67 Senators and at least 50 Senate staff spent an estimated Kshs32 Million of taxpayers' money in 10 days during the special sessions held in Eldoret, in the last week of September 2018.
Since the Constitution's Article 6 clause (3) allows the house to take services closer to the people, Senate leadership resolved to hold their sessions away from Nairobi for the first time.
The legislators and staff's air tickets, meals, accommodation, and renovation of the Uasin Gishu County Assembly that hosted the sessions drained millions from the taxpayers.
For the elected and nominated Senators, an estimated Ksh1 million was used to pay for their return air tickets while about Ksh300,000 was paid for the Senate staff's air travel.
The Senate, though yet to release official documents detailing the expenditures, is feared to have used at least Ksh8 million to cater for several members from seven counties to participate in public hearing sessions.
There were a total of 10 house committees that carried out public hearing sessions at the Uasin Gishu County Assembly.
An additional Ksh10 million went to facilitate the renovation of the county assembly in preparation for the special sitting whose simulation the Senate intends to continue executing in the near future.
In order to make the entire sessions well publicised, the Senate used at least Ksh4 Million while other costs were incurred on the Senator's visits to neighbouring counties.
The lawmakers in different committees traveled to Trans Nzoia, Nandi, Bungoma and Elgeyo Marakwet Counties where they held public participation sessions.
During the Eldoret stay, they also summoned governors Stanley Kiptis (Baringo), the host Jackson Mandago and West Pokot's John Lonyangapuo. The three were required to respond to audit queries raised by Auditor General Edward Ouko.
Senate clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye told Daily Nation that the expenses were justified, saying the initiative was to save taxpayers' money.
"We achieved all our objectives as we used the same occasion for 10 committees to conduct public hearings which would have cost more had we held them in Nairobi," stated Nyegenye.
