Parliament will spend Sh41.2 million to audit the financial statements of the Office of the Auditor General that have been pending for the last four years.
Auditor General Edward Ouko (pictured), whose term comes to an end next month having served a non-renewable term of eight years, has not been audited despite advertising for qualified firms to look into the accounts of his office.
National Assembly Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has now procured the services of PKF Kenya to conduct the exercise before Ouko exits office.
In a report tabled in the National Assembly last week, PAC chaired by Opiyo Wandayi (Ugunja) said it had settled on PKF Kenya since it has the technical and financial capacity to audit the auditor.
READ MORE
Azimio pushes to remove Wetang'ula as Speaker over bias
Kanja denies police have hand in abductions amidst public outcry
The firm beat six others that had bid for the tender garnering 87.36 per cent.
Six firms
The six firms include Ronalds and Associates, which had quoted Sh31.6 million and came second having scored 86.72 per cent while Nelson & Francis Associates, Mazars, Earnest and Martin Associates, Ambale and Company Limited and Kiarie Kangethe and Associates were disqualified.
Wandayi asked the House, which is expected to debate the report this week, to approve the firm to allow the auditing process for the financial years 2014/2015, 2015/2016, 2016/2017 and 2017/2018.
The decision to settle on M/S PKF came after attempts by the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) chaired by National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi to identify a professionally qualified accountant to provide the external auditor services was rejected by the House.
PSC had recommended that M/S Baker Tilly Meralli’s firm that had earlier audited Ouko for the financial years 2011/2012, 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 be considered for appointment, but the House rejected this on grounds of conflict of interest despite being the lowest bidder out of the four firms that had expressed interest.
