Members of Parliament on Tuesday sent away a team from Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) who had appeared before the Public Accounts Committee to respond to audit queries.
The team led by deputy CEO Abdi Mohamud had hoped to represent the agency’s boss Twalib Mbarak, who is out of the country on an official trip.
“It is not acceptable. The Standing Orders are clear that we can only listen to the accounting officer and that person is the CEO,” committee chair John Mbadi said.
Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera said the CEO travelled abroad knowing that he was scheduled to appear before the committee.
“I do not take this lightly. EACC is rating this committee very lowly,” he stated.
Nabwera added that it is widely known that only accounting officers appear before PAC.
“What was the point of them coming knowing very well we could not listen to them,” he posed.
Gatundu South MP Gabriel Kagombe regretted that EACC “wasted the committee’s morning.”
“You are supposed to be working with us in pushing for accountability,” he said.
Mohamud defended his team saying they had written to the committee the CEO would be away up to next week.
He said the committee should have communicated back and made it clear that only the CEO would appear before the committee.
“If you feel the CEO must appear in person, that can only happen after he returns,” he added.
Mbadi maintained that only the CEO could appear before the committee, accompanied by any official he so wishes.
