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{
    "id": 964842,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/964842/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 178,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Tigania West, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. John Mutunga",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13495,
        "legal_name": "John Kanyuithia Mutunga",
        "slug": "john-kanyuithia-mutunga"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker, for giving me an opportunity to add my voice to the comments made on this Motion. The auditing process is important, especially when it comes to prudent financial management practice. When audit is not done on time, the follow-up actions are not properly informed. It, therefore, means that we might delay many processes in this country, including allocation of money next year. Consequently, implementation of projects could be delayed because they have not been allocated money. Any further delay of this process is not tenable, especially being aware that we will not be here to discuss the Report or the nominees and approve them because of the recess. Even if they are given six months, it appears we might have to do this work in a hurry around February. That means we will not do a thorough job as we probably could have done. What I see is negligence of the Office of the Auditor-General, which should not have happened. I am a Member of the Budget and Appropriations Committee. I remember during the budget-making process, we had invited the Auditor-General. He was very clear to us that he would be leaving by August, which means he knew and must have communicated to the other authorities in time. In the contractual arrangement, it must be stipulated that he should inform or notify the Office within a certain period of time, which he must have done. Since he did his part, which we assume because we know who Ouko is, we believe there are people elsewhere who are not doing their jobs. Maybe, this House should also seek to know the people who are sleeping on the job and demand that appropriate action be taken against them. We should have the audit process going on uninterrupted. A delay in the audit process may lead to delay in many other things. If we have a backlog in the auditing process, we may not even have sufficient business for the committees that oversee Government agencies that have been tasked with the management of public resources. That is why the process of replacing the retired Auditor- General should have been expedited. We are talking about the amendment. Even if we amend, we may still fall into the problems of not having enough time. The Office of the Auditor-General works with many institutions across the country. If we do not fix this matter, we might have a crisis in the Office of the Auditor-General and the work might be done shoddily. If audit work is not done properly, we could run into issues that border on mismanagement. As a House, we need to demand to know exactly who is not doing his bit, leading to delays in the audit function. We also need to know when the process of appointing a new Auditor-General will commence or whether it will be expedited, because it involves many commissions. With those few remarks, I support the Report."
}