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{
    "id": 863817,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/863817/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 304,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kitui East, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Nimrod Mbai",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13386,
        "legal_name": "Nimrod Mbithuka Mbai",
        "slug": "nimrod-mbithuka-mbai"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to add my voice to the Report by the Public Accounts Committee on the Auditor-General’s Report. From the outset, I congratulate the Office of the Auditor-General because this can be termed as the ultimate protector of public resources. By that, I mean any public officer who is handling public money in accounts and procurement, before any evaluation, always talks of what they shall do when the external auditors come. Processes need to be clear. Everything needs to put in the right order because the auditor will be on their case. Just imagine a situation where the Office of the Auditor-General is not functional. This country will be looted in less than a week. First, I applaud the Office of the Auditor-General in what it is doing. We may talk of capacity building and adding some teeth to what they are doing, but so far, so good. First of all, the Office of the Auditor-General protects the country from the plundering of public resources because it deters officers from engaging in corruption. The other thing is that they have an advisory and administrative action where public finance management systems are not working well, are weak or not well installed. The Office of the Auditor-General has always been there to advise the senior management on how to strengthen and streamline financial management systems like accounts and procurement departments and public resource management. Also, they make recommendations for further actions. Where they have seen corruption has taken place, they recommend for prosecution. If it is malpractices, where officers have not followed the law, even if there was no money lost, the Auditor-General has been very firm on some cases where we have seen the procedure was not followed. However, we have not seen an institution which monitors or audits the Office of the Auditor-General. So, it is Public Accounts Committee which oversees the Auditor-General. So, I encourage the Public Accounts Committee in whatever they are doing. From the Report they have given, it is very clear that they are doing their job rightfully. We urge the House to improve their capacity in terms of acquiring auditors. Maybe the Members do not have enough time to go through the documents from the Office of the Auditor-General cross-checking some of these spots on the various departments and counties. The Public Accounts Committee may want to go further and cross-check the Report from the Auditor-General and what has happened within departments. This may require capacity in the Public Accounts Committee. However, whatever the Public Accounts Committee has done is commendable. Their Report is enormous and informative. From the content, it is very clear that they did their job professionally. I commend them for that. With that, I beg to support. Thank you. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}