The Council of Governors (CoG) has accused four senators of routinely demanding bribes and subjecting governors to intimidation and harassment during appearances before the Senate’s Public Accounts Committee.
In a strongly worded statement, CoG said governors will no longer appear before the committee, alleging that the four senators who sit on the powerful PAC have repeatedly solicited bribes, issued threats, and harassed county chiefs whenever they are summoned to explain the use of devolved funds.
“We are tired of being blackmailed, threatened and harassed every time we appear before the Senate.
These four senators have perfected the habit of demanding bribes under the guise of oversight,” the statement read, without publicly naming the individuals but confirming they had been formally identified in a letter to the Senate leadership.
The letter, signed by 40 of the 47 governors and addressed to Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, demands urgent consultations and the immediate removal of the four senators from the committee.
Governors insist they will not submit to further questioning until their grievances are addressed.
CoG maintained that while governors fully support accountability and transparency in the use of public funds, the oversight process must be conducted within the law and free from coercion or political witch-hunting.
“The audit process should not be abused to intimidate governors or settle political scores,” the governors said, warning that continued harassment undermines devolution.
The Senate PAC is mandated to scrutinise audit reports on county expenditure, a process that has often sparked heated exchanges between senators and governors over allegations of corruption and mismanagement.
The standoff comes amid growing rivalry, with several senators reportedly eyeing gubernatorial seats in the 2027 General Election.
Some governors argue that the confrontations are being used to gain political mileage and weaken incumbents.
As the impasse deepens, attention now turns to Senate leadership and whether it will intervene to defuse the crisis and restore confidence in parliamentary oversight.