Committee approves Nancy Gathungu’s appointment as Auditor General

Nancy Janet Kabui Gathungu has moved a step closer to become the country’s next Auditor General.

This is after the National Assembly’s Finance and National Planning Committee approved her appointment to the office that has remained vacant almost a year after the retirement of Edward Ouko.

Following the committee’s endorsement, Gathungu now awaits the final confirmation from the whole house.

She was vetted by the National Assembly a fortnight ago to ascertain her suitability for the position of Auditor General.

Gathungu is currently the Director of Quality Assurance at the Auditor-General’s office.

The endorsement will be subject to approval of the whole house which is at hand to consider the committee’s consent before she can formally succeed Edward Ouko, who retired almost a year ago.

The approval of Gathungu by MPs will mark the end of a prolonged effort by President Uhuru Kenyatta to fill the position, after two previous attempts.

The process to replace Ouko began immediately after his retirement, but the first panel chaired by Sammy Onyango re-advertised the position saying none of the 17 candidates shortlisted after the first interviews met the criteria for the job. 

Lack of a substantive Auditor-General has complicated financial planning and reporting for State Corporations whose books cannot be closed without a substantive Auditor-General signing them.

Meanwhile the National Assembly Administration Committee wants the interior ministry to scale up police patrol and enhance community policing in soy constituency where seven cases of rape and killings of minors have been reported in the last two months.

Also read https://www.kbc.co.ke/uhuru-nominates-nancy-janet-kabui-gathungu-for-auditor-general/