The Senate has rejected a request by Governors to suspend sittings on the audit queries in various counties following revelations on bizarre spending that include State House functions and peace keeping missions in foreign countries.
County Public Accounts and Investments Committee chairman Senator Moses Kajwang said that any governor who fails to appear before the House without reasonable cause shall attract the consequences spelt out in Section 19 of the Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act.
In a statement, he pointed out that “any party with reservations on county reports by the Auditor General has the opportunity to address these before the Senate or relevant County Assembly.”
“Senate shall carry on with its sittings in accordance with the notice of appearances published in the media and in line with Article 229 (8) of the Constitution of Kenya,” said Kajwang.
He maintained that the Senate committee shall proceed with its recommendations for a special audit of Kiambu County, “and shall discuss with the Auditor General practical means of achieving this within the shortest time frame.”
On Tuesday, the Council of Governors through their chairman Wycliffe Oparanya asked Senate to halt the proceedings after a meeting between the Controller of Budget and officials from the Auditor General ‘s office concluded that Kiambu plus several other counties did not budget, receive or spend monies indicated in audit reports.
A consultative meeting between the three institutions observed that the counties in question did not have the budget items, which included State House functions, South Sudan Peace process and retired Presidents.
Oparanya stated that they resolved to form a multi-stakeholder technical committee, chaired by the Controller of Budget and comprising the CoG, Treasury and Auditor General, who should give a report within 14 days.
