MPs demand censure of CS Joseph ole Lenku, Jacob Kaimenyi for skipping inaugural question time

NAIROBI, KENYA: Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku and his Education colleague Jacob Kaimenyi Tuesday sneaked out of Parliament Buildings to avoid facing MPs at the inaugural meeting of a key committee.

They were expected to appear before the new Committee on General Oversight, which is chaired by the Speaker of the National Assembly, to respond to queries from MPs.

But even after showing up in the office of the Majority Leader and confirming attendance, they quietly left.

It came as a shock to the Majority Leader Aden Duale and Speaker Justin Muturi when the Clerk Justin Bundi informed them that the cabinet secretaries were nowhere to be found.

The MPs wondered whether the cabinet secretaries were slighting the House committee or had been instructed to ignore the invitation to appear.

They condemned President Kenyatta's Chief of Staff Joseph Kinyua, the Attorney General Githu Muigai and the Chairman of the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution Charles Nyachae for misreading the Constitution, and pushing for the cabinet secretaries not to appear before the committee that comprises all MPs.

"The AG is a very bad adviser to the President," said Tom Kajwang' (Ruaraka), adding that "he should not think that he's the only one who went to law school."

The MPs said the trio should know that the House was mandated by the Constitution to query them at any time.

The lawmakers then told the Speaker that the two cabinet secretaries should be censured for failing to honour a date with the House.

Muriuki Njagagua (Mbeere North) and Abdikadir Aden (Balambala) said the two had to be punished for wasting the lawmaker's time.

"We had other matters in our constituencies and that is why we had to plan for this session, yet these cabinet secretaries have come here and grown cold feet. It is good for the Executive to tell them to obey Parliament. I strongly suggest that we censure those who have chickened out," Njagagua told the Speaker.

Bowen Kagongo (Marakwet East) said the President's chief of staff, who had not been vetted by the National Assembly, had no role telling cabinet secreatries not to meet MPs.

DISAPPOINTED

Grace Kiptui (Baringo) who had showed up at the House to ask Lenku why "my people are being butchered in Baringo" said she woke up at 4am to be in Nairobi in time for the meeting with the CS, yet she never got the chance to ask the question.

"I am very very disappointed," said Kiptui.

The Speaker chaired yesterday's meeting of the Committee on General Oversight, which comprises all 349 MPs. He told MPs that the call for cabinet secretaries to address them directly was legitimate.

Duale had notified the MPs that all the cabinet secretaries were expected to appear, including Lands CS Charity Ngilu. Ngilu was the first and she had a 56-minute interaction with the lawmakers.

When Ngilu was done, the Speaker told MPs that the other two (Kaimenyi and Lenku) had "vanished" from Duale's office.

"Next Tuesday they will appear before the committee and answer questions," said Duale.

Muturi said Article 153 of the Constitution was explicit about the cabinet secretaries appearing in the House to either answer queries or issue policy statements.

"Those who think committees will be composed of creatures from outer space are mistaken. Committees are made up of members of this House. I am clear in my mind that the House has acted in accordance with the Constitution to create this committee," said Muturi.

Duale agreed that if the Executive was aggrieved, it should speak with Parliament to review the law rather than engage in a letter-writing duel.

He pleaded with MPs not to punish the absentee cabinet secretaries.

Lenku and Kaimenyi were not available for comment.