Council of Governors Chairman and Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi (centre) with fellow governors during a press briefing in Nairobi on September 1, 2025.
Governors on Tuesday revived claims of extortion by senators while defending Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja following his attempted arrest, escalating a standoff between county governments and the Senate over oversight.
Governor Sakaja on Tuesday presented himself before Senate leadership and members of the watchdog committee, hours after police raided his office in an attempt to arrest him and compel his appearance before committees he had previously snubbed.
The county boss said he met Senate leadership after skipping summons in line with a directive from the Council of Governors (CoG), which had raised concerns over alleged intimidation and extortion by some four members of the County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC).
He explained that his decision to go to Parliament was meant to demonstrate his willingness to engage with Senate committees.
“I was in my private office. Who would be at City Hall at 7pm? They were looking for me so that I could come to the Senate and I am here. I have brought myself,” said Governor Sakaja, who called for an amicable resolution to the ongoing standoff between the CoG and the Senate.
Nairobi City County Governor Johnson Sakaja when he appeared before the Senate’s County Public Investments Committee at Bunge Tower in Nairobi on July 21, 2025.
“I have no problem with the Senate. There is just an issue that needs to be resolved. I have nothing to run away from. I was aware they were looking for me, but I was not perturbed. We have been in politics for long, and what we saw yesterday was just theatrics and nothing else,” he added.
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The governor said his earlier failure to appear before CPAC was in line with the CoG directive, which cited concerns over alleged intimidation and extortion involving some committee members.
“When the CoG raised issues regarding that specific committee, we were guided that those concerns be resolved first. Accountability is important, but it must be undertaken in the right way,” he said.
The chairman of the Council of Governors and Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi on Tuesday described the attempt to arrest the Nairobi governor over failure to appear before CPAC as unwarranted and disproportionate.
While reiterating his commitment to accountability, Governor Sakaja said he was ready to appear before the committee once the underlying issues between the two institutions are addressed.
The developments follow a Monday incident in which police officers camped at City Hall in a bid to arrest the governor for failing to appear before the committee chaired by Moses Kajwang’.
Mr Sakaja, together with his Samburu counterpart Lati Lelelit, is wanted for contempt after failing to honour multiple summons by CPAC. Both had also been fined Sh500,000 each for ignoring the summons.
Speaking to the media on Monday evening, Nairobi Regional Police Commander Issa Mohamud said officers had been searching for the governor throughout the day without success.
“He was told to appear before the committee on Monday. He never honoured the summons.We are here to present the governor before the Senate. It is a legal obligation under the Constitution,” he said.
The CoG, while defending its members, argued that the dispute was not about one governor but a collective position taken by county chiefs in response to what it described as sustained cases of extortion, harassment, and intimidation by some committee members.
“This is a collective position of the Council arising from continuous extortion, unnecessary harassment, and intimidation by certain members of the committee,” the CoG chair said.
Council of Governors Chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi during a press briefing in Nairobi on October 22, 2025.
According to Mr Abdullahi, 29 governors had been summoned to appear before the committee, but only two attended and declined to proceed with the hearings in line with the council’s position.
He added that the council had unsuccessfully sought engagement with Senate leadership to resolve the dispute.
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“We have sought audience with the leadership of the House to resolve these issues, but no action has been taken,” he said.
He also questioned the use of police to enforce Senate summons, warning that it risks undermining the rule of law.
“We urge the Office of the Inspector General to establish the veracity of these matters to avoid a miscarriage of justice or being used to advance political and personal interests,” he said, calling for the immediate withdrawal of any warrants of arrest or coercive measures against governors pending resolution of the dispute.
Chairperson Senate County Public Accounts Committee Senator Moses Kajwang' during a session at the Bunge Tower, Nairobi.
On Monday, the Nairobi Regional Police Commander said the order to arrest the governor and present him before the Senate committee had been issued by Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja.
Concerns are also mounting over what many view as a troubling double standard in police conduct. Critics point to the contrast between the apparent hesitation to apprehend high-profile figures such as Governor Sakaja and the swift, often forceful action taken against ordinary citizens, as in the case of Albert Ojwang, who died in police custody under unclear circumstances.
Police spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga had not responded to questions from the Nation at the time of publication.
The CoG chairperson warned that pursuing arrests while allegations against committee members remain unresolved defeats the purpose of oversight and risks deepening mistrust between the Senate and county governments.
“The decision to pursue the arrest of governors while allegations against committee members remain unaddressed defeats the intent of oversight, deepens mistrust, and undermines the rule of law,” he said.
He maintained that governors remain committed to accountability and due process but oppose what they describe as selective enforcement.
“We remain committed to accountability, transparency, the rule of law, and due process as espoused in the Constitution,” Mr Abdullahi said.
He further criticised senators for invoking quasi-judicial authority while allegedly failing to uphold appropriate conduct.
“We are constantly reminded that the Senate has the powers of a High Court judge when summoning. Have you ever seen a judge behave the way some of these senators behave? If you want to be accorded the respect of a judge, you must behave accordingly,” he said.
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