Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi has weighed in on the standoff between county chiefs and the Senate, backing Inspector General Douglas Kanja over plans to arrest governors who refuse to appear before the Senate’s oversight committee.
Appearing before Senate of Kenya on Thursday, IG Kanja said police would assist in enforcing summons issued by the Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC).
His remarks came days after governors, during a recent retreat, declared they would boycott CPAC sessions, alleging corruption, intimidation, and extortion within the committee.
Reacting on X, Ahmednasir argued that the Senate and the police are justified in compelling attendance.
He suggested that any governor who declines to honour a summons should be arrested and escorted to Parliament to face questioning.
According to the lawyer, allowing governors to choose whether to appear would weaken Senate oversight and open the door to large-scale misuse of county funds.
He went further to propose that governors compelled to appear should disclose any bribery demands or payments involving senators.
After testifying, he said, governors should formally report such claims at a police station to trigger investigations.
The dispute highlights deepening tensions between county governments and Parliament over accountability mechanisms.
Governors have maintained that CPAC proceedings have become punitive and politically driven, arguing that the current process exposes them to harassment rather than fair oversight.
However, Senate leaders insist that appearing before committees is a constitutional obligation tied to financial accountability for devolved funds.
CPAC reviews audit queries raised by the Auditor-General and summons governors to explain expenditure irregularities.
The unfolding dispute places the spotlight on transparency in county spending and the limits of parliamentary oversight, with the possibility of a constitutional showdown if governors defy summons and enforcement measures are carried out.