Transport Principal Secretary Nduva Muli blames audit queries on transfer of accounting officers

By Allan Kisia

Nairobi, Kenya: A senior Government official has blamed frequent transfer of accounting officers for rising audit queries.

Transport PS Nduva Muli, who appeared before the Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC) together with his Infrastructure counterpart Joseph Mosonik to answer audit queries, said accounting officers are rarely stationed in one office for any considerable period of time.

“When accounting officers go, they leave things hanging. Getting them to answer certain questions is also difficult when they have left,” he explained.

The chairperson of the committee and Budalangi MP Ababu Namwamba concurred with the PS, but said frequent transfers of accounting officers cannot be completely to blame for audit queries in Government ministries and departments.

Nonetheless, Kipkelion West MP Jackson Rop said transfer of accounting officers should not be blamed for audit queries in Government.

Transfers

“I believe whether I am there or not, the documents will be there. Let us not blame the transfers,” he added. Nambale MP Sakwa Bunyasi echoed Rop’s statement and said the records remain even if an officer is transferred.

“Data is there. The problem might be a communication breakdown,” he stated.

During the meeting, Ababu announced that the committee will begin to take action against officers responsible for audit queries. “We will go after the particular individuals and impose sanctions on them,” he added.

The MP lamented that Rwanda is doing better than Kenya because accounting in Government offices is up to standard.