The Senate Standing Committee on Labour and Social Welfare has summoned Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi after he failed to appear before it, with members rejecting further representation by junior officials.
This comes after the Committee, chaired by West Pokot Senator Julius Murgor, dismissed Principal Secretary Cyrell Wagunda Odede during Tuesday’s session. The senators said only the Cabinet Secretary could address long-standing grievances raised in multiple petitions.
Among the unresolved issues are unpaid pensions for former Kenya Railways and KEMRI staff, delays in remitting death and disability benefits for public servants, and a pending one-off honorarium for ex-councillors.
“We now understand that this will continue to drag because decisions are made at the Cabinet level,” said Senator 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 has now rescheduled the meeting for Monday, August 4, 2025, stressing that excuses such as Cabinet meetings held on Tuesdays will no longer be accepted.
Kajiado Senator Samuel Seki Kanar questioned the logic of proceeding without the CS. “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 added, “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.”
Senator Enock Wambua, who attended as a friend of the committee, also criticised the CS, saying, “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. 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.”
Although the committee allowed petitioners to give brief statements during the session, members declined to proceed with any discussions in the absence of the CS.
“We don’t want to waste the time of retirees who travelled to be here,” said the Chair. “Let us meet the CS on Monday, 4th August, so we avoid the Tuesday Cabinet excuse.”
The committee’s decision follows years of postponed meetings and unanswered letters from the National Treasury regarding the unresolved petitions.
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