'You don't answer my calls,' Rangwe MP takes Ogamba to task

"You don't pick my calls," - Rangwe MP takes on Ogamba. [File, Standard]

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, on Wednesday, January 28, found himself under the spotlight after Rangwe Member of Parliament Lilian Gogo publicly questioned his communication with her office.

Speaking during the 2026 Legislative Retreat for Members of the National Assembly in Naivasha, Gogo expressed frustration over what she described as unanswered calls and unreturned messages from the Education CS, despite matters affecting her constituency.

“Why don’t you pick up my calls? You don’t return my texts. I don’t call you for anything personal,” she said, drawing attention to what she termed as a growing communication gap.

The Rangwe MP went on to say that while the CS has visited her constituency and made several pledges to residents, little progress has been seen on the ground.

She noted that local leaders were often left out of key engagements, raising concerns about coordination.

“You come to Rangwe, you are hosted, tea is served, but I’m not informed. Promises are made, including building a multipurpose hall, yet nothing has been done. How do you come to my constituency to lay a foundation stone without involving me?” she posed.

The exchange has sparked conversation online, with Kenyans weighing in on leadership, accountability, and service delivery in the education sector.

Eve Maingi an X user questioned the effectiveness of such visits, stating:  “In this case, the CS appears to be more about political optics than delivery. How do you fail to work with institutions you’re meant to liaise with?”

Others felt the moment could have been used to highlight broader education challenges, rather than the back-and-forth.

“I was hoping she would address pressing issues affecting the education sector in her constituency, but instead it became personal. The bar for leadership feels painfully low,” Yvonne Esialila commented.

“We don't care if you have to communicate through calls or what. Just deliver to the people because you're meant to serve the people and that is because you're in those positions,” another user, Michael Mulongo Sikuku Namunyu, also opined.