The growing use of preventive audits has not only saved public funds but also continues to translate into tangible improvements in people’s lives, Auditor General Alexis Kamuhire has said. He said this on Wednesday, May 6, as he presented the latest report on public finance management to Parliament. ALSO READ: ‘Preventive audits’ could save billions of Rwandan francs lost in public projects Kamuhire highlighted significant progress in how government resources are managed, alongside increasing effectiveness of early audit interventions. In the financial year ending June 30, 2025, the Office of the Auditor General reviewed 96 per cent of all public expenditure, reflecting strong oversight coverage across government institutions. Stronger financial discipline The report shows steady improvement in financial accountability. It indicated that 97 per cent of audited public entities received clean audit opinions, up from 94 per cent in the previous year. Performance in value-for-money audits also improved significantly, with 79 per cent of entities achieving clean audits, compared to 66 per cent in 2023/2024—an increase of 13 percentage points, reflecting stronger efficiency in public spending. At the same time, unlawful expenditure dropped sharply to Rwf600 million, down from Rwf2 billion the previous year, representing a significant reduction in irregular spending. Kamuhire attributed these gains to strengthened collaboration between oversight institutions, including Parliament and its Public Accounts Committee (PAC), and other accountability bodies. Preventive audit gains momentum A key highlight of the report is the growing impact of preventive audits—a proactive approach that reviews contracts before or during implementation to detect risks early. In 2025 alone, preventive audits helped recover Rwf1.47 billion, compared to Rwf9.3 billion recovered the previous year, showing sustained high-impact results in preventing financial loss. This means that over the two-year period, preventive audit interventions have safeguarded public resources worth more than Rwf10.7 billion, reinforcing the effectiveness of early detection mechanisms. The recovered funds included avoided payments for unnecessary work, reversed overpayments, and expenditures deemed unjustified. Institutions involved in these recoveries include the Rwanda Housing Authority, Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC), Kirehe and Ruhango districts, the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK), and a project under the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC). ALSO READ: Auditor General Kamuhire on recovery of wasted funds, preventing losses From financial savings to real-life impact Beyond financial recovery, preventive audits are increasingly shaping better outcomes for citizens. One notable example is in Kirehe District, where 80 families had their homes damaged during blasting works for the Rusumo Hydropower Dam project, Kamuhire stated. Audit findings revealed that the initial repair plan was not sustainable. As a result, the Office of the Auditor General advised authorities to construct durable homes instead. “The revised intervention led to the construction of new homes, and affected families began moving in during May 2025,” he said. This case demonstrates how preventive audits are shifting from purely financial oversight to direct improvements in service delivery and living conditions. A shift toward proactive governance Kamuhire underscored that auditing is no longer just about identifying irregularities but about stopping losses before they occur and ensuring public funds deliver real value. By combining improved financial discipline, such as a three-fold reduction in unlawful spending and a rise to 97 per cent clean audit performance, with citizen-focused outcomes, the country’s audit system is increasingly becoming proactive, impact-driven, and development-oriented.
