The Council of Governors (CoG) has escalated its standoff with the Senate, formally seeking an urgent meeting with Senate Speaker Amason Kingi.
The governors on Tuesday, February 10, outlined what they describe as an entrenched bribery and intimidation scheme within the Senate County Public Accounts and Investments Committee (CPAC).
Speaking after a two-day retreat in Kilifi, CoG Chairperson and Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi said the governors had narrowed their complaints to the committee and certain members and were ready to present evidence directly to the Senate leadership.
“We narrowed down our issues to one committee and certain members of that committee. Senate’s own standing orders require that if certain people are mentioned, they step aside from that committee. We were decent enough not to mention names and that’s why today I have written to the Speaker of Senate… seeking an audience with the leadership of Senate. And whatever evidence governors have, governors will table to him and to his leadership. And we’re saying some things got to change in that particular committee.”
Council of Governors alleges extortion scheme
CoG Vice-Chairperson and Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki, on his part, described what he termed a routine tactic used by oversight committees to pressure governors.
“There is a tactic that the oversight committees are using to leverage extortionist behaviours towards the governors. You go for a meeting that is supposed to start at 10 o’clock, first they call you early and take you to the office and try to negotiate with you. Is there any pre-requisite that I have to go to the office of the chair of the committee first before I attend my meeting? Of course not,” he said.
Njuki questioned the prolonged delays governors face before appearing before committees, saying the practice contradicts Senate standing orders and suggests that meetings proceed only when certain expectations are met.
“Why is it that they expect governors to be there three hours, four hours, seven hours after the time of commencement of the meeting? … Why are the governors not being seen? It is because they never behave the way the senators want them to behave for the meetings to commence.”
The governors insist that failure to comply with the alleged demands often turns oversight sessions into hostile confrontations rather than accountability forums.
Kisii Governor Simba Arati accused some senators of taking money from governors without honouring agreements, vowing to publicly expose those involved.
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Governor Abdullahi confirmed that he has formally written to Speaker Kingi seeking a candid meeting and has pledged to submit what he described as raw evidence supporting the extortion claims.
Pending that engagement, governors have maintained they will suspend appearances before the affected committee.
Former Senate Speaker and now Bungoma Governor Ken Lusaka defended the governors’ position, saying they are not opposed to accountability but want fair and respectful treatment. Lusaka added that portraying governors as avoiding oversight is misleading.
“We are saying we want to go there, but we want dignity. We want the Senate to go back to its original form… We are supposed to have an interaction, not harassment, not humiliation, and not falsehoods and witch-hunting.”
The governors maintain they possess overwhelming evidence against certain senators and argue that the current situation has made appearances before the committee costly and humiliating.
Speaker Kingi responds
The remarks follow a statement by Speaker Kingi responding to earlier concerns raised by the Council of Governors.
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In his statement earlier on Tuesday, Kingi said the Senate had noted with concern allegations by the CoG regarding the operations of CPAC and the Senate County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee (CPIC), including claims of harassment, intimidation, political witch-hunts, and extortion involving unnamed members.
He emphasized that the Senate’s oversight role over county governments is constitutionally mandated under Article 96, and that audit committees must process Auditor-General reports within the constitutional timelines set out in Article 229.
Kingi stated the Senate remains open to structured and constructive dialogue but urged the Council of Governors to use established institutional mechanisms to address concerns rather than public accusations unsupported by evidence.
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