Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja
The County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) has summoned Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja after he failed to arrest and produce Samburu Governor Lati Lelelit.
Speaking on Monday, January 26, CPAC chairperson Senator Moses Kajwang’ accused the Inspector General of ignoring lawful directives from the Senate and engaging in actions that undermine the authority of Parliament.
“The Inspector General of Police should appear before this committee within the next seven days to explain why he is unwilling to implement the resolutions of Parliament,” Senator Kajwang’ said while issuing the summons.
“The police must understand that they do not operate under a different constitutional order. This committee will not tolerate contempt of Parliament by the IGP or his failure to facilitate the work of Parliament,” he added.
The decision follows the Inspector General’s failure to comply with CPAC directives to arrest Governor Lelelit and produce him before the committee.
The governor has repeatedly ignored summons to appear before the committee to account for billions of shillings allocated to Samburu County during the 2023/24 financial year.
This prompted the committee to fine him Sh500,000 and order him to appear on December 4, 2025.
After the governor failed to honour the summons, the committee wrote to the Inspector General on December 9, directing him to locate, arrest, and produce the governor before CPAC on December 18.
However, in a letter dated December 18, the Inspector General informed the committee that he had been unable to establish the governor’s whereabouts and therefore could not effect the arrest.
In response, the committee instructed the police boss to investigate the governor’s whereabouts and produce him before CPAC on January 26, 2026. The Inspector General neither responded to the letter nor presented the governor as directed.
Governor Lelelit later wrote to the committee explaining that he was unable to attend the meeting because he was scheduled to attend the ruling party, United Democratic Alliance (UDA) National Governing Council meeting at State House, Nairobi, chaired by President William Ruto.
However, Senator Kajwang’ dismissed the explanations given by both the Inspector General and the governor, saying the letters could not purge the contempt proceedings facing the governor.
Governor Lelelit is now expected to appear before the committee on Tuesday, February 3, 2026.
