Governors reluctant to answer audit queries illegal, say senators

Senators have dismissed a decision by governors to ignore summons to appear before committees and answer audit queries.

Governors on Tuesday vowed to ignore summons to appear before the Senate, blaming the House for “using directives as a political tool against us”.
Council of Governors chairman Peter Munya said it was disrespectful for senators to summon county bosses.

However, Senate Finance Committee chairman Billow Kerrow and Kakamega Senator Bonni Khalwale accused the governors of hoodwinking the public and avoiding accountability.

“Governors cannot be a law unto themselves. They should respect the role of senators in oversight over county expenditure,” Mr Kerrow told the Nation on Wednesday.

“The governors are singing an old and tired song. It cannot stand the test of accountability,” Dr Khalwale said.

The sentiments bring to fore the unending rows between county bosses and senators. They have been at loggerheads over the running of devolved governments.

(READ : Governors warned against ignoring Senate summons)

It also comes just days after Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero and Senator Mike Sonko fought when the former appeared before the County Public Accounts and Investments Committee.

The council chairman said the Senate could only exercise oversight powers in circumstances where county assemblies had failed.

SENATORS BOYCOTTED CONFERENCE

“Recent depiction of governors by the Senate as incompetent, inept and corrupt is unacceptable. The council takes great exception to the disrespectful and demeaning treatment of governors,” he told the Nation.

“We even questioned their power to summon us in a court of law and the court pronounced itself on this matter. We are therefore suspending appearances to the Senate until the issues are addressed.”

Senators boycotted the fourth devolution conference held in Meru in April.

Senate Majority Leader Kithure Kindiki and his Minority counterpart Moses Wetang’ula accused governors of sidelining them and failing to include them in the programme.

Prof Kindiki and Mr Wetang’ula added that senators only received last-minute invitations to events organised by governors.

A number of senators, including Dr Khalwale, Mr Kiraitu Murungi (Meru), Prof Anyang Nyong’o (Kisumu) and Mr Hassan Omar (Mombasa) have expressed interest in governors position in 2017.

They accuse the incumbents of abetting nepotism and corruption and failing to fulfil devolution as stipulated by the Constitution.