No one is above scrutiny, Senate leadership warns rebel governors
Senate leadership has issued a stern warning to governors threatening to boycott Senate summons, insisting that appearing before the Upper House and its committees is a constitutional obligation that cannot be negotiated or used as leverage.
Speaking during today’s plenary, Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot dismissed claims by the Council of Governors (CoG) that some senators were using committee summons to extort county officials. He said such allegations, serious as they are, do not justify defiance of constitutional oversight.
“Governors’ appearances before the Senate is a constitutional dictate. It is not a privilege to be waived at will, especially when serious accountability issues are at stake across the country,” Cheruiyot said. “We can discuss any matter as a going concern, never as a threat to non-appearance.”
Cheruiyot emphasized that the Senate’s oversight role is entrenched in the Constitution and gives the House authority to summon any public officer involved in the management of public funds.
“We have a constitutional duty to summon any public servant — anybody who interacts with public resources — at any time, day or night, in pursuit of justice for the people of this republic,” he stated.
He accused some governors of political grandstanding, faulting them for issuing statements from outside Parliament instead of using formal channels to raise grievances.
“If you have a specific complaint about an individual senator or a committee, there are established procedures to address that. We cannot be addressed from hotels in Mombasa by individuals claiming to be excellencies when their conduct is anything but excellent,” Cheruiyot said.
Addressing allegations of extortion, the Majority Leader challenged governors to submit themselves to scrutiny if they are confident of their innocence.
“If, as a governor, you know you have done nothing wrong, why are you allowing yourself to be extorted? If you are clean, simply appear before the House and answer the questions,” he added.
Senate Minority Leader Stewart Madzayo backed Cheruiyot’s position, rejecting claims that Senate committees were compromised. He said the House had full confidence in its committees and their leadership.
Madzayo described allegations of senators soliciting bribes as grave accusations that must be supported with evidence and pursued through proper legal and institutional channels.
He also criticized governors for attempting to influence the Senate’s internal operations, including committee composition.
“Governors cannot decide which senators sit on committees or who has the authority to summon them. That conduct undermines the Constitution and the principle of separation of powers,” Madzayo said.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi reinforced the leadership’s stance, urging governors to use formal dispute resolution mechanisms instead of threatening to boycott committee proceedings.
“Should the Council of Governors have concerns regarding the conduct or operations of Senate committees, established and legitimate institutional channels exist through which such concerns may be formally raised and addressed,” Kingi said.
The Speaker reaffirmed the Senate’s commitment to its constitutional oversight mandate, particularly regarding the use of public funds allocated to county governments.
“The Senate remains committed to ensuring that oversight over public resources allocated to counties remains robust, objective, and timely,” he said.
Senate committee leadership has vowed to proceed with scheduled hearings involving governors, warning that failure to honor summons could attract legal and constitutional consequences.
