Auditor General Edward Ouko during the opening of the Garissa audit hub. [Photo/ the-star.co.ke]
The government has launched a Sh160 regional audit hub in Garissa in a bid to curb cases of runaway graft.Addressing different stakeholders during the official opening of the office on Friday, Auditor General Edward Ouko said the hub has been opened because of the need to ensure proper supervision as well as oversight of different projects in the region for faster development. Ouko also said that county governments have been put on the spot on several occasions over graft, adding that his office is committed to ensuring no funds are unaccounted for.“To ensure this does not happen, we are spreading our wings to each and every county by building more offices and posting enough staff. This is one way of ensuring that projects are delivered on time and resources utilised,” said Ouko, as quoted by The Star.The Auditor General also revealed that construction of the audit hub took a period of 18 months before completion since it is the first in the region.He also said that he is impressed with the fact that the contractor of the project has clearly shown that public resources can be used to benefit the common mwananchi. The unveiling of the project comes a time when the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is probing irregularities in awarding of tenders during former Governor Nathif Jama’s term.