A big clash looms as senators go for governors’ ignoring summonses and invitations by various committees to account for billions of shillings they oversee and other matters in their administrations.
At least 10 governors have failed to appear before House panels in the last 10 days, triggering anger among senators.
Consequently, the lawmakers are pushing for a tougher punishment, including a Sh2 million fine and arrest of county bosses ignoring their invitations.
“In carrying out our oversight mandates over county governments, committees of the Senate issue invitations to county executives and governors to deliberate and interrogate matters within the mandates of respective committees,” Senate County Public Accounts Committee chairman Samson Cherargei said.
The Nandi senator, who oversees the affairs of the powerful panel in the absence of chairman Moses Kajwang’ (Homa Bay), raised concerns that governors are increasingly skipping the sessions.
“A trend has developed where some governors have consistently failed to honour invitations by committees. In so doing, they request for postponement of meetings without justifiable reasons.”
“The frequent request for postponement of meetings has greatly derailed the effective discharge of committees’ mandates, thus negatively impacting the oversight mandate of the Senate,” he said.
Among the governors who have failed to appear before the panel in the last two weeks are Muthomi Njuki (Tharaka Nithi), Simba Arati (Kisii), Ken Lusaka (Bungoma), Mohammud Ali (Marsabit) and Gideon Mung’aro (Kilifi).
Last week, governors George
Natembeya (Trans Nzoia), Hillary
Barchok (Bomet), Joseph Ole Lenku
(Kajiado), Anne Waiguru (Kirinyaga) and Irungu Kangata (Murang’a)
failed to appear.
The county chiefs were expected
to respond to various audit queries,
including multi-million shillings
unaccounted-for expenditures.
