Nairobi, Kenya — Kenya’s Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) is considering tough punitive measures, including the temporary suspension of county funding, after several governors repeatedly failed to honour parliamentary summons—raising fresh concerns about accountability within the country’s devolved system of governance.
The standoff underscores growing tensions between political autonomy at the county level and national oversight of public funds, a challenge confronting many African countries that have embraced devolution to promote inclusive development.
On Monday, Samburu Governor Lati Lelelit failed to appear before CPAC, opting instead to attend the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) National Governing Council meeting at State House, Nairobi. The pattern persisted on Tuesday when Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo and Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir also skipped the committee session, where county financial statements for the 2024/25 financial year were under review.
Governor Nassir offered no explanation for his absence. Governor Guyo, however, requested a postponement, citing insecurity in Isiolo County following recent bandit attacks. Lawmakers dismissed the justification, interpreting it as indicative of deeper accountability gaps in devolved governance.
Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo challenged the governor’s reasoning, noting that governors are not members of County Security Committees.
“Even if such meetings were taking place, his presence there is questionable. He cannot personally conduct security operations,” Senator Dullo said.
She further questioned the seriousness of the postponement request, pointing out that the letter was authored by the County Secretary and merely copied to the governor.
“This reflects a lack of commitment to accountability, yet residents continue to suffer from poor service delivery,” she added.
The repeated absences have now pushed CPAC to explore legal avenues to compel governors to account for how billions of shillings are spent annually at the county level.
One option under consideration is invoking Article 225 of the Constitution, which empowers Parliament to halt funding to public entities where misuse of public resources is established. In 2025, the Senate attempted a similar move by passing a resolution to suspend funding for several counties. However, the Constitutional Court later ruled that such action requires a joint resolution of both the Senate and the National Assembly.
Seeking a workaround, Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang’ has proposed an alternative approach anchored in Article 223 of the Constitution, which allows the National Treasury to authorise spending on a provisional basis, subject to parliamentary approval.
Under his proposal, the Senate would pass a resolution to suspend county funding for up to 30 days while seeking concurrence from the National Assembly.
“The objective is to temporarily halt cash flows to counties that fail to account for public funds until the audit process is concluded,” Senator Kajwang’ said.
Beyond funding controls, CPAC is also considering the development of joint procedural guidelines with the Office of the Auditor-General. These would formalise the summons process and clearly outline consequences for non-compliance—reforms lawmakers believe would strengthen Kenya’s oversight architecture and reinforce fiscal discipline under devolution.
Devolution and Accountability in Africa
Across Africa, devolution has been championed as a pathway to bringing government closer to citizens, improving service delivery, and reducing regional disparities. Yet accountability at sub-national levels remains one of the continent’s most persistent governance challenges.
Countries such as Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Ethiopia operate devolved or federal systems that grant counties, states, or provinces access to significant public resources. While this autonomy enhances local decision-making, it also heightens the need for strong oversight institutions to safeguard public funds.
Public Accounts Committees, supported by Auditor-General reports, are central to this oversight. However, political resistance, weak enforcement mechanisms, and overlapping institutional mandates often allow local leaders to evade scrutiny with limited consequences.
As a result, many African states increasingly rely on fiscal controls—such as conditional grants, delayed disbursements, and temporary funding suspensions—when political remedies prove ineffective.
In Kenya, constitutional safeguards exist to balance devolution with national oversight. Courts, however, have consistently emphasised the importance of clear procedures and inter-house cooperation to protect both fiscal discipline and county autonomy
Governance experts argue that effective devolution is not about curtailing local power, but about strengthening institutions, applying rules consistently, and ensuring transparency in public financial management.
As Kenya deepens its devolution journey, the unfolding CPAC standoff reflects a broader continental debate: how African governments can preserve local self-rule while ensuring public resources translate into tangible benefits for citizens.
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