Several county assemblies will be required to appear before the Senate within the next 90 days to explain audit failures and persistent financial irregularities.
This follows a damning report by the County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC).
They are Baringo, Wajir, Marsabit, Kakamega, Kericho, Murang’a, Makueni and Busia.
Another group that includes the county assemblies of Meru, Siaya, Nyamira, Nyeri and Tana River has also been ordered to present themselves before the committee within 90 days and provide progress reports on corrective measures taken.
They submitted written responses instead of appearing before the committee.
Further, county assemblies that received unqualified audit opinions, including Mombasa, Kwale, Taita Taveta, Embu, Machakos, Kitui, Kajiado and Trans Nzoia will be required to submit written reports on how they have addressed audit concerns.
The committee has issued firm timelines directing different categories of counties to account for how they handled public resources in the 2024/25 financial year.
Counties that physically appeared before the committee during the audit hearings have been given 90 days to return with a detailed report on the implementation of the committee’s recommendations.
“County Assemblies namely, Baringo, Wajir, Marsabit, Kakamega, Kericho, Murang’a, Makueni and Busia, appear before the Committee within ninety days,” the report directs.
Meanwhile, a larger group of counties that received qualified audit opinions has been given a shorter deadline of 60 days to appear and respond.
They are Kilifi, Lamu, Garissa, Mandera, Isiolo, Samburu, Laikipia, Tharaka Nithi, Nyandarua, Kirinyaga, Nakuru, Narok, Bomet, Kisii and Homa Bay.
Other county assemblies are Migori, Vihiga, Bungoma, Busia, Turkana, West Pokot, Nairobi, Nandi, Uasin Gishu and Elgeyo Marakwet.
The Senate warned that failure to comply with these directives will attract heightened scrutiny as it moves to tighten oversight over devolved units.
The committee also directed the Auditor-General to continue monitoring compliance by tracking unresolved audit issues in future reports.
“The Auditor-General is directed to explicitly list any unresolved prior-year audit reports,” the Senator Moses Kajwang’-led committee said in its adopted report.
