Also known as: COG
Council of Governors — umbrella body representing Kenya's county governments on devolution and intergovernmental affairs, currently engaged in oversight disputes with Senate committees.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
Citizen Digital
… Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot said the Senate had reached an agreement with the Council of Governors, paving the way for governors to resume appearances before Senate oversight committees. …
Governors end Senate boycott after truce over oversight standoffThe Standard
… The Senate and the Council of Governors must stop performing this tired drama and sit down to resolve their differences. …
Put end to standoff between senators and governors over accountabilityVihiga County's mid-term review shows 90 per cent delivery of planned targets, with 84 per cent of over 600 projects completed. Governor Wilbur Ottichilo flagged conditional grants from the national government declining due to disbursement challenges and development expenditure remaining below target due to delays in exchequer releases.
21 June 2026 · The Standard →
Vihiga County's mid-term review shows 90 per cent delivery of planned targets, with 84 per cent of over 600 projects completed. Governor Wilbur Ottichilo flagged conditional grants from the national government declining due to disbursement challenges and development expenditure remaining below target due to delays in exchequer releases.
21 June 2026 · The Standard →
The Council of Governors says the national government has reneged on a commitment to include Ksh.8 billion for permanent and pensionable UHC worker employment in the counties' shareable revenue rather than as a conditional grant, citing concerns that conditional funding makes counties dependent on the national government.
18 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
A constitutional petition has been filed at the High Court seeking to stop government and government-affiliated social media accounts from blocking Kenyan citizens. The petitioners argue the practice violates fundamental constitutional rights including freedom of expression, access to information, and equality, and have sued the Attorney General, Cabinet Secretary for Interior, and other officials.
17 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The Kenya Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners Union has condemned Kakamega Governor Fernandes Baraza's recent remarks that governors lack funds to absorb UHC healthcare workers into permanent terms by July 1, calling his statements "unfortunate, unwarranted, and reckless." The dispute centers on a government promise to transition active UHC contract workers to permanent positions.
12 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
County Chief Officers of Health from all 47 counties met in Kisumu for a two-day forum organised jointly by the Ministry of Health and Council of Governors to review Universal Health Coverage reforms and address bottlenecks including delayed SHA reimbursements, digital health integration, medicine shortages, and emergency service operationalisation.
11 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Waste management is a major challenge for Kenyan counties that is expected to worsen due to population growth and new industrial parks. The Council of Governors and Treasury are advocating for Public-Private Partnership engagements to address the issue, with 34 counties constructing County Aggregation and Industrial Parks.
2 June 2026 · The Standard →
Government data shows 10,581 child protection cases recorded between January 2025 and March 2026, with abandonment (6,820), abductions (1,952), and missing children (1,636) comprising the majority; about 2,328 children remain unaccounted for. Police records show fewer missing children cases and suggest public concern is driven by social media awareness rather than a surge in actual incidents.
31 May 2026 · The Standard →
The national and county governments have signed a Ksh.4 billion agreement on the second phase of establishing 16 County Aggregation and Industrial Parks (CAIPs). President William Ruto said the government has already disbursed Ksh.8.5 billion for CAIPs and is investing an additional Ksh.2.4 billion in common user facilities to support industrialisation and economic transformation.
28 May 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Siaya Governor James Orengo has protested the abrupt withdrawal of his official security personnel and officers assigned to his Nairobi residence on May 19 without prior notice or explanation. He described the move as irregular and a violation of constitutional and statutory protections, and demanded an immediate explanation from the Ministry of Interior and National Administration and the Inspector General of Police.
20 May 2026 · Capital News →
Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr has been sworn in as a commissioner of the Kenya Law Reform Commission alongside Annette Imbuhila Wangia on May 20, 2026, following his nomination by the Council of Governors and gazettement by the Attorney General. He will serve a five-year term and is expected to strengthen legal reforms tied to devolution, governance and access to justice.
20 May 2026 · The Standard →
The US State Department has advised Americans not to travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and Uganda due to an Ebola Bundibugyo virus outbreak in the region, and urged reconsideration of travel to Rwanda.
19 May 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Kenya's Ministry of Health has directed county governments to heighten surveillance and screening at all points of entry following Ebola outbreaks reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. Counties are expected to strengthen health facility surveillance, particularly in regions with high cross-border movement, and designate holding facilities for suspected cases.
18 May 2026 · Citizen Digital →
An opinion piece argues that good governance depends on accountability, particularly through devolution that brings power closer to citizens. The author emphasizes that vertical accountability—exercised by citizens through elections—is central to Kenya's 2010 constitutional reform and to holding county leaders responsible.
16 May 2026 · The Standard →
The Health Principal Secretary has called on architects to adhere to Ministry of Health construction guidelines to reduce deaths from unhealthy environments. She emphasized that built environments are critical for public health promotion, noting that humans spend nearly 90 percent of their time indoors and that architectural choices directly influence future health outcomes.
15 May 2026 · The Standard →
The Council of Governors has asked Parliament to amend the Public Finance Management Act to allow counties immediate access to Sh75.7 billion in conditional allocations once the County Government Additional Allocation Bill, 2026, is enacted, arguing that current requirements for signed intergovernmental agreements interfere with the budget cycle.
13 May 2026 · The Standard →
The Senate Standing Committee on Roads, Transportation and Housing has proposed that county governments receive 49 per cent of the Road Maintenance Levy Fund under a proposed Roads Act amendment bill, while the Ministry of Roads and Transport recommends only 15 per cent. The Committee argues that since road maintenance functions have shifted to county governments, resources should follow those functions.
10 May 2026 · Capital News →
Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa has welcomed a recent truce between the Senate and the Council of Governors over county oversight and accountability, saying the agreement signals a new chapter in relations and will enhance devolution's effectiveness. Barasa stated that governors are ready to appear before Senate committees, but called for the process to be conducted with mutual respect and decorum.
4 May 2026 · The Standard →
Most senators complained they were kept in the dark after the Senate Majority Leader announced a truce with the Council of Governors, brokered over two weeks of meetings by house leadership. The deal includes governors agreeing to resume appearances before Senate Committees after previously threatening to boycott.
30 April 2026 · The Standard →
The Senate and Council of Governors have ended their deadlock, with governors agreeing to appear before the County Public Accounts Committee and the County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee. The agreement resolves a months-long standoff that had threatened to cripple county funding and disrupt operations across the country.
29 April 2026 · The Standard →
After months of defiance, a stalemate between the Senate and the Council of Governors over non-appearance before Senate watchdog committees has ended following an agreement on Monday between Senate leadership and the Council of Governors. Governors will now begin appearing before the County Public Accounts Committee and the County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee.
29 April 2026 · The Standard →
Governors and senators have reached an agreement following weeks of closed-door talks over allegations that some Senate County Public Accounts Committee members were engaging in extortion. Governors have agreed to resume appearing before Senate oversight committees, while senators have pledged to consider increased county funding in the next financial year.
28 April 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The Senate's County Public Accounts Committee is concerned that governors are ignoring summons to respond to audit queries, with Senate Deputy Speaker Kathuri Murungi stating governors have 30 days to comply or face enforcement. The editorial argues that governors must answer for how county funds are used, noting that the Auditor General has documented cases of money wastage and misuse in county governments.
27 April 2026 · The Standard →