Chairperson Senate County Public Accounts Committee Senator Moses Kajwang' during a session at the Bunge Tower Nairobi on November 4, 2024.
The newly elected Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts Moses Kajwang has warned corrupt governors and county officials that their days are numbered as he intends to deal with them in the next two and a half years.
Mr Kajwang said they would follow up on recommendations made against certain governors found guilty of misusing public resources and punish them in accordance with the law.
Mr Kajwang, who was elected unopposed for the second consecutive time on Thursday, said the committee intends to conduct county visits to ascertain whether public resources so far sent to the counties match what is happening on the ground.
The Homa Bay senator noted that for the past two years, the committee has been engaging governors in the boardroom and said this fourth session of parliament will see a complete departure from that tradition.
"It is time to get out of the committee rooms and go into the districts. We want to see the projects that have been funded over the last two and a half years. We are coming for you, both the corrupt governors and the county officials," said Mr Kajwang'.
Mr Kajwang' dismissed recent opinion polls on the governors, describing them as boardroom decisions that would not affect the committee's decisions to hold the governors accountable.
"We are not interested in these boardroom polls conducted in hotels. This committee will conduct its own scientific polls based on the audit documents it has interacted with," Mr Kajwang' said.
Taita Taveta Senator Johnes Mwaruma, who was elected deputy chairman of the committee, said they wanted to establish whether the money counties received in the past two years went down the drain or into meaningful development.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna a member of PAC urged his colleagues to dismiss latest opinion poll ranking governor according to performance saying they were making decisions on the county chiefs without interacting with the Auditor General's reports for each county.
“This committee going forward will replace Angela Ambitho and Infotrak. I don’t think Ms Ambitho has been to Turkana to see what billions allocated to that county has done,” Mr Sifuna said.
“I know governors don’t want to see senators on the ground. But we cannot continue to be in these rooms, in the next two and half years, we must move out,” Mr Sifuna added.
Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi was also elected unopposed as chairman of the County Public Accounts and Investments Committee (CPAIC). He will be deputised by Migori Senator Eddy Oketch.
Mr Oketch emerged victorious after securing five votes against his closest rival, nominated senator Peris Tobiko, who received two votes.
Mr Osotsi said they have a lot of outstanding reports that he will try to get considered.
"We will work extra hard to achieve our goals. We have a lot of work to do. We have to ensure that investments in our districts benefit the public," said Osotsi.
Other Senate portfolio committees will hold their elections next Monday.
