By Janet Nyanchoka
Senator Moses Kajwang’ of Homa Bay has retained the chairmanship of the Senate’s County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC), a pivotal oversight body.
The unanimous decision was made Thursday, overseen by the Office of the Clerk.
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It makes Kajwang the longest serving chair of the committee.It was a smooth sailing victory for Kajwang’, a stark contrast to the slightly more nail-biting vice-chair election, which saw Senator Johnes Mwaruma of Taita Taveta snatch the win with five votes.
Mwaruma edged out the incumbent, Senator Samson Cherargey, who received four votes.
Kajwang’ expressed gratitude for the renewed confidence, outlining a robust plan for CPAC’s next chapter.
“We’re going to be hitting the road,” he declared, promising a more hands-on approach.
“No more endless committee meetings! We’re going to be boots-on-the-ground, investigating how those billions of shillings allocated to counties are actually being spent.”
He vowed a no-nonsense approach, promising to crack down on any malfeasance, regardless of whether the culprits were county staff or elected officials.
“We shall leave no stone unturned in our fight against theft of public funds,” he added.
Mwaruma, equally enthusiastic, echoing increased field work going forward.
“Let’s make sure that money isn’t vanishing into a black hole,” he said.
His perspective, backed by Deputy Minority Whip Edwin Sifuna, highlighted the counter-productive nature of constantly summoning county governors to Nairobi.
Sifuna argued that this practice actively undermines the spirit of devolution.
Adding a fresh perspective, Deputy Minority Leader Enoch Wambua, a newcomer to the committee, emphasized a forward-looking approach.
“We’re not here to play post-mortem,” he stated, advocating for a focus on current audit reports and the actions of current governors.
“Let’s deal with the here and now,” he said.
New members who joined the committee include Senators Okongo Omogeni (Nyamira) and Steven Lelegwe (Samburu).
Senators Okiya Omtatah (Busia), John Methu (Nyandarua), Mariam Omar (Nominated), and Richard Onyonka (Kisii) moved to other committees.
