A constitutional crisis is brewing as the Council of Governors (CoG) officially resolves to boycott Senate summons, accusing a Senate watchdog committee of turning oversight into a "marketplace" for extortion and bribery.

The war between Kenya’s devolved units and the Senate has reached a fever pitch. In a move that threatens to paralyze the oversight of billions of shillings in county funds, the Council of Governors has declared a total boycott of the Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC). The allegation? That the committee, meant to be the guardian of the public purse, has transformed into an extortion ring.

The standoff crystallized during a retreat in Kilifi, where over 30 governors resolved to snub the committee chaired by Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang. They allege that certain senators are demanding bribes—figures as high as KES 150 million have been whispered—to "clear" governors of audit queries. "Soko huru" (free market) is the derisive term President Ruto himself used to describe the Senate proceedings, lending presidential weight to the governors' claims.

The Accusations

The CoG’s statement was blistering. It cited "continuous and escalating extortion, political witch-hunt, harassment, intimidation and humiliation." They have demanded the removal of four specific senators from the committee before they resume engagement. This is unprecedented. Never before has the collective body of county bosses so openly challenged the legitimacy of the Senate's oversight mechanism.

“We will not be part of a charade where accountability is auctioned to the highest bidder,” a source within the CoG stated. The governors argue that the summonses are often frivolous, frequent, and designed solely to create opportunities for rent-seeking.

The Senate Strikes Back

Senate Speaker Amason Kingi has dismissed the boycott as unconstitutional. "Governors cannot choose their judges," he warned, reminding them that the Senate has the powers of the High Court to compel attendance. Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot echoed this, stating that accountability is not optional and that no one is above scrutiny.

• Conflict: CoG vs Senate CPAC
• Allegation: Senators demanding bribes/extortion
• Action: Governors suspending appearances
• Key Figures: Moses Kajwang (CPAC Chair), Ahmed Abdullahi (CoG Chair), Amason Kingi (Speaker)

What’s at Stake?

Caught in the middle is the Kenyan taxpayer. If governors refuse to account for funds, and the Senate refuses to reform its committees, the mechanism of checks and balances collapses. The Auditor General’s reports on county spending will remain gathering dust, and the truth about how trillions of shillings are spent will remain buried in political mudslinging.

Speaker Kingi has invited the CoG for talks on February 26, but the mood is toxic. Unless a truce is brokered that addresses both the governors' dignity and the Senate's integrity, devolution itself risks being held hostage by this clash of egos.