By Betty Luke
Isiolo Governor Abdi Ibrahim Guyo risks being arrested should he fail to honor the sixth summonses by the Senate Public Accounts Committee to shed light on queries raised by the Auditor General for financial years 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 regarding expenditure on some of the ongoing mega projects in the County.
Led by the committee Chairperson Moses Kajwang the lawmakers said they might be forced to instruct the Inspector General of Police to arrest and present the Governor before the committee if he fails to honour subsequent invitation.
He has in the last one year snubbed four summonses after successfully convincing the watchdog committee to postpone the sessions.
On the recent and fifth summon, Governor Guyo had sought further postponement to June this year to allow collection of required crucial documents, which some officers who served in the previous regime were in possession of.
“We expect him to appear before the committee failure to which we shall instruct the IG to arrest him and bring him before us to account for the public funds,” noted Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei who is also the Committee’s Vice Chairperson.
The lawmakers imposed a fine of Sh500,000 to the county boss and directed the it be paid directly from his account and not County Revenue Fund.
Other members of the committee who accompanied Mr Kajwang are Fatuma Dullo (Isiolo), Okiya Omtatah (Busia), Mwenda Gataya (Tharaka Nithi), Richard Onyonka (Kisii), and Nominated Senator Mariam Omar.
Among the projects inspected by the legislators were Sh545 million modern market, Sh600 million county headquarters, Sh346 million state-of-the-art stadium that have all stalled and the Isiolo Referral Hospital morgue whose four refrigerators are faulty.
Senator Onyonka pleaded with the Governor to have mercy on the electorates saying it was sad that he was among the county bosses who went to Senate last week to request for additional revenue but was not ready to account for the funds released to the county.
“It is unfortunate that you choose to run away on us instead of shedding light on the concerns raised. If you are not careful you could go home in the next six months,” he warned.
Senator Dullo downplayed claims that she was engaging in early campaigns under the guise of oversight saying she was only interested in pushing for interests of the Mwananchi as mandated by the Constitution.
“We owe residents quality services for voting for us. Our people must demand for that from the county government. I will not be coerced by anyone into dropping the work that Isiolo residents gave me,” she said.
Governor Guyo has severally accused the ally turned foe for politicizing oversight and at some point, said only electorates could question him over how he was running the county.
