Sakaja and Kihika risk arrest for ignoring Senate summons

Johnson Sakaja and Susan Kihika

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and his Nakuru counterpart Susan Kihika. County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee said they will seek warrants of arrest against the two should they ignore the summonses.

Photo credit: Nation Media Group

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and his Nakuru counterpart Susan Kihika are facing arrest after ignoring summonses by a Senate watchdog committee to answer to audit queries on the use of public funds in their counties.

The County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee said they will seek warrants of arrest against the two should they ignore the summonses.

Governor Sakaja was supposed to appear before the committee led by Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi on May 15 to respond to audit queries on the use of funds by the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company but failed to do so. He said he was out of the country.

Ms Khika was to appear before the committee today over queries relating to use of funds by the Nakuru Water and Sanitation Company but sent a letter excusing herself for the third time.

While delivering his ruling, Mr Osotsi said they have summoned the two county chiefs to appear before them, failure to which they will seek the services of the police to have them honour the summons.

He said they will not allow governors to use traveling outside the country as an excuse to disregard committee invites.

“We direct that the governors be summoned to appear before this committee on a date to be communicated by the Clerk failure to which we will seek for a warrant of arrest.

We will not allow such contempt of our committees to continue,” said Mr Osotsi.

The lawmaker said the two governors will have to produce evidence that they were outside the country at the time.