Lamu Governor Issa Timamy grilled as Senate probes damning audit report

Lamu Governor Issa Timamy and his top officials were on Tuesday put on their defense by a Senate committee scrutinising a series of damning audit reports from key county entities.

The Senate Committee on County Public Investments and Special Funds (CPIPSF) pored over the Auditor General’s findings for five Lamu institutions: Faza Sub-County Hospital, Lamu County Referral Hospital, Mpeketoni Sub-County Hospital, the Lamu Water and Sewerage Company (LAWASCO), and the Municipality of Lamu.

Chairing the tense session, Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi expressed the committee’s deep concern over systemic issues cutting across the entities.

“These reports point to systemic challenge. Our role is to ensure public resources are safeguarded and that corrective actions are implemented without delay,” Senator Osotsi stated.

The audits revealed a pattern of unsupported expenditures, weaknesses in financial reporting, and significant gaps in governance and internal controls.

Machakos Senator Agnes Kavindu highlighted the frustrating recurrence of identical problems year after year, particularly in the health sector.

“It is troubling that issues such as unsupported balances, weak asset management, and staffing gaps continue to recur,” Senator Kavindu said. “Management must demonstrate clear responsibility and timelines for compliance.”

Facing the scrutiny, Governor Timamy acknowledged the audit findings but pointed to transitional periods and operational constraints as contributing factors.

“We take the Auditor General’s observations seriously,” the Governor responded, informing the committee that management responses detailing reconciliations, updated records, and corrective measures had been submitted for all entities.

The Governor outlined steps taken by his administration, including strengthening internal audit functions, commencing updates of asset registers, and aligning financial systems with national standards.

“Our focus is not just responding to the audit, but preventing a recurrence of the same issues going forward,” he asserted.

The committee ultimately directed the county executive to adhere strictly to the implementation timelines in their action plans.

The committee will now evaluate the submissions before preparing its final report to the full Senate.