- Samburu Governor Jonathan Leleit clashed with senators outside the Senate after rejecting CPAC’s call on audit questions
- Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna led a group of senators who were trying to drag him into the hall, which led to clashes with the governor’s bodyguards
- The tension highlighted the escalation of hostilities, with Sifuna calling on the Senate to freeze county funds due to governors ignoring calls
There was a commotion outside the Senate hall where Samburu Governor Jonathan Leleit created a drama when he refused pressure from senators who wanted him to appear before the County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) to answer audit questions.
Source: Twitter
The governor on Wednesday, April 1, arrived at the Parliament buildings where he had a press conference when the senators got information about his activities.
Senators, led by Edwin Sifuna of Nairobi, flocked towards the governor and tried to pull him into the hall.
Outside the hall, the governor, with the help of his aides, struggled mightily to resist the efforts of the senators to bring him back inside.
The situation almost turned into a fist fight as the governor’s bodyguards confronted Sifuna, who was determined to drag him back inside.
Leleit’s guards managed to escape him, leading him to his waiting motorcade which sped away after he boarded.
How Governor Leleit’s bodyguards attacked the senators
According to Sifuna, Senate Majority Leader and Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot had ordered a team of senators to go and pick up the governor and bring him into the parliament when he refused.
“The Majority Leader had asked me and a small group of senators to go to the place where the governor was talking to the media so that we could bring him to our offices here,” Sifuna explained.
The Nairobi senator narrated how he was attacked by Governor Leleit’s team, adding that he would have been motivated to respond to the attacks if not for the intervention of Migori Senator Eddy Oketch.
“We found the governor talking to journalists, and as dignitaries, we asked him to go with us to parliament. One of his men pulled me by my coat, and if it wasn’t for Senator Eddy Oketch, I would have found myself in a difficult situation,” Sifuna said.
Noting that there is a growing tendency of governors to ignore calls, Sifuna called on the Senate to suspend funds expected to be given to county governments.
Also read
The headmaster of Gilgil Hills talks about the death of a 3-year-old child found in a pond
Source: Facebook
Why senators criticized the governors
Sifuna criticized the Council of Governors (CoG) for disrespecting the Senate by defending governors who willfully refuse to honor summons.
Supporting Sifuna’s concerns, Meru Senator Kathuri Murungi suggested that the governors come before the plenary sessions when their county reports are discussed in parliament.
To strengthen accountability, Murungi suggested that questioning governors as Ministers will curb their wrongdoings.
They identified 29 governors whom they accused of hiding behind the CoG to avoid appearing before Senate committees.
Why CoG asked governors to avoid CPAC
The CoG asked its members to ignore CPAC until the four senators accused of abuse and fraud are removed from the committee.
Governor Leleit’s drama happened a day after Nairobi Governor John Sakaja risked arrest after ignoring CPAC’s call.
On Monday, March 30, police officers were sent to City Hall to arrest Sakaja but did not find him.
But later in a statement, Sakaja claimed that the arrest warrant ignored the ongoing conflict between the CoG and the Senate over the above-mentioned issues.
Read ENGLISH VERSION
Do you have an exciting story that you would like us to publish? Please contact us via news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
