Governors demand immediate withdrawal of arrest orders against them
By Mustafa Juma, March 31, 2026The Council of Governors (CoG) has demanded the immediate withdrawal of warrants of arrest issued against county chiefs, escalating a standoff with the Senate over accountability proceedings.
Speaking in Nairobi on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, CoG Chair Ahmed Abdullahi condemned what he described as the “unwarranted use of force” by the office of the Inspector General of Police in the attempted arrest of Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja.
The dramatic police operation at City Hall on Monday evening, March 30, 2026, which failed to apprehend Sakaja, has now triggered a broader pushback from governors, who insist the matter is collective rather than individual.
Abdullahi said the non-appearance of governors before the Senate’s County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) was a unified decision taken by the council in protest over the conduct of certain senators.
“The council of governors notes with utmost concern the actions by the office of the inspector general of police in what appears to be an unwarranted exercise of force in the attempt to arrest Nairobi governor Johnson Sakaja. This follows his failure to appear before the Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) pursuant to a resolution made collectively by the council over the conduct of specific senators in the captioned committee,” he said.
Extortion and harassment of governors
He accused four unnamed members of the committee of engaging in “continuous extortion, unnecessary harassment, and intimidation”, claims that have not yet been independently verified.
“We state in the strongest terms possible that this matter is not a personal issue concerning one governor but a collective decision made by the council of governors following continuous extortion, unnecessary harassment, and intimidation by four members of the said committee,” Governor Abdullahi noted.
The Senate had summoned multiple governors to appear before CPAC to respond to audit queries, but attendance was minimal.
According to Abdullahi, 29 governors had been invited to appear, with only two showing up, and even then, declining to proceed with substantive engagement in line with the council’s resolution.
Suspension of Senate engagement
The CoG maintains that any engagement with the Senate committee should be suspended until grievances over the conduct of some lawmakers are addressed.
The governors have strongly opposed the move to pursue arrest warrants against those who failed to appear, arguing that such action undermines ongoing efforts to resolve the dispute through dialogue.
“It is regrettable to single out a few governors for coercive action in a matter that remains unresolved between the Senate and the Council of Governors,” Abdullahi said.
He warned that enforcing arrests under the current circumstances would “defeat the intent of oversight, deepen mistrust, and undermine the rule of law.”
The CoG has also called on the National Police Service, led by Inspector General Douglas Kanja, to exercise restraint and verify facts before executing any arrest orders.
Abdullahi cautioned against actions that could be perceived as political persecution, or that might stall justice rather than advance accountability.
The governors say they have unsuccessfully sought an audience with Senate leadership to resolve the impasse, urging renewed efforts to find a political and institutional solution.
They are now demanding that all coercive measures, including any arrest warrants, be suspended pending the outcome of those discussions.
“We wish to state that yesterday, 29 governors were summoned by CPAC. Only two appeared, and those two declined to proceed with substantive engagement in line with the council’s resolution position pending resolution of key issues between the council and Senate leadership, including the conduct of some of the committee members,” he said.
“It is on this premise that we demand the immediate withdrawal of the alleged warrants of arrests, even though I have not seen any, or any coercive measures against the governors, pending the determination of this matter.”
Sakaja’s reaction
This comes hours after Sakaja pushed back against a move by the Kenya Police Service to deploy officers for his arrest, terming the action “unwarranted and unnecessary” and insisting the dispute in question is institutional, not personal.
In a statement on Monday, March 30, 2026, Sakaja said the arrest order, arising from his failure to appear before a Senate watchdog committee, fails to take into account an ongoing standoff between the Council of Governors and the Senate of Kenya.
“The issue at hand is not a personal matter concerning Governor Sakaja Johnson, but one that is being handled collectively by the Council of Governors,” the statement read.
Sakaja defended his absence, saying he acted on guidance from the Council of Governors, which advised members not to appear before the specific Senate committee until broader concerns are resolved.
He argued that disputes between governors and senators “should be addressed institutionally… not through actions targeting an individual governor.”
He, however, drove himself to the Senate building on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.