Written by Lisa Murimi
The silence of Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome is echoing across the country—and it’s costing Kenyans dearly.
After skipping seven scheduled appearances before the Senate Lands Committee, the pressure is mounting.
Senators say her absence is not just a scheduling issue—it’s a betrayal of the people caught in Kenya’s deepening land crisis.
“A summons is more serious than an invite,” he said.
“We want her to come and explain why she has been treating us with contempt. Her failure to show up has delayed our work and is exacerbating the suffering of many Kenyans,”said committee chair Mohammed Faki.
From Kisii to Taita Taveta, the Senate Lands Committee has walked through villages where families live in fear of eviction, where title deeds are dreams rather than documents, and where polluted waters poison hopes of a better life.
At Mwabundusi farm, desperate squatters face displacement by a government agency.
In Homa Bay, toxic waste threatens Lake Victoria. In Busia, a Sh24 million dam stands as a monument to failed oversight.
Wahome’s latest excuse—a trip to the World Bank Land Conference in Washington—was accepted. But senators are demanding she appear between May 12 and 15 to explain her prior no-shows.
“We have accepted her explanation for missing the last meeting, but she will have to answer for her previous absences,” Faki said.
Kirinyaga Senator James Murango captured the public’s frustration: “If you give an old man with no teeth a sugar cane, it is no longer a gift but contempt.”
Kenya’s land wounds run deep. For communities waiting in limbo, justice feels out of reach.
The Senate’s message is clear: Wahome must show up—not just in person, but with answers, compassion, and commitment to the people she serves.
