Senators give governors 30-day ultimatum or risk arrests
By Kenneth Mwenda, April 25, 2026Senators issued governors a firm 30-day ultimatum on Saturday, April 25, 2026, and warned that those who continue to ignore audit summons will face arrest and prosecution.
The Senate Liaison Committee, currently on a working retreat in Mombasa, challenged county bosses to produce evidence of any corruption or extortion in the Senate. Lawmakers accused some governors of using these claims as a tactic to avoid answering serious audit queries.
Meru Senator Kathuri Murungi, who chairs the Liaison Committee, spoke without hesitation.
“Senators are free to ask questions the way they want. If they see that you bought curtains worth Ksh70 million, they must ask which type of curtains. If you did a housewarming using Ksh5 million. Appearing before committees is not an option, even if they protest a million times,” he said.
Murungi made it clear that governors cannot dodge accountability. He reminded them that the Senate increased county allocations and now expects full transparency on how the money is spent.
Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang’, chairperson of the County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC), spelled out the timeline. The Senate adopted the CPAC report and its recommendations on March 31, 2026.
“After we made a report and recommendations to the House which were adopted on March 31, 2026, we have 30 days to follow up on implementation,” Kajwang’ said.
He continued:
“After 30 days, we shall proceed to the next level of forwarding files to the EACC, DCI, calling DPP to commence prosecution on those governors in contempt of Parliament and also asking Police IG to produce those governors who are adamant. The law is clear, it has not changed.”
Senators stressed they hold no personal grudges against any governor. They said they simply carry out their constitutional duty under Article 125, which empowers Parliament to summon people and demand answers on public spending.
Oversight row turns bitter
The clash escalated after the Council of Governors accused certain senators of extortion and harassment. Governors threatened to skip CPAC appearances. Senators rejected the accusations and demanded concrete proof instead of blanket claims.
This is not an empty threat. In March this year, the CPAC fined Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja Ksh500,000 and ordered police to arrest him after he ignored multiple summons over county expenditure queries. Similar warnings now hang over other governors who have failed to appear.
At least 29 governors face summons over Auditor-General reports that flag billions of shillings in questionable county spending. Some governors obtained a temporary High Court order in early April 2026 to pause enforcement, but senators insist they will resume action once the legal issues are settled.
The Liaison Committee coordinates all Senate standing committees. Its members made it clear they will not allow county leaders to undermine parliamentary oversight. Kathuri Murungi told the governors directly that they must appear when called. He said the Senate will stand firm on this matter without exception.
Tensions between the Senate and county governments have simmered since devolution started in 2013. Senators argue that strong oversight protects taxpayers’ money. Governors often complain that the process targets them unfairly.
As the 30-day countdown begins, pressure builds on the county chiefs. Those who defy the next summons risk having their files sent to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Police may also be called in to produce defiant governors in Parliament.
Lawmakers insist this is about accountability, not politics. They say public funds allocated to counties run into hundreds of billions of shillings every year, and citizens deserve to know how leaders spend that money.
The ball now sits firmly in the governors’ court. They must either present evidence to support their corruption claims or prepare to face the Senate within the next 30 days.