Busia County Senator Okiya Omtatah has accused the County government of failing to account for Ksh 5.2 billion in the 2022/2023 financial year, sparking a fiery rebuttal from Governor Paul Otuoma’s administration.
In a statement posted on his X Platform on Monday, July 28, Senator Omtatah claimed that an audit report he commissioned uncovered massive fraud and financial mismanagement within the County Government of Busia.
He dismissed attempts by the county to discredit the findings and challenged officials to respond with facts.
“The County Government of Busia should not attack me, the messenger; let them confront the message with a detailed and coherent response," Omtatah said.
The Senator reiterated that he stands by every allegation made in the fraud audit report, daring the executive to take legal action against his claims if he was wrong.
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“Hiding behind the Auditor-General won't save them. My oversight mandate is not tied to simply accepting the Auditor-General's work. It is instructive that the audit report has demonstrated outright incompetence and suspected collusion on the part of the Auditor-General,” Omtatah added.
Omtatah’s statement comes after the Busia County Government dismissed the Senator’s claims as ‘fabricated and baseless’.
Through a press statement released on Monday, the County accused the Senator of peddling misinformation driven by political motives and personal interest.
“Let it be made abundantly clear: A Senator cannot, and does not, have the mandate to singly audit County accounts,” the statement read. “Senator Omtatah’s purported audit of Busia County Government accounts lacks both legal grounding and institutional legitimacy.”
The statement accused Senator Omtatah of misrepresenting the audit process and undermining constitutional institutions for political mileage.
Citing Sections 29 of the Leadership and Integrity Act and the Penal Code, the County warned that the Senator’s actions may violate the law by misusing public trust and spreading unfounded claims.
“To be clear, the County Government of Busia has nothing to hide. We welcome audit and oversight, when conducted within the bounds of law and decorum,” the statement read further.
