Public officers entrusted with managing public resources must be held to the same standards of accountability expected of every other public institution. The Auditor General’s findings on the Public Officers Medical Scheme Fund raise troubling questions about whether those standards are being met.
Nancy Gathungu’s audit for the year ended June 2025 could not verify Sh2.62 billion in medical benefits because essential patient and treatment records were missing. A further Sh994.4 million in expenditure lacked adequate supporting documentation, while Sh5.27 billion in reported receivables and Sh1.79 billion in payables could not be verified.
These findings do not establish that the money was stolen or that the claims were fraudulent. But they expose a fundamental failure of accountability: an institution responsible for medical cover cannot adequately demonstrate that billions of shillings in transactions are supported by reliable records.
This is not a minor administrative lapse. Medical schemes depend on accurate claims, documented treatment and effective controls to ensure that funds reach legitimate beneficiaries and healthcare providers. Without these safeguards, the risk of error, waste and abuse becomes harder to detect.
The discrepancies in reported income, alongside the absence of an approved annual budget and an operational policy, deepen concerns about financial management and oversight.
The responsible authorities must now demand answers, reconcile the disputed figures and establish why the records were missing. Where wrongdoing is established, those responsible must face appropriate consequences.
Public officers deserve reliable medical cover. Taxpayers deserve proof that the money financing it is properly spent. Neither obligation can be fulfilled without transparency, credible records and enforceable accountability.
Quote of the Day:“No man is above the law and no man is below it: nor do we ask any man’s permission when we ask him to obey it. —26th US President Theodore Roosevelt was born on October 27, 1858
