News

Ouko criticises AG for letting staff trained with taxpayers cash go

ouko

Auditor-General Edward Ouko. FILE PHOTO | NMG

The Attorney-General’s office is on the spot for failing to bond or have employees agree to work for a number of years before quitting after benefiting from taxpayer-funded courses.

Auditor-General Edward Ouko says the public service human resources manual demands that State workers who had been funded by taxpayers for courses lasting more than six months must be bonded.

The Attorney-General’s office spent Sh51.7 million on training while the Department of Justice used Sh7 million on courses for their staff.

Mr Ouko said the expenditure included courses whose duration were beyond six months and therefore the beneficiaries ought to have signed a training bond committing them to the Civil Service for between one and five years.

“A scrutiny of the documents availed did not reveal any evidence of bonding,” said Mr Ouko in a qualified audit.

This comes as the Attorney-General’s office continues to suffer from staff shortages as lawyers opt for private practice.

This, Mr Ouko said, is reflected in the failure of the AG's office being represented in some court cases due to shortage of state counsels.

He said the human resource manual also requires workers to be bonded for up to five years for courses that are less than six months but costly.