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Murang’a Health Executive Joseph Mbai has expressed his displeasure after a Senate Committee turned him away on Monday.

Addressing the press yesterday He said he had been sent by his boss Governor Mwangi Wa Iria to represent him in answering audit queries over the use of Covid-19 funds.

Senate Health Committee through its chair Michael Mbito had summoned Wa Iria and part of the Executive to answer audit queries raised by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu on how the county spent Sh213.46 million allocated by the national government and donations from well-wishers to fight the pandemic.

But when the governor failed to show up, the team members called off the meeting saying Mbai was not in a position to answer the questions on behalf of his boss.

He told the team that the governor  did not deliberately skip the session but he was attending another meeting elsewhere. 

Procurement procedures

“The members piled pressure on the chair and the meeting was called  because they felt that in the absence of the governor, they will not get right answers,” he said. 

The officer said in his opinion he is best suited to answer the questions because queries fall in his docket and he is the one who executes all the projects. 

“Even if the governor came, I would be the one answering the questions because I am the one in charge of the docket,” he added. 

Mbai said there is no glaring evidence that the county misappropriated the funds claiming the senators just want to blow things out of proportion. 

He said some of the procurement procedures were overlooked as some medical equipment had to be bought to cater for the patients. 

“We could not have budgeted for the pandemic but all the money we  received was prudently utilised” he remarked. 

“There is nothing to hide and we are open for audit but this issue has to be handled with sobriety,” he added. 

Mbai said unless he is given another directive by his boss, he shall turn up for the meeting next week.