NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 10 – County governors have formally requested urgent talks with the Senate leadership to ease rising tensions over parliamentary oversight, warning that the current climate could undermine collaboration between the two institutions responsible for safeguarding devolution.
The appeal, sent in a letter to Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, was issued by the Council of Governors (CoG), which called for immediate engagement with the Senate to address concerns over the conduct of some oversight committees.
“The purpose of this letter is twofold; to bring to your attention the Council of Governors’ concerns and resolutions thereof, and to request for an engagement with the leadership of the Senate,” said CoG Chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi.
The request follows a governors’ retreat themed: “Re-positioning the Council to effectively respond to the prevailing political environment while strengthening service delivery across counties.”
During the forum, the governors assessed county performance, refined priorities, and agreed on the need to strengthen engagement with the Senate, which they described as a key ally and an institution established to protect devolution.
While acknowledging the Senate’s constitutional authority to summon governors, the CoG raised concerns that some oversight committees’ conduct falls short of constitutional intent.
The governors specifically criticized the Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC), citing incidents of political witch-hunts, harassment and intimidation, continuous and escalating extortion and humiliation of governors during appearances.
“Governors will not appear before the CPAC until these concerns are addressed through a structured engagement between the leadership of the Senate and the Council of Governors,” Abdullahi stated.
The CoG also highlighted repeated summonses by the Senate County Public Investment Committee and Special Funds Committee, arguing that frequent appearances regarding county investments, special funds, municipalities, and hospitals were untenable.
“With 48 county governments, governors resolved that they will only appear once per audit cycle to respond comprehensively to committee queries,” the letter notes.
Abdullahi emphasized that the governors’ stance is not a rejection of Senate oversight. Instead, the CoG seeks a structured engagement framework to ensure that accountability is exercised in a manner that strengthens intergovernmental relations rather than straining them.
“The Council remains conscious and appreciative of the constitutional powers of the Senate and relevant court decisions,” Abdullahi added.
