Former Auditor General Edward Ouko has been appointed as the chairperson of the Anti-Money Laundering Advisory Board in the latest round of appointments in government.
Ouko, appointed by the Treasury and Economic Planning Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi via a gazette notice dated September 19, is set to be at the helm for three years.
Ouko was the first Auditor General under the new 2010 Constitution, serving from August 2011 to August 2019. Under the 2010 Constitution, the AG’s mandate was expanded, with Ouko tasked with auditing both national and county governments.
Under his tenure, the Auditor-General’s office produced audit reports that exposed several high-profile misuses of public funds, especially at the county government level, and in the national government.
A particular audit that focused on the proceeds of the Eurobond, where he exposed mismanagement of the loan worth Ksh200 billion.
This put him on the path of continued friction with the Executive, culminating in Ouko even seeking legal action against former President Uhuru Kenyatta over a plan to oust him from office.
While leaving office, he cited political persecution as one of the challenges he faced during his tenure. He further claimed that Uhuru's government withdrew his security and pension nine months after his term as Auditor General ended.
Ouko's Life Post AG.
After his exit, Ouko kept a low profile, but was in 2023 appointed by former Treasury CS Njuguna Ndung'u as the chair of the 18-member committee tasked with investigating the government's pending bills.
Ouko's committee was tasked with establishing a clearly defined criteria for detailed examination and analysis of such pending bills or claims, with a view of determining the legitimacy of the bills.
Ouko and his team were also tasked with identifying cases of fraudulent claims for further action by agencies such as the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). This was in addition to developing reforms or measures to prevent pending bills from accumulating.
Ouko's committee is still active, with CS Mbadi announcing an extension of their term up to December 31, 2025 in the same gazette notice. As of early 2025, the committee had analysed about Ksh474 billion worth of claims, out of a total of about Ksh665 billion submitted. Of those analysed, pending bills cleared amounted to Ksh206 billion, specifically those bills below Ksh10 million in value.
The appointment came a year after he had landed a role in spearheading financial reforms in Siaya County. Siaya Governor James Orengo appointed him as part of a 7-member committee mandated to evaluate revenue administration and human resources.
Ouko path to becoming Auditor General had been preceded by a long-serving tenure at the African Development Bank (AfDB), serving for over 24 years, from 1987 up to his appointment as AG. At AfDB, he handled audit, anti-graft, and fraud investigation functions.
Other Govt Appointments
Aside from Ouko's new role, Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe also appointed new members to the Tea Board of Kenya. Kagwe appointed Jackline Cherono, Joseph Karioki Ngige, and William Otemba Oyosi as members for a three-year period.
