Parliament of Kenya has turned the spotlight on three state agencies over billions of shillings in unresolved audit queries, as MPs demanded accountability during a tense session at Bunge Tower on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.
The National Assembly’s Public Investments Committee on Social Services, Administration and Agriculture (PIC-SSAA), chaired by Vice-Chairperson Hon. Caleb Amisi, met officials from Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, the Public Benefit Organizations Regulatory Authority and the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council.
The meeting with KBC ended abruptly after management failed to present coherent responses to audit concerns for the 2024/2025 financial year. Amisi termed the submissions “haphazard” and directed the broadcaster to return with properly organised documentation.
At the centre of scrutiny is a legal dispute in which Channel 2 Group Corporation is seeking about Ksh 353 billion from KBC. Lawmakers questioned the independence of the Board Chairperson over past links to the firm.
KBC CEO Agnes K. Nguna defended the chair, saying he left Channel 2 in 2007 and is now a defence witness. MPs also raised alarm over uninsured assets after CIC General Insurance declined to renew cover due to unpaid premiums.
The committee further cited irregularities in asset valuation, a Ksh 35.7 million solar tender awarded without budgetary provision, and continued non-compliance with IFMIS requirements.
At the PBO Regulatory Authority, CEO Dr. Laxmana P. Kiptoo faced questions over staffing gaps, with only 58 employees against 207 approved posts. He blamed delayed approvals but said staffing has since improved to 104 officers.
He admitted a Ksh 21 million ERP system donated by UNDP Kenya has been inactive since August 2023 due to lack of maintenance funding. Budget cuts, he said, forced the authority to defer servicing.
Meanwhile, the NSDCC was pressed over under-utilisation of Ksh 257 million and Ksh 81.5 million in doubtful debts. Acting CEO Douglas Bosire attributed the situation to restructuring directives and a moratorium on new projects.
MPs also questioned delays in the Ksh 100 million Misha Plaza project and leadership instability within the council. However, they welcomed progress in HIV response, including reduced new infections and rollout of Lenacapavir.
Closing the session, Amisi warned the agencies to prioritise prudence and transparency, saying public institutions must shed perceptions of being conduits for waste and instead demonstrate responsible stewardship of taxpayers’ funds.
