The County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) is considering new legal options to compel governors to appear before Parliament and explain how money allocated to their counties is used.
The move follows growing frustration within the Committee after several governors failed to honour summons to appear before it, a situation lawmakers say is weakening Parliament’s constitutional oversight role. Committee members claim some governors have even received support from the National Police Service, making it difficult to enforce the summons.
On Monday, January 26, 2026, Samburu Governor Lati Lelelit failed to appear before CPAC, choosing instead to attend a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) National Governing Council meeting at State House, Nairobi.
The following day, Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo and Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir were also absent as the Committee began reviewing county financial statements for the 2024/25 financial year.
Governor Nassir did not explain his absence. Governor Guyo, however, asked for the session to be postponed, citing insecurity in Isiolo County. He said he was involved in visits to victims of recent bandit attacks alongside the County Security Committee.
Lawmakers rejected this explanation, saying it exposed serious weaknesses in the accountability system. Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo dismissed Governor Guyo’s claims, arguing that governors are not members of County Security Committees.
“Even if he was there, his role is questionable. He cannot personally fight attackers,” Senator Dullo said.
She also criticised the request for postponement, noting that the letter was written by the County Secretary and only copied to the governor.
“This shows a lack of seriousness. It looks more like a public relations exercise,” she said, adding that Isiolo residents continue to suffer from poor service delivery.
The repeated failure by governors to appear has pushed the Committee to consider tougher measures to enforce accountability for billions of shillings sent to counties each year.
One option being explored is the use of Article 225 of the Constitution, which allows Parliament to stop the release of funds to public entities where public money is misused.
In 2025, the Senate passed a resolution to suspend funding to several counties whose governors failed to account for public funds. However, the Constitutional Court later ruled that such action can only take effect if both the Senate and the National Assembly pass a joint resolution.
Senator Moses Kajwang’ has suggested another option under Article 223 of the Constitution. This provision allows the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury to approve spending that must later be approved by Parliament.
Senator Kajwang’ said the Senate could use this article to suspend the release of funds to county governments for up to 30 days, while seeking approval from the National Assembly.
“The goal is to stop cash going to counties that refuse to account for the money they have received, until the audit process is completed,” he said.
The Committee is also considering developing clear rules of procedure in partnership with the Office of the Auditor-General. These rules would clearly state how entities are summoned and what happens if they fail to comply.
According to Senator Kajwang’, such rules would be automatic in their application and would strengthen public accountability across county governments.
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