All secondary school principals will be required to appear before the National Assembly’s Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education (PIC-G & E) to respond to audit queries, committee chairperson Dick Maungu has said.

Maungu, who is also the Luanda MP, said the move is aimed at enhancing accountability and curbing mismanagement of public funds in learning institutions.

“Some principals receive millions of shillings, but they are not able to account for the expenditures. It will not be business as usual. All principals will have to appear before PIC-G & E to account for every single coin spent by their institutions,” Maungu said.

He spoke on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at Musitinyi Primary School while handing over two classrooms constructed by the Luanda NG-CDF.

The parliamentary watchdog committee has meanwhile told heads of institutions of higher learning to take the audit process seriously, saying public officers entrusted with taxpayers’ money must demonstrate transparency and prudent financial management.

The committee, chaired by Hon. Maungu, said Auditor-General reports are intended to promote accountability in the use of public resources and should not be treated as a mere procedural requirement.

“The Auditor-General’s reports are not prepared in vain. They are meant to demonstrate whether public funds have been properly utilised. Where there are gaps, they must be explained and corrective measures taken,” Maungu said.

Examination of the Auditor-General’s reports

On Tuesday, the committee began examining Auditor-General’s reports covering the 2018/19 to 2024/25 financial years for several state institutions under the education sector.

Institutions that appeared before the committee included Multimedia University of Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta Foundation, Naivasha Technical and Vocational College, Gilgil Technical and Vocational College, Sot Technical Training Institute and Gitwebe Technical Training Institute.

Kasipul MP Boyd Were, a member of the committee, echoed the sentiments, warning accounting officers against treating audit issues casually.

“The committee expects full cooperation from all accounting officers. Audit queries should be addressed comprehensively because accountability is at the heart of good governance,” said Hon. Were.

Maungu said Parliament would continue exercising its oversight role to safeguard public funds and ensure institutions implement recommendations arising from audit reports.

The committee is expected to continue scrutinizing the audit reports to establish whether institutions complied with public finance management laws, procurement regulations and other statutory requirements in the utilisation of public resources.