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    "id": 693327,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/693327/?format=api",
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    "content": "Committee was set up, but it never even returned a report. We are not sure what happened to it. That is a matter that we shall, probably, find in the response. In the response made by the Governor at Governor’s Documents, Volume 2, page 12--- There is a problem with the pagination. They are cutoff. It is on page 11. It is a very evasive and escapist response. The response is that the allegation is too general. He is asking for the tender notice number and specific roads. He is the one who is supposed to be providing to the assembly and to us these details. It is clear from the material that is before this Senate that works were done, tendered out without adherence to procurement procedures. He cannot then turn around, in the face of an allegation, to ask us: What was the tender number? What is the tender notice number? When was it advertised? Who was awarded? That is information that we would have expected to form part of the response if the hon. Governor was being truthful in this matter. The nexus of my submission is that it is a clear violation that invites the sanction of the Senate under Article 181 and that is the sanction of removal from office of the Governor. Finally, before I sit down and allow my colleague to prosecute the other grounds, allow me to refer you to page 244 of the County Assembly Documents, Volume 3. We are now looking at the Lack of Prudence in Refurbishment of Buildings. These buildings are the County Governor’s offices. This is an extract from the report of the Auditor General. Before I read the provision, let me contextualize the role of the Auditor-General in public spending. Article 229 of the Constitution provides a very important role to the Auditor-General. Article 229(6), it is rarely cited anywhere, but it is good for the Senate’s consideration. It says:- “An audit report shall confirm whether or not public money has been applied lawfully and in an effective way.” The Auditor-General has a constitutional mandate to determine by his own opinion as an expert, whether public funds have been expended in a legal and effective way. Effective or efficiency is standard of prudence. Effectiveness is a matter within the jurisdiction of the Auditor-General to consider and give his opinion on. In this matter, he has given a very clear opinion with regard to the spending by the Governor and the County Executive. He says that the county government first of all paid Kshs10,866,000 as rent for the building called Karsons House which is a private building. Now, he says; no reasons were provided as to why the county government then spent Kshs29,176,932 to renovate this rented building. So, you are paying rent but over and above that, we are renovating for the landlord the building up to the sum of Kshs29 million. That is on Page 244 of the County Assembly Documents Volume III."
}