Senators have expressed their displeasure with Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi, Energy and Petroleum CS Davis Chirchir, and Treasury CS Prof Njuguna Ndung’u’s failure to appear before the Senate committee.
The absence of the trio has agitated lawmakers, who are demanding accountability.
The Majority Whip, Boni Khalwale, slammed Mudavadi for his repeated contempt of the house.
“This is not the first time, the Prime Cabinet Secretary has had a clear attitude towards this house. He thinks the house is waiting for him. He had a seven-day window, in which he knew he was going to travel; he should have informed us,” said the Kakamega Senator in a sitting on Wednesday.
Mudavadi had written to the house speaker, Amason Kingi, on the morning of the plenary on November 29, stating that he was away on official business.
“The CS for foreign and diaspora affairs is out of the country on delegated duties and thus cannot appear on the senate plenary, “the speaker read the notice of absence.
Khalwale urged the speaker to act quickly and to end the practise of leaders abandoning sittings and grilling sessions on issues affecting the people.
“This is the time to sanction the Prime Cabinet Secretary so that he respects the house of equity that represents the 47 counties of Kenya. If we do not call it to order, they are going to run roughshod on all Kenyans.”
Senator Enoch Wambua of Kitui joined the chorus, echoing the majority whip’s concerns. Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and Senator Gloria Orwoba, among others, expressed concern about the CS’s absence.
“Once a note is given to a CS to appear before parliament, there can never be an excuse for not appearing,” Wambua asserted.
Dismissing the excuse of being on a trip abroad, Wambua called it a “shameful excuse” and urged the Senate Speaker to take decisive action.
“If you do not nip this thing in the bud right now, then CSs will be giving you excuse after excuse. Find reason within our constitution and standing orders to censure these cabinet secretaries to ensure that they appear before the Senate.”
Kiambu Senator Karungo wa Thang’wa has called on the senate speaker to “Crack the whip,” emphasizing the disrespect not just to the Senate but also to the President.
Senator Gloria Orwoba expressed her disappointment, questioning the priorities of the absent CSs.
“What are the CSs so busy doing that they cannot be here to answer questions that the hustlers are asking?”
