Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa has raised concerns over what he describes as frequent summons of governors by the Senate.
He warned that the practice could disrupt service delivery at the county level and affect governance.
Speaking in an interview at KTN on Tuesday, Barasa said the frequency with which governors appear before Senate committees can be disruptive and counterproductive.
“You’ve seen governors appear before the Senate many times. You wonder when they have time to deliver on what the people who voted for them expect. We need a legal framework that allows governors to appear before the Senate on specific days, not every time,” Barasa said.
The legislator claimed that some governors appear before committees more than 15 times within a single financial year, often moving from one committee to another in successive weeks.
According to him, this schedule limits their ability to run county affairs, including chairing cabinet meetings and overseeing development projects.
Barasa acknowledged that the Senate has a critical oversight role, particularly when exercising quasi-judicial functions, which grant it powers similar to those of the High Court.
However, he urged caution regarding what he described as “excesses,” noting that other arms of government have oversight mechanisms, such as the judiciary being monitored by the Office of the Ombudsman, while Parliament lacks a comparable system to guide its conduct.
“We as Parliament should not take advantage of the absence of an institution that checks our actions to create situations where governors are disadvantaged,” he said.
The MP also called for formal inquiries into claims made by some governors regarding financial expectations during oversight engagements. He suggested that these matters be examined by a parliamentary committee to ensure transparency and accountability.
Barasa emphasised that reforming the oversight process is urgent, highlighting the need to balance accountability with efficiency so that counties can operate effectively.
“We must not bury our heads in the sand. We must confront and address these issues,” he said.
