The Senate of Kenya conducted a direct constitutional battle when it rejected the Council of Governors’ (CoG) accusations, which claimed that its oversight committees conducted politically motivated witch hunts and intimidated county officials through their investigations. The Senate leadership declared the accusations to be groundless while they confirmed that the House would maintain its complete examination of county financial matters and governance operations without any bias.
CoG chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi declared that governors would stop appearing before the Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) and all other oversight committees until they receive formal resolution of their complaints about humiliating treatment and intimidation. The governors have accused some senators of transforming legitimate audit queries into hostile political theater, a charge the Senate flatly rejected.
The Senate maintains its constitutional duty to monitor county governments, which its leadership claims exists through Articles 96 and 229 of the Constitution and should remain intact. Senate Speaker Amason Kingi warned that any attempt to dilute or evade this role risks undermining accountability mechanisms critical to Kenya’s devolved system.
Kingi asserted that the Senate must carry out its duty to analyze Auditor-General reports through the mandatory explanation process, which requires county executives to disclose information according to constitutional guidelines. The leadership also criticized CoG’s public accusations, urging the governors to use formal channels if they believe procedural misconduct has occurred during committee hearings.
The Senate maintains its strong position because it handles a wider conflict about responsibility, which some county executives are using as grounds to threaten legal action when their current deadlock continues. Political analysts warn the dispute could have major implications for devolved governance and fiscal oversight ahead of the 2027 general election.
Senator Moses Kajwang’, who leads CPAC, told the Senate governors they must face all financial activities because they handle billions of shillings in public funds. He rejected the idea that monitoring activities of governors constitutes harassment.
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