MPs Push for Strict Audit of Funds in Universities and Colleges
MPs Push for Strict Audit of Funds in Universities and Colleges
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The Public Investments Committee (PIC) on Governance and Education, chaired by Bumula MP Wanami Wamboka, has reaffirmed Parliament’s commitment to safeguarding public funds and ensuring efficiency within the higher education institutions in Kenya.
As part of an annual review, the Committee looked at audit reports of the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 financial years of some of the public universities and agencies, such as the National Defence University-Kenya, the Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA), and the National Biosafety Authority.
Audit Findings on National Defence University-Kenya.
The Committee noted that the National Defence University-Kenya had made some achievements, especially in the implementation of the first phase of its Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system that handles student and academic operations.
However, several key issues remain unsolved.
The second phase of the ERP system, covering finance, human resources, and procurement, remains incomplete because of a lack of funds.
Staffing gaps and a lack of documentation of the university’s land also continue to pose operational problems.
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The Ministry of Defence pledged to fund the completion of the ERP within the 2025/2026 financial year.
The committee directed that “continued audit monitoring be maintained to ensure full automation, effective documentation of assets, and the strengthening of human resource structures.”
Missed Appearances and Compliance Issues
Sessions scheduled with the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), University of Nairobi, and Dedan Kimathi University of Technology were postponed because of the absence of key officials.
The Committee emphasized the importance of consistency in engagement with the parliamentary oversight and instructed that the meetings be rescheduled promptly.
Staffing Shortages at KNQA
The Committee, in its investigations of the Kenya National Qualifications Authority, reported that the majority of the staffing positions approved are vacant.
Although the National Treasury had authorised the recruitment, the process had not yet started at the time of the audit.
The Committee encouraged the Authority to expedite hiring to strengthen its institutional capacity.
“The authorities must be adequately staffed to effectively execute their core mandate of quality assurance and qualifications regulation.”
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Field Visits and Further Investigations.
The Committee announced plans to carry out inspection tours to Meru National Polytechnic to assess the pending audit queries related to irregular contract variations for mentored institutions, as well as the construction of a tuition block.
Meanwhile, while reviewing the National Biosafety Authority, the Committee cited financial errors and faulted the Finance Officer for incompetence, signalling more strict scrutiny of financial management in education-linked agencies.
Call for Accountability
Wamboka called on the need for public institutions to uphold transparency and accountability, emphasizing Parliament’s zero tolerance stance on audit non-compliance.
“Public institutions must lead by example in compliance, transparency, and prudent management of the available resources in line with the Kenya human capital development agenda,” he said
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A picture of Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education in Parliament
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