Leaders say Senate has duty to oversee counties

By Job Weru

Nyeri, Kenya: A senator and three MPs have vowed to push for accountability among governors.

The leaders warned governors of dire consequences if they fail to honour summonses from Senate.

Senate Majority Leader Kithure Kindiki said the Upper House would not sit and watch governors plunder public funds.

Speaking at a fundraiser at AIPCA Muthuaini Church in Nyeri, Kithure observed that the Senate was constitutionally empowered to play an oversight role over counties.

“We (Senate) are responsible for mobilising resources for the counties, and we also own the powers to monitor usage of the same funds. Let them know that we shall not relent on this war,” Kithure said.

He warned that governors who have been summoned before the Senate’s Finance Committee must appear before it, or face the law.

Kindiki, who was accompanied by MPs Kanini Kega (Kieni), Kimani Ichung’wa (Kikuyu) and Dennis Kariuki (Dagoreti South) accused the governors of intimidating the public through use of the title ‘His Excellency’ and flying State flags, saying the Senate will ensure they shed the flag through a Bill he sponsored.

Kega, who was the host, called for prosecution of governors who are found guilty of misuse of public funds. He called on the governors to travel to Nigeria and learn more about the country’s devolution history, noting that more than half of the country’s premier governors were jailed due to misuse of public funds.

“We want to hear that by the end of this, several governors have been charged and jailed for plundering public funds,” said Kega.

Ichungw’a regretted that by devolving resources, the system led to devolution of corruption and warned public to monitor use of funds.

Kariuki defended the Senate over its actions to summon governors alleged to have misused public funds.