Laikipia Governor Joshua Wakahora Irungu has asked the Senate to direct the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to withdraw a circular requiring the County Government of Laikipia to construct official residences for the Governor and Deputy Governor.

Appearing before the Senate’s County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at Parliament Buildings, Governor Irungu strongly opposed the SRC directive, arguing that it was morally and economically unjustifiable given the pressing needs facing residents of the county.

The governor was defending Laikipia County’s revenue and expenditure for the 2024/25 financial year when the issue arose. He questioned the SRC’s decision to cap the cost of constructing governors’ residences at Ksh50 million, saying the amount was not only unrealistic but would also place an unnecessary burden on county finances.

“Beyond the construction, the cost of maintaining such facilities is huge. There is a moral aspect to this. How do I spend Ksh50 million to build a mansion while women in some parts of Laikipia walk up to 20 kilometres to access water? How can I construct a mansion when women are giving birth in the bush?” Irungu asked.

He further argued that building an official residence would come with additional costs, including guest houses, landscaping, security, and domestic staff, further straining county resources. Irungu made it clear that Laikipia County has no plans to build the residences.

However, Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu had raised the issue in her audit report, noting that Laikipia County had neither constructed nor budgeted for official residences for the governor and deputy governor. According to her, this was contrary to an SRC circular dated May 20, 2019, which required all counties to commission official residences for governors, deputy governors, and county assembly speakers by June 30, 2022.

The auditor-general also observed that, in the absence of official residences, the governor and deputy governor were each receiving a monthly house allowance of Ksh300,000, amounting to Ksh3.6 million annually, an arrangement she described as irregular and inconsistent with SRC guidelines.

Defending the county’s position, Governor Irungu maintained that counties should be allowed to determine their own development priorities. His remarks sparked debate among members of the committee, including Senators Enock Wambua and Okongo Omogeni, who pointed out that continued payment of housing allowances was also costly and questioned why the governor was reluctant to comply with SRC regulations.

However, the senators agreed with Irungu that if counties were unwilling to construct official residences, the SRC should consider withdrawing the circular altogether. The CPAC, chaired by Vice Chairperson Johnes Mwaruma, resolved that the matter be referred to the full Senate for debate and final determination.

Governor Irungu also said he would present the issue to the Council of Governors for consideration, seeking a collective position on the SRC directive.