This archive report was first published on 18 September 2019.
Published on September 18, 2019, a Senate watchdog committee has issued summons to Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua to respond to audit queries raised by Auditor-General Edward Ouko in the 2017/18 financial year.
The County Public Accounts and Investments Committee (CPAIC) issued the summons after Governor Mutua failed to appear before the committee in a sitting held in the Kitui County Assembly.
According to the committee, Governor Mutua accused Machakos Senator Boniface Kabaka of politicising the sitting and expressed doubts about the committee's capacity to accord him a fair hearing.
"Under the circumstances, it is not possible for the committee to have an objective sitting where issues will be adequately clarified," Governor Mutua said in a letter to the committee.
Senator Kabaka denied the accusations, stating that he had nothing to gain from fighting the governor and that his claims were backed by solid evidence from the auditor-general's reports.
Senator Kabaka also pointed out that the county has received disclaimer opinions from the auditor-general in the last four financial years, indicating a lack of financial records to support the money expended by the county.
