Members of Budget andAppropriations Committee (BAC) have called on the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) to consider building the capacity of the media to promote accurate and fair media reporting on audit queries.
In a meeting with the OAG, the lawmakers emphasized the need for regular media trainings and sessions on matters audit and tasked the audit communication office to promptly make clarifications on any misreporting.
The Committee Chairperson, Hon. Samuel Atandi queried the Office of the Auditor General against keeping silent whenever there’s erroneous reporting.
“We have never seen the Office of the Auditor General asking Media to correct facts whenever there is misreporting of audit queries. Why is it that there’s inaccuracy in reporting?” posed Hon. Atandi.
Hon. Peter Masara underscored the importance of effective Communication by the OAG, urging it to ensure clarity of information.
“Your office must ensure your Communications Department performs its work as expected,” said Hon. Masara.
Hon. Adan Keynan called on the supreme audit office to ensure that the public consumes accurate information as contained in the audit reports.
“The public has the right to accurate information and you have a duty to provide it. Where the media misreports, you must issue clarifications and provide the correct position,” said Hon. Adan Keynan.
Responding to the concerns, the Deputy Auditor Corporate Services, Mr. Isaac Ng’ang’a acknowledged the issues raised by the Committee, noting that the OAG invests annually on training journalists on audit reporting.
“Every year, we spend close to Ksh. 15 Million on training journalists across the country on audit reporting. To the effect that when they misreport, it is not that they don’t know the truth,” Mr. Ng’ang’a submitted.
The Deputy Auditor General assured Members that the audit office has always corrected whenever figures are misquoted and revealed plans to reach out to the Clerks of both Houses of Parliament to bridge information asymmetry on audit media reporting.
On budgetary matters, Mr. Ng’ang’a appealed to the Committee to consider additional funding of Ksh. 750 million, to address the financial gap in the critically underfunded areas.
To strengthen fiscal discipline, the OAG requested the intervention of the Budget and Appropriations Committee in fast tracking the amendment of the Public Finance Management Act, 2012 to include sanctions for non-implementation of Audit and Parliamentary recommendations.
The OAG also asked Parliament to amend the PFM Act 2012 for public sector entities to require that they submit financial statements to the Auditor General within one month after the close of the financial year, in addition to supporting and expediting the Public Audit Amendment Bill, 2024.
The Committee also had sessions with the Departmental Committee Chairpersons for Energy (Hon. David Gikaria), Tourism & Wildlife (Hon. Kareke Mbiuki), Lands (Hon. Joash Nyamoko) as well as the Parliamentary Service Commission.
By Anthony Solly
