Garissa Governor Nathif Jama faces pressure after skipping Senate session on public funds use

Questions over leadership and accountability have intensified after Governor Nathif Jama failed to appear before the Senate Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to answer audit queries on the use of public money.

In a letter to the Senate, the governor said he was out of the country and could not attend an explanation that infuriated senators, who accused him of deliberately evading oversight.

Members of the committee said this was not the first time the Garissa governor had ignored a Senate summons, warning that repeated absences undermine Parliament’s constitutional role.

“The Garissa Governor has a tendency of avoiding  this committee. This has happened in previous sessions,”

said Taita Taveta Senator Jones Mwaruma.

Senators further disclosed that governors had been informally advised to suspend foreign travel during the audit season, advice they say Governor Jama chose to ignore.

The controversy has also taken a political turn, with lawmakers referencing recent remarks by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who criticised leaders for spending extended periods away from their regions especially as drought continues to devastate counties such as Garissa.

The Senate has warned that continued failure to appear before its oversight committees could attract punitive action, as scrutiny over the use of public resources deepens.