Nakuru County Governor Susan Kihika is set to be arrested and presented before the Senate Standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations following a resolution passed by members during a meeting held this Monday.

The decision was reached during a sitting chaired by Committee Chairperson Senator Fatuma Dullo (Isiolo), after the Committee accused Governor Kihika of repeatedly ignoring invitations and a summon issued in relation to an ongoing inquiry.

According to Sen. Dullo, the Governor has failed to honour all requests to appear before the Committee, prompting members to invoke measures to compel her attendance.

Governor Kihika is among key stakeholders expected to provide submissions in the Committee’s consideration of a Petition concerning the alleged forced disappearances of young fishermen at Lake Nakuru National Park. However, despite being required to appear before the Senate Committee, she has not attended any of the proceedings.

In a separate resolution, the Committee ordered fresh sampling and testing of fish from Lake Nakuru after petitioners rejected a report tabled by Kenya Fisheries Service. The petitioners argued that the exercise had been conducted unilaterally by Kenya Fisheries Service and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), contrary to earlier directions issued by the Committee requiring the involvement of all stakeholders.

The Committee directed that the exercise be repeated in the presence of Committee members, petitioners and other relevant stakeholders to ensure transparency and credibility of the findings.

Members further resolved to invite officials from the Ministries of Tourism and Wildlife, Agriculture, Interior to appear before the Committee and address key issues arising from the Petition before a comprehensive report is prepared.

Later, the Committee met Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury John Mbadi to deliberate on concerns surrounding the degazettement of Capitol Hill Police Station.

During the meeting, Prime Cabinet Secretary Mudavadi maintained that due process had been followed in the degazettement and transfer of the land, stating that the process was guided by Cabinet approval on subdivision.

According to submissions made to the Committee, beneficiaries of the subdivided land include African Trade Insurance Agency, which received two acres, Financial Sector Regulators, also allocated two acres and St John Ambulance, which received one acre.

PCS Mudavadi defended the allocations, stating that African Trade Insurance Agency intends to establish its headquarters on the site to strengthen investment insurance capacity across Africa and particularly in Kenya, which remains the agency’s largest shareholder.

He added that the Financial Sector Regulators will use their allocation to develop a consolidated headquarters in line with Cabinet approval issued in 2023, while the allocation to St John Ambulance honoured an earlier Cabinet decision made in 2021.

Members present included Committee Chairperson Sen. Fatuma Dullo (Isiolo), Sen. Lelegwe Ltumbesi (Samburu), Sen. Abdul Haji (Garissa), Sen. Okong’o Mogeni (Nyamira), Sen. Edwin Sifuna (Nairobi) and Sen. Joseph Githuku (Lamu) while Sen. Wakili Hillary Sigei (Bomet) attended as a friend of the Committee.