Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has come out to defend his reasons for failing to appear before the Senate Energy Committee on Thursday, for which he was fined Ksh.500, 000.
The Nairobi Governor claimed that he rescheduled the Senate hearing because the house had adjourned other summons by individuals invited to the house for various reasons, including travel.
“Sensationalizing a rescheduling and making the Senate appear as if it acts in vain is what belittles the house. Many appearances by other invitees have been rescheduled due to travel, infirmity, or prior booked official engagements,” he said.
The governor said he has no intention not to respond to queries raised including matters flagged by the Auditor General in the 2020-22 audit report.
“I have no reasons not to answer to respond to any questions raised on FY 20-22 audits,’’ he said.
Sakaja said he wondered why the committee was able to understand and report that he had rescheduled his previous planned appearance and yet they are now blaming him.
“It is the same members who announced that I was out of the country on Monday who are now up in arms that I am away. I have appeared severally and will continue to do so,’’ he said.
Sakaja’s statement comes after he was fined Ksh.500,000 following a summons investigating the Mradi gas explosion in Embakasi on February 2, which killed six people and injured over 200.
He was also summoned by the County Public Accounts and Investments Committee (CPAIC) on April 8 to explain how Ksh.76 billion was spent over four subsequent fiscal years, from 2019 to 2023, but he did not appear.
