Governors could face greater scrutiny during and after their tenure if a new bill currently before the Senate is enacted. The County Governments Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025, sponsored by Garissa Senator Abdul Haji, proposes sweeping changes to county management, targeting inefficiency, bloated payrolls, and weak accountability mechanisms.
A central feature of the Bill is a mandatory County Public Service Audit every 10 years, to be conducted by the Auditor General. The audit would assess compliance with Article 232 of the Constitution, which sets out public service values such as professionalism, efficient use of resources, accountability, transparency, merit-based appointments, and representation of diverse communities. The Auditor General would submit findings to the Senate and county assemblies for debate, and retired governors could be summoned or investigated over irregularities uncovered.
If passed, the first audit would be conducted within six months of the law’s enactment. Oversight bodies, including anti-graft agencies, could use audit findings to pursue cases against culpable county chiefs even after they leave office.
The Bill also seeks to prevent governors from running counties without executive teams. It requires governors to nominate members of their executive committees within 14 days of being sworn in, with assemblies obligated to vet and approve or reject nominees within 21 days. Currently, no timeline exists, and some counties have operated for months without executives, slowing service delivery.
Another significant change is the capping of county chief officers at 20. Some governors have appointed up to 30 officers, swelling the wage bill. The proposed cap is designed to promote efficiency and keep county spending sustainable. Additionally, the terms of chief officers would be directly tied to the governor’s tenure, ensuring smoother transitions in leadership.
The Bill further mandates governors to deliver annual state-of-the-county addresses before their assemblies, shifting the practice from political rallies to formal accountability forums.
If enacted, the law would mark a major shake-up in county governance by enforcing timely appointments, reducing bloated payrolls, and introducing long-term audits that could hold governors accountable well into retirement.
