A new Senate report set to rank the performance of all 47 governors is expected to spark another clash between lawmakers and county chiefs, with senators saying the assessment will rely entirely on official financial records rather than public opinion. The report, which is due next week, will measure how counties have managed public resources and delivered on key financial responsibilities.
The planned scorecard is likely to reopen the long-running dispute between the Senate and governors over oversight, accountability and the management of county funds. Senators say the ranking is meant to provide Kenyans with an objective picture of how each county has performed using verified government data.
Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot said the report will be based on findings from independent state agencies instead of opinion polls or perception surveys that have often been used to rate governors.
“The Senate of the Republic of Kenya will actually issue a report on the performance of county governments that is scientific and led by actual reports from other agencies, not us as a House,” Cheruiyot said.
“It is what the Auditor General is saying. It is what the Controller of Budget is saying. It is what the National Treasury is saying about funds received by the various county governments. Therefore, nobody will accuse the Senate of favouring one county over another.”
Cheruiyot said the assessment will focus on measurable financial indicators drawn from the 2023-24 and 2024-25 financial years, allowing counties to be evaluated using the same standards.
Among the areas to be reviewed are pending bills, spending on development projects, expenditure on personal emoluments and other financial indicators that reflect how county governments have managed public resources.
“You can see how your governor has handled the issue of pending bills, whether they are declining or increasing, the amount spent on development, how much has gone to personal emoluments and other parameters that measure the performance of county governments,” Cheruiyot said.
He said the report marks a shift from rankings that have largely been based on public perception, arguing that the Senate's approach is backed by verifiable records from constitutional offices.
“That is an improvement from the very archaic reports that we get from newspapers, where you are told So-and-So is the best-performing governor without reference to any parameter,” he said.