Nairobi — Senators have threatened to impose a censure motion on Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa and her counterpart for Tourism Rebecca Miano for failing to appear before the house plenary.
Senate Deputy Speaker Kathuri Murungi communicated on the floor of the house that the two cabinet Secretaries requested to reschedule their appearances.
"We are faced with a situation that none of the CS is appearing this morning and it is very regrettable because we sacrifice a lot to come to this chamber. Those reasons given to me are not satisfactory completely," Murungi said.
The Deputy Speaker lamented that reasons issued to the Senate Business Committee on the failure by the two CSs to honor the invitation to answer questions by members weren't satisfactory.
"I have just been informed that a letter has come from the CS Health this morning requesting for postponement of appearance before the Senate. They have given a reason that the CS is indisposed," said Murungi.
"There was also a request from the CS Tourism and Wildlife whose matter was discussed yesterday at the SBC. And the SBC within their wisdom declined to give the CS permission not to attend to answer the questions," he added.
Senators were irked by the failure of the two cabinet Secretaries to honor the invitation calling for censure motions against them.
Mandera Senator Mohammed Chute expressed that the move by Cabinet Secretaries to ignore invitations has been an ongoing trend we should be halted through censure motions.
"Now it has become trend for CSs not to appear to this House. Let say for example the CS for Health, she is supposed to communicate to us 24 hours before. If she has sent the letter today, that means she doesn't care. This is a trend that has been going on and on,"Chute said.
Kitui Senator Enock Wambua emphasized that the trend on cabinet Secretaries dishonouring invitation must be stopped saying its was unfortunate.
"It has now becoming a trend and I said this two weeks ago that for two Wednesdays in a row we were unable to transact the Wednesday morning session because CSs were not available,"
"We went on a break, we have come back, the first Wednesday after the break, the Cabinet Secretaries don't show up. And we are supposed to just lament, express our displeasure and wait for another Wednesday,"remarked Wambua.
Bomet Senator Hillary Sigei poked holes on the reasons issued by the two Cabinet Secretaries saying there were flimsy and a sign of disrespect to the house.
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"For the honourable CSs not to appear this morning, some of them with very flimsy reasons is an utter disrespect of the House. Being a member of the House that has come in this morning to ask questions regarding the entire country, it is very unfortunate that we do not have them appearing in this House,"Sigei avvered.
Elgeyo Marakwet Senator William Kisang said it was unfortunate that the Health CS had failed to appear yet Kenyans were suffering in accessing health care services due to poor implementation of Social Health Insurance Fund. (SHIF)
"It was not parliament that initiated this particular issue, it was themselves. You can imagine CS Miano deciding to go and witness putting devises in rhinos instead of sending the DG for KWS or the PS,"
"Secondly the CS Health we wish her wuick recovery and we hope that in the evening when we watch news we are not going to see her in the news talking about SHA,"Kisang noted.
