Kajwang differs with Raila over stance on Senate oversight role on county govts
By Mabonga Makhanu, August 19, 2025Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang has openly disagreed with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s recent position that governors should only be accountable to Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) and not be summoned by the Senate.
Speaking during a Public Accounts Committee session in the Senate on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, Kajwang maintained that the Senate has a clear constitutional mandate to summon governors, and this role does not undermine or replace the oversight powers of county assemblies.
“Those who are saying governors should appear before the county assembly are not wrong; they are only wrong to the extent that should be the final point of oversight, their secondary oversight that parliament exercises, and we are doing that pursuant to the constitution,” Kajwang said.
He clarified that county assemblies remain the primary oversight authority over county governments, dealing directly with functions such as budgets, appointments, and integrated development plans.
However, Kajwang emphasised that the Senate plays a critical secondary oversight role to ensure accountability beyond the county level, especially in the use of public funds.
“We are in no way taking away the powers and duties of the county assembly. The county assembly remains the primary overseer, and on no day will the senate veer into that terrain. When it comes to budgets, that is exclusively the role of the county assembly,” Kajwang said.
According to the senator, it would be misleading to suggest that the oversight process ends at the county assembly. He pointed out that the Senate’s responsibility is anchored in the Constitution, which grants it the authority to summon any person, including governors, whenever necessary.
Raila’s demand
This comes after Raila Odinga, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader, consistently criticised the Senate’s practice of summoning governors to appear before its committees, arguing that it undermines devolution and disrupts county operations.
Speaking at the 2025 Devolution Conference in Homa Bay on August 14, 2025, he emphasised that oversight of county governments is the constitutional mandate of county assemblies, not the Senate.
He described the summons as a waste of time and resources.