On 10 August 2027 you will mark one ballot for your Governor and another for your Senator. Both represent your county, and both are chosen by the same voters. The jobs, though, are very different.
The Governor runs the county government from the county headquarters. The Senator works in Parliament in Nairobi, fights for your county’s share of national money, and checks how that money is spent. One spends the budget. The other watches the spending.
Side by side
| Governor | Senator | |
|---|---|---|
| Arm of government | Executive (county government) | Legislature (Parliament, national level) |
| Where they work | County headquarters | The Senate, Parliament Buildings, Nairobi |
| How they are elected | By the county’s voters, on a joint ticket with a Deputy Governor | By the county’s voters, on their own |
| Main job | Runs county services such as health, county roads and early childhood education | Represents the county in Parliament, shares national revenue among counties and oversees how it is used |
| Controls county money? | Yes. Prepares the county budget for the County Assembly to approve, then spends it | No. Helps decide how much each county gets, then follows up on how it was used |
| Term limit | Two five-year terms | No limit |
What a Governor actually does
- Leads the county government. The Constitution (Article 179) makes the Governor the head of the county executive.
- Picks the county cabinet. The Governor nominates County Executive Committee Members to run departments like health and agriculture. The County Assembly has to approve them.
- Delivers devolved services. County hospitals and health centres, county roads, ECDE centres, markets, trade licences and much of the water supply all sit with the county.
- Answers for the budget. The Governor’s team prepares the county budget, the County Assembly approves it, and the Governor is responsible for how it is spent.
- Can be removed. If MCAs vote to impeach a Governor, the Senate hears the case and makes the final decision.
What a Senator actually does
- Speaks for the county in Parliament. Under Article 96, the Senate exists to represent counties and protect their interests.
- Shares out the money. Senators decide how national revenue is divided among the 47 counties. That formula decides how much your county has to work with.
- Follows the money. Senate committees can summon Governors to answer questions raised in the Auditor-General’s reports on county spending.
- Makes laws that touch counties. Senators debate and vote on bills that affect county governments.
- Sits as the jury. When a County Assembly impeaches a Governor, Senators hear the evidence and vote on whether the Governor goes home.
Questions worth asking them
If you meet someone running for Governor:
- Which county service will you fix first, and how will we know it’s fixed?
- How will you clear pending bills owed to local suppliers?
- Will you publish what the county spends, and where?
If you meet someone running for Senator:
- How will you make sure our county gets a fair share of national revenue?
- Which audit queries about our county will you follow up on?
- How often will you come back and report to us?
In short: the Governor manages your county. The Senator makes sure it is funded fairly and holds the Governor to account. You need both to do their jobs well.
