Senate Speaker Amason Kingi at the Senate.
Reconciliation talks between governors and senators collapsed at the last minute yesterday after Senate Speaker Amason Kingi called off a high-stakes meeting that had been scheduled to defuse escalating tensions over Senate oversight.
The meeting had been convened following complaints by the Council of Governors (CoG) that some Senate committees were subjecting county bosses to harassment during accountability hearings.
Two weeks ago, governors formally protested what they termed intimidation, bribery, and unfair treatment by the Senate Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) and the Senate County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee.
However, in a letter dated February 25, Speaker Kingi pulled the plug on the talks, citing the failure of governors to honour summonses to appear before the committees.
“Most governors who have been invited to appear before the committees have failed to do so, despite the provisions of Article 125 of the Constitution, thus hampering the oversight mandate of the Senate as provided under Article 96 of the Constitution.
“In the circumstances, the condition stipulated in the earlier letter having remained unfulfilled, and taking into account the gravity of the prevailing situation, the meeting scheduled for Thursday, February 26, 2026, is hereby deferred until such time as the governors shall, in accordance with the constitutional provisions on legislative oversight, appear before the respective committees when invited or summoned to do so,” Mr Kingi wrote.
The Speaker’s decision triggered an emergency meeting of the Council of Governors. Instead of softening their position, the governors hardened their stance, vowing not to appear before CPAC, chaired by Senator Moses Kajwang’.
Chairperson Senate County Public Accounts Committee Senator Moses Kajwang' during a session at the Bunge Tower, Nairobi.
The county bosses were expected on Thursday evening to officially communicate their stand to Speaker Kingi.
A source who attended the closed-door meeting said the county bosses resolved to boycott the committee, accusing it of acting in bad faith.
“It was resolved that there is a need for the Council to stand its ground and not appear before a rogue committee that is offensive to us. The manner in which the Senate CPAC handles its affairs is demeaning, and governors are mistreated when they make an appearance. The Speaker of the Senate must rein in the committee that has gone rogue,” said one governor.
The governors, however, signalled willingness to continue cooperating with other Senate oversight teams.
“As accountable and transparent governors, we will appear before all other committees except CPAC. The Senate has refused to listen to the Council on the concerns raised, despite very serious issues touching on the integrity of some senators,” the governors added.
Last week, CoG chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi wrote to the Speaker naming four senators whom the governors want removed from CPAC over alleged extortion. In the letter, he accused the lawmakers of being notorious for extortion, political witch-hunts, intimidation, and harassment of governors during committee sittings.
Senators during a past special sitting at the Senate, Parliament buildings in Nairobi County.
The standoff has, however, exposed cracks within the governors’ ranks. Patrick Ntutu (Narok), Kimani Wamatangi (Kiambu), and Julius Malombe (Kitui) have already appeared before CPAC, maintaining that accountability is an individual responsibility, not a collective one.
Yesterday, governors clarified that their resolution to boycott the Mr Kajwang’-led committee does not amount to evading accountability or fiduciary responsibility, but is instead a protest against what they describe as abuse of oversight powers.
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