A furious Senate watchdog is set to drag Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki back to Parliament after he staged a shock walkout moments before being grilled over a bombshell audit report.
The Governor, slated to answer for the alleged mismanagement of billions in public funds, vanished from Parliament Buildings just as the County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) was set to grill him on Tuesday.
In a move that sparked fury among Senators, Njuki did a runner from a designated holding room, leaving lawmakers and orderlies searching empty corridors.
In a video, Njuki was seen walking out of parliament after he complained of being kept waiting for over two hours.
CPAC Chair Moses Kajwang’ branded the act “unprecedented contempt” and vowed to use Parliament’s full powers to summon him.
“Parliament cannot be treated with such disdain. We shall summon him,” Kajwang’ thundered, warning that fleeing a committee is a criminal offence under the Powers and Privileges Act.
“If necessary, we will ask the DPP to institute criminal proceedings,” he added.
Senators tore into the Governor, accusing him of a cowardly escape from damning findings.
“The guilty fear accountability. That is why he ran,” charged Senator Samson Cherarkey, noting Njuki’s history of dodging the committee.
The audit at the heart of the storm reveals a shocking state of public health facilities in Tharaka Nithi, a scandal made worse as Governor Njuki chaired the Health Committee at the Council of Governors.
Lawmakers exposed a deliberate failure to operationalise a legally required Facilities Improvement Fund. This allowed cash meant for hospital upgrades to be swept into county coffers, where it could be diverted.
Senator Enock Wambua also demanded answers on why the county voided transactions worth a staggering Sh400 million.
“This Committee was the right forum for those answers. The Governor chose to run instead,” Wambua said.
CPAC is now preparing a formal summons, with criminal sanctions looming if the Governor continues his defiance. The standoff sets the stage for a major constitutional clash.
