Senate CPAC Asks Governors to Suspend Foreign Travel Until March
Governors may soon face tighter scrutiny over foreign travel as the Senate steps up oversight of county finances, citing repeated failures by county executives to appear before parliamentary committees to answer audit queries raised by the Auditor-General.
The call was issued on Thursday by Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) Chairperson Moses Kajwang, who urged governors to suspend all non-essential foreign travel until March, when the Senate is expected to conclude its examination of Auditor-General reports for the 2024/25 financial year.
The advisory comes amid growing frustration within the Senate over what lawmakers describe as a worrying pattern of governors skipping accountability hearings, often citing overseas engagements as reasons for their absence. Senators say the trend undermines parliamentary oversight and weakens devolution by eroding accountability for public funds.
“Travelling abroad is not a constitutional obligation and cannot override Parliament’s mandate to hold county executives accountable for public funds,” Kajwang said while addressing the committee at Parliament Buildings. “The audit process is structured, time-bound, and leaves no room for discretionary absences.”
The warning was reinforced during a CPAC sitting in which the committee declined a request by Garissa Governor Nathif Jama to defer his appearance. Governor Jama had been scheduled to respond to audit queries relating to the Garissa County Executive for the 2024/25 financial year but wrote to the committee seeking a postponement, citing planned foreign travel for undisclosed reasons.
CPAC rejected the request and summoned the governor to appear, signalling a tougher stance on non-compliance.
“We have reviewed the request by the Governor, and we are of the strong view that the reasons given are not justifiable under the law,” Kajwang ruled. “Oversight hearings are a legal obligation, not an optional engagement.”
The committee noted that Governor Jama’s case was not isolated. Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo, Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir, and Samburu Governor Lati Lelelit are among several county chiefs who have also been summoned after failing to appear before CPAC in recent weeks.
Senators argued that repeated absences by governors compromise the Senate’s constitutional role of overseeing county governments and safeguarding billions of shillings allocated annually through the national budget.
According to CPAC members, the Auditor-General’s reports often flag concerns related to procurement, pending bills, unsupported expenditure, and weak internal controls, issues that require direct explanations from governors as the accounting heads of their counties.
“When governors fail to appear, they deny the public answers on how their money is being used,” one senator observed, warning that persistent defiance could attract tougher consequences.
CPAC has indicated that it is considering legal and administrative measures to compel compliance. Among the options under review is engagement with the National Treasury to potentially halt or delay disbursement of funds to counties whose governors repeatedly fail to honour Senate summonses.
While the Senate does not have the power to directly restrict governors from travelling abroad, lawmakers noted that continued non-compliance could expose governors to sanctions, including adverse reports to the House and further legal action, given Parliament’s constitutional authority to enforce attendance and accountability.
The standoff sets the stage for heightened tensions between governors and the Senate in the coming weeks, as lawmakers push to conclude the audit review process before the end of the current parliamentary session.
Political analysts note that the Senate’s hardline approach reflects increasing pressure from the public to rein in misuse of public resources at the county level, amid rising economic strain and demands for better service delivery.
As the March deadline approaches, all eyes will be on whether governors heed the Senate’s call—or risk escalating confrontations with Parliament over accountability and oversight.
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Senate CPAC Asks Governors to Suspend Foreign Travel Until March
