Nairobi — A tense standoff unfolded in Parliament on Tuesday as a section of Senators attempted to forcefuly present Samburu Governor Lati Lelelit to the Senate's County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC).
The confrontation escalated into a near-fistfight involving Senators Edwin Sifuna, Enock Wambua, Paul Thang'wa, and Eddy Oketch, with security personnel rushing in to prevent further escalation.
Footage captured outside the parliamentary precincts showed the senators physically escorting Governor Lati Lelelit, apparently to demand accountability over alleged financial mismanagement in Samburu County.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
"Where do you think you are going? You brought yourself to Parliament," Sifuna is heard confronting the Govenor.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi had ordered the Sergeant-at-Arms to escort the Governor to the Parliament Police Station should he remain within the precincts after he failed to appear before CPAC.
The move followed a warrant for the governor's arrest after repeated failure to appear before CPAC.
"In the meantime, I will instruct the Sergeant-at-Arms to escort the Samburu Governor to the nearest police station if he remains within the Parliament precincts," Speaker Kingi said during Wednesday's Senate sitting.
The incident comes amid an ongoing standoff between the Senate and the Council of Governors (CoG) over accountability proceedings.
On Tuesday, CoG Chair Ahmed Abdullahi condemned what he called the "unwarranted use of force" by police in an attempted arrest of Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja the previous evening.
Abdullahi said the non-appearance of governors before CPAC was a collective decision.
"This matter is not a personal issue concerning one governor but a collective decision made by the Council of Governors following continuous extortion, unnecessary harassment, and intimidation by four members of the said committee," Abdullahi stated.
The CoG noted that of twenty-nine governors summoned to appear before CPAC, only two showed up, and even those declined substantive engagement, citing institutional concerns.
Abdullahi warned that enforcing arrests against individual governors would erode trust and weaken oversight mechanisms.
Despite the tensions, Governor Sakaja later drove himself to the Senate building, signaling willingness to engage once institutional matters are clarified.
The confrontation highlights the intensifying friction between the Senate and the Council of Governors over accountability and oversight, raising questions about the balance between parliamentary authority and collective executive decisions at the county level.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
