Auditor-General — government office responsible for auditing public sector accounts and flagging financial irregularities in state agencies and programs.
… ces penalties for an accounting officer who fails to implement resolutions made by either a parliamentary or a county assembly committee on reports by the Controller of Budget on the implementation of national and county government budgets and audit reports by the Auditor-General …
Audio By VocalizePresident William Ruto has signed into law changes that could penalise public entities for failing to implement recommendations by the Auditor-General and Controller of Budget. …
… said the committee wants to establish whether KESHA, which serves as a welfare and professional organisation for secondary school principals, is legally entitled to receive funds from public institutions and whether the money it receives is subject to audit by the Auditor-General …
… The committee, chaired by Luanda MP Dick Maungu, raised the concerns while examining Auditor-General’s reports covering the 2020/21 to 2024/25 financial years for several national schools.The scrutiny was conducted during the committee’s retreat where principals and senior school …
… The document established principles of transparency, accountability and responsible use of public resources, backed by institutions such as the Auditor-General and the Controller of Budget. …
WATCH LIVE: Public Accounts Committee Scrutinises the Auditor-General’s Report for Basic Education By Citizen Reporter August 27, 2026 11:50 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter Audio By Vocalize
… The concerns emerged on Thursday as the Committee examined the Auditor-General’s Report for the 2023/2024 financial year on the accounts of the State Department for Basic Education.The Auditor-General flagged unconfirmed capitation payments under the Free Primary Education (FPE), …
… According to the Auditor-General’s findings, IRA engaged the firm to represent it in a legal dispute involving a liquidated insurance company that had sued the regulator. …
… The concerns emerged when the National Assembly Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education questioned the Auctioneers Licensing Board over its regulatory and enforcement record while scrutinising Auditor-General reports covering the financial years 2018/19 to 2024/2 …
… The explanation follows scrutiny by the Auditor-General and Parliament. The Auditor-General flagged an unsupported Sh10.848 billion price variation between the Sh35 billion approved by the National Treasury and the Sh45.848 billion contract value. …
President William Ruto assented to four Bills including the Public Finance Management Amendment Bill, the Air Passenger Service Charge Amendment Bill, the Kenya National Council for Population and Development Bill, and the Trust Administration Bill. The Public Finance Management Amendment Bill is intended to strengthen accountability and oversight of government funds, create a standardized mechanism for grants to county governments, and introduce penalties for accounting officers who fail to implement assembly committee resolutions.
President William Ruto assented to four Bills including the Public Finance Management Amendment Bill, the Air Passenger Service Charge Amendment Bill, the Kenya National Council for Population and Development Bill, and the Trust Administration Bill. The Public Finance Management Amendment Bill is intended to strengthen accountability and oversight of government funds, create a standardized mechanism for grants to county governments, and introduce penalties for accounting officers who fail to implement assembly committee resolutions.
President William Ruto has signed the Public Finance Management Amendment Bill 2025, which introduces penalties for public entities that fail to implement recommendations from the Auditor-General and Controller of Budget, and shortens the period for submitting financial statements.
Parliament's Public Investments Committee is investigating payments by national secondary schools to the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESHA), with some schools paying as much as Sh6 million. The committee wants to establish whether KESHA is legally entitled to receive public funds and whether its activities are subject to audit by the Auditor-General.
The National Assembly Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education has raised concerns over financial management in Kenya's national schools, citing growing fee arrears, unauthorised borrowing and weak procurement practices. The committee, chaired by Luanda MP Dick Maungu, found that some schools have accumulated outstanding fees dating back more than a decade, with debts in the millions of shillings.
An opinion piece contends that while President William Ruto's Katiba Day speech defended constitutionalism and called for an audit of the 2010 Constitution's implementation, the document's promise of transforming governance and safeguarding citizens' rights remains an unfinished national project sixteen years after adoption.
The Public Accounts Committee has questioned whether learner enrolment data used by the Government to allocate billions in education capitation is accurate, warning that inaccurate records could lead to wastage of public funds. The Auditor-General flagged unconfirmed capitation payments under three free education programmes totalling Sh103.99 billion and found no documentary evidence that learner data in the National Education Management Information System had been verified by Sub-County Education Offices before funds were released.
Lawmakers have questioned the Insurance Regulatory Authority's payment of Sh342.8 million to a law firm following a dispute over legal fees. The payment also included Sh79.8 million in interest that accrued after IRA delayed settling an earlier court award, and arose from a disagreement over fees for representing the regulator in a legal dispute involving a liquidated insurance company.
Members of Parliament have called for tougher action against rogue auctioneers accused of using goons and excessive force to seize property, citing weak enforcement and inadequate penalties that leave Kenyans vulnerable to intimidation and financial losses. The National Assembly Public Investments Committee questioned the Auctioneers Licensing Board over its regulatory record, with committee chair Dick Maungu urging decisive action against unlicensed practitioners operating outside the law.
The government has attributed a Sh10.85 billion difference between the initial Sh35 billion estimate for Talanta Sports City Stadium and the contract value to taxes, import-related charges, and other costs not included in the original University of Nairobi Enterprise Services concept design.
