NEW: Parliament launches drive to strengthen budget oversight

Ghana’s Parliament Secures £800,000 for Financial Oversight Training

In a significant move to deepen legislative scrutiny of national finances, the Parliament of Ghana has launched an 18-month capacity-building program funded by a £800,000 package from the World Bank. The initiative, titled Building the Capacity of Parliamentarians for Economic and Financial Governance, was officially launched on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. The program is being rolled out in collaboration with the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

According to a statement from the Parliamentary Service, the initiative is part of a strategic push to equip Members of Parliament—especially new entrants—with the technical expertise to scrutinize economic policies, public expenditures, and fiscal decisions with greater rigor and independence. Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin described the initiative as a timely intervention aimed at deepening parliamentary scrutiny over national finances, noting that the initiative will strengthen parliamentary oversight.

Kenya’s Public Investments Committee Launches Audit Probe

Kenya’s public universities, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, and state education agencies are facing intensified parliamentary scrutiny. The National Assembly’s Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education (PIC-G&E) has begun examining Auditor-General’s reports covering the 2018/19 to 2024/25 financial years. Legislators have stressed that increased funding for these institutions must go hand in hand with stronger financial discipline, transparency, and governance.

The committee warned that accounting officers who fail to account for public resources will be held personally responsible for the misuse of public funds. This move signals Parliament’s renewed determination to strengthen financial accountability and restore integrity in the management of public institutions.

Cameroon’s Ministry of Finance Establishes Centre of Excellence

The centre was officially inaugurated on Friday, 27 February in Yaounde by Finance Minister Louis Paul Motaze. Located in the Fouda neighbourhood, the centre begins with 170 auditors drawn from the DGB and other units involved in the state’s budget management programme.

Minister Motaze stated that the initiative comes amid heightened scrutiny of public finance management by oversight institutions and parliament, alongside growing demands for transparency and accountability. Our action now takes place in an environment characterised by increased demand for transparency and accountability, the minister said. He added that the Audit Bench and parliamentarians are exercising closer control over the regularity and performance of public spending, and that budget information submitted to oversight bodies must meet standards beyond reproach. The Centre of Excellence operates as a work-study institution providing continuous professional training.

Uganda Expands Public Budget Engagement

Uganda launched its National Budget Month for the 2026/27 financial year, rolling out expanded public engagement and accessibility tools. Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury Ramathan Ggoobi said the campaign was designed to ensure wider understanding of the national budget and improve citizen participation in monitoring government expenditure. Preparation for the 2026/27 budget began in July 2025 and involved nationwide consultations with the President, Cabinet, Parliament, civil society, local governments, development partners, academia, the private sector and citizens.

The national budget reflects our shared goals for better services, economic growth, accountability, but also a better future for all our citizens, Ggoobi said. As part of the engagement strategy, the Ministry of Finance will produce a Citizens Guide to the Budget, alongside Braille versions for the visually impaired.

Strategic Reform in Namibia

In Namibia, the National Assembly has conducted an introspection through a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis as part of its efforts to craft a five-year roadmap. The findings are contained in the Assembly’s strategic plan for 2023 to 2027, which was unveiled by NA Speaker Peter Katjavivi. The analysis identified an absent parliamentary service commission, lack of robust oversight, no communication strategy, limited public involvement, and a poor public image as chief shortcomings.

During the launch, Speaker Katjavivi noted that core functions include ensuring effective, efficient and affordable service delivery while remaining a watchdog that ensures public funds are spent prudently. Service delivery was always at the heart of the [National Assembly’s] mandate, he noted, emphasizing the need to meet the needs of the citizenry in their hour of need.