MPs Slam University Leaders Over Poor Audit Hearing Preparedness
The National Assembly’s Public Investments Committee (PIC) on Governance and Education has issued a sharp warning to university leaders for showing up unprepared during crucial audit hearings.
The stern caution followed a session with Murang’a University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dickson Nyariki, who appeared before MPs without the necessary documentation to address serious financial queries. Lawmakers underscored that such lapses weaken accountability and place public institutions under unnecessary scrutiny.
Committee chairperson Wanami Wamboka stressed the obligation of university officials to provide all supporting documents whenever questioned by the Auditor General or Parliament.
“When the Auditor General says they need documents to prove work done and expenses made, it is your duty to ensure that you furnish them with that to absolve yourselves from recurrent audit issues,” Wamboka said. “Coming before this Committee without proof of resolving matters points to negligence on your part.”
Murang’a University came under sharp criticism for procurement irregularities, including the direct purchase of a Scania bus worth KSh15.39 million—an acquisition that breached procurement regulations. When pressed, Prof. Nyariki and his team failed to produce the required records.
The Committee also flagged a KSh25.14 million investment in Bamburi Cement. MPs questioned why the shares were held under trustees rather than the university itself. Efforts to establish whether ownership transfer processes had commenced produced no evidence.
In line with parliamentary Standing Orders, the Committee fined Prof. Nyariki KSh500,000 for failing to submit requested evidence.
The probe did not stop at Murang’a University. The Committee also scrutinized audit reports from Kaimosi Friends University, Laikipia University, and Ramogi Institute of Advanced Technology, covering the financial years 2021/2022 through 2023/2024.
Lawmakers reiterated the importance of thorough documentation to safeguard proper financial management and ensure compliance with regulations governing public institutions.
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MPs Slam University Leaders Over Poor Audit Hearing Preparedness