Senators defend tough audit questions, cite governors’ conduct and public interest

thenamlola(at)gmail.com

Senators have defended the hard-hitting questions directed at governors during audit hearings, saying the scrutiny is justified by persistent cases of poor preparation, questionable spending, and resistance to accountability by some county governments.

Speaking during a sitting of the Senate Public Accounts Committee, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna said governors often embarrass themselves through their own actions rather than through the oversight role exercised by Parliament.

Mr Mr Sifuna cited an incident where a governor appeared before the committee with official financial documents but declined to read from them when asked, claiming he had forgotten his reading glasses at home.

“When the chair asked him to read from the very documents he had submitted, he said he could not see because he had left his glasses at home,” Mr Mr Sifuna said. “That same governor later went to the media to accuse this committee of extortion.”

He said such behaviour underscores the need for robust oversight, noting that senators rely on documents prepared and submitted by county governments themselves, including reports sent to the Auditor-General.

“When governors run away from their own documents, what do they expect us to do?” Mr Sifuna asked, adding that appearing before the Senate is a constitutional obligation, not a favour.

Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei echoed the sentiments, saying accountability cannot be separated from devolution and that all governors must submit themselves to parliamentary oversight.

“The way we fight for resources to go to counties is the same way we demand accountability,” Mr Cherargei said. “Appearing before the Senate is not a privilege, it is a constitutional obligation.”

Mr Cherargei dismissed claims by some governors and the Council of Governors (CoG) that Senate committees are hostile or politically motivated, describing the CoG as a forum that cannot dictate how Parliament conducts its work.

“The Senate is not an extension of the Council of Governors,” he said, adding that attempts to intimidate or undermine Senate committees would not succeed.

The senators cited several cases where county governments admitted under oath or through official records to questionable expenditure, including spending millions of shillings on ceremonial events, entertainment, and non-essential activities, even in regions facing drought and service delivery challenges.

Mr Cherargei said such spending decisions are made by governors themselves and then brought before the Senate for scrutiny.

“When a county spends millions on things like celebrations while people lack water or food, those are the questions we will ask,” he said. “We are not the ones who made those decisions.”

Both senators warned that efforts to boycott Senate proceedings or to call for the disbandment of the Public Accounts Committee would not shield governors from accountability, noting that all 67 senators have a collective duty to safeguard public funds.

“Every senator took an oath,” Mr Cherargei said.

“Any governor who appears before us must account for how public money was used.”

The senators urged governors to focus on transparency and service delivery rather than confrontation, insisting that tough audit hearings are essential to protecting devolution and restoring public confidence in county governments.

“Accountability is not harassment,” Mr Sifuna said. “It is the foundation of public trust.”