Uhuru nominates Nancy Gathungu for Auditor General job

President Uhuru Kenyatta has nominated Nancy Gathungu for the position of Auditor General.

She will take over from Edward Ouko if approved by Parliament.

In a statement by State House spokesperson Kanze Dena-Mararo, she said Gathungu was the first among the top three candidates presented to President Uhuru Kenyatta for nomination by the Recruitment Panel. 

Her name has been forwarded to Parliament for vetting.

Gathungu, currently the director of audit at the Office of the Auditor, was among 10 accountants shortlisted for the job.

The Auditor General post has been vacant since Ouko left office in August last year.

Ouko’s succession has delayed a great deal after PSC’s first bid to fill the post was nullified by the High Court.

The Public Audit Act has no clear provisions for a transition unless the previous office holder dies, resigns, or is removed.

Ouko faulted this arrangement, saying it creates a void in the crucial office and does not guarantee a proper handover.

Activist Okiya Omtatah challenged the process and secured orders compelling the government to conduct the now scheduled fresh interviews.

The former panel concluded that they did not get a suitable candidate, citing integrity issues touching on the top candidate despite him scoring above 70 per cent.

This was at the height of claims of political machinations to influence the choice of the candidate for the oversight job.

The defunct panel’s chairman Sammy Onyango denied claims “there was undue pressure on the team to get a candidate from the correct quarters”.