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{
    "id": 815963,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/815963/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 284,
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    "content": "THAT this House adopts the Report of the Sessional Committee on County Public Accounts and Investments on the Inquiry into the Financial Operations of Narok County Executive for the Financial Year 2013/2014 (1st July, 2013 – 30th June, 2014) laid on the Table of the House on Thursday, 10th May, 2018. Madam Temporary Speaker, the Report on the financial operations of Narok County Executive for this period was tabled on 30thJune, 2014 and stood committed to the Sessional Committee on County Public Accounts and Investments (CPAIC). The Committee held three meetings with the Narok County Executive of Wednesday 3rd August, 2016 and Monday 19th September, 2016, where it considered and concluded its investigations on the report. The Committee adopted the Report on 5thApril, 2017. Madam Temporary Speaker, we can see that the report of a single county will take the Committee close to three sittings. We have 47 counties; meaning that there are 47 county executives and 47 county assemblies. If on average each of those reports takes two meetings, you can imagine how long it will take the CPAIC to conclude its considerations. That is the reason, in addition to what we had proposed earlier to submit a single report to the House, we have gone further and engaged the Auditor-General. This is because we believe that the Senate could engage itself in issues that are of policy and interest to devolution. We have told the Auditor-General that we must start doing performance audits, which should be brought to the House. We must also start doing special audits. Then the county operation audits should be dealt with by the county assemblies. The number of audit reports that the Committee gets every year is almost 47x4, since each county generates an average of four audit reports. Therefore, as we go forward, we believe that it will get better. In arriving at the recommendations in this Report, the Committee took into account the challenges faced by counties during the early days of devolution. It invited the Governor for Narok County, in his capacity as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the county government, pursuant to Article 179(4) of the Constitution. That is a position that has also been reinforced and confirmed by the courts of law. There were certain general observations. You will realize, as we table these reports, that some of the observations cut across the different counties. That is why it is possible to do one report that summarises the issues that have come up for that year. The first observation was that counties were providing documentation at the end of the audit period. We have said, as a Committee, that we must strictly enforce the provisions of the Public Audit Act. Sections 31 and 62 make it an offence for any officer at the county level not to provide documents required by the Auditor-General within a reasonable timeframe. Going forward, the Committee is enforcing that. We have even considered pursuing conviction of public officers at the counties. Secondly, imprest management cuts across all counties. The Committee recommends strict enforcement of Public Finance Management (PFM) regulations. These regulations for county governments have very detailed guidelines on how imprest should be managed and also who takes responsibility if it is mismanaged. The third observation The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}