MPs angered by CS James Macharia invite snub

The Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure, and Housing and Urban Development James Macharia now risks being sanctioned by Parliament following his failure to honour parliamentary invitations several times.

Members of the National Assembly Committee on Implementation have expressed their displeasure over the conduct of CS Macharia, whom they said has ignored them on several occasions.

“We have invited the CS several times but he has intentionally failed to come, we have never received any response from his office. We are now left with the option of recommending sanction against him when the house resumes in February,” said Committee chairman Moitalel Ole Kenta.

Mr Ole Kenta said that, even if the CS was busy, he could have sent one of his principal secretaries as the standing order allows them to represent him.

ROAD MAINTAINANCE

“The ministry has three principal secretaries which the CS can assign to come before us and answer the questions of members,” added Mr Ole Kenta. Standing Order 209 empowers the Committee to sanction any CS who fails to appear before it.

The CS is expected to answer questions regarding the status of implementation of a parliamentary resolution in June where MPs allocated themselves Sh8.7 billion for road maintenance.

The Committee, according to the Standing Orders, is mandated to scrutinise the resolutions of the House including adopted committee reports, petitions and undertakings given by the National Executive and determine whether or not they have been implemented and to what extent.