The war of words between the Senate and the Council of Governors (CoG) has escalated into a full-blown constitutional standoff. Homa Bay Senator and CPAC Chair Moses Kajwang has fired back at county bosses, dismissing their threats to boycott oversight hearings as a futile attempt to evade accountability for billions of shillings in public funds.

Kajwang’s retort comes after the CoG, led by Chairman Ahmed Abdullahi, accused Senate committees of "harassment, extortion, and political witch-hunts." The governors resolved to snub summonses until the alleged intimidation stops. But speaking from the floor of the Senate, Kajwang framed the governors` move not as a defense of dignity, but as an attack on the very institution of Parliament.

"We Will Not Be Intimidated"

"This is not about Kajwang, or Sifuna, or Cherargei," the Senator thundered. "This is an attack on the Senate as an institution. They want to choose who audits them, when they appear, and what questions they answer. That is not how oversight works. You cannot be the accused and the judge at the same time."

Kajwang argued that the aggressive questioning governors face is a necessary response to the rampant plunder observed in county audits. He challenged the CoG to produce evidence of extortion and report it to the DCI, rather than resorting to blanket boycotts. "Kenyans are not foolish," he added. "They know that when you see a governor crying harassment, it is often because they have been caught with their hand in the cookie jar."

• The Stakes: At the heart of the conflict is the oversight of the nearly Sh500 billion equitable share disbursed to counties. Senators argue they have a constitutional duty to track every coin.
• The Boycott: The CoG has directed its members to ignore summonses from the County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC), creating a legal deadlock.
• The Speaker`s Ruling: Senate Speaker Amason Kingi has declared the CoG’s resolution unconstitutional, asserting that the Senate’s power to summon is absolute and cannot be vetoed by a lobby group.

A Crisis of Governance

This clash highlights a structural tension in Kenya’s devolution. While governors enjoy executive authority, they are subject to legislative oversight that often turns political. The accusation of "extortion" is grave and suggests a breakdown in the professional relationship required for governance.

If the governors make good on their threat, the Senate has the power to issue arrest warrants, a move that would drag the country into a chaotic legal battle. For now, Kajwang is holding the line. "We will inject without mercy where we find public resources have been pilfered," he promised. The message to the governors is clear: the Senate is not blinking.