Senator Omogeni cites weak MCA oversight amid Senate-governors feud
By Aloys Michael, February 11, 2026The escalating standoff between the Senate and the Council of Governors (CoG) over claimed extortion and intimidation has now drawn in Nyamira Senator Okong’o Omogeni, who has shed light on what he terms weak oversight by Members of County Assemblies (MCAs).
The dispute intensified after governors threatened to boycott Senate summons, accusing members of the County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) of extortion, harassment, and political witch-hunts when they appear to respond to audit queries.
The governors, currently meeting in Kilifi, have written to Senate Speaker Amason Kingi demanding a meeting where they will table names of senators they claim have demanded bribes to clear audit concerns.
“Funny enough, the majority of the senators that governors are complaining about are in ODM, and they keep invoking Baba’s name. Baba will be sad today to know that some of the extortionists are from his party,” Council of Governors’ Chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi said.
“We are very specific that CoG has no issue with the Senate; we have a problem with four senators, and they know themselves.”
“If you come with embarrassing responses, we will embarrass you. We will not bembeleza you,” Kajwang stated.
In an interview on a local TV station on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, Omogeni argued that the tension also exposes structural weaknesses in county-level oversight by MCAs, who are constitutionally mandated to check governors.
“Know, if I seem to be very vocal as an MCA, then you can pass the budget. But when it comes to procurement and all this, the governor will isolate my world; I will be left out of development. So we found that the MCA are slightly exposed,” he explained.
“They are slightly exposed in terms of having a confrontation with the government, because you risk being isolated. You know, if you have 47 wards, a governor can prioritise boreholes in the first 20, and you are what is left.”
Toothless bulldog?
According to Omogeni, this dynamic makes MCAs vulnerable to political retaliation, discouraging them from aggressively questioning governors over procurement and spending decisions.
“So they said, We are to come and do this gently with you. So a few of them, who normally come and attend our sessions, and we engage them. And this is better than because you shield us from being hit by our governors,” he said.
However, he also expressed sympathy for governors navigating politically charged oversight processes.
The senator argued that the broader debate should focus on strengthening devolution rather than personal political battles amid calls for stronger accountability.
“So I think as we debate defending devolution, because we should not be discussing two terms, he exists. But when we are talking about defending devolution, the challenges we have faced, we should look at what is happening in other universities,” he said.
“Governor, if you go to the US, if citizens want to withdraw from the government, you must go back to the views and conduct of the people who are appointed to that state. You saw what happened in California. It is a citizen. But in Kenya, service, Governor, even Nigeria.”