LETTERS: Why post-mortem audit approach is ineffective

The Public Audit Act 2007 gives the Controller of Budget and the Auditor-General the mandate to audit all public entities and provide a qualified opinion to Parliament at least once every financial calendar year on matters arising from their audit work. Lately, mainstream media has been awash with accounts of financial impropriety in a number of public entities running into millions of shillings as highlighted by the Auditor-General.

A number of inquests emanating from audit reports are ongoing in Parliament. However, the frequency by which embezzlement of public resources get reported across the governance structures leaveS one wondering whether compliance audit approach is effective. To start with, revealed acts of fraud have over 50 percent chance of recurring thus revealing weaknesses and ineffectiveness of the post mortem audit approach in examining compliance to financial regulations and procedures in conduct of public affairs.