Margaret Nyakang'o: Profile Of Kenya's Controller Of Budget Arrested Over Graft Allegations

• Kenya's Controller of Budget, Margaret Nyakang'o, was appointed to the office in 2019, where she was tasked with overseeing the implementation of budgets at national and county levels
• She went to the University of Liverpool for her doctorate after completing her MBA in Strategic Management from the University of Nairobi
• Nyakang'o has worked in various institutions, including the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, KCA University, and Harambee Sacco Society, among others

Nancy Odindo, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics, news, and feature stories across digital and print media in Kenya.

Born in 1959, the embattled state official has risen to different heights in her career since 1983.

What is Margaret Nyakang'o's work experience?

In 2019, Margaret Nyakang'o was appointed to the Office of the Controller of Budget (OCoB), an independent office created under Article 228 of the Constitution of Kenya.

She was mandated to oversee the implementation of the national and county governments' budgets by authorising withdrawals from public funds.

Her office was also authorised to advise parliament on issues related to the transfer of funds to state organs or any other public entities.

Before her appointment, she held top positions in various business adventures.

Nyakang'o served as a lecturer in the Department of Public Sector Finance at KCA University from January to December 2019.

She worked at the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics for 10 years, serving as a financial director and administrator to the Board of Directors through the Finance and Administration Committee.

At the start of her career, she served as the principal auditor at the Controller and Auditor General's Office, where she audited central government institutions, local authorities, and state corporations for 11 years.

She also worked with Mitun Business Consulting Limited, Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology, Harambee Sacco Society, Bob Morgan Services Ltd., and the Lake Basin Development Authority.

Certification and licences

• She has been a certified public accountant since 1994, certified by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya, and is currently a practising member.
• Certified ISO 9001:2008 Internal Auditor from SGS
• Certified Sacco Professional from the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU)

Education background

Nyakang'o completed her Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) in Strategic Management at the University of Nairobi from 2005 to 2007 and then pursued a Doctorate in Business Administration at the University of Liverpool from 2010 to 2016.

Nyakang'o exposes government

In October, while appearing before the parliament, she revealed the 'confusion' in the national treasury where KSh 363.66 billion was processed as salaries through the integrated personnel and payroll database and other approved systems.

In her review report, she noted that KSh 5.66 billion was paid outside the prescribed payroll management system, uncovering another crime.

"The exaggerations are in the National Treasury, and let me just give one example. When I was doing the budget for consolidated fund services, this is where my salary was paid. I found out that my salary was budgeted at three times what my annual salary is, and it was like that for all the state officers. I am the only state official in my institution. So, there's nothing like confusion there; I am all alone. So, I asked them why the budget was shown three times. I have not received the answer," she said.

Nyakang'o was arrested by Mombasa detectives on December 5, following a 2016 complaint predating her tenure as the Controller of Budget (CoB).