Senators urged go slow on governors over audit

West Pokot, Kenya: West Pokot leaders have challenged senators to go slow over their audit queries on governors, arguing that devolved governments need ample time to serve the public.

Governor Simon Kachapin accused senators of frustrating devolution by engaging the county chiefs on supremacy battles, in almost every emerging issue.

"County governments ought to be given a better working environment to carry out development projects," said Kachapin.

He said the governors have not refused to be accountable on how they use county funds, but feel that some senators are out to undermine their authority.

"The Senate is working in a way that shows there is rivalry between them and the governors. This has put governors in an awkward situation," said Kachapin.

The county chief alleged that some senators have shown direct hatred to governors from their public utterances, an indication that the Senate is no longer a protector of devolution.

AUDIT QUERIES

"There are audit queries everywhere, including the national government. I don't know why Senators are so obsessed with governors," he said.

The Governor wondered how a section of senators rated some governors as failures, when they had successfully served different governments as professionals for years.

He defended Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana who was recently involved in a public confrontation after his attempt to storm the county assembly was thwarted.

Kachapin's remarks comes after senators resolved to amend laws to prevent the numerous court injunctions that governors have sought whenever they are summoned to account for their expenditures.

RECENT CHAOS

Kapenguria MP Samuel Moroto who supported the governors said devolution was only one year old, and asked senators to give governors time to work.

He alleged that some senators were behind the recent chaos in Migori and Makueni.

Moroto observed that the enactment of the intended law by the Senate will be an exercise in futility, since the laws contravene the Constitution.

"They have begun to behave like members of county assemblies. They ask for something and when denied, they threaten with impeachment," claimed Moroto.

The leaders were speaking yesterday at Siyoi Secondary School in Kapenguria Constituency during a fund-raiser in aid of infrastructure development.