IG Kanja: Governors Who Snub Senate Risk Arrest

Police IG Douglas Kanja

Governors who defy Senate summons risk arrest and prosecution, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has warned.

Appearing before the Senate’s Public Accounts Committee on Thursday, Kanja said the National Police Service (NPS) is prepared to apprehend any county chief who fails to honour oversight invitations.

He stressed that ignoring Senate summons amounts to a violation of the Constitution, adding that police would act under the committee’s instructions.

“The Constitution provides for us to work very closely with the Senate to ensure accountability in county governments. Where governors fail to comply with summons, the service is always ready, under instructions of the committee, to arrest them and present them here as requested,” Kanja said.

He explained that once apprehended, governors would be subjected to the necessary legal procedures before being escorted to the committee to respond to queries regarding the management of county resources.

Kanja further assured senators that the NPS would collaborate in investigating cases of alleged misuse of county funds and support prosecution efforts where culpability is established.

“In cases where the committee has established that public funds have been misused, the service is ready to assist in further investigations and gathering evidence to ensure that any county governor found culpable is prosecuted in accordance with the law,” he said.

The Inspector General emphasised that governance issues affect the entire country and require collective responsibility.

“No one is above the law. The National Police Service will continue to operate within the framework of the law and work together with Parliament for the good of the people,” he added.

Kanja also highlighted the police service’s role in safeguarding critical infrastructure, noting that specialised units work alongside regular police officers, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and other security agencies to protect key national assets.

His remarks come amid escalating tensions between governors and the Senate. The Council of Governors (CoG) recently announced that county chiefs would boycott appearances before the Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC), citing intimidation and humiliation during oversight sessions.

In a resolution dated February 11, 2026, the CoG claimed that some senators had engaged in harassment, extortion, and political witch-hunts during committee proceedings.

The council singled out four senators as repeat offenders and demanded their removal from the affected committees as a condition for restoring confidence in the oversight process.

“Governors shall with immediate effect not appear before the Senate County Public Accounts Committee until the concerns raised are adequately and conclusively addressed,” the resolution stated.

The CoG also called for an urgent structured dialogue between Senate leadership and the council to establish clear and respectful procedures for governors’ appearances before committees.