AfriPulse
Busia County Governor Paul Otuoma was grilled on Monday by the Senate County Public Accounts and Special Funds Committee over the misuse of millions of county funds.
While relaying the details of the meeting, Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah outlined several of the county funds that had been misused and underperformed, according to the Auditor General’s FY 2023/2024 Report for Busia County.
However, Omtatah decried his office not being informed about the meeting despite his crucial oversight role and representation of the people of Busia.
“Earlier today, I attended the Senate County Public Accounts and Special Funds Committee meeting with Busia County Executive, led by Governor Paul Otuoma, on the Auditor General’s FY 2023/2024 Report for Busia County,” Omtatah said.
Busia Governor Paul Otuoma appearing before the Senate County Public Accounts Committee on Monday, September 15, 2025.
Okiya Omtatah
“Shockingly, my office was not informed of this critical meeting, despite Article 96 of the Constitution mandating me to represent and protect the interests of Busia residents.”
Key among the discussions in the meeting was the findings of the Auditor General’s report that unveiled systemic misuse of public resources, including the misuse of cooperative loans worth Ksh54 million.
According to the senator, these loans were reportedly advanced without law, security, or recovery mechanisms. He thus accused the cooperatives of being used in laundering taxpayers’ money.
The Auditor General had also flagged a 90 per cent underperformance of the Climate Change Fund as well as the loss of revenue in the Alcoholic Drinks Control Fund through unlawful diversions and non-remittance to NACADA.
As for the Ksh199 million Public Officers Revolving Fund, several misconducts were noted, including operating without County Assembly-approved budgets, underperforming by 25 per cent, and failing to insure vehicles and properties financed by loans, exposing taxpayers to huge risks.
As such, Omtatah urged the Senate committee to take action on the governor, including a recommendation for investigation by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Committee.
“These findings confirm a disturbing pattern of missing legal frameworks, non-disclosure of reports, and blatant violation of the Public Finance Management Act,” he stated.
“I have called on the Senate Committee to demand accountability, recommend prosecutions under the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, and compel the County Treasury to establish proper legal frameworks for all county funds. Busia residents deserve full transparency and protection of their resources.”
Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah in senate buildings, July 9, 2025.
Photo
Parliament Of Kenya
Source: Kenyans.co.ke | Read the Full Story…
