‘You will step on toes’: Maraga tells new Auditor General Nancy Gathungu as she is sworn in

Chief Justice David Maraga on Friday had a few words of advice for new Auditor General Nancy Gathungu as he presided over her swearing into office in Nairobi.

CJ Maraga told Ms. Gathungu to discharge her duties with a firm hand as she may, occasionally, find herself on the wrong footing of fellow public officers.

The President of the Supreme Court, albeit on a rather lighter tone, stated that this may even include his office, but that she should nevertheless always be ready to stand her ground and stick to her gun.

Maraga further promised the Auditor General the full support of the Judiciary, however stating that they he will also not be afraid to correct her whenever she oversteps her mandate.

“Very often it is the case in leadership positions in this country that you will counter challenges. As it were, you will step on toes, some of them very thick, including even if it is that of the Chief Justice, but you are required to discharge your duty without fear or favour,” said the CJ.

“I want to assure you that as an institution, we will give you all the support you require. If there are areas where we will have to say that you have not done your work well we will say it.”

He further stated: “On many occasions Kenyans have been treated to reports of misuse and outright pilferage of public resources. The duty to prevent this kind of public theft and protect public resources falls on the office that you have been appointed to as well as the other agencies.”

Ms. Gathungu, on her part, promised to clear the audit backlog left behind following the period between the end of her predecessor Edward Ouko’s term and her assumption of office.

She acknowledged the legacy left behind by Mr. Ouko, adding that she will build on it using four pillars namely; Independence, Credibility, Relevance and Accountability.

“It is also important to note that the country and the world at large is under the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic which has been affecting our livelihood and disrupting normal operations. I shall therefore ensure that we continue to observe the health protocols even as we work round the clock to clear the audit backlog that is of concern,” she stated.

“Audit services and audit reports are critical in monitoring and evaluating the outcome and impact of the management and use of public resources and providing valuable information on whether we as a country are achieving our development priorities and service delivery objectives.”