A plan by the Office of the Auditor-General to review bursary and education-related spending in six counties has sparked strong opposition from the Council of Governors, which has termed the move unconstitutional, biased, and lacking in transparency.

Speaking on behalf of the council, Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi on Monday criticised the planned performance audit of bursaries, scholarships, and Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centres, saying it falls outside the legal timelines set out in the Constitution and the Public Audit Act.

He questioned the motive behind revisiting the use of education funds dating back to 2021.

“There has been politicisation of the bursaries matter. I do not know who is so determined to ensure counties are barred from giving out bursaries. Why select the six counties? Why audit the last four years?” he posed.

Abdullahi said some of the governors currently in office were not in power during the years the Auditor-General plans to review, and insisted that the counties under scrutiny should have been consulted beforehand.

He said the audit process was initiated without engaging the affected county governments or the Council of Governors, making it ineffective and contextually disconnected.

“This results in a process that lacks critical input for a comprehensive and context-specific audit in a devolved system. The criteria for selection of the counties under review remain unexplained and, therefore, opaque,” he added.

Abdullahi noted that counties had already undergone audits for the same financial years being revisited, warning that any repeat could lead to confusion and duplication of oversight efforts.

“Any audit exercise that is not anchored in the legal framework, including those initiated outside the timelines prescribed under Article 229 of the Constitution and the Public Audit Act, is irregular, unconstitutional, and therefore null and void,” he said.

He urged the Auditor-General to operate within the law and timelines, adding that collaboration and respect for devolved institutions are essential to ensuring credible audits.

“You must uphold the rule of law and mutual institutional respect is essential to maintaining the integrity of the audit process and safeguarding the principles of devolution. The Council of Governors remains fully committed to accountability, transparency, and responsible governance in service delivery,” he stated.

While rejecting what they called an irregular approach, the Council of Governors maintained that they remain open to legitimate and constructive performance audits that follow due process.

Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga, who is also the Vice Chairperson of the Council of Governors, echoed Abdullahi’s remarks. He said that any audit must respect the constitutional timelines that require reviews to be completed within six months after the end of each financial year.

“As a council, we stand firmly with the Constitution and the law, which states that audits must be conducted within six months of the end of the financial year. Unfortunately, we’ve received word that six counties are now being targeted for re-audit,” said Kahiga.

He argued that counties have made significant strides in delivering key services such as health, water, and agriculture, and questioned the decision to single out bursaries and ECDE for performance review.

“Counties step in to provide bursaries because there is a need. Why re-audit the performance of bursaries and ECDEs alone? What about health, agriculture, and water, where counties have also excelled?” he asked.

He noted that counties have hired ECDE teachers, expanded infrastructure for pre-primary education, and launched school feeding programmes, areas that should also be considered in assessing the impact of devolution.