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Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu wants resources for her officers pegged on 0.5 per cent of the last audited and approved revenue figures of the National Government.

She said that Parliament had recommended that the funding for the Office should be based on a formula of the last audited and approved revenue figures of the National Government.

“Currently, the last audited statement of revenue approved by Parliament is for financial year 2019-2020 which shows a revenue figure of Sh1.7trillion. This should give the Office an allocation of Sh8.7billion, against the Sh7.9billion that we received in 2023-2024,” said Gathungu.

She further added that the review of the Act is also expected to enhance the independence of the Office by addressing sections that were declared unconstitutional by the High Court.

“We have submitted recommendations to Parliament to review the Public Finance Management Act, 2012, to make implementation of audit recommendations mandatory for all public entities and introduce and enforce sanctions to those who fail to comply,”she said.

Inadequate action

This even as she said that lack of an effective mechanism for follow-up on implementation of recommendations on audit reports recur in subsequent reports due to lack of adequate action.

According to Gathungu, the implementation of audit recommendations is the only way to ensure accountability, transparency and beneficial change for the people through the public finance management system.

“The lack of requisite sanctions which has led to perennial failure by some accounting officers to adequately account for the public resources entrusted in their care. This has led to fiscal indiscipline including misallocations, wastage of resources, lack of value for money in the implementation of projects, theft and corruption,” said Gathungu.

Instead, Gathungu disclosed that they had taken proactive measures to develop a framework for tracking, follow-up and reporting on implementation of audit recommendations.

Gathungu made the remarks during the closure of a media workshop for journalists who report on audit findings on Saturday at a Naivasha resort.