The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) on Saturday, July 6, turned down the appointment of its President Faith Odhiambo to the public debt audit task force.
In a statement, LSK termed the task force unconstitutional and therefore illegal on grounds that it invalidated the role of the Auditor General whose mandate was to audit the country’s public debts.
According to the Society, it had thus resolved that neither its president nor any of its members would take up appointments or participate in the said task force.
“Taking cognizance of the provisions of Article 229 of the constitution and the interpretation of the said provisions by the court, it is our considered view that the establishment of the task force is unconstitutional,” LSK noted in a statement.
“The mandate to audit public debt rests with the office of the Auditor-General.”
LSK further called on the Head of State to refrain from seizing the role of the Auditor-General to undertake her constitutional mandate.
According to LSK, unnecessary to squander scarce public resources by appointing a Presidential task force to perform the duties of existing public offices.
"The Office on Public Debt Management, headed by a Director-General at the Treasury and funded by public money, should provide details of public debt to the Auditor-General for forensic audit," LSK stated.
The move by LSK comes a day after President Ruto announced the appointment of a Presidential Taskforce on Forensic Audit of Public Debt.
Among those named in the committee included Nancy Onyango who was appointed as the chairperson, Luis Franceschi as the vice chairperson and LSK President Faith Odhiambo.
The committee was tasked with assessing whether the country obtained value for money concerning the terms of the loan, the cost of the projects financed, and the return on investment.
In his announcement, the president said the task force would serve for three months effective July 5.
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