Nairobi — Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has petitioned the Senate to compel the National Treasury to provide senators with monthly Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) data, arguing that it is necessary to strengthen oversight of county spending.
In the petition, Omtatah says delayed financial reports have made it difficult for senators to monitor how county governments use public funds, creating room for misuse.
He argues that relying on reports from the Auditor General and the Controller of Budget is insufficient because they are submitted long after the expenditure has occurred, limiting the Senate's ability to question spending in real time.
"NOW THEREFORE, the Senate resolves, that the Cabinet Secretary in charge of the National Treasury shall on a monthly basis forward to the Clerk of the Senate all IFMIS transactions and reports for each County Government for onward transmission to the respective Senator for information on accountability and transparency, in order to strengthen their constitutional oversight and promote good governance in the management of public finances," the petition states.
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If adopted, the proposal would require the National Treasury to submit monthly IFMIS transactions and reports for all 47 county governments to the Senate.
IFMIS is the government's electronic platform for managing public finances, integrating budgeting, procurement, accounting, payments and financial reporting into a single system.
The Oracle-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platform is managed by the National Treasury and is used by national government ministries, departments and agencies, as well as all county governments.
