A decision by Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo to skip a Senate appearance over questions surrounding county spending has prompted lawmakers to order Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to ensure he is brought before the House later this month.
The Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) issued the directive on Thursday after the governor failed to appear for a hearing examining findings contained in the Auditor-General's reports on the management of Isiolo County's finances.
The committee resolved that Guyo must now appear before senators on Monday, July 20, to respond to the audit issues after missing the scheduled session.
Committee chair Moses Kajwang' said the Senate had no option but to invoke the powers granted to Parliament under the Constitution to compel attendance by witnesses who fail to honour summonses.
He cited Article 125 of the Constitution together with the Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act, saying both give parliamentary committees authority to require individuals to appear and, where necessary, seek the assistance of the police.
“We need the governor of Isiolo here not as a personal favour or consideration, but out of the responsibility he owes as the chief executive of that entity,” Kajwang said.
“We hereby direct the Inspector General of Police to produce the governor of Isiolo to the Senate on Monday, July 20, at 2:00 pm. When he comes here, we expect him to go through the report of the auditor general and tell the country how the billions of shillings sent to Isiolo have been used.”
Kajwang disclosed that committee members had initially expected the governor to arrive later during the proceedings before learning that he would not attend at all.
He also criticised the governor's request to defer the meeting, saying the letter reached the committee at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, despite the hearing having been fixed for Thursday morning at 10:00 am.
According to Kajwang, the committee is working within strict timelines as it seeks to complete consideration of the 2024/2025 audit reports before moving to the next financial year's review.
“We are short of time; we have to close 2024/2025 to give way for the 2025/2026 audit. We do not have the luxury of writing letters and pleading with the governor to appear,” Kajwang said.
Kajwang further dismissed claims that the committee was pursuing political interests, saying the summons was only meant to ensure the county leadership accounts for the use of public money.
“There is no personal vendetta or political witch-hunt. The only reason we want him here is accountability,” Kajwang said.
The committee is now awaiting Guyo's appearance on July 20, when senators expect him to address the concerns raised by the Auditor-General and explain how funds allocated to Isiolo County were utilised.