The Senate has penalized Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui with a Ksh500,000 fine after he failed to appear before a parliamentary committee as required.

The decision was made by the Senate Standing Committee on Trade, Industrialization and Tourism, which had summoned the CS to present a detailed progress report on the rollout of County Aggregated Industrial Parks (CAIPs) nationwide.

Committee members, led by Tana River Senator Danson Mungatana, stressed the importance of accountability, arguing that officials in the Executive must treat parliamentary summons with seriousness.

Lawmakers also raised concerns about the implementation of the industrial parks, pointing to discrepancies between funds released and actual work completed on the ground. 

Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago noted that oversight visits revealed troubling trends, where counties that had received up to 80 percent of allocated funds had only completed between 10 and 20 percent of the projects.

Further concerns were raised over some county governments allegedly spending national government allocations without contributing their agreed share of funding, contrary to established guidelines.

Senators emphasized that strict adherence to standards is essential in the establishment and operation of the industrial parks, noting that this would ensure quality production, eliminate inefficiencies, and protect public interests.

Previously, the committee had asked the Ministry to submit a comprehensive report covering feasibility studies, Environmental Impact Assessments, governance structures, and operational plans for the CAIPs. 

It also sought clarification on whether counties had opened special purpose accounts at the Central Bank to manage both national and county contributions.

Following his absence, Kinyanjui has now been directed to appear before the committee on May 14.