BONYO'S BONE: Governors v Senators - Of pots and kettles

For some time now, the governors have sounded alarm, but only at their Delta House headquarters through press conferences.

In their wisdom, they have chosen to be deliberate in painting senators, specifically those sitting on the County Public Accounts Committee, CPAC, in a bad light.

The governors have chosen to take a fight with the CPAC ‘terrible four’, whom they have accused of being the masterminds of a well-oiled extortionist ring. Fair enough on this claim.

However, dear governors, you are doing a disservice to Kenyans by refusing to attend CPAC sessions on the claim that the ‘terrible four’ must first leave the committee.

Tonight, once again, I want to remind you that the title you hold is esteemed and has its origin and place in history.

His or her excellency, the titles you carry with lots of pride and sometimes bravado, originate from a Latin word, excellentia.

It means superiority or high merit. Dear excellencies, it is this high merit that I want to call you out on, respectfully so.

The English definition of extortion is simple, the crime of obtaining money, property, or services from an unwilling person through coercion, such as threats of physical harm, reputation damage, or blackmail.

In simple terms, we can establish that your claims constitute an offence. In Kenya, the Penal Code Sections 299, 300 and 302 are explicit on the why and how of handling extortion as a criminal offence.

In normal circumstances, anyone, especially you dear excellencies, would have done what is right, simply file or report these extortion claims with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, DCI, for probe.

But that you chose to play to the public gallery takes away the extortion claim and introduces a new variance to this, bribery.

Bribery means an inducement to improperly influence the performance of a public function.

To break it down, CPAC’s role is to oversee national government revenue allocated to county governments. In essence, the committee’s role is to audit how you dear excellencies handle and manage public functions using taxpayers’ funds.

Based on these basics, there must be a reason why the senators, as you claim, ask you for bribes and you pay. It is a two-way street.

Excellencies, I doubt if in the course of your duties, which require higher merit, you would need to induce senators for audit purposes.

Unless, like they say in the streets, the math is not mathing, to mean the books are not proper.

Therefore, excellencies, as you retreat for the Easter holidays, here is my bone with you.

You cannot claim to be victims of extortion while behaving like enablers of it. Pick a lane and provide the evidence.

And just a bonus, public accountability is not a spa day. It is scrutiny, pressure and uncomfortable by design.