Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina has issued a stern warning to county governors, insisting that the Senate will not retreat from its constitutional mandate despite growing resistance from the Council of Governors (CoG) over oversight engagements.
The remarks follow resolutions made during an ongoing Governors’ Retreat, where the CoG accused some Senate committees of extortion, political witch-hunts, intimidation, and humiliation of governors during appearances before oversight committees.
In protest, governors resolved to boycott the Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) until their concerns are addressed through structured talks with Senate leadership.
They also agreed to appear only once per audit cycle before the Senate Public Investments Committee.
In a strongly worded statement shared on social media, Ole Kina rejected the governors’ position, arguing that no collective resolution can override the Senate’s constitutional role.
He said the Senate’s “sacred duty” is to protect devolution and safeguard public resources from misuse and corruption.
The senator cautioned that attempts to undermine Parliament would attract personal consequences, citing Section 19 of the Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act.
He stressed that accountability processes cannot be suspended through political pressure or what he termed “theatrics.”
Ole Kina accused some governors of mistaking oversight for persecution, arguing that scrutiny of public funds is essential to public trust.
He said leadership demands transparency and integrity, not defiance or self-preservation.
In one of his sharpest remarks, the Narok senator claimed that some governors who once campaigned as ordinary citizens promising change now behave as if county funds are personal property.
He warned that such conduct would not be tolerated and that the rule of law would ultimately prevail.
The standoff highlights a deepening institutional tension between the Senate and county governments, with both sides framing their positions as a defence of devolution.
While governors argue that hostile oversight undermines effective governance, senators maintain that firm scrutiny is necessary to curb misuse of public resources.
The Senate County Public Accounts Committee and the Public Investments Committee play a central role in examining audit reports from the Office of the Auditor-General, a process that has frequently exposed financial mismanagement at county level.