PH
Vihiga Governor, Moses Akaranga is expected to appear before Senate’s Public Accounts and Investment Committee on Wednesday.
Through a letter from office of clerk of the Senate, Jeremiah Nyegenye, the Governor has been summoned after the Committee sought to have a meeting with him.
“The committee invites you to its meeting to be held on Wednesday June 22, Parliament buildings from 11am to 2:30pm. You may be accompanied by such other officer(s) as may consider necessary to assist you in responding to the queries in the report,” a section of the letter reads.
Senator George Khaniri presented a petition by over 1,000 residents to the Senate in February to have County officers probed over debts that were in excess of KES 2 billion.
This was after report of the ad hoc committee formed by the County assembly in December last year unearthed a series of anomalies leading to accumulation of debts.
The committee had recommended key officers to be suspended and Governor Akaranga to appear before Senate to answer to questions leading to accumulation of debts by the County due to over-commitment by department of Transport and Infrastructure that was led by chief officer Tom Kisia.
However, the report was defeated on the floor of the house during voting to adopt it earlier in January.
Khaniri maintained that he is not fighting anybody in the County but merely playing his watchdog role by asking questions which must be answered.
“I am not fighting anybody. We cannot allow corruption in the national government to spill over the County governments. The petition to the Senate is not meant to impeach anyone. It is only meant for accountability purposes,” he noted.
He observed that despite the report having been voted out by the County assembly, documentary evidence provided showed massive irregularities in procurement and award of tenders.
