Former Auditor General Edward Ouko Takes Charge of Ksh 481B Pending Bills Probe
Former Auditor General Edward Ouko has been appointed by Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u to the Pending Bills Verification Committee.
In a Gazette Notice, Ouko was designated as the head of the 18-member committee tasked with investigating the pending bills of the government.
The national government’s outstanding invoices totaled Ksh481 billion as of June 2022.
Tirop Kosgey will replace Ouko, who sued former President Uhuru Kenyatta and other senior officials for plotting to remove him from office in 2017.
Ali Abdulrazaq, Hesbon Omollo, Eric Onyango Gumbo, Patience Mulondo, James Washington Munene Gitonga, Bernard Ndungu, Nicholas Munywoki Mutua, James Kung’u, Cassius Kusienya, Peter Kitheka, and Margaret Gichimu are additional members of the committee.
The team also included Maximus Siwa, Kanini Nthiga, Livingstone Mburu, David Kipchumba Ruto, and Susan Oyatsi.
“The Committee is charged with examining and analyzing the extant National Government overdue bills that have accumulated between June 2005 and June 2022, and making recommendations to the Government regarding their settlement;
“They will establish a clearly defined criteria for detailed examination and analysis of such pending bills or claims to determine the genuineness of each or otherwise,” said a portion of the statement.
Additionally, Ouko and his staff were tasked with identifying cases of fraudulent claims for further action by agencies such as the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
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The 18-member team will also devise reforms or preventative measures to prevent the accumulation of pending bills.
“Within three months of the date of its publication, the Committee shall prepare and submit to the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning an interim report recommending resolution or otherwise of pending bills that have been examined.
“Within twelve (12) months after the date of its gazettement, submit a final report and such other reports as the Committee may consider necessary,” read a portion of the notice.
The Cabinet authorized and approved the establishment of the special committee to examine pending legislation in July 2023. President William Ruto stated that pending legislation continues to be a contentious issue that impacts service delivery.
The appointment of Ouko comes one year after he was given the responsibility of leading financial reforms in Siaya County. Governor James Orengo of Siaya appointed him to a seven-person committee charged with evaluating revenue administration and human resources.
In the meantime, he left the Auditor-General’s office in 2019 after his eight-year term expired. After exposing alleged mismanagement of funds in a Ksh200 billion Eurobond, he had a falling out with Uhuru, which marred his tenure.
He cited political persecution as one of the obstacles he confronted during his time in office as he left office. In addition, he claimed that nine months after his term as Auditor General concluded, Uhuru’s government revoked his security and pension.
Former Auditor General Edward Ouko Takes Charge of Ksh 481B Pending Bills Probe
