Reflections on My Journey as an Internal Auditor??

When I sit and reflect on my journey as an Internal Auditor, I can’t help but smile (and laugh a little) at how far I’ve come and of course I can’t help but think, have I made any impact? Fast forward, if you’d told me that one day I’d become an Internal Auditor, I would’ve laughed in your face—politely, of course.

Why? Because like many people, I had my own biases about Internal Auditors. I thought they were super serious fault-finders, perpetually grim, and didn’t interact with others or—heaven forbid—laugh! Then there was me: the ever-smiling, chatty extrovert. How could I possibly fit into the internal audit world?

But life has a funny way of surprising us. After a stretch of joblessness, Kelvin Mwenda sent me an internship opening in internal audit. And because he knew me so well, he followed up relentlessly to ensure I applied. “You’ve been out here for too long,” he said. “Why not give it a shot?” He wasn’t wrong. Reluctantly, I applied, and before I knew it, I was in an interview, then a job.

If you think internal audit is just ticking boxes, think again. I quickly learned that getting information wasn’t as simple as asking—it often felt like pulling teeth, with responses ranging from polite resistance to outright avoidance.

My First Assignment

My very first assignment was on asset verification. Imagine walking from desk to desk, asking people to show you their asset tags "on monitors, computers, laptops, chairs etc". Sounds simple, right? Not quite ??. In some cases, I had no idea where the tags were stuck, and most people didn’t know who I was or what role I played. Of course, I introduced myself, but it was exhausting. Some asked me to go back later; others weren’t okay with being distracted from their tasks.

Thankfully, Philip K. from IT departments went out of their way to guide me on IT assets. Without his help, this would have easily been the hardest first assignment of my career.

Fun and Surprises Along the Way

My colleagues often joked that my cheerful demeanor was my secret weapon. “You go talk to them,” they’d say. “No one can refuse to help you when you smile like that.” I leaned into this perception, using my personability to navigate even the most resistant auditees.

Auditing is serious business, but it doesn’t mean there aren’t moments of humor. I’ll always remember being nicknamed “the smiling auditor” and hearing people say, “She’ll smile at you, but her report won’t be smiling!” Or the time someone told me they’d never let their kids become auditors because we’re “too much of a nuisance.”

These moments remind me of the biases auditors face and the importance of how we handle ourselves. By respecting other departments’ roles, participating in their initiatives like CSR or training, and fostering collaboration, we can change how we’re perceived.

Lessons Learned Along the Way

1. Changing Perceptions: From Fault-Finders to Value-Adders: Internal auditors have the power to change perceptions. Gone are the days when we were celebrated solely for uncovering issues ???♀?. Sure, findings are important, but the real value lies in the solutions we propose and the improvements we drive.
2. Recommendations Should Work in Real Life: Recommendations should be practical and value-adding, not just words on paper. The auditee will implement the action plan, so collaboration is crucial. Discuss findings and recommendations with process owners to get their buy-in. When they see the value a recommendation brings to their operations, implementation becomes much smoother?.
3. Engage Process Owners at Every Stage :Before you put an issue in your report, discuss it with the auditee. You don’t want to present a report and hear, “But we already have that document,” or “You didn’t ask us.” Entry and exit meetings are crucial. Engaging auditees before, during, and after the audit makes all the difference."Engagement = Collaboration = Success ??."
4. Train Staff About the Audit Process: Don’t assume everyone understands the role of an auditor. At my previous workplace, we went a step further by training staff about the audit process before audits began. We invited team members—not just senior managers—to entry and exit meetings. This built understanding and collaboration.Helping others understand the audit process makes collaboration a win-win ??
5. Continuous Monitoring Is Key: No one wants to keep repeating the same audit findings. If findings persist, it means there’s no implementation, and without implementation, there’s no value addition. Monitoring progress ensures accountability and helps organizations see the long-term benefits of audit recommendations.
6. Ask “Why?” Until There’s Nothing Left to Ask My first manager in internal audit, CPA Dancun Omondi, CPA, MEAL, CCP, Data Protection, QMS , taught me the golden rule of auditing: always ask why. Then ask again. And again. Keep asking until you get to the root cause??. Only then can you develop recommendations that truly address the underlying issue.

Internal audit is no longer about fault-finding or intimidation ?.. It’s about fostering trust, driving value, and creating efficiencies. Our role is to empower organizations to thrive ?? by solving problems, not just pointing them out.

To my fellow auditors: Be yourself. It doesn’t matter as long as you remain objective, fair, and focused on the bigger picture. Authenticity goes a long way in building trust and forging collaborative relationships??.

And to anyone thinking about joining internal audit? It’s not as scary as it seems. You might even laugh along the way—especially at yourself when you look back and realize how wrong your assumptions were.