The velvet glove has been removed. In a stark warning echoing through the halls of Bunge Tower, Inspector General Douglas Kanja has signaled the end of impunity for governors who treat Senate oversight as optional, pledging immediate arrests for those who defy summons.

The standoff between the Council of Governors (CoG) and the Senate has escalated from a political skirmish into a full-blown constitutional crisis. With county chiefs threatening a total boycott of the County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) due to alleged harassment, the oversight mechanism of the state appeared to be teetering on the brink of collapse. Inspector General Kanja’s intervention, however, has decisively tipped the scales. By affirming that the National Police Service will enforce the law without fear or favor, he has stripped the "rogue" governors of their perceived immunity.

The Constitution is Non-Negotiable

Appearing before the CPAC on Thursday, Kanja wasted no words in outlining his stance. "I am ready to arrest and present governors who fail to honour summonses," he declared, dismantling the notion that political office offers protection from accountability. His statement comes as a direct rebuttal to the CoGs resolution to cease cooperation with the Senate, a move Speaker Amason Kingi has already dismissed as unconstitutional.

The friction centers on allegations by governors that four specific senators have turned oversight proceedings into avenues for extortion and political witch-hunts. While these claims are serious, the refusal to appear before the Senate—the primary custodian of devolution and county accountability—threatens the very fabric of Kenya’s governance structure. Kanja’s pledge ensures that the summonses remain commands, not requests.

• Security Guarantee: Beyond the threat of arrest, the IG committed to providing robust security during committee sittings and site visits, ensuring that the work of the people is not disrupted by hired goons or orchestrated chaos.
• The Senate’s Mandate: CPAC Chair Moses Kajwang’ welcomed the IG’s commitment, noting that the "little foxes" ruining the vineyard of devolution must be caught. The committee maintains that accountability is not a favor granted by governors but a requirement of the law.

A Precedent for Accountability

This development sends a chilling message to public officers across the board: the era of treating parliamentary summons with disdain is over. The image of a sitting governor being escorted by police to answer for the use of public funds would be a watershed moment for Kenya’s fight against graft.

As the political temperature rises, the National Police Service has positioned itself as the enforcer of the constitutional order. For the governors now contemplating their next move, the choice is binary: appear voluntarily and answer the tough questions, or arrive in the back of a police cruiser. The shield of political bluster has been shattered.