Senate finally names new watchdog team members
Hillary Mageka @hillarymageka
The Senate has finally reconstituted the powerful watchdog committee tasked with overseeing the use of public funds by county governments after months of push and pull over the composition of the team.
Yesterday, Jubilee Party and the National Super Alliance (Nasa) proposed members to the Senate County Public Accounts and Investment Committee (CPAIC).
The term of the committee previously chaired by Kisii Senator Sam Ongeri ended in December and had to be reconstituted before the House embarks on its business this year.
Ongeri had succeeded his Homa Bay counterpart Moses Kajwang’ who had held the position for three consecutive sessions.
The committee oversights the expenditure of billions of shillings of taxpayers’ money allocated to 47 county governments under the Division of Revenue and other conditional grants.
Its role is equivalent to Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Public Investments Committee (PIC) of the National Assembly, tasked with scrutinising national government expenditure.
Lawmakers have been scrambling for slots in the nine-member committee over what has hitherto been described as a fight for “visibility”.
Members proposed to the committee include Ochillo Ayacko (Migori), Godana Hargura (Marsabit), Imana Malachy Ekal (Turkana), Njeru Ndwiga (Embu), Christopher Lang’at (Bomet) and Mercy Chebeni (Nominated)
Others are Fatuma Dullo (Isiolo), Kimani Wamatangi (Kiambu) and Johnes Mwaruma (Taita Taveta).
Wamatangi will be making a comeback to the committee after succeeding his Murang’a counterpart Irungu Kang’ata as Majority Whip.
Although the Senate Standing Orders do not specify who should chair the oversight committee, in the last Parliament, senators agreed that the position should be chaired by a member from the minority side.
Sources have told People Daily Ayacko, who has shown interest to chair the committee, may be elected unopposed.
Hargura, who deputised Ongeri, is expected to retain his position.
The influential committee, which is essentially the face of the Senate, has previously fought off claims of extortion and racketeering schemes to make more money in allowances within its rank and file.
Some governors have also accused members of the committee of salivating for their seats.
Last year, the Council of Governors accused the committee then chaired by Ongeri of revisiting what they term as outdated audit queries to extort governors.
