By Ongaga Ongaga
A fresh confrontation is brewing between Kenya’s Governors and Senators, threatening to escalate into one of the most significant standoffs in recent years over county accountability.
At their retreat in Kilifi, the Council of Governors (CoG) announced that all county chiefs will suspend appearances before the Senate’s County Public Accounts Committee (CPAIC), citing “continuous and escalating extortion, political witch-hunt, harassment, intimidation and humiliation” by certain Senators.
The Council chairman, Ahmed Abdullahi insisted that oversight must be exercised “lawfully, ethically, and without abuse of office,” and has demanded the removal of four Senators accused of misconduct before resuming engagements.
This move comes against the backdrop of repeated warnings from the Controller of Budget and Senators themselves about rampant wastage of county funds. Billions have been flagged in questionable expenditures, ranging from inflated procurement costs to stalled development projects.
For Senators, CPAIC hearings are a critical tool to hold Governors accountable. For Governors, however, the process has become a theatre of humiliation rather than constructive oversight.
Senator Moses Kajwang, chair of CPAIC, has already criticised the Governors’ resolution, likening it to “suspects demanding to empanel the bench.”
His remarks underscore the Senate’s view that Governors cannot dictate the terms of accountability, yet the County chiefs remain defiant.
They argue that repeated summons — sometimes to multiple committees such as the County Public Investment Committee — are disruptive and inefficient.
To streamline accountability, the Council resolved that Governors will only appear once per audit cycle, a move they say balances transparency with practicality.
However, the Governors insisted their suspension of appearances does not signal distrust in the Senate as an institution.
They reaffirmed confidence in other Senators and committees, signalling willingness to engage constructively once leadership addresses their grievances.
Senators are unlikely to cede ground on their constitutional mandate to oversee public funds, while Governors are equally determined to resist what they describe as intimidation.
With billions of shillings at stake and drought biting hard, the confrontation could shape not only the future of county accountability but also the broader balance of power between Kenya’s devolved units and the national legislature.
The retreat’s theme, “Re-positioning the Council to effectively respond to the prevailing Political Environment,” reflects the broader stakes. Governors are not only pushing back against Senate oversight but also seeking to reassert their political clout amid growing scrutiny of county finances.
Beyond the oversight dispute, the Council highlighted the worsening drought in Arid and Semi-Arid Land (ASAL) counties.
Chairman Ahmed Abdullahi appealed to the national government and development partners to intensify interventions to avert loss of lives and livelihoods.
This humanitarian crisis adds urgency to the debate: while counties face mounting accountability questions, they are also grappling with life-and-death challenges on the ground.