Media highlights on Auditor General’s report misleading

The Auditor General's report on the National Government expenditure is finally out. After much publicity on the counties' "looting" of public funds, it's now the turn of National Government departments to squirm. With headlines screaming, "Massive cash rip off", asking for "action against those looting public funds", everyone in the public sector looks suspicious. A BBC programme on the audit report this week analysed this "massive corruption" in the public service, which "continues unabated despite President Obama's pronouncements".

The huge figures bandied about by the report leaves the average Kenyan disillusioned and cynical about government since it appears there is a looting spree. How can a whole Sh67 billion be "stolen"! How can government only spend 1.2 per cent of its expenditure legitimately, they wonder. The unfortunate reality is that whereas there is theft in Government, Auditor General's report and the media analysis thereon is unduly alarmist and unhelpful in the fight against looting of public monies. Let me give an example. In the year 2013-2014 media reported how a government department had squandered Sh30 million meant for fuel. However, a reading of the audit report discloses that the Auditor General had refused to accept as legitimate the expenditure of the Sh30 million shillings spent on fuel for the institutions' vehicles notwithstanding presence of invoices, payment vouchers and receipts. This was because, though it was clear the money had been spent for the Department's purposes, the Department had failed to have the Work Tickets (the government log of a vehicle's travels) properly signed by an authorised officer. Audit being what it is this immediately translated to unsupported expenditure.