Mung'aro's absence fails to stop Senate probe into Sh10.7bn Kilifi pending bills

The Senate County Public Accounts Committee has rejected a request by Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung'aro to postpone his appearance before the committee to explain the Sh10.7 billion in pending bills in the county. Governor Mung'aro, in a letter to the committee, said he was currently indisposed and also requested that the committee stop the planned inspection of various projects in the county on account of his absence. The request was also rejected by the committee. The Committee Chairperson, Moses Kajwang, during a sitting at the Kilifi County Assembly, ruled that the two requests fell flat because the governor's request was not accompanied by a report from a qualified medical doctor to ascertain that he was truly unwell. "The Deputy Governor is constitutionally empowered to act in the absence of the Governor according to the provisions of Article 179 of the Constitution.