Fourteen counties are on a list of those facing potential sanctions after their governors failed to appear before the Senate County Public Investment Committee (CPIC) after being summoned. Instead of attending to their summons, the governors of these counties went for a retreat in Kilifi.
The Senate County Public Investment Committee has further issued summons for Lamu Governor Issa Timamy, Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki, Muranga Governor Irungu Kang’ata and Embu’s Cecily Mbarire for failing to appear before Senators on Monday.
The senators note that the county bosses have been notorious for evading audit matters since the exercise began on January 2026. The senators stated that their audit report must be processed within three months after the auditor general concludes its reports.
The committee has, therefore, warned that they may seek to have these counties’ funds frozen due to a lack of accountability for the funds during the 2024/2025 financial year. One of the major grievances of the Senate CPIC is that the governors are said to have chosen leisure rather than accountability by not attending the committee’s summons.
Their absence, the committee says, has delayed the audit process, and the senators are warning that, if the governors continue to refuse, the committee may take steps as serious as withholding the disbursement of funds to the counties in question.
The senators are of the view that since the residents in these counties will be the ones most affected if the standoff continues, they should not bear the brunt of the situation.
The committee has now sent new summons to Lamu Governor Issa Timamy, Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki, Muranga Governor Irungu Kangata and Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire for not showing up last time.
