Wahome, Joho on the spot for snubbing Senate plenary

The Speaker of the Senate Amason Jeffah Kingi. [Courtesy, Standard]

Cabinet Secretaries who fail to honour invites to the Senate plenary to answer questions have been put on the spot for failing to discharge their mandates on the floor of the house.

Senators accused Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome of failing to come to the house on Wednesday morning to answer questions, while Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho failed to appear before the house last week.

Senate Speaker Amason Kingi informed the house that the Clerk of the Senate Jeremiah Nyegenye received a letter from the office of the Lands Cabinet Secretary on Tuesday evening that she will not be available due to prior planned engagements.

Kingi said that two other Cabinet Secretaries who were also to appear before the Senate had communicated earlier, leading to their letters being considered by the Senate Business Committee and removed from the order paper, while Wahome sent her letter late in the evening.

"We were expecting the Cabinet Secretary for Lands Alice Wahome to answer various questions from Senators; however the Senate Clerk received a letter from her stating that she will not make it due to earlier prior planned engagements," said Kingi.

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna sought to know what had changed since initially they used to invite three Cabinet Secretaries so that in case one fails to turn up, at least two would be available for the engagements to be done wondering what has changed.

Sifuna said that Cabinet Secretaries are notified well in advance of their appearance, which is at least 14 days, and that it was unfair for those not able to attend to inform the house when it is already late and their questions have been included in the order paper.

"Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davies Chirchir are my favourites in this cabinet, but on this one, Wahome should be told that the house is not happy over her failure to communicate early enough," said Sifuna.

Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot said they have issued guidelines on the letters coming in late and sanctions to be taken, stating that they did not have a problem with the two Cabinet Secretaries who had communicated earlier over their absence.

Cheruiyot said that Wahome knows the procedures of parliament, having been a Member of National Assembly, and should do what is required of her when she has some good reasons for failing to come before the house instead of communicating very late.

Kingi said that the initial plan to have three Cabinet Secretaries come to the Senate to answer questions has not changed and that they have even engaged the office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary on the procedure on Cabinet Secretaries coming before the Senate.