The growing dispute between the Senate and the Council of Governors took a new turn on Thursday after Senate Speaker Amason Kingi rejected a threat by Governors to boycott Senate committee summons, saying such a move is unacceptable and against the Constitution.
He made it clear that Governors must appear before Senate committees whenever they are required to do so.
The tension increased when Senators who had been accused of extortion and harassment shifted their focus to the Governors who have refused to honor summons.
They demanded that Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja take action against Governors who ignore parliamentary orders.
The matter came up as the IG appeared before the committee to explain what steps could be taken against Governors who fail to appear, including a recent decision by about 40 Governors to stay away from the sessions completely.
Committee Chairperson Moses Kajwang stated that no Governor is above the law and that refusal to appear before Parliament could lead to arrest.
He said that some Governors had openly declared they would not present themselves before Senate committees, which he described as disrespect to constitutional oversight.
He added that the police should act when summoned individuals ignore lawful instructions.
IG Kanja supported this position by saying that the police service is ready to carry out arrests if directed by the committee and if Governors continue to refuse to comply with summons.
He noted that the law provides clear procedures for dealing with such cases and that the police would act within those limits.
Earlier, the Council of Governors had accused several Senators of using intimidation and seeking bribes during committee appearances.
Among those named were Samson Cherargei, Edwin Sifuna, and Johnes Mwaruma. The Senators strongly denied the accusations and said the claims were meant to distract from accountability issues facing county leaders.
They insisted that Governors must be questioned on the use of public funds and other county matters.
During the heated exchange, Kajwang used strong language to describe what he called corruption and bad leadership in some counties.
He said there were individuals within county governments and other public offices who were damaging development efforts and should be exposed.
Cherargei also criticized Governors who walked out of committee sessions, mentioning Muthomi Njuki as one of those who left when the discussions became intense.
In his address to the House, Speaker Kingi confirmed that the Senate had received a formal complaint letter from the Council of Governors.
However, he said the Governors’ protest and their proposal to appear only once per audit cycle could not be accepted. He explained that the Constitution gives the Senate full authority to exercise oversight whenever it finds it necessary, and no group has the right to limit that role.
Although Kingi agreed to hold talks with the Governors later this month, he set a firm condition before any meeting can take place. He said all Governors invited or summoned by Senate committees must appear without fail.
If they refuse, the law will take its course. His message was clear that dialogue is welcome, but respect for the Constitution and parliamentary authority must come first.
