Nairobi — Lawful loopholes and budgetary constraints maintain been highlighted as stumbling blocks for the Office of the Controller of Funds to effectively end its mandate.
Acting sooner than the National Meeting Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC), Controller of Funds Margaret Nyakang’o cited discrimination within the salary structure and funds allocation which has derailed the office’s operate.
“If you look at our Salary structure, we have been discriminated compared to other similar offices in the country…in consultation with the Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM) the office has developed a salary structure to attract and retain qualified staff. Goodwill and budgetary support are needed for the efficient implementation,” submitted Nyakang’o.
The Controller of Funds had regarded sooner than the Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba led committee to bellow itsy-bitsy print on the challenges facing the fair constitutional office.
Nyakang’o pointed out legislative gaps within the Controller of Funds Act stressing the necessity to amend the Act to offer extra powers to the office to effectively end its mandate.
She expressed that the law has restricted his office from auditing ongoing financial outlook projects which embody Common Gauge Railway (SGR) and the Nairobi Freeway which maintain wolfed billions through the years.
“We have legal loopholes while am supposed to supervise all funds, with the existing position am not allowed to report on economic outlook and revenue focus,” the Controller of Funds stated.
She highlighted authorized lacuna on succession within the office because the law fails to deem a emptiness that a emptiness might perhaps well perchance come up within the jam of the Controller of Funds when the COB leaves office after the lapse of the prescribed timeline of 8 years.
“Section 9 (4) of the Act should be amended to allow the COB report on all facets of the budget implementation as envisaged in the constitution. Under the current existing provisions, the COB is barred from reporting on economic developments and outlook including revenue; grants loans forecasts, and receipts,” stated Nyakang’o.
The Controller of Funds furthermore pointed out authorized loopholes the build the National govt and counties void funds after the approval for withdrawal of funds by her office.
Nyakang’o rallied for the inclusion of a provision within the Act that prohibits the voiding of funds with the accounting officer found culpable within the cases the build authorized funds are voided.
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“This will ensure that payments mirror the approval, thus avoiding pending bills and misdirection of funds,” she explained.
The Apartment group additional heard that a lengthen within the construction of the COB regulations following annulment by Senate, had been an spacious hindrance to the office of the COB executing its mandate.
“…The reasons advanced by the Senate for the annulment were that the regulations had not fully captured the comments of the National Treasury received after publication of the regulations ; the penalties proposed in the regulations were not deterent enough; the challenges currently being expressed , such as pending Bills were not addressed,”Nyakang’o stated.
“The CoB has since developed the draft regulations incorporating the Senate’s views. However, due to budgetary constraints, the CoB has been unable to undertake public participation,”she added.
