Senate turns up the heat on Garissa Governor Nathif Jama over audit queries
By Faith Lagat, January 30, 2026The Senate has tightened oversight on Garissa Governor Nathif Jama after rejecting his request to postpone an appearance before the County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC), escalating scrutiny over financial accountability at the county level.
Governor Jama had been scheduled to appear before the committee on Thursday, January 29, 2026, at Parliament Buildings to respond to queries raised by the Auditor-General in audit reports for the Garissa County Executive for the 2024/25 financial year.
Instead of appearing, the governor wrote to the committee seeking a postponement, citing planned foreign travel for undisclosed reasons. The CPAC declined the request and issued a formal summons, warning that failure to comply would attract legal sanctions.
CPAC Chairperson Senator Moses Kajwang said the reasons provided by the governor did not meet the threshold required under the law.
“We have reviewed the request by the Governor and we are of the strong view that the reasons given are not justifiable under the law,” Senator Kajwang said while delivering the ruling.
He added that “travelling out of the country is not a constitutional obligation and cannot override the requirements of accountability.”
The chairperson noted that the committee operates under strict timelines for the consideration of Auditor-General reports, leaving no room for delays.
Senator Kajwang advised all governors appearing before the committee to suspend foreign travel plans until the end of March, when CPAC expects to conclude its work within the timelines set by law.
Lawmakers question accountability
Committee members also raised concerns over the content of the governor’s letter. Senator Enock Wambua criticised its lack of detail, questioning, “The letter is vague. He says he is travelling, but to where and for what purpose? Is it an emergency?”
Senator Samson Cherarkey took a broader view, describing governors as “the weakest link in the implementation of devolution,” citing what he termed reluctance by some county chiefs to submit themselves fully to oversight processes.
The senators reiterated that appearances before CPAC are mandatory and form part of constitutional accountability mechanisms tied to the management of public resources in devolved units.
Wider crackdown on audit defiance
The standoff with the Garissa governor comes amid a wider push by the committee to enforce transparency across counties.
In the past week, CPAC has issued similar summons to Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo, Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir, and Samburu Governor Lati Lelelit, all of whom are yet to appear to respond to audit queries.
On Tuesday, January 27, the committee said it was exploring legal options to compel governors to account for billions of shillings in devolved funds.
These measures include possible collaboration with the National Treasury to withhold disbursements to counties whose leaders fail to honour summons.
With the summons now issued, Governor Jama is required to appear before the committee and respond to the Auditor-General’s findings, or face further action as provided for under the law.