Natembeya, Barasa, Lusaka, Ottichilo attend Kilifi retreat as governors finger Senate committee

The Kakamega, Trans Nzoia, Vihiga and Bungoma Governors attended the Council of Governors (CoG) s retreat where they have unanimously resolved to suspend all appearances to the Senate’s County Public Accounts and Investment Committee (CPAIC).

The CoG resolved that all its members will not appear before the committee until a candid meeting is held between them and the Senate’s leadership over claims of extortion and harassment.

Speaking during a two – day retreat in Kilifi on the theme ‘re-positioning the council for effective service delivery in light of the political environment’ the governors in attendance insisted that their continued harassment from the committee must come to an end and thus a clear and structured meeting is needed between the council of the Senate’s leadership even as they clarify that they are not against accountability.

In the push for this engagement, the governors have singled out 4 senators whom they say have become notorious in extorting from the governors.

Though they fell short of publicly naming the senators in press conference, the governors want an open meeting with the senate where they say they are ready to give evidence of extortion, including names of those involved in the extortion ring.

According to CoG chair and Wajir governor Ahmed Abdulahi, the committee has become a circus and a theatre for humiliating the county bosses.

He has called out some senators who have stationed a camera in the room for live streaming purposes with the main aim of pushing a different narrative.

Consequently, the governors have also come to the defense of auditors whom they say have come under sharp criticism from the senators if they don’t implicate governors.

The Governors have now demanded for a thorough investigation by the senate leadership, while calling for a proper reconstitution of the committee.

On the CPIC, the governors say they will continue appearing, but want to be called once and not the many meetings called.

The governors also want the president to call on the speaker of the senate on the matter even as they continue pursuing it insisting he and former ODM leader Raila Odinga spoke at length on the matter during the 2025 devolution conference in Homabay where they said the senators must be ashamed.