The Council of Governors (CoG) has strongly condemned what it describes as “unwarranted and disproportionate” attempts by the police to arrest governors following their non-appearance before the Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC).
The council says the move, which included the attempted arrest of Nairobi Governor Sakaja Johnson, undermines the intent of oversight and is part of a broader political standoff.
Speaking to the press on Tuesday, CoG Chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi said, “This matter is not a personal issue concerning one governor, but a collective decision made by the Council of Governors following continuous extortion, unnecessary harassment and intimidation by four members of the said committee.”
He added that while 29 governors were summoned by CPAC yesterday, only two appeared, and both declined to proceed with substantive engagement pending resolution of issues with the Senate leadership, including the conduct of committee members.
“It is on this premise that we demand the immediate withdrawal of the alleged warrants of arrests, if any,” Abdullahi said.
The council emphasized that 43 of the 47 governors had appended their signatures to a memo raising concerns about alleged harassment and intimidation at Senate committees, noting that the issues are serious and cannot be taken lightly.
“We have raised serious issues. As a minimum, it’s incumbent on the leadership to establish the veracity of matters to avoid miscarriage of justice or to be used to perpetuate political and personal interests,” Abdullahi stated.
The CoG chair insisted that governors would continue engaging constructively with other parliamentary committees while avoiding CPAC until the matter is resolved.
Council vice chairperson Muthomi Njuki reiterated the collective position of the council, stressing that the boycott is not about refusing oversight but ensuring meaningful engagement.
“How on earth would it have been possible for the Senate committee, even if they worked for 24 hours, to have a meaningful engagement with 29 governors on the same day?” Njuki asked.
He also criticized the insistence by some senators on using coercive measures, saying, “You can take the donkey to the river, but you can never force it to drink. Their intentions are about flexing muscles, not meaningful oversight.”
Both Abdullahi and Njuki urged the Senate leadership to address the council’s concerns and emphasized that the governors remain committed to constructive dialogue and transparency.
“Until we have an audience with the Speaker and the Senate leadership to settle this matter, we will continue staying away from the super committee, but will appear before all other committees of both the National Assembly and Senate,” Njuki said.
