Governors retreat to Coast as row with Senate rages

Council of Governors Chairman Isaac Ruto addresses the press at KARI, Nairobi where governors met agricultural officials on Tuesday. [PHOTO: JENIPHER WACHIE/STANDARD]

By ROSELYNE OBALA

Mombasa, Kenya: Governors have retreated to Mombasa to discuss teething problems affecting devolution even as Parliament insists they must be held accountable on county financial matters.

The two-day meeting, which kicks off today at Flamingo Hotel, comes amid sustained onslaught from legislators over alleged misuse of public resources and flouting of procurement laws.

Bungoma Governor Ken Lusaka and his Wajir counterpart Ahmed Abdullahi Mohhamed confirmed the meeting, saying it is meant to take stock of the latest developments and chart the way forward.

Mr Lusaka and Mr Mohammed are among nine governors summoned by the Senate Finance Committee to shade light on the financial management issues touching on their counties. The protracted war between the governors and senators has soared this week following the impeachment of Embu Governor Martin Wambora and the summons issued by the Billow Kerrow led committee, which has seen the matter take a legal twist.

The County Chief Executive Officers’s relationship with the legislators has been worsened by their decision seek advisory over the matter at the Supreme Court and the High Court injunction temporarily suspending the summons.

“We are going to discuss the events that have unfolded over the past one week,” said Mohammed. He continued, “As governors, we are going to engage each other and come up with resolutions on how best to handle the present issues as we await the court’s directive.”

He, however, maintained they will not be intimidated and won’t give in to Senate’s strategies to comply with their summons. Mohammed, who is also the Governors Council Finance Committee, said they are going to deliberate on pertinent issues affecting counties.

“We should engage in a more sober manner with the Senate. Summoning governors and their respective county executive of Finance is sending a bad message to the public that we misused funds and this is not the case,” he said.

Abuse of office

He continued, “Reports by controller of budget and auditor general are public documents and therefore we have nothing to hide.”

Even as the governors meet to strategise on the way forward, the two Houses of Parliament are scheduled to hold a joint Kamukunji (informal meeting) to discuss the conduct of governors and the Judiciary. Igembe South MP Mithika Linturi has also written a letter to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate alleged abuse of office and mis-appropriation of funds at the counties.

Senators have resolved to device means to ensure proper governance and accountability at the county level is realised. Transitional Authority (TA), the body mandated to ensure seamless transition to County governments has also come out strongly to defend its interim officials deployed to counties.

Governors whose counties the Senate has raised concerns on their financial management have blamed the TA officials of the blunders highlighted by the Controller of Budgets Agnes Odhiambo and Auditor General Edward Ouko.

TA chairman Kinuthia Wamwangi yesterday affirmed that the staff seconded to counties had strict instructions, to be answerable to the governors.