The Senate’s Wednesday morning plenary was marked by heated exchanges after Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome failed to appear for a scheduled questioning session.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi announced he had received a letter from Wahome confirming she would not attend.
“Senators, we expected the Cabinet Secretary for Lands to respond to three questions. Unfortunately, she wrote a letter received last night at 7pm, indicating that she is out of the country and will not be able to attend today’s plenary,” Kingi told the House.
The announcement was met with sharp criticism from senators, who accused Wahome of showing contempt for the House.
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Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot faulted the timing, noting that Wahome’s letter arrived only hours before the session.
“This is an institution. You cannot write to us at 7 pm to excuse yourself from appearing the following day,” he said.
“Alice Wahome needs to know she is no longer Kandara MP but a Cabinet Secretary.”
Cheruiyot said he would raise the matter with the President, noting that absenteeism by Cabinet Secretaries had become a recurring problem. He questioned the CS’s explanation, saying: “Did she just realise last night that she was travelling out of the country?”
Cheruiyot further accused Wahome of contempt and called for laws imposing penalties on CSs who fail to appear before Parliament without sufficient notice.
“This is serious contempt against Parliament,” Cheruiyot said. “We have refused to pass a report recommending that failure to honour parliamentary appearances should attract fines so that people do not treat this House with contempt.”
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, who was to table two of the questions, expressed disappointment, saying Nairobi was “under siege” from land grabbers.
“If you look at the matters we were to discuss with the CS today, Nairobi is under attack from land grabbers. These are urgent matters,” Sifuna said, citing alleged grabs of the College of Insurance in South C, parcels of land in Mbotela, Kasarani and Makadara, and a playground in Buruburu Phase five.
“I think that as a minister, you must know these are matters of life and death,” he added, dismissing Wahome’s travel excuse as “contemptuous.”
He argued the CS could have sent a written response despite her schedule.
Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua echoed the concerns, warning that Wahome’s absence set a bad precedent.
“We have repeatedly attempted to summon Cabinet Secretaries, yet some treat it as optional,” Wambua said, urging the Speaker to allow censure motions against defiant ministers.
“Perhaps that would send a stronger message that appearing before the Senate is not a matter of choice,” he said.
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The Senate’s Wednesday morning plenary was marked by heated exchanges after Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome failed to appear for a scheduled questioning session.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi announced he had received a letter from Wahome confirming she would not attend.
“Senators, we expected the Cabinet Secretary for Lands to respond to three questions. Unfortunately, she wrote a letter received last night at 7pm, indicating that she is out of the country and will not be able to attend today’s plenary,” Kingi told the House.
The announcement was met with sharp criticism from senators, who accused Wahome of showing contempt for the House.
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Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot faulted the timing, noting that Wahome’s letter arrived only hours before the session.
“This is an institution. You cannot write to us at 7 pm to excuse yourself from appearing the following day,” he said.
“Alice Wahome needs to know she is no longer Kandara MP but a Cabinet Secretary.”
Cheruiyot said he would raise the matter with the President, noting that absenteeism by Cabinet Secretaries had become a recurring problem. He questioned the CS’s explanation, saying: “Did she just realise last night that she was travelling out of the country?”
Cheruiyot further accused Wahome of contempt and called for laws imposing penalties on CSs who fail to appear before Parliament without sufficient notice.
“This is serious contempt against Parliament,” Cheruiyot said. “We have refused to pass a report recommending that failure to honour parliamentary appearances should attract fines so that people do not treat this House with contempt.”
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, who was to table two of the questions, expressed disappointment, saying Nairobi was “under siege” from land grabbers.
“If you look at the matters we were to discuss with the CS today, Nairobi is under attack from land grabbers. These are urgent matters,” Sifuna said, citing alleged grabs of the College of Insurance in South C, parcels of land in Mbotela, Kasarani and Makadara, and a playground in Buruburu Phase five.
“I think that as a minister, you must know these are matters of life and death,” he added, dismissing Wahome’s travel excuse as “contemptuous.”
He argued the CS could have sent a written response despite her schedule.
Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua echoed the concerns, warning that Wahome’s absence set a bad precedent.
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“We have repeatedly attempted to summon Cabinet Secretaries, yet some treat it as optional,” Wambua said, urging the Speaker to allow censure motions against defiant ministers.
“Perhaps that would send a stronger message that appearing before the Senate is not a matter of choice,” he said.
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By Sharon Wanga