NAIROBI, Kenya — Senate Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) chairperson Moses Kajwang has rejected threats by governors to boycott parliamentary oversight hearings, warning that county leaders cannot set conditions for their own accountability.
In a statement issued on Monday, Kajwang, who is also the Homa Bay Senator, described a resolution by the Council of Governors (CoG) as an attempt to evade scrutiny over alleged mismanagement of public funds.
“I have noted with grave concern a resolution made this afternoon by the Council of Governors in Kilifi. In their statement, they imply they will only appear before Senate oversight committees under their terms,” Kajwang said.
“They want to choose who sits in the committees, when they should appear, and how they should be questioned. I have never seen a case where suspects demand to empanel the bench,” he added.
Kajwang dismissed claims by governors that they face harassment, intimidation, and extortion during hearings, saying the allegations were unsupported by evidence and appeared aimed at weakening scrutiny.
“Kenyans are not foolish. They have seen the plunder in counties, and they can tell that governors are bullying the Senate to stop hard questions,” he said.
He pointed to Auditor-General reports and media investigations that have exposed irregular spending and weak controls in several counties.
The CPAC chair cited Articles 229 and 125 of the Constitution, which empower Parliament to review audit reports and summon any person to give evidence.
“Accountability is not a favour to the Senate. It is a constitutional duty owed to the public,” Kajwang said.
He invited governors to formally submit any evidence of alleged misconduct by senators to relevant institutions but insisted that oversight hearings would continue.
“In the meantime, the Senate will continue doing what Kenyans elected us to do. We will interrogate, without mercy, where public resources have been pilfered,” he said.
Governors Dig In
Speaking in Kilifi, CoG chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi said governors would not appear before the committee chaired by Kajwang until their concerns are addressed through structured engagement with Senate leadership.
“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,” Abdullahi said.
He accused some senators of turning oversight hearings into political theatre, claiming governors are deliberately kept waiting for hours and pressured for political or personal gain.
Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki said the standoff was not with the Senate as an institution but with what he described as the conduct of four CPAC members.
“We have no issue with the Senate. Our problem is with four senators in CPAC. They know themselves,” Njuki said.
Governors also resolved to limit appearances before the Senate County Public Investments Committee (CPIC) to once per audit cycle, citing what Abdullahi termed repetitive and excessive summons on individual projects.
He further raised concerns about procedural conduct, including the use of bloggers to cover committee proceedings instead of official parliamentary communication channels, and alleged intimidation of auditors.
“At times, auditors are intimidated to say things that contradict the Auditor-General’s report,” Abdullahi said.
The CoG warned that unless the dispute is resolved, governors may seek judicial interpretation of the scope of Senate oversight.
Audit Timelines Under Pressure
The Senate CPAC is currently reviewing Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu’s reports on county executives’ and assemblies’ financial statements for the year ending June 30, 2025.
The committee is also examining county revenue fund reports across all 47 counties. Hearings were scheduled from January 26 to March 16, 2026, with courts directing the Senate to conclude deliberations by March 31.
The tight timelines follow a High Court ruling in October 2024 by Justice Jairus Ngaah, which barred Parliament and county assemblies from considering audit reports more than three months after tabling.
