Senators clash over seven CSs accompanying Ruto to UNGA

NAIROBI,Kenya Sep 23 – Ruling coalition and opposition senators clashed on Wednesday over the decision by seven Cabinet Secretaries to accompany President William Ruto to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The opposition senators said the absence of the Cabinet Secretaries had affected the Senate’s ability to engage the Executive on issues of concern to Kenyans, while also raising questions about the cost of the large government delegation travelling to the United States.

The Kenya Kwanza side defended the trip as an opportunity for ministers to conduct government business.

This is following the absence of Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos, Mining and Blue Economy Hassan Joho and their ICT counterpart William Kabogo before senate plenary during the mashinani sitting in Kilifi county.

Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale led the criticism, saying Parliament should be concerned about the number of senior government officials accompanying the President arguing the country is not a failed state to warrant the huge delegation.

“Kenya is not a failed state where seven Cabinet Secretaries can accompany the Head of State to the UN General Assembly and the responsibility that they are going to discharge is to sit in the background when the President is reading a statement,” Senator Khalwale said.

He said the trip had implications for the running of government as well as public finances, citing air tickets, security and other expenses incurred by the delegation.

“Parliament of Kenya should be disturbed because this not only has a bearing on the efficiency of how our government is run, it also has a financial implication,” he said.

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna raised concerns on the consequences of the cabinet secretaries absence on Senate business and the people who had been expecting answers from the Executive.

Sifuna said he had expected the Cabinet Secretary for Mining and Blue Economy to be available in Nairobi after a Senate committee visit to the Kilifi Central fish landing site.

The senator said the Agriculture Committee, working jointly with the Energy and Lands committees, had visited the facility and encountered several concerns from fishermen, young people and residents.

He said he had made arrangements to raise the issues directly with the Cabinet Secretary, particularly concerns over employment opportunities for young people living around the project.

“They are very worried, especially the young people there, who have not been given any assurance that they will be the ones given priority to work there,” Sifuna said.

The senator said residents had also been informed that the facility could be operated through a public-private partnership, raising questions about how the arrangement would affect the local community.

“People are worried. Senator Mungatana was there. You had the concerns of the beach management units. You had the concerns of the area residents and it would have been a very useful conversation to have,” he said.

The Nairobi Senator decried that he had seen CS Joho post on social media walking on the streets of New York City confidently ,saying he had rarely seen Cabinet Secretaries walking around the capital to experience the conditions faced by ordinary residents.

“The most interesting thing Kenyans have noted is that this government delegation has never taken a walk in our own capital the way that they’re walking around in other capitals,” he said.

Sifuna contrasted Nairobi’s infrastructure and pedestrian environment with that of New York, saying the country’s capital still faced significant challenges in roads and pavements.

He said the government should have focused on creating infrastructure that enables non-motorised transport and improves the security of pedestrians.

The legislator asked the Speaker to direct the House on the earliest date when the Cabinet Secretary could appear before the Senate to address the concerns.

“I’m just to register the disappointment on behalf of the young people and the fishermen that spoke to us yesterday at the fish landing site and to hope that we will have the CSs appear soonest possible.I don’t know how long UNGA lasts,” Sifuna said.

However ,Tana River Senator Danson Mugatana defended the presence of Cabinet Secretaries in the President’s delegation, saying international trips provide opportunities for ministers to hold separate meetings with their counterparts and negotiate agreements.

He said such engagements allowed the government to accomplish several tasks during one trip instead of making separate journeys.

“Whenever we accompany the Head of State, if it is a ministry and there are agreements to be signed, you have separate meetings, side meetings and you are able to execute,” Senator Mugatana said.

“In the same trip, you multitask, you do many things at the same time instead of coming back and going and going and going,” he added.

He maintained that senators had a responsibility to explain to the public that Cabinet Secretaries accompanying the President abroad were involved in other official engagements.

“It is not true, Mr Speaker, that the only duty that the ministers execute is to sit behind the President and just pass notes,” Senator Mugatana said.

The dispute comes as the Senate conducts its Mashinani programme in Kilifi, an initiative that takes the House’s oversight and legislative work closer to counties and gives residents an opportunity to raise issues directly with senators.

The Constitution requires Cabinet Secretaries to appear before Senate or National Assembly committees when required to answer questions relating to their dockets. Article 125 gives either House and its committees powers to summon persons to provide evidence or information.