List of People Ruto Has Appointed Into Presidential Taskforce on Forensic Audit of Public Debt

• President William Ruto established an eight-member Presidential Taskforce on Forensic Audit of Public Debt, marking a significant step towards addressing Kenya’s debt, which has crossed the KSh 10 trillion mark
• The task force, chaired by economist Nancy Onyango, will scrutinise the country’s debt records and assess the value for money of the loans and projects financed
• The team comprises distinguished members from various sectors and is expected to bring transparency and solutions to Kenya’s escalating debt crisis
• Apart from the task force, President Ruto made several adjustments in his administration, among them scrapping 47 state cooperations

Muyela Roberto is a business journalist at TUKO.co.ke with over 9 years of experience in the digital media, offering deep insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.

Nairobi – President William Ruto has established a Presidential Taskforce on Forensic Audit of Public Debt.

Ruto revealed the members set to constitute the committee in a Gazette notice on Friday, July 5, and directed that they have three months to scrutinise the records and report back to him with their findings.

The establishment of this task force, the president said, marked a significant step towards addressing the concerns over Kenya’s growing debt, which has increased five-fold from KSh 2 trillion a decade ago to over KSh 10 trillion today.

“The task force shall assess whether the country obtained value for money with regard to terms of the loans, cost of the projects financed, the return on investment, and equity, including inter-generational equity,” the president said.

Members of the Presidential Taskforce on Forensic Audit of Public Debt

Nancy Onyango – Chairperson

The task force will be chaired by economist Nancy Onyango. Onyango is a former director of the Office of Internal Audit at IMF.

She boasts an impressive academic background, holding a Bachelor of Commerce with First Class Honours and an MBA in Management Information Systems, both from the University of Nairobi.

She earned a Doctorate in Business Administration from USIU-Africa. Her qualifications extend beyond academia, as she is a certified CPA, a practitioner of Certified Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC), a Certified Information Systems Auditor, and holds a certification in Corporate Governance for Enterprise IT (CGEIT) from ISACA International.

Additionally, she is Certified in Risk Management Assurance (CRMA) from the global Institute of Internal Auditors.

Currently, Nancy serves as an independent member on the boards of Fairtrade America and the Global Give Back Circle (USA).

She will be deputised by Prof Luis Franceschi, the founding Dean of Strathmore University Law School and a senior director, governance & peace at the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Other members of the Presidential Taskforce on Forensic Audit of Public Debt

1. CPA Philip Kaikai – Chairperson of ICPAK
2. Faith Odhiambo – President of LSK
3. Engineer Shamma Kiteme – President IEK
4. Vincent Kimosop – Policy and governance specialist

The task force will also include one representative each from:

• Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK)
• Law Society of Kenya (LSK)
• Institute of Engineers of Kenya (IEK)

Joint Secretaries

• Dr. Abraham Rugo
• Dr Aaron Thegeya

Roles of the Presidential Taskforce on Forensic Audit of Public Debt

• The task force shall consult with stakeholders in the public finance sector, including industry players, associations and lobby groups, regulators and government agencies, and any other person or entity as it shall deem necessary.
• Hold such number of meetings, consultative sessions, public events, and engagements as necessary for the purposes of receiving information or views in furtherance of its terms of reference.
• It may co-opt any person as it may be considered necessary or expedient for the proper performance of its functions and the effective discharge of its mandate.
• It shall have such powers as necessary or expedient for the proper execution of its functions.
• Regulate its own procedure.
• May create committees or subcommittees for the efficient and expedited discharge of its mandate.
• May request and receive any information or document that may be relevant to the discharge of its mandate.

Ruto announces changes in his administration

While announcing the team’s formation, Ruto dissolved 47 state corporations with overlapping and duplicative functions.

Staff currently employed by the affected corporations, he said, will be transferred to ministries and other state agencies.

Other changes

• Suspension of the decision to fill positions of Chief Administrative Secretaries (CAS).
• The number of advisors in government is to be reduced by 50% within the public service.
• Public servants who attain the retirement age of 60 shall be required to retire immediately, with no extensions.
• The purchase of new motor vehicles by the government is suspended for 12 months, except for security agencies.
• Budgetary provisions for confidential budgets in various Executive offices, including the president’s office, to be removed, and the budget for renovations across the government reduced by 50%.
• Ruto suspended all non-essential travel by state and public officers.
• No state officer or public servant shall participate in public contributions/ harambees henceforth.
• Budget lines providing for the operations of the offices of the first lady, the spouses of the Deputy President, and the Prime Cabinet Secretary to be removed.

Ruto said the measures will help the government operate within its means, especially after the withdrawal of Finance Bill 2024, which was expected to net over KSh 346 billion.

Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura Guthua, journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke

Source: TUKO.co.ke