warned, and for this, we did not even succeed to land. We were warned that these people have goons who they have put on notice if one appears anywhere in a manner that suggests that you want to deal with that land. It is unfair. In the current disposition, we should not have such. We implore the head of the Police Service, Inspector-General, to move with speed and provide security because the Judiciary has pronounced itself on this matter. This land belongs The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}