Auditor General Edward Ouoko has said the problem on Counties’ bizarre budgets occurred because they had used the wrong template, which generates the information that was used by the auditor.
However, the use of wrong templates did not imply that counties did not mismanage the funds.
The move put to rest speculation from counties and even the Senate that some governors had spent hundreds of millions on non-issues.
The Auditor General’s report had exposed Kiambu, Kakamega, Kitui, Nyeri and Kirinyaga counties for spending hundreds of millions of shillings on functions over which they lack jurisdiction.
Other counties affected by the erroneous reports generated from the Integrated Financial and Management System (Ifmis) were Laikipia, Kwale, Nyamira, Samburu, Garissa and Lamu.
Some counties had been accused of using a colossal amount of funds to undertake tasks such as co-ordination of State House functions, free primary education, peacekeeping in South Sudan, State Corporations and Kenya-South Sudan advisory services, which have not been devolved and are carried out by the National government.
The matter generated heated debate which saw others call for the resignation of Ouko, saying some of his employees had been compromised.
Speaking on Monday after the launch of Cyber Security Skill Gap report by Serianu, Ouko also challenged Nairobi governor Mike Sonko to provide evidence that some auditors sought a bribe from him in order to write a favourable report for the county.
He said his office takes integrity matter seriously and if indeed some staffs are being compromised as Sonko had claimed, action will be taken against them.