In a blistering escalation of Kenya’s devolution war, the Council of Governors (CoG) has gone nuclear — publicly naming four Senators it brands as the ringleaders of a shameless extortion racket, political witch-hunts, intimidation, and outright harassment during critical Senate oversight sessions.
Led by Chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi (Wajir Governor), the CoG dropped the names in a fiery resolution delivered straight to Senate Speaker Amason Kingi on Wednesday:
– Moses Kajwang’ (Homa Bay) — CPAC Chairperson
– Edwin Sifuna (Nairobi)
– Samson Cherargei (Nandi)
– Johnes Mwaruma (Taita Taveta) — CPAC Vice-Chairperson
“For the avoidance of doubt, these Senators have been consistently cited as notorious in these disgraceful practices,” the resolution thundered.
The governors insist the Senate’s County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) — meant to uphold accountability under Article 96 of the Constitution — has been weaponized into a shakedown operation. They accuse the quartet of turning audit queries into opportunities for personal gain, political persecution, and public humiliation of county bosses.
The ultimatum is crystal clear and immediate:
– No governor will appear before CPAC until the mess is cleaned up.
– The four named Senators must be booted from the committee to restore “confidence, integrity, and fairness.”
– Senate and CoG leadership must convene an urgent structured forum to hammer out transparent rules, safeguards against extortion, and guarantees of ethical oversight.
The CoG doubled down: “We remain fully committed to accountability and prudent use of public funds — but oversight must be lawful, ethical, and free from abuse of office.”
This dramatic showdown follows Senate Speaker Kingi’s fierce rebuttal just 24 hours earlier, where he slammed the governors’ earlier (unnamed) accusations as “unsubstantiated,” dangerous to constitutional oversight, and pure “public mudslinging” without evidence. He warned that boycotts could derail timelines and cripple accountability for county spending.
Now the gloves are off. With specific names on the table and appearances frozen, the standoff threatens to plunge national-county relations into crisis — just as devolution hangs in the balance.
Will the Senate cave to the governors’ demands? Or will this spark a full-blown constitutional showdown?
The nation watches. Updates to follow as the drama unfolds.