The Senate Public Accounts and Investment Committee (PAIC) has handed over Kakamega County Governor Wycliffe Oparanya's case to the Police and Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) after he failed to appear before the committee to explain audit queries amounting to Sh30 Billion.
The Senate Committee also invited the IEBC, Inspector-General of Police, Auditor-General, the Controller of Budget and the Treasury for a meeting on 24th May to deliberate on the action to be taken against the governor for his actions.
West Pokot Senator John Lonyangapuo who chairs the committee on Wednesday evening stated that the action had been necessitated by Oparanya's consistent refusal to appear before the committee to answer accountability queries raised by the Auditor-General over the last four years.
“Following the refusal by the Governor of Kakamega, we have resolved to call a meeting to deliberate appropriate action to be taken against Mr Oparanya,” Lonyangapuo stated.
Senator Lonyangapuo explained that the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) deputy party leader had been defying PAIC sanctions to answer audit queries for the financial years 2014/15, 15/16 and 16/17.
“He is unable to account for how money was spent. He must resign for failing to account for resources devolved to the counties from the national government through the Senate,” he stated.
The committee accused Mr Oparanya of seeking re-election when he had failed to account for the monies meant for Kakamega people. Kiambu Senator Kimani Wamatangi on his part noted that the Constitution required accountability from all public officers.
“Residents of Kakamega should know for the past four and a half years how the governor has spent in excess of Sh30 billion. He has not accounted for those funds, which is against the constitutional requirement,” Wamatangi stated.
According to Wamatangi, IEBC should not clear the Kakamega Governor's bid for re-election on the basis of him refusing to be accountable to his own people.
“The view of the Senate and this committee is that the governor is no longer qualified to hold public office.
“It will be a travesty of justice and miscarriage of the law of the land to allow such candidate to run and be on the ballot paper to lead Kakamega residents for the next five years,” the Kiambu Senator explained.
