CS Rotich in trouble for snubbing MPs over sugar

Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich at a past function. (File, Standard)

Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich is in trouble with a House committee for snubbing summons over failure to implement recommendations of a report they say would have averted the sugar crisis.

The National Assembly Implementation Committee has now summoned Mr Rotich after he failed to honour its invites twice to explain why he is yet to implement recommendations of the crisis facing the sugar industry in Kenya, 2016.

The report was passed by the National Assembly.

Rotich is accused of handing out a sugar importation ‘open window’ gazette notice last year, leading to the dumping of illicit sugar into the country.

The CS’s defiance saw committee vice chair Godfrey Osotsi turn away his representative Investment Secretary and Transport Principal Secretary (PS) nominee Esther Koimet on Tuesday.

“We have summoned the CS to appear next Tuesday to answer to our queries, failure to which, we will take action as stipulated in the Standing Orders  209.

“The section empowers the committee to recommend any action against any CS who snubs our invites without justifiable reasons,” said Osotsi, who chaired the meeting.

The lawmakers questioned why he (Rotich) continues to snub their sittings despite the sugar directorate, which appeared before the House team,  accusing him of sidelining it when issuing the gazette notice.