Senate hits back at governors over extortion allegations

Audio By Vocalize

The Senate has accused the Council of Governors (CoG) of engaging in public mudslinging following claims of extortion and intimidation by the Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC).

Senate Speaker Amason Kingi described the allegations as “inappropriate and unconducive” to intergovernmental cooperation.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, February 10, Kingi said the Senate had noted with concern a press statement from CoG regarding the operations of two Senate oversight committees, the CPAC and the County Public Investments Committee (CPIC).

“The Senate further notes, with grave concern, the purported demand by the CoG for the reconstitution of CPAC, based on claims of political witch-hunts, harassment, extortion, and intimidation allegedly involving four unnamed members of the committee,” Kingi said.

The Speaker stressed that the Senate’s oversight role is firmly anchored in the Constitution, which empowers it to oversee the allocation and use of national revenue by county governments.

“Article 96(3) provides that the Senate determines the allocation of national revenue among counties and exercises oversight over its use. Article 96(1) confirms that the Senate represents the counties and serves to protect their interests,” Kingi noted.

He further highlighted that Senate audit committees are guided by Article 229 of the Constitution, which requires Parliament to consider and dispose of audit reports within three months of receipt from the Auditor-General.

“Compliance within this constitutional timeline is not optional, and any actions that impede the audit process undermine accountability and prudent use of public resources,” he said.

The Speaker reiterated that the Senate is committed to fulfilling its constitutional mandate and ensuring that oversight of county public funds remains robust, objective, and timely.

Kingi also emphasized that any concerns regarding the conduct of Senate committees should be raised through established and legitimate institutional channels.

The CoG, chaired by Ahmed Abdullahi, had written to Speaker Kingi requesting an engagement between the leadership of the Senate and the Council regarding governors’ appearances before Senate oversight committees.

In the letter, the council claimed that certain committees fall short of the constitutional intent of oversight.

“The Senate County Public Accounts Committee has, in our view, continuously engaged in extortion, political witch-hunts, harassment, intimidation, and humiliation of governors when they appear before it,” the letter stated.

Consequently, the council resolved that governors will not appear before CPAC until these concerns are addressed through structured engagement.

Regarding the County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee, CoG noted that governors are required to appear multiple times a year, which they deemed untenable.

The council proposed that governors should appear only once per audit cycle to respond to any queries