County governors have suspended their appearances before the Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC), after raising strong concerns over what they described as intimidation, harassment and humiliation during oversight sessions.
The decision was reached during an ongoing Governors’ Retreat convened by the Council of Governors, where county leaders met to review the state of devolution, service delivery, and relations with national institutions.
The retreat, held under the theme of repositioning the Council to respond to a changing political environment, also focused on strengthening engagement with Parliament and other stakeholders.
Governors Issue Statement
In a press statement dated February 9, 2026, the Council said governors had unanimously resolved not to appear before the Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) until their concerns are addressed through structured engagement with Senate leadership.
“To this effect, the Council has resolved that Governors will not appear before the CPAC committee until these concerns are addressed through a structured engagement between the leadership of the Senate and the Council of Governors,” the statement read.
The Council said it had noted with great concern what it termed continuous and escalating hostility by certain senators during appearances before CPAC.
According to the governors, some oversight sessions had turned into political witch-hunts marked by harassment, intimidation, and public humiliation of elected county leaders.
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“The Council of Governors notes with great concern the continuous and escalating extortion, political witch-hunt, harassment, intimidation and humiliation of governors by certain senators when they appear before the County Public Accounts Committee,” the statement said.
Call for Accountability
Governors argued that while they support accountability and oversight, the process must be conducted lawfully, ethically and with respect for constitutional offices.
They warned that adversarial engagements undermine the spirit of cooperation required between the two levels of government.
As part of the resolutions, the Council said it would seek structured dialogue between Senate leadership and the Council of Governors to address the conduct of oversight sessions and agree on clear rules of engagement.
In a separate resolution, governors also raised concerns over repeated summons by the Senate Public Investments Committee.
They said governors are often required to appear several times in one audit cycle to respond to issues relating to county investments, including funds managed by counties, municipalities and individual hospitals.
The Council resolved that governors will henceforth appear only once per audit cycle before the Senate Public Investments Committee.
According to the governors, this approach will help ensure orderly, focused and effective oversight, while allowing county leaders to attend to their responsibilities in the counties.
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The Council said the move was not intended to undermine Senate oversight but to streamline engagements and avoid duplication.
Governors Address Key Issues
In the same retreat, Governors also discussed the worsening drought situation across the country, with particular concern for counties in arid and semi-arid regions.
Governors noted that the drought continues to affect lives, livestock and livelihoods, placing additional pressure on county governments.
They called on the national government, development partners and other stakeholders to scale up mitigation measures to prevent further loss of life and reduce the overall impact of the drought.
Health services also featured prominently in the discussions, with governors reaffirming that health remains a cornerstone of devolved service delivery.
The Council said continued cooperation between national and county governments is critical to sustaining health services and addressing emerging challenges in the sector.
In its conclusion, the Council of Governors reaffirmed its commitment to accountability, transparency and prudent use of public resources.
However, it stressed that oversight must be exercised fairly, professionally and without abuse of office.
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