The Decentralized Funds Accounts Committee, chaired by Mwingi Central MP Gideon Mulyungi, has raised concerns over the persistent audit queries flagged by the Auditor General regarding the management of decentralized funds.
During a report-writing workshop, the committee noted that recurring issues related to the management of the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) and the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) suggest incompetence among some Fund Accounts Managers.
MPs cited repeated cases of misappropriation of funds, incomplete and stalled projects, unapproved reallocation of funds, and failure to submit required documents during audits.
Vice Chairperson Gertrude Mbeyu emphasized, “There should be no audit queries on some of these issues if we are dealing with professionals who understand their mandates and are qualified for their jobs.”
Committee members argued that the consistent audit concerns point to a lack of knowledge among Fund Accounts Managers and Project Management Committees (PMCs).
“It is clear that most of these account managers are not conversant with audit processes, record-keeping, and even project management,” said Dorothy Muthoni.
The MPs also questioned how funds allocated for capacity building and training of Fund Accounts Managers, PMCs, and other staff are utilized.
“Are we getting value for money? What exactly are these officers trained on annually if the same audit issues keep recurring?” posed Joyce Osogo Bensouda.
She called for a review of the training content and methods used.
Stephen Mogaka stressed the need to ensure that individuals managing these funds are properly qualified.
“As a committee, we have a duty to protect these funds. We need an assessment of the capacity of Fund Accounts Managers because these continuous reports indicate a gap that needs to be filled,” he said. He further noted, “You cannot hold an unqualified person accountable for mismanagement if they were placed in a position they are not equipped to handle.”
Committee Chairperson Mulyungi also challenged auditors from the Office of the Auditor General to review the depth of their audit processes.
He pointed out that some issues flagged in audit reports had been contested by Fund Accounts Managers when they appeared before the legislators.
The committee called for immediate action to address the gaps in fund management to ensure accountability and efficient use of public resources.
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