Northern Kenya

Senate Committee orders special audit of funds in Isiolo County

Isiolo Governor Abdi Ibrahim Guyo when appeared before Senate Finance and Budget Appropriations Committee on February 23, 2024. (Photo: Isiolo County Government)

By Maureen Kinyanjui | Wednesday, June 19, 2024

Isiolo Governor Abdi Hassan Guyo appeared before the committee to account for the county's expenditures on bursaries, emergency funds, and funds allocated for youth, women, and people with disabilities.

The Senate County Public Investment and Special Funds Committee has instructed the Auditor General to conduct a special audit on the utilisation of funds in Isiolo County.

Senate County Public Investment and Special Funds Committee chairman Godfrey Osotsi on Tuesday said the audit will focus on the utilised funds for bursaries, emergency needs, and programs for youth, women, and people with disabilities during the 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022 financial years.

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"The committee directs the Auditor General to conduct a special audit on the issues that we want audited. The committee will write to the Auditor General on the issues," Osotsi said.

Isiolo Governor Abdi Hassan Guyo appeared before the committee to account for the county's expenditures on bursaries, emergency funds, and funds allocated for youth, women, and people with disabilities.

However, he only responded to queries on county bursary funds and told the Senators that back then there were no existing structures nor laws to operate the other funds.

The documents presented to the committee were neither signed nor addressed to the Senate.

Narok Senator Ledama Olekina however, asked the Governor why he had accepted unsigned documents.

"Why do you accept documents not signed to be brought to this Senate? We want a special audit of these funds because we cannot be playing with the lives of pastoralists," he said.

Unfair treatment

However, the Isiolo County boss lamented that he had received harsh and unfair treatment given that he took office in 2022, several years after the audit.

"I know the buck stops with me, but you cannot expect me as governor to go and produce statements where there is none," Guyo stated.

Senators Olekina and Eddy Oketch of Migori proposed dissolving the county, citing the dysfunctional administration in Isiolo.

They also called for the summoning of former Governor Mohamed Kuti, during whose tenure audit queries were raised.

"Article 192 of the Constitution provides that a county can be suspended under exceptional circumstances, including dysfunctionality. These responses are mediocre and an embarrassment to the people of Isiolo," Oketch said.

What followed was drama as the Governor and Senator Olekina engaged in a bitter exchange.

Committee chairman Osotsi's attempt to rule the two out of order failed as they continued their exchange, disrupting the proceedings.

The committee was later adjourned.