Wamuzi News Ke
Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu has today revealed a shocking collapse in oversight: national and county governments have failed to implement nearly 79 percent of recommendations issued in audit reports, fueling corruption, inefficiency, and rampant waste of public funds.
Speaking at the launch of the Auditor-General’s Eastern Regional Office in Embu, Gathungu described the failure to act on recommendations as “deeply disappointing” and a betrayal of the public’s trust.
She warned that persistent inaction undermines governance, stalls service delivery, and empowers irresponsible officials.The audit findings show that while dozens of critical issues—ranging from irregular procurement, stalled infrastructure projects, missing revenue, to lax internal controls—were flagged, the vast majority remain unresolved.
Only around one in five audit recommendations have been addressed meaningfully across all counties and national government agencies.In one striking example, several counties still operate without audit committees, missing vital checks and balances mandated by law.
Others have failed to bank revenues properly, neglected reconciliations, and let pending bills grow unchecked. The absence of exit clauses and performance-based accountability in many contracts allows poor delivery and misuse of funds to thrive.
Gathungu did not mince words: this trend has real costs. Ordinary citizens are harmed when hospitals are understocked, roads collapse mid-construction, and basic services lag due to financial mismanagement. The Auditor added that to reverse this alarming trajectory, major reforms are needed immediately—starting with legal mechanisms to enforce recommendations and greater transparency in financial records.
The message could not be more urgent: unless the government toughens its approach—through stronger oversight, legal penalties, and public pressure—the cycle of unheeded audits will continue, dragging Kenya deeper into mistrust and underperformance.
