The Swedish National Audit Office initiates cooperation in Kenya

Swedish Auditor General Mr Jan Landahl and his Kenyan colleague Mr Edward Ouko

An important point of departure for the Swedish National Audit Office's support to KENAO is the implementation of the new Constitution that was established after the political unrest in 2008. The vast restructuring of the Kenyan public administration, going from 8 provinces to 47 independent counties, puts great demand on KENAO's operations, not least when it comes to organizational development and data communication.

During the past year the Swedish National Audit Office and KENAO have carried out a needs analysis, based on which a project document has been developed. The project document covers six areas where the KENAO has expressed need for support in their development process. These areas include financial audit, performance audit, the legal framework, SAI management, human resources and communication.

At a ceremony in Nairobi on 25 October, the Swedish Auditor General Mr Jan Landahl and his newly appointed Kenyan colleague Auditor General Mr Edward Ouko signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU. The MoU constitutes the formal basis for the bilateral cooperation between the Swedish National Audit Office and KENAO.

The Swedish National Audit Office works in long-term cooperation projects to support institutional and professional capacity building in public sector auditing in the cooperation countries. The point of departure is to support reforms and strategies set out to guide the development.

The cooperation projects normally involve activities related to the cooperation countries' legal framework, strategic development, leadership as well as development of manuals and guidance for public audit. An example of such project activities is support in the implementation of new audit methodologies through coaching and practical guidance.