Governors should appear before Senate, insist Kithure Kindiki and Kipchumba Murkomen

Two Jubilee senators have reiterated that governors should account for billions of funds allocated to the counties warning them against failing to honour summons to appear before the Senate to answer audit queries.

The senators Kithure Kindiki (Tharaka Nithi) and Kipchumba Murkomen (Elgeyo Marakwet) said governors have no option but to follow the law by answering to the senate and not running away to shield themselves in courts.

"Accountability is a must to all public officers and when the governors are asked to appear before the senate, this should not be seen as a ploy to undermine their roles as the county executives," said Kindiki who is the Senate majority leader.

He said the senate would not be cowed to summon governors because it was their constitutional mandate to do so despite facing opposition.

"We shall not negotiate accountability with governors because service delivery should be a priority and funds given to the counties should be accounted for," said the Tharaka Nithi senator.

Murkomen on the other hand said the Senate would stick to the precincts of the law in regard to championing for accountability among the county chiefs.

"We have told the governors you can go to court, call for a referendum, hide in the forest, you can fly high or even run to your relatives but ultimately you must appear before the Senate to answer questions of accountability," said Murkomen.

He said it was uncalled for governors to rush to court in an attempt to block the Senate from summoning them.

"Am asking my brothers the governors to learn to appear before the Senate so that they can get used and not fear to appear before the big man in heaven when the time comes to account for our lives because there is neither referendum nor courts," quipped Murkomen who is also the senate committee chairman on devolution.

He said all areas within the counties should feel the effects of development through equitable distribution of resources.

The two who were speaking at Sitotwo AIC in Keiyo South constituency during a funds drive at the same time dismissed the glamour for a constitutional referendum saying it was a political gimmick being used by some individuals to gauge their popularity ahead of the next general elections.

"There is nothing like a referendum because some politicians want to use it to gauge their popularity and seek allies ahead of the next general election," said Murkomen.