October 7, 2024

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A parliamentary committee starts audit of State agencies

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A parliamentary committee yesterday kicked off an inspection audit into the expenditure in 15 government institutions, including the Judiciary.

The Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is probing how the institutions including various courts used public money earmarked for projects in the previous financial years.

Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo who is a member of the committee said the team is examining the various projects to ascertain how funds were utilised in their implementation after they were subjected to audit queries by the Auditor General’s office.

Otiende said in its fact finding mission the PAC delegation will be visiting Siaya and Nyamira Law Courts among other institutions where audit queries were raised . It will also tour Vihiga, Kakamega and Lodwar.

He stated that nearly half of the listed 15 projects on the committee radar relate to the Judiciary.

Otiende said the committee was concerned following audit queries raised by the Auditor General regarding the undertaken projects.

According to Otiende, there was widespread accountability concerns regarding the projects implementation prompting an inspection exercise by the watchdog committee.

For instance, he said, in some of the courts there were discrepancies in the manner on how funds were spent on projects while in others, contractors did shoddy work.

The MP said contractors assigned to do the projects were claiming to be paid long after such projects were completed

“Our inspection of these courts will help Parliament to justify issues when it comes to increasing funds allocation to the Judiciary,” Otiende said.

He spoke in Kisumu during an inspection tour of the Children’s Department in Kombewa, Seme sub-county, which has been embroiled in audit queries over land ownership for the last 12 years.

Credit:PD