My oversight role not witch-hunt, it’s meant to better services, says Osotsi

Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi addresses mourners during the burial service of Daniel Kegode at Ivona in Chavakali on Saturday /HILTON OTENYO

Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi has said his oversight role is not aimed at witch-hunting anyone in the county.

He dismissed claims he is either shielding the county executive from scrutiny or using Senate oversight to settle political scores.

The ODM deputy party leader said Senate oversight exists to strengthen accountability, promote prudent use of public resources and improve services.

“My actions are guided strictly by reports from constitutional and statutory agencies, including the Auditor General, the Controller of Budget and the National Treasury. I remain committed to exercising oversight fairly, objectively and without fear or favour,” Osotsi said.

He said allegations concerning the county assembly speaker’s housewarming, which emerged during the appearance of the Vihiga county executive before the Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) on Monday, were not part of the Auditor General’s queries under consideration.

Osotsi, a member of CPAC, said the matter arose after it was referenced in the county executive’s written responses submitted to the Senate.

“This prompted the CPAC chairperson to seek clarification and senators sought further information on expenditure reportedly amounting to Sh5 million,” he said.

The senator said during the session, the county executive explained challenges surrounding the verification and settlement of pending bills amounting to Sh1.7 billion, and outlined measures being taken to prioritise and clear the outstanding obligations.

He said the executive disclosed it borrowed Sh44 million from the County Retention Fund in 2023, of which Sh35 million has since been repaid, leaving a balance of Sh9 million.

Information that the county assembly allegedly spent Sh5 million on the speaker’s housewarming emerged during the executive’s appearance before the Senate CPAC on January 26.

While the county executive, led by Governor Wilber Ottichilo, defended the expenditure, saying it was a loan advanced to the county assembly, the assembly leadership—headed by speaker Chris Omulele and majority leader Manoah Kerega—denied receiving any funds from the executive.

Osotsi emphasised the CPAC session focused strictly on issues arising from the auditor general’s report for the 2024-25 financial year.

He said the Senate is undertaking a crash oversight programme covering all 47 counties in line with Article 229 of the Constitution, which requires Parliament to scrutinise audit reports within three months of their publication.

According to Osotsi, the Senate has issued recommendations aimed at strengthening governance and financial controls and improving revenue management.

Other recommendations include prioritising completion and equipping of the hospital plaza whose construction began in 2018, timely completion of education projects, and upgrading public markets to support traders and boost local economic growth.