• Committee chair Ayacko described the skipping of the sitting by his governor as an act of impunity and gross insubordination.
• Ayacko said the governor had sent a casual text to a senate committee member saying he would not avail himself due to 'unavoidable reasons'.
Migori Governor Okoth Obado was a no show at the Senate's Public Accounts Committee sitting at the Kisii County Assembly on Thursday.
No tangible reason was sent by his administration forcing the committee which was awaiting him to reschedule a second appearance on June 4.
The governor was expected to arrive for grilling at 10 in the morning but by 11.30 am, Obado had not shown up at the sitting.
Later the committee chair Migori Senator Achillo Ayacko said the governor had sent a casual text to a senate committee member saying he would not avail himself due to 'avoidable reasons' incensing the committee sitting in Kisii even more.
Ayacko described the skipping of the sitting by his governor as an act of impunity and gross insubordination.
"While we may at this point not wish to preempt on why he may have skipped, we wish to give fresh summons that he and his executives appear, without failure before this committee on June 4," he ordered.
"The committee would opt to use powers invested before it to ask the police to pick him up. He has to chose to voluntarily come with his executives or be escorted by the police," warned Ayacko.
The committee chair described it as a grave offence for a governor to fail to honour a summon by a parliamentary committee.
The committee observed that the Governor had further failed to submit the requisite documents to the committee and to the auditors as asked of his administration.
Obado is required to answer to a string of audit queries touching on unreconciled bank balances of Sh1.3 billion from his administration.
He is further required to explain a slew of irregular payments of legal fees amounting to Sh1.5 billion.
The county is also in the eye of a storm over unexplained acquisition of assets of Sh1.7 billion.
In the auditor report 2018/2019 financial report, the Obado administration is said to irregularly transfer more than Sh60 million as scholarship and other educational benefits amounting to Sh59 million.
The governor is said to have failed to provide supportive documents in regards to various bursary allocations to auditors.
Ayacko ordered that the governor appears on June 4 well prepared with the documents.
"He should be ready to give plausible explanations regarding the absence of these documents that were asked of him," said the committee chair.
The committee members, said Ayacko, could barely understand why the governor failed to capitalize on the proximity of the sitting venue in Kisii to come and explain himself.
"Had he to come he could have saved the people of Migori some cash," he said.
Bomet Senator Christopher Langat said the governor must shoulder the responsibility for the issues of unaccountability regarding the funds.
"Even before court, the issue of accountability is crucial. I ask the committee chair to use him as example so that we don't have such similar incidents ahead," he said.