Petroleum Cabinet Secretary John Munyes faces a Sh500,000 punishment for failing to attend a meeting held to examine rising pump prices. – By Gerald Gekara.
The CS, his principal secretary Andrew Kamau, and Daniel Kiptoo, the acting director-general of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra), were scheduled to appear before the Senate Energy Committee on Wednesday to answer a question on the sharply rising fuel prices raised by Vihiga Senator George Khaniri.
The three officials did not show up, claiming that the session conflicted with another regional meeting.
Mr Kiptoo instead dispatched Edward Kunyua, EPRA’s director of petroleum and gas, to represent him at the meeting, but the committee declined.
“You can’t answer questions on behalf of the CS and the acting director-general. The law only allows Cabinet Secretaries and their Principal Secretaries to address us. This Cabinet Secretary is not taking this committee seriously and we will not take it lightly,” Ephraim Maina, who chairs the committee said on Wednesday.
The Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act of 2017 empowers Parliamentary committees to levy penalties of up to Sh500,000 on persons who fail to honor invitations or submit documents before House teams.
“We will impose a fine of Sh500,000 if he fails to honour the summons or ask the Inspector-General of Police to arrest him and present the CS to this committee,” said Mr Maina.
