NAIROBI, Kenya, June 4 – Parliament’s Budget and Appropriations Committee has directed the Auditor-General to conduct a special audit of the Public Service Internship Programme (PSIP) amid concerns over delayed stipend payments, payroll inconsistencies and weaknesses in financial management.
The committee issued the directive in its report on the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the 2026/27 financial year, saying the audit should examine the programme’s financial and payroll records and address challenges that have persisted since its inception.
According to the committee, the Auditor-General is expected to complete the audit and submit a report to Parliament by December 30 for scrutiny and consideration.
Lawmakers noted that interns under the programme have for years complained about delays in receiving stipends, while concerns have also been raised over accountability and management of funds allocated to the initiative.
The committee further directed that funds appropriated for the programme should be used strictly for the payment of interns’ stipends and not diverted to other operational expenses.
The Public Service Internship Programme, managed by the Public Service Commission (PSC), offers recent university and college graduates a 12-month non-renewable placement within government institutions to help them gain practical work experience.
According to the PSC, more than 37,500 graduates have benefited from the programme since its launch in 2019, with an additional 7,000 interns expected to join this year.
The audit directive comes as the government plans to spend Sh4.82 trillion in the 2026/27 financial year. Of this amount, recurrent expenditure, including salaries, operations and government services, will account for the largest share at Sh2.05 trillion.
The government expects to finance the budget through Sh2.99 trillion in taxes and other revenues, Sh644 billion from appropriation-in-aid, and Sh43 billion in grants, while the remaining Sh1.11 trillion will be sourced through domestic and external borrowing.
