•Those who have failed to appear are CS Fred Matiang’i (Interior), Charles Keter (Devolution), John Munyes (Petroleum and Mining) and Amina Mohamed (Sports).
• Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot said the attitude needs to end and asked Speaker Ken Lusaka to read to the Executive the riot act.
Image: EZEKIEL AMINGA
Senators are angered by Cabinet secretaries for failing to honour summons and parliamentary committee invites.
The legislators have termed it as a continued attempt to belittle Parliament.
Those who appear do so through Chief Administrative Secretaries, whom senators say are in office illegally. On April 20, the High Court declared unconstitutional the position of CAS.
Those who have failed to appear are CS Fred Matiang’i (Interior), Charles Keter (Devolution), John Munyes (Petroleum and Mining) and Amina Mohamed (Sports).
Matiang’i is wanted to shed light on boundaries disputes in at least 15 counties and respond to myriads of security issues raised by members.
Keter — formerly in the Energy docket — and CS Munyes failed to appear in September to explain the rise in fuel and electricity costs.
CS Amina has not appeared before the House Committee on Labour and Social welfare to respond to the status of the disbanded Football Kenya Federation.
Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot said the attitude needs to end and asked Speaker Ken Lusaka to read to the Executive the riot act.
“CS Amina chose the best day to show us the disdain she has for us by violating an order from the Speaker on the same day she had promised to appear before this House,” Cheruiyot said.
“That tells you that it is no longer about this House. It has gotten to a point where even the Speaker’s word does not mean much•”
Cheruiyot said there must be sanctions against CS Amina to be used as an example alongside the rest that have continued to ignore the Senate.
“That way, people will know that if you ignore the summons, then there will be repercussions,” he said.
Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja said when Parliament invites or summons CSs they must be avail themselves and not tell the House when they would appear.
“Even when you have a problem, you should come and tell us that you need more time. We are eroding the standing of Parliament,” Sakaja said.
However, Sakaja, who chairs the House Committee on Labour and Social Welfare asked the Speaker to direct on the issue of CSs refusing to appear.
Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang'ula asked the Speaker to give direction and communication because, under the Constitution, CSs are first accountable to the Houses of Parliament before they are accountable to the appointing authority.
“During President Moi’s era, some ministers lost their jobs for failing to appear before Parliament. This is a serious matter as CSs carry government policies with them. Therefore, they can speak with finality on matters before the House,” Wetang'ula said.
“In future, it should be a clear directive to every Committee of this House that if a CS does not turn up on the invitation, they should invoke the summons route and that nobody can represent the CS because the Constitution does not create an assistant to the CS,” he added.
Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jr said the Senate had begun looking like a talk show.
“All we do is talk and do nothing. What is worse is the violation of an order from the Speaker. If an order from your chair can be violated, imagine what happens when a chairperson of a committee issues a directive,” Kilonzo Jr said.
“The CS would just say 'I spoke to your Speaker, I will not come'. It is a serious dereliction and violation of the constitution,” he said.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris