The Senate Standing Committee on Labour and Social Welfare has summoned the Cabinet Secretary (CS) for the National Treasury to appear before it, rejecting further representation by junior officials. This follows Tuesday’s session where Principal Secretary Cyrell Wagunda Odede was sent away, with Senators insisting only the CS can address long-standing grievances raised in multiple petitions.

The Committee, chaired by Sen. Julius Murgor, expressed deep frustration over the National Treasury’s continued absence in resolving issues relating to unpaid pensions for retired Kenya Railways workers and former KEMRI staff, the non-remittance of death and disability benefits for public servants, and a delayed one-off honorarium for former councillors.

“We now understand that this will continue to drag because decisions are made at Cabinet level,” said Chair Sen. Julius Murgor. “We would like to have the CS appear so that these matters can be concluded. Otherwise, the longer it drags, the more we are seen not to be performers.”

The Committee resolved to reschedule the meeting for Monday, 4th August 2025, emphasizing that future excuses, such as Cabinet meetings often held on Tuesdays, would no longer be tolerated.

Sen. Samuel Seki Kanar (Kajiado County) questioned the rationale behind continuing the meeting without the CS present. “If the CS is not here, then the petition will not be met. I don’t know the reason why we should keep the PS. Let the CS appear with the PS and deal with the matter conclusively,” he said.

Vice-Chairperson Crystal Asige emphasized that the continued absence of the CS is unacceptable. “We have called upon the CS for many matters under his mandate, and he keeps failing to show up. Chair, this issue has dragged on for years. We need strong decisions and accountability,” she said.

Sen. Enock Wambua, a friend of the committee, was blunt in his criticism of the CS, a former long-serving Member of Parliament and committee chair. “He understands Parliament better than some of us. He even pushed for legislation to protect retirees. But now that he’s in the Executive, he’s running away from his own vision. Every time he’s required to appear, he claims to be attending Cabinet, Appearing before Parliament is a constitutional requirement—not a favor. If the committee has decided on a date, the CS must honor it. Let us not weaken the authority of this House by offering him options.” said Sen. Wambua.

During the session, committee members agreed to allow the petitioners to present brief statements, but insisted no further discussion would take place in the absence of the CS. “We don’t want to waste the time of retirees who traveled to be here,” said the Chair. “Let us meet the CS on Monday, 4th August, so we avoid the Tuesday Cabinet excuse.”

This decision comes after several rescheduled meetings and unfulfilled invitations sent to the National Treasury over the past two years. Multiple letters, including those related to the Kenya Railways pensioners and the KEMRI retirees, have gone unanswered or were met with requests to postpone.

The committee’s move signals a renewed push for institutional accountability and a commitment to resolving issues affecting thousands of retirees and families awaiting rightful benefits.

Should the CS fail to appear on the scheduled date, the committee hinted at pursuing further parliamentary action to compel attendance and enforce compliance. 

Other member present was Senator Alexander Mundigi (Embu) and Senator Beth Syengo (Norminated) who joined Online.