Governors Suspend Senate Appearances Over Intimidation Claims

The Council of Governors (CoG) has formally written to Senate Speaker Amason Kingi seeking urgent engagement over what it describes as escalating harassment and intimidation of governors during appearances before key Senate oversight committees.

In a letter dated February 9, 2026, CoG Chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi raised concerns about the conduct of certain senators during sessions of the Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) and the Senate County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee.

The governors now say they will suspend appearances before CPAC until their grievances are addressed.

Addressed to the Speaker in his capacity as Head of the Senate and Chair of the Powers and Privileges Committee, the letter follows a recent CoG retreat themed: “Re-positioning the Council to effectively respond to the prevailing Political Environment while strengthening service delivery across counties.”

According to the CoG, the retreat sought to evaluate performance, refine priorities for the remainder of the term, and reinforce strategic engagement with key stakeholders, particularly the Senate, which is constitutionally mandated to protect devolution.

“During the retreat, the Council built consensus on key priorities affecting counties, including the need to strengthen engagement with the Senate, one of our greatest allies and an institution established to protect devolution,” the letter reads.

Governors Decry Conduct of CPAC

However, the tone shifts sharply when addressing the County Public Accounts Committee.

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The Council expressed “great concern over the continuous and escalating extortion, political witch-hunt, harassment, intimidation and humiliation of Excellency Governors by certain Senators” during CPAC sessions.

As a result, governors resolved that they will not appear before the committee until there is a structured engagement between the Senate leadership and the Council of Governors to address the concerns raised.

While acknowledging the constitutional authority of the Senate to summon governors and referencing court decisions affirming that power, the Council argues that the manner in which oversight is currently conducted “falls short of the constitutional intent and aspirations on oversight.”

Concerns Over Frequent Summons on Investments

The governors also took issue with the frequency of appearances before the Senate County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee.

According to the letter, governors are often required to appear multiple times in a year to discuss investment issues involving counties, municipalities, and individual hospitals- a situation the Council described as “not tenable.”

In response, governors resolved that they will only appear once per audit cycle to comprehensively respond to queries before the committee.

Push for Clear Oversight Framework

The Council’s letter outlines two main objectives: to formally communicate the concerns and resolutions of the governors, and to request an urgent meeting with the Senate leadership to develop a clear engagement framework with the oversight committees.

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“The purpose of this letter, therefore, is twofold… to request an engagement with the leadership of the Senate at the earliest opportunity to address the concerns raised with a view to develop an engagement framework with these critical Senate oversight Committees,” the letter states.

The standoff sets the stage for renewed debate over the delicate balance between Senate oversight powers and the autonomy of county governments.

As tensions simmer, the proposed engagement between the two institutions could prove pivotal in redefining how accountability mechanisms function within Kenya’s devolved system.

The letter was copied to all 47 governors under the CoG banner of “48 Governments, 1 Nation.”

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