The Senate Committee on Public Accounts (PAC) has given Inspector General of Police Hilary Mutyambai 14 days to arrest and produce Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua before it on Tuesday, October 22.
The directive by PAC, chaired by Homabay Senator Moses Kajwang', came after Mutua failed to appear twice before the committee, even after a warrant of arrest was issued against the governor as ordered by the parliamentarians.
Mutua defied three summons by the senators prompting PAC Chairman Moses Kajwang to issue the Tuesday, October 8, orders requiring Mutyambai to arrest and present the governor to answer audit queries.
Failure of IG Mutaymbai to arrest and present the governor before the accounts committee will see the police boss face criminal charges.
"If the IG fails to arrest the governor within four days, we will direct the DPP to launch criminal investigations against the two of them in line with the law, as affirmed by the High Court in a similar case against Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya," Kajwang stated.
The committee invited the county chief to appear before it in September but Mutua skipped the meeting and instead, sent a letter claiming that Senator Boniface Kabaka had mobilised goons to paint him corrupt.
Kajwang refuted claims that the presence of the Machakos senator would be malicious, explaining that it was his duty and right to be part of the committee.
"The governor of Machakos must be ready to answer questions from any senator who has been validly elected or nominated to this house," declared Kajwang'.
Kajwang' termed the failure of Governor Mutua to appear before the committee as contempt of Parliament.
In the 11th Parliament, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko and Kwale's Salim Mvurya failed to appear before the accounting committee. They were slapped with Ksh 500,000 and Ksh 200,000 fines respectively.
To secure compliance, the committee decided to act differently on Mutua by ordering his arrest as authorized in Section 19(3) of the Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act.
