Senators on Monday, November 4, praised Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga, commending him for what they described as good governance and proper management of the county funds.

This is after Kahiga appeared before the County Public Investments Committee to present and defend the Auditor General's report for the 2023/2024 financial year.

The committee’s core mandate was to examine the accounts and reports of Nyeri County's Public Investments and Special Funds. 

During the meeting, the committee, chaired by Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, confirmed that all expenditures were well-documented and in compliance with the Public Finance Management Act of 2012. 

The lawmakers also noted that Nyeri County has a strong internal management system that ensures transparency, accountability, and value for money.

According to Senator Osotsi, while most counties struggled to recover empowerment funds issued to various individuals, Nyeri appeared to be the only county showing significant progress in recovering the funds.

"You are slightly better than your colleagues, because we have serious problems with empowerment funds in these countries; they gave out loans, but there are no efforts to recover anything," said Senator Osotsi.

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He added, "This is the first county we are witnessing some level of good management in the empowerment funds; the rest are giving us a lot of problems."

Osotsi's comments were backed by the Nominated Senator Peris Tobiko, who also acknowledged Governor Mutahi's proper management of the county funds.

"Chair, I think this governor has done fairly well in managing the majority of the funds. Compared to his colleagues, he is better off. Governor, you have done really well," said Senator Tobiko.

The Senators' comments come amid calls for Governor Kahiga's dismissal from office over allegations of making ethnic and inflammatory remarks that threaten national unity and cohesion.

Three petitioners, on October 29, moved to court seeking to have Kaiha declared unfit to hold office, with the complainants demanding that the court bar Kahiga from performing the functions of his office pending the determination of the case.

"The 1st respondent continues to hold a powerful office as governor; his continued presence in that office provides him with a platform on which he can repeat and amplify the impugned, inflammatory and divisive utterances," they argued.

The petition further states that the governor’s comments were not only political rhetoric but were also loaded with ethnic coding and incitement, amounting to hate speech and gross misconduct.