Public servants warned against laxity, corruption

By Peter Ochieng 

Heads of public higher education institutions have been warned against laxity, incompetence and corruption.

Jack Wamboka, National Assembly Public Investments Committee (PIC) chairman on education and governance on Monday said majority of public Universities and Technical and Vocation Education (TVET) are managed carelessly.

He said in the long run, accounting officers of such institutions will face the music.

“If you are an accounting officer of a public institution, education and otherwise, please stick to the law because it will catch up with you. If it catches up with you, you must face the music. That is what we are saying.”

He said all is not gloom though, as some accounting officers are doing a good job.

“But it is good to note that we also have very good public servants who are prudent, magnanimous in what they are doing. We must also commend them and recommend that they continue serving the public good,” said the chairman.

The Bumula MP addressed members of the press after the first day of meeting teams from various institutions in Nyanza region, on audit queries raised by the Auditor General.

The sessions which run up to Friday this week are being held at a Kisumu hotel.

Teams from 24 institutions are expected to appear before members of the committee by Friday.

Teams from Seme Technical and Vocational College, Ugenya Technical and Vocational College and Bondo Technical and Vocational College appeared before the committee on Monday.

Kisumu National Polytechnic and Seme Technical and Vocational College representatives were ordered out of the room for unpreparedness.

They appear today.

The committee cited some of the institution’s officers as incompetent, after failing to convincingly respond to sections of the audit queries.

Chairman Wamboka however said some appeared unprepared and nervous, given the fact that it was the first time they were facing members of a parliamentary committee.