Kaimenyi, Nkaissery skip grilling by Senate team

Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi. He on July15, 2015 failed to appear before lawmakers to answer questions about the government's failure to employ and post new teachers to northeastern counties. FILE PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE |  NATION MEDIA GROUP.

In Summary

• The CS was hosting Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi at the University of Nairobi and sent Higher Education PS Collete Suda to represent him.
• The lawmakers said Education PS Collete Suda was not allowed by the Constitution to represent the CS in parliamentary committee investigations.
• The Education CS was supposed to appear before the House team with his Interior counterpart Joseph Nkaissery.

Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi has once again drawn the wrath of lawmakers after skipping a Senate committee to respond to questions about the government's failure to recruit new teachers for northeastern Kenya.

The CS was set to face the committee that had also asked other interested senators to attend the session on Wednesday, but he failed to turn up.

More than 15 senators came for the meeting but were disappointed when they were told that the CS was attending an official function at the University of Nairobi.

The CS was hosting Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi at the University of Nairobi and sent Higher Education PS Collete Suda to represent him.

SUDA REJECTED

The lawmakers expressed their anger, saying Prof Kaimenyi had not taken them seriously and should now be summoned.

The lawmakers said Ms Suda is not allowed by the Constitution to represent the CS in parliamentary committee investigations.

The Education CS was supposed to appear before the House team with his Interior counterpart Major-General (Rtd) Joseph Nkaissery.

“I respect Prof Kaimenyi because he is a sober person, but I am disappointed that he has failed to come here. We are dealing with a serious matter. Many of our children are not in school and national exams are not far,” said Garissa Senator Yusuf Haji (TNA).

SUMMONSES THREAT

Committee Chairman Daniel Karaba (Kirinyaga, TNA) said lawmakers would consider sending summonses to the two CSs to force them to respond to senators’ questions.

He said the situation in Garissa, Wajir and Mandera counties was too serious to be treated the way the two members of the Cabinet were doing.

“I am very disappointed by what has happened. The Cabinet secretaries should have been here. What else is more important than the education and security of a country?” said Mr Karaba.

A number of teachers have refused to go back to northeastern Kenya following a string of terrorist attacks targeting non-locals.

STAY AWAY

They vowed to stay away after 148 people, mostly students, were massacred by Al-Shabaab militants at Garissa University College in April.

Nominated Senator Halima Abdille (ODM), a member of the committee, asked Maj-Gen Nkaissery and Prof Kaimenyi to respect the Constitution and appear before the committee.

Prof Suda was not allowed to address the lawmakers as they said the Constitution did not provide for anyone else other than the CS to speak to them. 

“We have no provision in the Constitution that allows a CS to delegate his responsibility when he or she appears before a House committee. We cannot accept any apology,” said Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jr (Wiper).