The Senate has been given the responsibility of conducting an audit of the cash spent by county governments and of also summoning the respective governors to explain how those funds were used.
The Supreme Court validated the Senate’s authority and mandated that governors report on all sources of county revenue, including tax money and any additional cash acquired through donations.
Documentation regarding the transfer of funds from the national government to the various county governments will be presented before the senators as evidence.
Chief Justice Martha Koome, Justices Mohammed Ibrahim, Smokin Wanjala, Njoki Ndung’u and William Ouko further ruled that Senate’s oversight authority is not limited to nationally allocated revenue but extends to locally generated revenue by counties.
By the same token, if the Senate is of the view that the questions to be answered or information to be provided do not need the personal input of the Governor, it may restrict its summons to the relevant County official or Executive Committee,” the court said.
The Senate, under the leadership of Speaker Amason Kingi and Deputy Speaker Murungi Kathuri, was given the responsibility of monitoring the expenditure of public funds and the conduct of governors to verify that tax funds are being spent in accordance with budget .
Some of the loopholes in county funds include tender allocations, contractors, ghost workers, and faulty revenue collection systems.
The Senate will have ultimate authority over any issue pertaining to the county, including but not limited to the governor’s budget and budget priorities.
Legislation, the allocation of national revenues, and the Impeaching governors from office are three of the most important responsibilities of the Senate. Others are consideration, discussion, and approval of bills affecting the counties.
A senator’s authority includes the ability to advocate for the counties and their respective governments.
To prevent further misappropriation of county funds, recently elected governors are digitizing revenue collection and tying off loose ends.
It’s worth noting that county governors have been blamed in the past for the mismanagement of county revenues, which led to the underdevelopment of the counties.
Former governor of Nairobi Mike Sonko and former governor of Kiambu Ferdinand Waititu were among those who faced allegations in court. The Senate upheld the county assembly’ impeachment proceedings, and the two were consequently removed from office
