• Kisumu County Budget and Economic Forum secretary George Abwajo said some governors have formed a habit of snubbing summonses.
•Abwajo spoke in Kisumu days after Governor Anyang Nyong’o failed to appear before the Senate to respond to audit queries
Image: faith matete
A Kisumu budget and economy lobby has urged governors to obey summonses from the Senate to respond to queries raised by the Auditor General.
Kisumu County Budget and Economic Forum secretary George Abwajo said some governors have formed a habit of snubbing summonses.
Abwajo spoke in Kisumu days after Governor Anyang Nyong’o failed to appear before the Senate to respond to audit queries.
"Responding to the queries raised by the Auditor General shows leadership and transparency in running any public administration and I think the governors, not only Nyong'o, should honour the summonses," he said.
Nyong’o was to appear before the County Public Accounts and Investments Committee of the Senate on July 26 but said he had a trip to Morocco. He did not travel abroad.
In his letter to Senate Clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye, Nyong’o said he’d be joining Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa in leading the Kenyan delegation to Rabat to the United Cities and Local Governments offices in Africa.
“The mission that will start on July 26 to July 29 is to enhance preparations towards the ninth edition of the Africities Summit to be held in Kisumu in April 2022,” the July 19 letter reads.
“I, therefore, request the committee to either allow my county executive committee member for finance and economic planning to represent me at the session or give us a new date to appear,” the governor said.
Kisumu county communications director John Oywa said that the governor was due to travel but the Moroccan embassy advised otherwise, citing the Covid-19 spike in Rabat.
Abwajo said the governor has nothing to hide and should appear before the Senate. He spoke in Kisumu during a forum by Transparency International on budgetary allocations.
Abwajo said that responding to audit queries gives the public a better understanding of how funds were utilised and what could have triggered the queries.
The Auditor queries that Governor Nyong’o was required to clarify include the usage of Sh240 million Covid-19 emergency response fund and overpayments for works at the Moi Stadium, irregular purchase of desktop computers and insurance for motor vehicles amongst others.
Kisumu Senator Fred Outa has accused the governor of running away from accountability.
Outa said Nyong'o did not travel and was spotted with two senior Nyanza leaders at his Nairobi home.
“I have found out that the Morocco that he was committed to travel to and hence couldn’t attend, was at his home with two of our leaders,” the senator said.
The lawmaker alleged the meeting between the governor and the two leaders involved queries arising from a separate expenditure of Sh13 billion World Bank cash.
Outa said the governor has developed a pattern of snubbing Senate summons hence "denying Kisumu people a chance to know how he has used the county’s billions."
"If you look through, the auditor has given an adverse opinion, meaning there are many billions that are unaccounted for. For Nyong’o to dismiss the claims by mere allegations he was travelling yet was trying to put out another fire is unacceptable," the Senator said.
He added, "I want to tell these leaders that they must not appear to protect people who are perceived to have mismanaged taxpayers’ money. The meeting took place at the governor’s residence, yet he told us that he was travelling."
Outa said he has put together a team of accountants and legal professionals to draft a suit against the county boss on the utilisation of public resources.
“This audit report has highlighted grey areas which the governor and his team must appear and explain how the funds were used,” he said.
Outa said it was not the first time Nyong’o had failed to appear before the committee chaired by Migori Senator Ochilo Ayako.