Marende asked to reprimand Uhuru

By Martin Mutua

House Speaker Kenneth marende has been asked to impose sanctions on Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta for allegedly violating the Constitution.

Gwassi MP John Mbandi on Tuesday said Uhuru had failed to table the audit report for the financial year 2009/2010 as demanded by the Public Audit Act.

Addressing the Press at Parliament Buildings, the MP said he had information that the Auditor General submitted the report to the Deputy Prime Minister on May 26.

"I’m now appealing to the Controller and Auditor General to submit the same report directly to the Speaker," added Mbandi.

Chapter 10 of the Public Audit Act requires the minister to table the report not later than seven days after Parliament first meets after the minister receives it.

In a separate interview, Mars Group Chairman Mwalimu Mati also took issue with Uhuru.

"Who will make this Minister for Finance abide by the law? Or could he be worried that the Controller and Auditor General has produced yet another damning report on the sorry state of Treasury accounting for public funds?" posed Mati

Mati also concured with Mbandi that the Speaker must seek the report from the Controller and Auditor General as required by the law and table it in the House for scrutiny. The report is supposed to identify cases in which money was not spent efficiently.

It also incorporates the rules and procedures followed, says if records kept were inadequate to safeguard property and the collection of revenue

The report also identifies money that should have been paid to the Exchequer but was not so paid as well as money spent for purposes other than that which it was appropriated for by Parliament.