In a bid to enhance transparency and fiscal discipline within continental governance, Kenyan lawmaker and member of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), Hon. Sen. Dr. Danson Mungatana, has called for a fundamental reform in how the African Union (AU) handles policy oversight and public funds.
Speaking as a member of PAP’s Permanent Committee on Monetary and Financial Affairs, Dr. Mungatana raised sharp concerns over the current gap in parliamentary scrutiny regarding the broader African Union budget and executive operations.
Dr. Mungatana pointed out critical structural shortcomings in the current accountability framework of the continent’s governing bodies. Currently, Commissioners of the African Union Commission (AUC) who serve as the continental equivalent of Cabinet Ministers do not appear before PAP’s Permanent Committees to defend policies, answer questions, or account for fund utilization.
Furthermore, the existing accountability mechanism for the main AU budget and its various organs relies primarily on internal and external auditors rather than legislative oversight by elected representatives of the African people.
He highlighted that the absence of institutionalized parliamentary checks and balances may be contributing to why several AU Member States default on or delay their assessed financial contributions.
“As it stands now, the Commissioners of African Union Commission… do not appear before Permanent Committees to defend policies, answer questions, or account for use of funds. The accountability mechanism for the main Africa Union budget is made of internal and at most, external auditors.” Dr. Danson Mungatana said.
To fix this deficit, Dr. Mungatana confirmed he is pushing for the oversight motion to gain traction during full Assembly debates. The goal is to secure a binding resolution to be transmitted directly to the AU Executive for implementation.
During the same sitting, the Permanent Committee on Monetary and Financial Affairs reviewed and successfully approved the supplementary budget presented for the Pan-African Parliament, introducing key amendments prior to passage.
Concluding his address with a call to unity and good governance, Dr. Mungatana reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening continental institutions for the benefit of all citizens.
