Senate Summons Kanja for Defying Arrest Order on Samburu Governor Lelelit
Quote from Lawyer on January 28, 2026, 3:58 amThe Senate has summoned Inspector General of Police David Kanja to appear before its County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) over his failure to execute an arrest order against Samburu Governor Jonathan Lati Lelelit.
The summons follows repeated non-compliance by the police chief in enforcing Parliament's directives aimed at ensuring accountability for the management of billions of shillings allocated to Samburu County during the 2023/2024 financial year.
CPAC Chairperson Senator Moses Kajwang stated that the Inspector General's inaction undermines Parliament's constitutional mandate and amounts to contempt of Parliament. He directed Kanja to appear before the committee within the next seven days to explain his unwillingness to implement the resolutions of Parliament. Kajwang emphasized that the police operate under the same constitutional framework as other state organs and that the committee will not tolerate any failure to facilitate parliamentary oversight.
The controversy stems from Governor Lelelit's repeated refusal to honor CPAC invitations to address audit queries and explain county fund management. On December 4, 2025, the governor ignored a summons, resulting in a Sh500,000 fine. On December 9, 2025, the committee instructed the police to locate, arrest, and produce him before the committee by December 18, 2025.
Inspector General Kanja reported on December 18 that he could not trace the governor, and therefore could not carry out the arrest. The committee issued a further directive for the governor's production by January 26, 2026, but this was also not met.
During the committee sitting at Bunge Towers in Nairobi on January 26, 2026, members expressed strong frustration with the Inspector General's failure to uphold his duty to assist Parliament. CPAC Vice-Chair Senator Johnes Mwaruma described the non-execution of the arrest as contempt of Parliament, stressing that accountability cannot be enforced without police cooperation.
Senator Edwin Sifuna called the situation pure contempt and urged the committee to summon the Inspector General and handle the matter firmly. Senator Enock Wambua raised concerns about possible collusion between the governor and the Inspector General to frustrate the committee's work.
Governor Lelelit had submitted a letter explaining his absence from prior appearances, citing his attendance at a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) National Governing Council meeting at State House, chaired by President William Ruto. Committee member Senator Steven Lelegwe confirmed seeing the governor at the event and criticized the excuse as evidence that Lelelit was unwilling to face the committee, calling for strict sanctions.
The committee dismissed explanations from both the governor and the Inspector General, maintaining that they do not absolve the contempt proceedings.
As a result of the latest developments, Governor Lelelit is now expected to appear before CPAC on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, to address the outstanding financial queries. The summons of Inspector General Kanja marks a significant escalation in the standoff, highlighting tensions between parliamentary oversight powers and law enforcement responsibilities in Kenya's accountability framework.
The Senate has summoned Inspector General of Police David Kanja to appear before its County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) over his failure to execute an arrest order against Samburu Governor Jonathan Lati Lelelit.
The summons follows repeated non-compliance by the police chief in enforcing Parliament's directives aimed at ensuring accountability for the management of billions of shillings allocated to Samburu County during the 2023/2024 financial year.
CPAC Chairperson Senator Moses Kajwang stated that the Inspector General's inaction undermines Parliament's constitutional mandate and amounts to contempt of Parliament. He directed Kanja to appear before the committee within the next seven days to explain his unwillingness to implement the resolutions of Parliament. Kajwang emphasized that the police operate under the same constitutional framework as other state organs and that the committee will not tolerate any failure to facilitate parliamentary oversight.
The controversy stems from Governor Lelelit's repeated refusal to honor CPAC invitations to address audit queries and explain county fund management. On December 4, 2025, the governor ignored a summons, resulting in a Sh500,000 fine. On December 9, 2025, the committee instructed the police to locate, arrest, and produce him before the committee by December 18, 2025.
Inspector General Kanja reported on December 18 that he could not trace the governor, and therefore could not carry out the arrest. The committee issued a further directive for the governor's production by January 26, 2026, but this was also not met.
During the committee sitting at Bunge Towers in Nairobi on January 26, 2026, members expressed strong frustration with the Inspector General's failure to uphold his duty to assist Parliament. CPAC Vice-Chair Senator Johnes Mwaruma described the non-execution of the arrest as contempt of Parliament, stressing that accountability cannot be enforced without police cooperation.
Senator Edwin Sifuna called the situation pure contempt and urged the committee to summon the Inspector General and handle the matter firmly. Senator Enock Wambua raised concerns about possible collusion between the governor and the Inspector General to frustrate the committee's work.
Governor Lelelit had submitted a letter explaining his absence from prior appearances, citing his attendance at a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) National Governing Council meeting at State House, chaired by President William Ruto. Committee member Senator Steven Lelegwe confirmed seeing the governor at the event and criticized the excuse as evidence that Lelelit was unwilling to face the committee, calling for strict sanctions.
The committee dismissed explanations from both the governor and the Inspector General, maintaining that they do not absolve the contempt proceedings.
As a result of the latest developments, Governor Lelelit is now expected to appear before CPAC on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, to address the outstanding financial queries. The summons of Inspector General Kanja marks a significant escalation in the standoff, highlighting tensions between parliamentary oversight powers and law enforcement responsibilities in Kenya's accountability framework.