Sifuna Vows to Sue Governors Over Defamatory Bribery Claims in Senate Oversight Row
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has threatened to take legal action against county governors who accused him and three other senators of extortion and bribery during Senate oversight hearings.
The accusations surfaced during a Council of Governors (CoG) meeting on February 11, 2026, where governors claimed that members of the County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC), including Sifuna, were using their constitutional role to intimidate and demand bribes in exchange for favorable handling of audit queries. In response, the CoG announced an immediate boycott of all CPAC sessions until their grievances are resolved, demanding the removal of the four named senators from the committee.
The accused senators—Sifuna (Nairobi), Moses Kajwang (Siaya and CPAC Chairperson), Johnes Mwaruma (nominated), and Samson Cherargei (Nandi)—have been labeled by governors as engaging in political witch-hunts and turning oversight into platforms for harassment and extortion. Sifuna, speaking in the Senate, strongly rejected the claims as a "coordinated war" against him personally, challenging the governors to produce evidence and declaring, "Those governors that are making those allegations, we will meet them in court because it is very defamatory to stand up and say I have extorted you." He insisted the matter would be handled through parliamentary channels while emphasizing his readiness to defend his reputation legally.
The escalating standoff highlights deep tensions between the Senate and county governments over accountability for devolved funds, despite a 2022 Supreme Court ruling affirming the Senate's authority to summon governors. The CoG has called for urgent talks with Senate leadership to establish protocols protecting governors from alleged intimidation, while senators counter that corruption and mismanagement in counties are the real issues being exposed. The boycott remains in effect, raising concerns about stalled oversight processes.
