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Court to rule if Senate can summon 9 Governors

This follows the hearing of a case where a lobby group sought to bar the Senate Standing Committee on Economic and Finance from summoning the County Chief Executives, although some of them have already appeared before the committee/FILE

This follows the hearing of a case where a lobby group sought to bar the Senate Standing Committee on Economic and Finance from summoning the County Chief Executives, although some of them have already appeared before the committee/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 18 – The High Court will rule on Wednesday whether nine Governors summoned by the Senate should be questioned over financial mismanagement.

This follows the hearing of a case where a lobby group sought to bar the Senate Standing Committee on Economic and Finance from summoning the County Chief Executives, although some of them have already appeared before the committee.

The lobby group argued that officers in counties are accountable to the County Assembly for financial management and the Senate would be usurping that power by purporting to summon Governors.

“We are waiting for the ruling after which we will be able to make a decision on whether to honour them or not but again what is most critical is that the County Assembly are the ones that are responsible for the management of the expenditure,” Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka who is among those summoned by the Committee said while stating that he will await the verdict before honouring the summons.

The lobby wants the Senate Standing Committee on Economic and Finance barred from summoning Governors from Bungoma, Bomet, Kiambu, Kitui, Kisumu, Nakuru, Narok, Tana River and Wajir Counties over financial management.

The lobby’s lawyer Peter Wanyama argued that the summonses contravene Article 226(2) of the Constitution which provides that an accounting officer of a national public entity is accountable to the National Assembly for its financial management.

He contended that officers in counties are accountable to the County Assembly for financial management and the Senate would be usurping that power by purporting to summon Governors.

Governors Isaac Ruto, Ken Lusaka, William Kabogo, Julius Malombe, Jack Ranguma, Kinuthia Mbugua, Samuel Tunai, Hussein Dado and Ahmed Abdullahi received the summons.

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