By Betty Luke
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi has rejected a request by the Council of Governors (CoG) to remove four Senators from the County Public Accounts and the County Public Investment and Special Funds Committees.
Kingi said the demand has no constitutional basis, insisting that only the Senate has the authority to appoint or remove members of its committees.
He was responding to complaints by Governors who have accused some Senate committees of political harassment, intimidation and unfair treatment during oversight proceedings.
In a recent statement by the COG, the county bosses accused four Senators, Edwin Sifuna (Nairobi), Samson Cherargei (Nandi), Moses Kajwang (Homabay) and Taita Taveta’s Johnes Mwaruma, of extortion, political witch-hunt and misconduct during oversight proceedings.
The Governors demanded their removal from the respective committees, maintaining that they would no longer honour their summonses if their demands were not met.
In a communication to the Upper House on Thursday, Kingi said while the Senate is open to dialogue, its constitutional mandate to oversee county governments cannot be compromised.
He revealed that the Senate has invited the CoG to a structured engagement meeting on February 26, 2026, to discuss the concerns, but made it clear that committee membership will not be dictated by external actors.
“The power to appoint or remove members of Senate committees lies exclusively with the Senate,” Kingi said, adding that any attempt by Governors to influence the process is unconstitutional.
Speaker Kingi emphasised that oversight is anchored in the Constitution and is meant to safeguard public funds allocated to counties.
He maintained that Governors summoned to appear before Senate committees must comply, or face legal consequences.
Kingi said attempts to undermine oversight committees threaten accountability and public interest, noting that cooperation between national and county governments must be guided by the Constitution.
