Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi has urged Kenyans to ignore reports that his committee is rarely in the news. He is the Public Accounts Committee chairman.
Wandayi was reacting to reports in one of the local dailies that criticised the PAC for rarely being in the news – for good or bad reasons.
The MP said many people have yet to understand how the Public Accounts Committee works.
“It must be clear that PAC can only speak through its reports. It cannot be expected to make pronouncements in public rallies or such as fora,” Wandayi said.
The PAC chair clarified that the key role of the committee is to check corruption in the public sector, enhance accountability and ensure taxpayers get value for their money appropriated annually by the National Assembly.
He said the committee does not strictly have a mandate over the implementation of its recommendations, but it works closely with the particular House committee that is charged with this responsibility.
Wandayi said an objective assessment of PAC performance must be premised on a clear understanding of the core mandate of the committee as opposed to being in headlines.
The legislator said his committee is the only one that has had no scandal to its name during his tenure – from December 2017 to date.
International Centre for Policy and Conflict executive director Ndung’u Wainaina commended the committee for its work on the audited accounts.
“It is worth noting that PAC has been able to clear the backlog of unexamined audited accounts that it inherited from the 11th Parliament in record time,” Wandayi said.
He said all PAC recommendations are documented and contained in the records of the National Assembly and are therefore in the public domain.
Bondo MP Gideon Ochanda commended the current Public Accounts Committee.
“Some teams that were there before were behind with the Auditor General's report,” he said.
Former Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo said Wandayi is doing a good job as the PAC chair.
He said Wandayi has proved to be a good manager.
Edited by A.N
