UNIVERSITY BOSS FINED KSH 500,000 FOR DEFYING AUDIT ORDERS

The acting Vice-Chancellor of Laikipia University has been slapped with a Ksh500,000 fine by the National Assembly’s Public Investments Committee (PIC) for failing to respond to audit queries raised by the Office of the Auditor-General.
The committee, chaired by Bumula MP Wanami Wamboka, invoked Standing Order 191(a) to penalize the university head after they repeatedly ignored summons to appear before the committee and account for the institution’s financial records.
Wamboka ordered the vice-chancellor to pay the fine within 14 days through a banker’s cheque addressed to the Clerk of the National Assembly. He warned that Parliament will not allow public officers to defy accountability mechanisms set by law.
“This committee will not tolerate impunity. Every university boss must be ready to defend how they use public resources,” said Wamboka during the session held at Bunge Towers on Tuesday.
The decision came amid ongoing parliamentary scrutiny of various public universities over financial irregularities and poor responses to audit reports for the 2021/2022 financial year.
In contrast, the committee praised Tharaka University for resolving most of the audit issues flagged in the same report, urging other institutions to emulate its proactive approach to accountability.
Several other universities and technical institutions, including Kasarani TVET College and Konoin Technical Training Institute, are also under investigation for undocumented expenditures and procurement violations.
The PIC's move signals Parliament’s tough stance on financial mismanagement in the education sector and sets a precedent for personal liability among university administrators.