Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has expressed surprise over remarks by ODM party leader Raila Odinga regarding Parliamentary Committees summoning governors.
In a statement on Tuesday, August 19, Sifuna said the pronouncements made by Raila were inconsistent with his stance following a previous meeting with ODM senators.
"The governors are the ones who are misadvising Raila, because you remember when we had a meeting with the party leader in the Senate, when he came out of that meeting, the pronouncements he made, including strengthening the place of the Senate for devolution to succeed, those were the proper words or the proper advice that Raila gives. I was very shocked to hear some of those pronouncements because I know he’s been misadvised," he said.
Speaking at the Devolution Conference in Homa Bay County on Thursday, August 14, Raila criticised the Senate’s practice of summoning governors to appear before its committees.
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The former Prime Minister said the responsibility of oversight should lie with county assemblies.
"County Governments are supposed to be oversight by County Assemblies, not the Senate. Therefore, it is unnecessary for the Senate to be summoning governors to go appear before senators in Nairobi.
"The public accounts and public investment committees should summon not even governors, but the chief executives of the county government. It is a waste of time to summon governors all the time to appear before Parliamentary Committees," he said.
Raila's remarks sparked mixed reactions including from former presidential candidate and gospel singer Reuben Kigame who expressed disappointment with the ODM leader.
In a statement on Friday, August 15, Kigame questioned Raila's commitment to protecting public resources, further revealing that he regrets voting for him in the 2022 general elections.
He also noted that despite the controversial remarks, some Kenyans would still vote for Raila if he announces his candidature.
"I am so disappointed by Raila. I regret voting for him in the past and viewing him as a people-centred leader. He and his team are not just dining with government.
"He actually does not want governors questioned for looting from citizens or for non-performance? But some Kenyans will still vote for him if he announced he was running for president," he stated.
