The simmering cold war between Kenya's county and national legislatures has turned nuclear. In an unprecedented move, the Council of Governors (CoG) has publicly named Senators Edwin Sifuna (Nairobi), Moses Kajwang (Homa Bay), Samson Cherargei (Nandi), and Johnes Mwaruma (Taita Taveta) as the architects of a sinister extortion ring. The CoG alleges that these Senators are using their oversight powers not to protect public funds, but to shake down Governors for bribes.

The accusation, delivered with blistering fury by CoG Chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi, claims that the Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) has been weaponized. Governors appearing before the committee are allegedly subjected to intimidation, harassment, and political witch-hunts unless they "buy peace." The CoG has now drawn a line in the sand, declaring a total boycott of Senate summons until these four Senators are removed from oversight committees.

"The Cartel in the Senate"

\"The Council demands the removal of the four named Senators... as a prerequisite to restoring confidence,\" the CoG statement read. The Governors describe a mafia-like operation where oversight sessions are turned into theaters of humiliation for those who refuse to pay up. Moses Kajwang, the CPAC Chairperson, is accused of leading this "cartel," with Sifuna and Cherargei acting as aggressive enforcers who bully county chiefs into submission.

The allegations detail a pattern where Senators demand meetings with Governors before official sessions—meetings where the alleged extortion takes place. "If you refuse to comply, the session becomes a mock grilling designed to embarrass you," one Governor revealed anonymously. This breakdown in trust threatens to paralyze the oversight of billions of shillings in county funds.

• The Accused: Senators Moses Kajwang (Chair), Edwin Sifuna, Samson Cherargei, and Johnes Mwaruma.
• The Charge: Extortion, harassment, and political intimidation under the guise of parliamentary oversight.
• The Ultimatum: No Governor will appear before the CPAC until the named Senators are ejected.

A Constitutional Crisis?

The Senate has hit back, challenging the Governors to provide evidence. Senator Kajwang dismissed the claims as the cries of corrupt officials fleeing accountability. "If your audit reports reveal theft, we will not protect you," Kajwang retorted. However, the specificity of the CoG's accusations suggests they are prepared to go to war.

This standoff leaves the Kenyan public in a precarious position. With the two levels of government at each other's throats, the true oversight of public resources is suspended in limbo. As accusations fly, the only certainty is that the relationship between the Senate and the Counties is broken, perhaps irreparably.