Governors vow to boycott Senate accounts committee summons in escalating standoff

The decision defies Senate Speaker Amason Kingi’s directive requiring all governors to appear before the committee to account for public spending.

The standoff played out during a Senate retreat in Naivasha, where both sides maintained hardline positions following heated exchanges.

The impasse centres on the County Public Accounts Committee chaired by Moses Kajwang. Governors have refused to appear before the committee until the Senate takes action against four senators accused of extortion and intimidation.

In a letter to the Speaker, Council of Governors chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi stated that governors will continue appearing before other Senate committees, but will boycott the Public Accounts Committee until their concerns are addressed.

“We have no problem being oversighted by the Senate but it boils down to conduct. It is an issue that I would not want to get into here but it is a live situation,” stated Ahmed Abdullahi, Council of Governors Chair.

A meeting scheduled between the Council of Governors and Senate leadership was cancelled by Amason Kingi, who cited the boycott as a breach of conditions set for engagement.

“The proposed engagement were pegged on the express condition that governors invited by the said committees would continue to appear and honour summons when required,” stated Amason Kingi, Senate Speaker.

Kingi accused governors of undermining transparency and accountability in the use of public funds, despite the Senate’s role in securing equitable revenue allocations to counties, including Ksh.415 billion in the last financial year.

“They have been persistent to seek Senate’s support to seek enhanced revenue but when it comes to equitable share while resisting oversight on expenditure, the Senate leadership is open for engagement but will firmly resist any effort to circumvent constitutional oversight,” stated Amason Kingi, Senate Speaker.

The Speaker also raised concern over absenteeism among senators, revealing that 48 Senate sittings had been adjourned in the past year due to lack of quorum.

“The adjournment of 48 meetings for lack of quorum must be of great concern to us. Legislative responsibility demands presence, preparedness and prioritisation,” stated Amason Kingi, Senate Speaker.

The remarks were made during the Senate retreat in Naivasha.

The standoff now raises questions over who will back down first in the escalating dispute between governors and senators, a power struggle that appears to lack a clear resolution framework.