Panel to interview 16 for Auditor General’s post

Auditor General Edward Ouko at the launch of Citizen Engagement framework at the Intercontinental Hotel, Nairobi. [Elvis Ogina.Standard]

Sixteen candidates have been shortlisted for the Auditor General’s position, which fell vacant after Edward Ouko’s term came to an end.

The candidates include a number of insiders at the Auditor General’s office, an employee at the United Nations and a member of Kiambu’s County Executive Committee.

Interviews will be held between October 22 and October 25 by a panel tasked by President Uhuru Kenyatta to hire the country’s second auditor general after Ouko’s eight-year non-renewable term lapsed in August.

Former Deloitte East Africa Chief Executive Sammy Onyango is chairing the panel of seven, which will select three names and forward to the President for nomination.

“Shortlisted candidates are invited for interviews at the Annex Boardroom, Commission House, along Harambee Avenue, Nairobi, on the dates and times specified in the above schedule,” said Onyango in a Gazette notice on Friday.

The public has been invited to give views on the 17 shortlisted candidates by Thursday, October 17.

Two of the candidates, David Obwaya and Kiini Sylvester Ngei, already work as deputy auditors general. Another candidate, David Muchoki, is the current holder of the newly-created position of United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for the Office of Internal Oversight Services.

During his tenure, Mr Ouko (pictured) heightened the scrutiny on both the national and county governments, with his reports painting Government officials as corrupt.

In one report, he noted that over 75 per cent of the national government’s expenditure had not been accounted for.

His reports revealed striking expenditures, including a 2015 audit which showed that Bungoma County bought a wheelbarrow at Sh109,000.

There have been calls for expedition of the recruitment process so as not to compromise the auditing process.