The National Assembly Speaker, Rt. Hon (Dr.) Moses Wetangula, has called upon Cabinet Secretaries to respect the House invitations and appear before the plenary to address questions pertaining to their respective dockets.

Expressing concern over the absence of some Cabinet Secretaries, Hon. Wetang'ula emphasized that the National Assembly represents the will of the people, and under Article 153 of the Constitution, Cabinet Secretaries are accountable to the House.

“The Constitution clearly states that they 'shall attend' the House, not 'may attend' or 'will attend.' It is their obligation to attend the House,” said Speaker Wetang'ula.

“None of the Cabinet Secretaries comes to the House as a choice. They come to the House when the House has material for them to attend to. So it's contemptible for a Cabinet Secretary to write a letter and say I'm not coming today. I'll come next Wednesday.” the Speaker added.

Hon. Speaker made these remarks after the Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Services Hon. Florence Bore failed to appear before the House to respond to questions relating to her Ministry.  

Several Members, including Hon. Brighton Yegon (Konoin), Hon. Robert Basil (Yatta), Hon. Joyce Kamene (Machakos County MP), and Hon. Jane Maina (Kirinyaga County MP), had lined up questions that the CS was expected to respond to. 

The Leader of the Majority Party, Hon. Kimani Ichung'wah (Kikuyu), referred to CS Bore's actions as contemptuous and emphasized that Cabinet Secretaries do not appear before the National Assembly as a favor, but as a means of being accountable to the people of Kenya through their elected representatives.

“It is not just discourteous for a Cabinet Secretary to write such a casual letter, but it also shows contempt for the House,” said Hon. Ichung'wah. 

According to Hon. Ichung'wah, when a Cabinet Secretary is invited to Parliament, the House's business must take precedence over any other official commitments. 

“We don't care whether you are attending funerals, weddings, or birthday parties, or wherever you are. Come and attend to the concerns of the people.” he said.

As the Leader of the Majority Party, Hon. Ichung'wah said he would never defend a Cabinet Secretary or any member of the Government who shows contempt for the House and the people of Kenya. 

He emphasized that CS Florence Bore's failure to appear before the House is unprecedented and intolerable.

The Leader of the Minority Party, Hon. Opiyo Wandayi (Ugunja), emphasized that Parliament is the only Government organ responsible for overseeing the Executive, Judiciary, and independent offices and commissions in terms of their budget. 

He stressed that regardless of their position, Cabinet Secretaries are answerable to Parliament and must prioritize invitations from the House. 

Hon. Wandayi expressed concern over CS Bore's repeated contemptuous behavior towards Members of Parliament and the institution of Parliament itself. 

He called for decisive action to preserve the integrity, credibility, independence, and authority of the House, suggesting that CS Bore should face indictment by Parliament to serve as a warning and an example to her colleagues.