Kenya's former Auditor-General Edward Ouko has been awarded the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) Outstanding Achievement Award for his outstanding public service during his tenure.
The London-based ICAEW is a professional membership organisation of accountants and finance specialists and boasts more than 202,450 members.
Presenting the award, ICAEW president Mark Rhys lauded Mr Ouko for his bravery and dedication in fighting corruption at a time the scope of audit had just been expanded to cover legal and effective use of public resources.
"We are delighted to present Eddie (Ouko) with ICAEW's Outstanding Achievement Award in recognition of the remarkable courage he has shown as Auditor-General of the Republic of Kenya and his outstanding record of public service. On behalf of ICAEW, I congratulate Eddie on his achievements," he said.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Ouko said he was "deeply honoured to accept this award and pledge to uphold the principles and values that define our profession."
He added that the award "is not only a reflection of my achievements but also a testament to the collective efforts of the entire accounting community. To receive such recognition from this institute is truly an auspicious and momentous occasion that I will cherish throughout my life."
Mr Ouko served as Kenya's first Auditor-General from 2011 to 2019, following a new Constitution that expanded the mandate of the role to include the national government as well as 47 devolved county governments.
He previously served as Auditor-General at the African Development Bank (AfDB) where he headed the audit function and was also responsible for the anti-corruption and fraud function until June 2010.
He served the AfDB for more than 24 years in various capacities. Before joining the AfDB, Mr Ouko was an audit manager at Deloitte Nairobi.
