Senate orders audit on how all 47 counties have spent COVID-19 funds

The Senate Ad Hoc Committee on the COVID-19 has asked Auditor General Nancy Gathungu to conduct a special audit on how all the 47 County Governments have spent funds allocated to combating the coronavirus pandemic.

The audit expected to be conducted within the next one month is supposed to cover the period from March 13, 2020 when the first COVID-19 case in Kenya was recorded,
to July 31, 2020.

The Auditor General has been instructed to establish among other things, the total amount of funds received by the County Governments, specific to COVID-19 activities, and to which bank accounts the monies were deposited by the National Government.

The Senate also wants her to ”establish whether financial and non-financial reports on funds from the National
Government specific to COVID-19 were produced every month.”

Ms. Gathungu will also be required to establish whether the funds were spent in accordance with approved work plans, procurement plans and training plans.

The Senate Ad Hoc also expected the Auditor General to report back on any detected irregularities involving the misuse of public funds and identify related weaknesses in management controls.

The Auditor General has been given until September 4 to complete the special audit and report back to the Senate.

”We request that the response be sent by email on the address to be received on or before Friday, 4th September, 2020 at 5.00 pm,” reads a letter to the Auditor General signed by Senate Clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye.

The Committee is mandated to oversight actions and measures taken by the national and county governments in addressing the spread and effects of COVID-19 in Kenya