Parliament's Public Investments Committee questioned Kenya Law Reform Commission officials over Sh20.6 million spent on commission activities against an approved budget of Sh18.5 million between 2018/19 and 2024/25, with the Auditor-General finding the institution failed to follow budget reallocation procedures. The commission also exceeded its repairs and maintenance budget by about Sh400,000.
An opinion piece argues that Kenyans focus too heavily on the presidency while neglecting the 384 parliamentary seats, and contends that the 13th Parliament has failed in representation and oversight, often siding with the Executive rather than holding it accountable.
Nairobi City County Government has saved an estimated KSh8.48 billion over the 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years by reducing reliance on external law firms and strengthening its internal legal department. The county's in-house advocates handled 84 of 174 court cases during the review period, with 47 decided in the county's favour.
An opinion piece argues that World Bank lending in developing countries, including Kenya, often fails to deliver development outcomes proportional to borrowed amounts, due to weak oversight, political interference, and poor transparency. The writer calls for stricter accountability mechanisms to ensure funds are traced from Washington through national treasuries to ground-level project delivery.
An opinion piece argues that the World Bank should impose stricter accountability measures before and after lending to developing countries. The article contends that while the bank aims to reduce poverty and promote shared prosperity, weak oversight and poor transparency have allowed development loans to become tools of political convenience rather than instruments of transformation, with Kenya cited as an example where public debt has risen sharply but development outcomes have not matched the scale of borrowing.
Parliament's Public Investments Committee has ordered fresh investigations into a 1,000-bed hostel at JOOUST following audit queries over contract variations and payments totalling Sh844 million. The committee plans to summon the former Vice-Chancellor, project consultants, auditors and other parties to address concerns over escalating costs and procurement compliance.
The National Assembly's Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education has warned universities and technical training institutions against treating Auditor-General audit queries casually, insisting that accounting officers must uphold transparency and accountability in managing public funds. The committee is examining Auditor-General reports covering 2018/19 to 2024/25 financial years for several education sector institutions.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba told Parliament that persistent delays in funding to schools, TVET institutions and universities stem from inadequate budget allocations and delayed releases by the National Treasury, rather than the Ministry withholding funds. He said the ministry submits funding requests on time and disburses funds immediately after receiving them, but the gap between the education sector's financial requirements and allocated resources is the core challenge.
The Ministry of Education has acknowledged that persistent delays in capitation disbursements and inadequate budget allocations from the National Treasury are pushing public universities, TVET institutions, and teacher training colleges into financial distress, prompting Parliament to demand urgent reforms.
A High Court petition seeks suspension of several advocates accused of illegally operating multiple law firms, conflicts of interest, and orchestrating fraudulent litigation to siphon billions from county governments and public institutions. The petitioners also seek orders barring Nairobi City County, Marsabit County Government, LAPFUND, and the Kenya County Government Workers Union from issuing new legal instructions or processing payments to the advocates.
Kenya's Public Investments Committee has launched investigations into payments totaling Sh844 million for a 1,000-bed hostel at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, following audit concerns over contract variations and rising costs from the original Sh663.9 million contract awarded in 2010. The committee will summon the former Vice-Chancellor, project consultants and auditors to explain the additional expenditure and whether procurement laws were followed, amid a contractor lawsuit and missing completion certificates.
The Standard's editorial argues that ongoing revelations of ghost workers embedded in government payrolls must trigger immediate reforms and thorough investigations, noting that billions meant for public services are being diverted to fraudulent salaries. The piece warns that without visible prosecutions, asset recovery, and institutional reforms, President Ruto's latest orders for investigations risk becoming mere rhetoric like previous administrations' unfulfilled anti-corruption promises.
The Cabinet has directed the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to probe payroll fraud across Kenya's public service. A sample audit of 12 out of 53 state departments revealed suspected payroll irregularities totaling Ksh.6.2 billion, highlighting systemic weaknesses in payroll management.
Parliament has approved the Kenyan Sign Language Bill, 2023, legislation co-sponsored by Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo-Mabona and Nominated MP Umulkheir Harun that seeks to strengthen recognition and use of Kenyan Sign Language across public institutions, schools, courts, media and telecommunications. The law establishes the Kenya Sign Language Council to oversee development, promotion and regulation of the language, and addresses longstanding gaps in access to education, justice, healthcare and government services for deaf and hard of hearing Kenyans.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja told the Senate County Public Accounts Committee that the capital has untapped revenue potential of up to Sh63 billion, primarily through land rates collection. He noted that only 20 per cent of Nairobi's 256,000 registered property owners regularly pay land rates, and called for stronger enforcement mechanisms through the National Rating Act, 2024.
Safina Party leader Jimi Wanjigi has claimed Kenya's growing debt burden includes billions borrowed illegally outside the constitutional framework, and that cancelling such debts could save Sh2.8 trillion. According to Treasury figures, Kenya's public debt has risen to approximately Sh12.8 trillion, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of about 69.5%.