Tension gripped Parliament on Wednesday afternoon after Amason Kingi ordered the immediate arrest of Samburu Governor Lati Lelelit over an active warrant.
The directive followed confirmation that Lelelit was within Parliament buildings despite repeatedly ignoring summons from the Senate’s watchdog committee probing audit queries. At about 3:25pm, Kingi instructed the Sergeant-at-Arms to escort the governor to the nearest police station if still on the premises.
Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot had earlier urged swift action, warning the governor could evade arrest if delays persisted. His remarks were echoed by Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua, who criticized governors for defying Senate authority.
Wambua also faulted Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, accusing him of disregarding summons and resisting accountability. He called on the Speaker to end what he termed as “games” undermining Parliament.
Reports indicate Lelelit had just arrived for talks with Senate leadership and was addressing the press outside Parliament when the arrest order was issued.
The Senate committee has raised concern over repeated absences by governors, terming it an affront to oversight. The incident comes a day after police camped outside Sakaja’s City Hall office over similar summons.