County governors have declared they will not appear before the Senate’s County Public Accounts Committee, deepening an ongoing dispute over oversight of county finances and setting the stage for a prolonged confrontation between the two levels of leadership.
The Council of Governors said it will maintain its position despite a directive from Senate Speaker Amason Kingi requiring all governors to attend sessions of the County Public Accounts Committee to answer queries on public spending.
The disagreement unfolded during a Senate retreat in Naivasha, where sharp exchanges exposed the widening rift between the two sides.
At the centre of the dispute is the County Public Accounts Committee led by Moses Kajwang. Governors have declined to present themselves before the committee until action is taken against four senators they accuse of extortion and intimidation.
They insist their concerns must be addressed before any further engagement with the committee.
In a letter addressed to the Speaker, Council of Governors chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi said county chiefs are ready to continue appearing before other Senate committees, but will boycott the Public Accounts Committee until the matter is resolved.
“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 planned meeting between Senate leaders and the Council of Governors failed to take place after Amason Kingi cancelled it, saying the boycott went against the conditions that had been set for dialogue.
“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 faulted the governors for what he described as an attempt to avoid scrutiny, even as they continue to seek more funding from the Senate.
He noted that the Senate had backed counties in securing equitable revenue, including Sh415 billion in the last financial year, and said oversight on how that money is spent cannot be ignored.
“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 turned attention to attendance within the Senate itself, disclosing that 48 sittings had been adjourned over 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 delivered during the Senate retreat in Naivasha, where both camps stood firm on their positions.
The deadlock now leaves the oversight process in uncertainty, with neither the governors nor the Senate showing signs of retreat in a dispute that continues to test relations between county governments and the upper House.
