In Parliament this week: Senate probes DPP over case withdrawals

Parliament witnessed a week of heightened oversight and commendation, as Senate committees pressed for accountability over withdrawn corruption cases and praised counties making strides in digital governance.

At the same time, Parliament’s public outreach received accolades from President William Ruto during the 2025 ASK Show in Mombasa.

The Senate’s County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) has summoned the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Renson Ingonga, to explain withdrawal of 18 criminal cases involving county executives and assemblies.

The move follows a meeting between CPAC and officials from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), where questions were raised regarding the lack of communication from the DPP’s office.

According to EACC CEO Abdi Mohamed, the cases – which potentially involve the loss of billions in taxpayers’ money – were dismissed without adequate explanation or consultation.

“While we are not questioning the withdrawal of the cases, it is our humble plea that as investigators, they should be courteous and inform us when making the withdrawals,” Mohamed told the committee.

CPAC expressed concern that accountability remains elusive despite longstanding efforts to address graft within county governments.

The 18 cases, referred to the EACC since 2013, are among several unresolved matters that continue to cast a shadow over devolution’s financial integrity.

In a contrasting tone of progress, the Senate Standing Committee on Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) commended Machakos County for significant improvements in its revenue collection systems.

During an oversight visit, Committee Chair Senator Allan Chesang (Trans Nzoia) hailed the county’s full transition from manual to digital revenue systems.

Senator Chesang noted a dramatic increase in hospital revenue – from Sh30 million before digitisation to Sh775 million this year. “Governor, you have shown commendable progress in closing loopholes and boosting revenue. How sustainable are these gains?” he queried.

In response, Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti said the success stemmed from reforms rooted in ICT and transparency.

She highlighted the integration of all revenue streams into a centralized system linked with the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS), with audit trails now monitoring all transactions.

Additionally, the consolidation of over 200 paybill numbers into four had significantly reduced leakage and enhanced oversight.

Meanwhile, at the Mukomani Showground in Mombasa County, President William Ruto praised Parliament for enhancing public access and civic education during the 2025 Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) Show.

The President visited the Parliament of Kenya's stand, where a mock parliament setup allowed students and the public to engage directly with parliamentary processes. Schoolchildren dressed as House Speakers and Clerks took part in simulated sessions, with over 152 schools participating throughout the week.

“Parliament has taken a bold step in demystifying its work and bringing governance closer to the people. This is what people-centric government looks like,” said President Ruto during the event.

Participants were awarded medals for engaging in debates and Question and Answer sessions.