You will face consequences for ignoring senate summons, Khalwale tells Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya

Senate Public Accounts Committee Chairman Bonny Khalwale(C) flanked by his Committee members Omar Hassan(L) and Martha Wangare addresses the media after Kakamega Governor Wickliffe Oparanya failed to honour summons issued to him over audit query. [PHOTO:BONIFACE OKENDO/STANDARD]

Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya will face consequences for failing to subject himself to accountability, senator Boni Khalwale has said.

The senator has accused Oparanya for defying summons by the senate's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to appear before the committee to shed light on audit queries raised by the Auditor General in the county expenditure in the financial year 2013/2014.

He blamed the governor for playing hide and seek not to face the Khalwale led committee to offer explanation on some audit queries raised.

The committee has already written to Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) to arrest and frog march the governor to face the senators.

"He can run away but he cannot hide from the truth and accountability on public funds. Under Article 125 of the Constitution on the Powers and Privileges Act, Oparanya will definitely face the consequences for refusal to subject himself to accountability," said Khalwale.

But Oparanya dismissed Khalwale saying he is ready to face the committee to give his side of the story on the audit queries.

He defended himself saying the audit report is incomplete and accounting officers in various departments should first answer audit queries (if any) to the county assembly before he is asked to face the senate.

"I am ready to face the committee if there is need to do so. The report has not been tabled in the county assembly as required. The accounting officers have not appeared before the assembly's committee to answer any queries therefore the process is incomplete to warrant me face the committee," said Oparanya.

He blamed Khalwale of witch-hunt saying he should stop politics of hunting the governor whom they have not been in good books since 2013 elections.

He accused the senator of pushing for his (Oparanya) arrest and be compelled to appear before the committee.

"That is witch-hunt and Khalwale is behind all these plans of hunting governors to appear before the committee," he said.

Khalwale asked Oparanya not to live in presumptions that the report is incomplete and therefore fail to appear before the senate.

"The 2013/2014 financial year report is complete. It has been tabled in the senate and many governors including Isiolo and Makueni governors appeared before the senate committee so Oparanya should stop lying to himself," said Khalwale.

He said all governors are expected to appear before the committee and Oparanya is not 'special' to be exempted.

"This is not the first time Oparanya is defying summons to appear before the senate. In the first place he moved to High Court to block the summons, he lost the case then moved to the Court of Appeal where again he lost the case," he said.

He said Oparanya is under obligation to appear before the committee or face the rule of law because he is not above the law.

"In several occasions he has failed to appear before the committee, at one point he said he is out of the country, the second time he said he was admitted in hospital and the third time he gave no reasons. We have petitioned the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) to assist us get him to honor the summons," he said.

He added, "DPP has two options to arrest him and force him to appear before the senate or charge him with contempt."

Supporting the move to compel Oparanya to face the committee, Mahiakalo MCA Cleophas Malala asked Oparanya to honor the summons and present himself before the committee.

He said the county assembly has been reluctant to fight graft in the county and it is only the senate which will save the county from losing money through corruption.

"The County Assembly has not been able to hold the governor accountable because members are compromised thus sabotage attempts to address graft in the county. It is not supremacy battle because Oparanya should be accountable. He is not the first one to appear before the committee," said Malala.