Khalwale unhappy with Mudavadi

By Peter Ochieng

Kakamega Senator Bonny Khalwale on Wednesday led his colleagues in condemning Cabinet Secretaries (CSs) for deliberately skipping House sermons.

The vocal legislature expressed his displeasure, after Prime Cabinet Secretary and CS for Foreign Affairs Musalia Mudavadi, Energy and Petroleum CS Davis Chirchir and Treasury CS Njuguna Ndung'u failed to appear before a Senate committee, on Wednesday.

Mudavadi was supposed to answer questions related to the government's inaction in assisting the release of pastoralists from Turkana County arrested in Ugandan police officers, Ndung’u was to explain the delay in disbursing funds to the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), while Chirchir was to answer queries on the Government-to-Government agreement for the supply of fuel.

The trio were a no show, setting them on a coalition path with the Senators. Mudavadi reportedly informed Senate Speaker Amason Jeffa Kingi this morning that he would not make it.

In response, Khalwale said the Prime CS must be having an attitude issue.

"Mr Speaker, from your communication, the Prime Cabinet Secretary has alerted the Senate this morning. It should also occur to this house that this is not the first time the Prime CS has failed to appear before this House. If this does not imply attitude, then what does? The CS has an attitude about this house. He thinks that the House is waiting for him and this morning, it discovers that he is not around,” said the bull fighter, as the Kakamega Senator is known in political circles.

"What are the CSs so busy doing that they cannot be here to answer questions that the hustlers are asking?" paused nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba.

"Once a note is given to a CS to appear before Parliament, there can never be an excuse for not appearing," said Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua.

CSs and governors have often been accused of ‘deliberately’ failing to appear before MPs and Senators to respond to questions.