Four governors from the North Eastern region have been accused by the Senate of using religion to avoid being grilled.
They separately wrote to the Senate's County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) seeking to postpone the sittings, due to religious duties that come with the Holy Month of Ramadhan.
The Governors; Mohamed Adan Khalif (Mandera), Mohamud Ali (Marsabit), Nathif Jama (Garissa)and Ahmed Abdullahi (Wajir) are to face the Senate to face queries over the billions of taxpayers’ funds allocated to their counties.
This is in relation to the consideration of the Auditor General’s reports for the Financial Year 2019-20.
In their letters to the Senate, the four-county bosses said they are out of the country in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for the annual pilgrimage.
The committee had accepted their request, however, Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka told the senators that he had spotted the four county bosses at a press conference convened by the Council of Governors (COG) on Monday despite their claims.
“They are claiming to be out of the country but in actual fact, they are around,” he said.
In his letter, Wajir governor stated that his date of return was April 23 while his counterpart from Mandera said he would return on April 27, 2023.
Garissa Governor was set to appear before the committee on Tuesday, April 25 and his counterpart from Wajir was meant to meet the committee this Thursday, April 27, 2023.
Marsabit Governor Ali will appear next week on Tuesday, May 2, while Mandera Governor will appear on May 4, 2023.
As a result, the committee's chair Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang ordered the Governors to appear as scheduled, failure to which he will be forced to invoke the Powers and Privileges Act and institute sanctions against the governors should they fail to appear before the committee.
The Act highlights that any person who violates the rules of parliament or any of its committees is liable to a fine not exceeding Sh500,000.
Also, Senator Kajwang noted that the governors will have to show evidence of foreign travel if they have to avoid sanctions as provided for under the Act.
