- Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire was charged to explain why her administration transferred KSh 10 million to finance a project that was not planned in the budget
- He admitted that the use was illegal and promised to correct it, acknowledging that the Public Accounts Committee Moses Kajwang admitted and commended him for being honest
- However, Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna was not happy, especially after the governor said she was an honest woman
Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire found herself in a difficult situation when she appeared before the Senate Public Accounts Committee to answer audit questions asked by the Auditor General.
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Among the issues highlighted by the auditor is the county transferring KSh 10 million to finance a project that was not budgeted.
In response, Mbarire informed the senators that the money was used to facilitate the boda boda empowerment program and should be refunded.
When the chairman of the committee, Moses Kajwang, pressed him to defend the decision, the governor admitted that the use was illegal and promised to correct it.
“We did not have that money, and we agreed that we will spend KSh 10 million and return the money. I want to promise that we will return the money. It did not go into my pocket,” answered Mbarire.
Senator Kajwang applauded him for being honest, but asked him to assure the committee that the money would be returned.
Why did Sifuna and Mbarire throw words at each other?
In accepting the compliments of the chairman, the governor, perhaps a little excited and boasting, said he was indeed an honest leader and was not busy inventing lies in front of the committee.
It is at this stage that the Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna he intervened, reminding him that he was under oath to tell the truth to the committee and should not take Senator Kajwang’s compliments as a badge of honour.
“You have sworn to tell the truth, governor; you have no choice. So don’t think it’s a badge of honor to be honest,” Sifuna replied.
Mbarire did not hesitate to answer the secretary general of ODM.
“But people are lying under oath, senator. I have seen people misleading this Parliament secretly,”
Sifuna intervened.
“The governor should not feel like being honest in Parliament is a blessing; it does not make you special. You have taken an oath, and you have an obligation to tell us the truth.
The governor intervened.
“But that’s what I did. He seems disappointed that I’m telling the truth,” he said.
The argument escalated.
“You are expected to tell the truth, don’t take it as a badge of honor,” replied the second-term parliamentarian.
The governor intervened almost immediately.
“It’s an honor to tell the truth,” he replied angrily.
Sifuna did not let his answer go unchallenged.
“You have sworn to tell the truth, governor, don’t take it as a badge of honor, he insisted.
Mbarire was not pleased.
“But I didn’t. You’re the one who says that,” he replied angrily.
Kiti had to intervene and ask the governor to speak to Sifuna through him.
“Governor, can you talk about Senator Sifuna through the chair?” asked Kajwang.
But the national chairman of UDA he looked confused and asked for protection.
“Now he is harassing me. You must protect me, chairman,” he pleaded.
However, Kajwang pulled him away, leaving the committee exhausted.
“No, you are harassing the chairman by talking while the chairman is talking. Please listen to me,” he demanded.
Order was restored, but the tension between the ODM secretary general and the UDA chairman continued to show, forcing the chairman to monitor them whenever they participated.
However, it was a difficult task to control the two leaders. At one point, Mbarire angered Sifuna, who had remained calm for a while.
When the chairman intervened, he angered the members when he accused the governor of “waking up” the Nairobi senator.
“Sifuna was calm, but now you have woken him up,” said Kajwang as the committee started to laugh.
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