The office of the Auditor-General has taken a swipe at Parliament over what it terms as inaction on reports, highlighting the loss of funds from public coffers.
Edward Ouko said they are now banking on citizens to compel action by agencies charged with prosecuting state officers implicated in the loss of public funds.
The auditor general yesterday asked his would-be successor to focus on the pivotal role of the ordinary mwananchi in ensuring accountability by state officers.
He said the introduction of Citizen Accountability Audits stems from concerns by wananchi who he says have been blaming the office for not acting on audits.
Ouko expressed his frustration with Parliament on how it has handled reports tabled before it adding that the remarks ‘there is nothing happening after audits’ makes him feel bad.
“I do my work and then leave it to Parliament to oversight. But the feeling that the remarks of our inaction will continue coming, made me think to return accountability to the people,” he said.
“I can’t wait for that time when Parliament will change and do the right thing in a manner that once I do my work, I find a way of circumventing potential lack of action by Parliament by transferring the power of accountability to the people.”
Ouko added there is no value in doing the same thing without questioning the benefits and values that offices such as his will give to the taxpayer.
He spoke during the launch of the Citizen Accountability Audits framework at a Nairobi hotel, an idea he termed a gift to his successor.
“I am glad that the office is left with a frontier to break. A frontier is now being developed. I would like to see it working when I am out there…that time when wananchi will ask critical questions about how their monies were spent,” he said.
Ouko asked his successor to do his work and be of value and usefulness to the Constitution which asserts sovereignty belongs to the people.
The auditor is leaving office this month, having completed his 8-year single term as required.
The vacancy will become a centre of focus in the coming weeks.
Ouko said the new strategy will make people own audit reports adding it is the way to go in getting the fight against corruption owned by Kenyans.
“When we look at our society, we have to think of how apart from DCI and EACC, we must find a way of taking the fight to the people,” Ouko said.
He welcomed women and youth to take centre stage in the fight against graft adding that ‘they are the silent weapon the office of the AG has not reached.”
Ouko said Citizenship Accountability forum is tool his office has taken to bring, recognize and challenge youth and women to take up accountability issues.
“I am looking forward to the day the forum will be advanced. The youth and women will be summoning the office of the AG and Parliament and putting us on the carpet to answer the issues raised in audits,” he added.
“If we use this thing properly, there will be an add-on to the fight against corruption. It will also enable us to get how we can mainstream lifestyle audits or make it an important issue.”
The auditor, seemingly in his last public event, asked citizens to vote for leaders who have demonstrated they are persons of integrity and development conscience.
Ouko added asset recovery would only be a success with the watchful eye of the system his office is putting in place.
“We also need to change our election and vote in a manner that we have the power. Youth cannot now say they have been left out of the democratic space yet they have the numbers,” he said.
The auditor said he was happy to exit office at a time it has become more vibrant and with new strategies that will bolster the fight against wastage of public resources.
“We also challenge the media to go to the ground and follow up on whether audit issues have been acted upon other than just report wastages in state departments, parastatals, and county governments,” Ouko said.
Edited by N. Mbugua
