Busia Senator Okiyah Omtatah came to Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna’s defence after a Kenyan questioned what he had done for the coun ty since his election in 2022.
In a statement issued on Monday, April 27, Omtatah explained that Sifuna was not constitutionally mandated to initiate development projects or manage infrastructure in the county.
He explained that that was the preserve of county governors and that Senators, who are members of Parliament, are charged with making laws.
“Senators do not run counties or manage services like roads, hospitals, or schools. That’s the Governor’s job. Their power is in Parliament: making laws, protecting devolution, and holding the national government accountable on county matters,” Omtatah stated.
The Senator added that all the Senators’ roles were clearly stipulated under Article 96 of the Constitution of Kenya.
These include representing counties by speaking for their counties at a national level, debating and passing bills that affect counties and overseeing funds by checking how money sent to the counties is used.
Omtatah added that Sifuna and other colleagues in the Senate are also involved in deciding how national funds are divided among the 47 counties.
He lauded the Nairobi resident for raising the question, stating that public discourse is central in strengthening accountability and making governance work for everyone.
This is not the first time that Sifuna has faced the question of his contributions to Nairobi County. Many residents wondered what role he played in safeguarding the county during the flooding crises that hit the devolved unit during the rainy season.
The embattled ODM Secretary General maintained that he can only go as far as keeping Governor Johnson Sakaja accountable, but cannot be directly involved in the decisions he makes.
In the Senate, Sifuna has been active in multiple committees that have raised key issues of concern to the county and national governments.
He sits in the County Public Accounts Committee, where Governors, including Sakaja, have appeared to address discrepancies in county expenditure.
Sifuna also sits in the National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations Committee as well as the Energy Committee.
