MP Wamboka suspended as bribery storm brews again at Parliament

Bumula MP Wanami Wamboka suspended from chairing the PIC on Governance and Education over bribery claims. [File, Standard]

Parliament has once again found itself in the eye of a storm following an allegation of bribery, the latest being an accusation from the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC).

This came as the National Assembly moved swiftly to distance itself from blame. Bumula MP Wanami Wamboka, whose complaints had been raised, was suspended from chairing the Public Investments Committee (PIC) on Governance and Education.

But as this happened, it emerged that Wamboka was considering moving to court for being condemned unheard.

At the same time, reports have pointed to a myriad of complaints raised against other committees.

Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss delivered the ruling where Wamboka was ordered to step aside from the committee pending investigations into bribery allegations levelled against him.

Similarly, the Leader of Minority is expected by noon of April 23, to nominate an interim Chairperson, given that the Vice Chairperson is a newly sworn-in member, with the Powers and Privileges Committee expected to furnish its report within 45 days.

“Wamboka will not chair the committee during the period. Noting that the current Vice Chairperson was recently sworn in as MP, I direct that the Leader of Minority party nominates an interim chairperson,” Boss read the communication.

“Allegations made against the chairperson of a committee of this House pose a grave threat to the public trust bestowed upon this House and its members. Such claims must be addressed “with urgency and transparency while observing the dictates of the Constitution on fair hearing and due process.”

But Wamboka denied the allegations, terming them unfounded and politically motivated.

He argued that the complaints may be linked to the committee’s “robust examination” of the NCIC’s operations, including questions over recruitment and financial management.

He also questioned the timing of the complaint, saying it was revived long after being initially lodged, which in his view pointed to ulterior motives.

And as the House awaits the report of the Powers and Privileges Committee, Boss urged MPs, especially those from Wamboka’s committee, to reflect deeply on whether they have fully lived up to their solemn duty as servants entrusted with an important responsibility to the country.

She said the outcome will be a clarion call for all legislators to re-evaluate the manner in which they consider issues brought before them for consideration, including being ready to hold leadership to account.

Boss said the House recently passed the Conflict of Interest Act, 2025 and legislators are aware of both its ramifications and implications of the broader ethical framework contained in Chapter Six of the Constitution; the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act and Leadership and Integrity Act.

“Any allegation of corrupt practice, bribery or attempted bribery is a stain on the privilege of the institution of Parliament which calls for expeditious investigation,” Boss said.

The complaint comes against the backdrop of a parliamentary committee summoning formerNCIC Commissioners and former Chief Executive Officer to respond to a series of audit queries, including alleged abuse of office, financial mismanagement, and breaches of procurement and human resource laws.

The summonses were issued by National Assembly’s PIC on Education and Governance, which is probing a number of issues raised by the Auditor-General in reports covering financial years 2021/22 to 2024/25.

Among those who are required to appear before the committee are former chairperson Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia and Vice Chairperson Wambui Nyutu, her successor Dorcas Kedogo, and commissioners Phillip Okundi, Danvas Makori, and Abdulaziz Ali Farah.

Others who will be required to appear is former CEO Dr Skitter Wangeci Mbugua, whose tenure was marred by controversy, including her suspension over allegations of altering her appointment letter to extend her term.

The committee is investigating a raft of financial and administrative concerns, among them a disputed Sh2.7 million taskforce allowance, over-expenditure exceeding Sh132 million, unauthorised bank overdrafts, and irregular staff recruitment.

Boss said the Office of the Speaker of the National Assembly was in receipt of a formal Complaint from the outgoing Chairperson of NCIC raising serious allegations on the conduct of Wamboka.

According to Boss, Kobia stated in the letter that in addition to the alleged open hostility, harassment, and demeaning treatment of officers of NCIC, the Commission is concerned over allegations that the Chairperson demanded inducements as a precondition to grant audience or favorable consideration during committee proceedings.

Kobia also sought the intervention of the Speaker to cause an impartial investigation into the allegations, which, if proven, constitute abuse of office and a violation of Chapter Six of the Constitution and the statutory provisions on Leadership and Integrity.

“Consequent to Kobia’s letter, the Member for Homa Bay Town, Peter Kaluma, has also formally written to the Speaker on the matter. In his letter, the Kaluma claims to have found possession of the letter from the NCIC and urges that if the complaint is not urgently investigated and addressed, it may, and I quote ‘disable the Parliament of Kenya in the discharge of its oversight mandate’,” Boss read the communication.

“The established practice of the House requires that once any issue touching on the privilege of the House is raised, as has now been done by Kaluma, the issue must be dispensed with as a matter of priority,” she said.

“The Standing Orders and the practices and precedents that we observe ordinarily require the Speaker to guide on the next course of action on a matter of privilege without delay. However, the House is now faced with a rather novel issue.

Whereas the records of the House indicate that the Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education comprises a total of 15 Members who discharge the mandate of the Committee, the complaint at hand is couched in fairly specific terms against only the Chairperson of the Committee.”

The Deputy Speaker said it would benefit the Speaker to receive any intervention or comment on the allegations from the House.

“Before proceeding to guide on the matter, I invite said intervention or comment, if any. In doing so, I will accord priority to any Member of the Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education present in the House and further direct that the interventions and comments be strictly limited to the complaint as conveyed against the Chairperson of the Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education and any proposed remedy,” she read.

Deputy Whip of the Minority Party, Mark Mwenje, who sits in the said committee, noted that the allegations are alarming and Wamboka should be given the chance to become, saying it came as a surprise to those who sit in it.

“We would like to know if there is any proof of these allegations made against the Chairperson. We allow some form of investigation to be conducted and as a committee, we have always acted in the best interest of the public and as required by the Constitution,” Mwenje said.

This is not the first time the issue of integrity has been raised against the House, including by President William Ruto, who last year accused MPs of soliciting bribes.

In August last year, Ruto called out MPs who said had turned house committees into money-minting rings instead of exercising oversight responsibilities.

“Something is happening in Parliament that must be called out. There is money being demanded from the Executive, from governors, from people in the Executive, especially those who are for accountability,” Ruto said, then.

Most recently, Governors and Senators clashed over bribery claims, with the former naming those who they claimed were the major culprits in seeking bribes to clear audit queries.

In other instances, the MPs were accused of receiving bribes to impeach former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.