A nine-member delegation from the Office of the Auditor-General, Kenya was in Ghana on a week-long study tour of the Ghana Audit Services’ CitizenEye mobile technology application.

The delegation, also made up of three Civil Society Organisations, were in the country to learn and share knowledge on the implementation and operationalization of the CitizenEye, a platform aimed at enabling and empowering citizens to report or speak out against corruption while protecting the whistle blower’s identity.

The iOS/Play store based mobile technology application which also runs on computer devices as well, enables citizens all over Ghana to have the opportunity to report any suspected cases of financial malfeasance, poor service delivery and other identified acts of corruption in public institutions directly to the Auditor-General’s office.

The creation of the CitizenEye app was in collaboration with GIZ. The GIZ supported Ghana Audit Service with their innovation fund which focuses on piloting digital solutions in partner countries.

Welcoming the delegation, Mr. Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu, Auditor-General, recalled the bilateral relationship between Ghana and Kenya spanning for over 50 years inuring to their mutual benefits.

He reiterated the Service’s commitment to support the delegation in any form of assistance they might need.

Mr. Edwin K. Kamar, leader of the delegation, said the Office of the Auditor-General, Kenya, in line with its mandate to audit the publics accounts of Kenya to ensure accountability has established the Citizen Accountability Audit (CAA), which is a proactive approach in auditing where citizens play a key role in public resource management.

He said to collate and process information from the citizens efficiently and effectively, the Office intends to implement a digital portal in partnership with AFROSAI-E and with the support of the development partner, GIZ.

Again, he said, the Office of the Auditor-General Kenya, identified Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) Ghana as one of the successful SAIs to have implemented such a system to learn from and adapt technicalities to implement same in their country.

Mr. Kenneth Natiba, GIZ representative in Kenya assured SAI Ghana and Kenya of his outfit’s continuous support to reach out to citizens in order to serve them better through innovation.

Present to welcome the delegation were Mrs. Roberta Assiamah-Appiah (Deputy Auditor-General in charge of Educational Institutions Department (Southern Zone), Mr. Benjamin George Codjoe (Deputy Auditor-General, Central Government Audits Department) Mr. Lawrence Ndaago Ayagiba (Deputy Auditor-General, Performance and Special Audits Department), Mr. John Godfred Kojo Addison (Deputy Auditor-General, Commercial Audits Department) Mr. Seidu Ahmed Kyei (Deputy Auditor-General, Educational Institutions Department (Northern Zone), Ms. Elizabeth Ephraim (Assistant Auditor-General, in-charge of Administration and Human Resource Department and some staff of the Service.