NAIROBI, Kenya – Public institutions have been put on notice after a parliamentary watchdog committee warned that attendance at audit hearings is a legal obligation—not a courtesy.
The Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education (PICGE), chaired by Bumula MP Wanami Wamboka, said institutional heads must appear when summoned and that former office-holders will also be required to testify where their past decisions are under scrutiny.
The committee said the strict stance is necessary to address persistent gaps in financial management, governance failures, and suspected misuse of public resources flagged by the Auditor-General.
During ongoing hearings, PICGE directed several institutions to return with adequate documentation and the appropriate leadership teams.
Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University and Jeremiah Nyagah National Polytechnic have been rescheduled to appear on December 3, with the polytechnic required to bring its former principal due to the brief tenure of its current head.
Kenya Utalii College has also been summoned to present senior management on the same day.
The committee further examined governance and financial issues at Eldoret National Polytechnic, where a stalled library construction project was linked to funding delays.
MPs questioned why the institution relied almost entirely on capitation funds and urged management to explore alternative revenue streams, including utilising its 104-acre land.
The institution has been instructed to file a detailed revenue generation plan.
At the University of Nairobi Enterprises and Services (UNES), lawmakers raised concerns over procurement practices after discovering that seven officers had been appointed to a tender evaluation panel—two more than the law allows—and that a contract had been awarded to a bidder who did not meet qualification requirements.
The committee reminded officials that procurement laws demand both compliance and prudent use of public money.
The session with the School Equipment Production Unit was postponed after key officials failed to appear, further reinforcing the committee’s insistence on full participation.
Tambach Teachers Training College was also flagged for persistent governance weaknesses, including three consecutive adverse audit opinions and an ethnic imbalance in staffing.
MP Wamboka proposed that the matter be escalated to the Head of Public Service.
Wamboka said Parliament will not relent in holding institutions accountable:
“Oversight is a mechanism to protect public resources, demand accountability and ensure those who manage public institutions answer for lapses. Institutions must comply when summoned. Where misconduct or fraud is established, the law will take its course.”
