Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko at his Mua home in Machakos County on September 9, 2018. [John Muia, Standard]

The Senate has slapped Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko with a Sh500,000 fine for defying summons to respond to audit queries.

Monday’s failure by the county boss to appear before the Senate County Public Accounts and Investments (CPAIC) was the third in a row.

The committee chaired by Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang has given Sonko until Monday next week to pay up the fine or be arrested.

The senators also issued fresh summons to Sonko to appear before it on December 3 to respond to queries arising from the 2014-2015 fiscal year.

The committee said it would not hesitate to issue warrant of arrest to have the county boss produced before it for grilling.

“We therefore, in line with the summons, resolve that Governor Mike Sonko has snubbed our summons and with this, he shall be required to pay a fine of Sh500 000 to the clerk of the Senate,” said Kajwang.

But Sonko last evening protested the fine, saying he was scheduled to appear before the committee on November 19 and 20, and not on Monday.

In a letter to Senate Clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye, Sonko, through Deputy County Secretary Leboo Ole Morintat, wants clarification over the dates.

"His excellency the governor is scheduled to appear before the committee on the November 19 and 20 and not October 29 and 30. The office of the Auditor General had also confirmed the above dates via the letter dated October 24," said Morintat.

Kajwang expressed the committee’s frustrations over Sonko’s failure to even inform the committee of his unavailability.

The committee said the fine will not be paid by the county government but from the governor’s own money.

Sonko was first invited to appear before the committee on July 4 and invited again on August 6, when he again subbed, but sent his county executive officer in charge of finance, Charles Kerich.

CEC Kerich was, however, turned away by the committee over what they termed as lack of preparedness by the county minister to respond to the queries.

Sonko is the second governor to be fined by the committee after Kwale's Salim Mvurya.