Senator Richard Onyonka and Governor Simba Arati clash during Senate Finance Committee session in Kisii. Photo: Arati/Onyonka X.
Kisii govenor Simba Arati has dismissed remarks by his Senator Richard Onyonka that the Senate Committee on Finance and Budget did not take place on June, Monday, 9.
Refuting the claims Arati in a press statement said that the session went on well at Dallas Premiere Hotel Board Room in Kisii, with attendance of the committee’s chairperson Senator Ali Roba, his vice Tabitha Mutinda, Marian Sheikh, Eddy Oketch, Essy Okenyuri and Boni Khalwale who are members.
“Contrary to a media statement released by Senator Richard Onyonka today 9th June 2025, to the effect that the Senate session did not proceed, we confirm that the session did in fact proceed and which was later followed by the Senate Committee open press briefing,” read the statement.
Arati further hitting on Onyonka to stop propagating lies, and politicking about the issue, further stating that the senator was intimidated by the positive response and well preparedness of the governor’s team, thus trying to interfere with the session.
“Senator Onyonka must desist from peddling falsehood as it has been seen today and more particularly about events in his own home county Kisii for whatever political reasons, it is probable that the well managed responses and other positive reports on the county have become unsettling to the senator,” further read the statement.
Arati accuses Onyonka for breaching the senate standing orders of involving the public into the sessions, after he claims Onyonka was in company of over 100 people, who tried to storm into the board, but were contained by the Senate and county security teams.
“There was disorder outside the meeting room when those accompanying the Senator tried to storm the meeting, they were repulsed by the Senate Security and Kisii security personnel. Committee sessions are open to the press and not members of the public, facts well known to the senator,” read a part of the statement.
The governor further alluded that the report by the committee commended the county’s effort on the progress of paying contractors and pending bills and urged the executive committee of the county to continue with the scrutiny of those pending bills found legible.
