Warrant of arrest has been issued for Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya by a Senate committee. The warrant is for failing to honor summons regarding audit queries.
Kakamega County is being questioned for revenue and expenditure accounts for the 2014/2015 financial year. The Public Accounts and Investments Committee (PAIC) issued the warrant on Thursday.
The committee argues that they acted after consulting the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, the electoral commission and the office of the Attorney-General.
Earlier, Oparanya had filed a case seeking to stop the committee from summoning governors, but despite the matter being in court, the judge has not ordered the stopping of the Senate from summoning the governor.
“There is no order stopping the Senate from summoning the governor,” said PAIC chairman Anyang’ Nyong’o (Kisumu, ODM).
The committee further argued that they are mandated to issue such warrants, as the constitution gives parliamentary committees powers similar to those of the High Court under Article 125.
The PAIC chairman Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o will sign the warrant prepared by the clerk of the senate, then hand it to the inspector-General of Police and the Director of Public Prosecutions. Mr. Oparanya
Mr. Oparanya may face criminal charges if the committee finds him guilty of the alleged offenses. He also risks being barred from the ballot.
In response, Oparanya called the call to have him appear before the committee a ”with-hunt”, terming it as a political scheme by Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale to portray him negatively.
“Senator Khalwale is sensing defeat and has decided to turn the Senate into his polling station to win the Kakamega governorship contest,” he said.
Mr. Oparanya said he’s ready for arrest, laughing it off insisting that the High Court is handling the matter and the PAIC has no mandate to summon him.
In response to the matter, the IEBC said all aspirants who had been indicted may have appealed their cases, allowing them to proceed with their bids for election.