The Senate Standing Committee on Labour and Social Welfare has summoned top government officials who failed to appear before it on Tuesday, 5th August 2025.
Those summoned include Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury and Economic Planning John Mbadi, Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and MSMEs Development Wycliffe Oparanya, Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection Alfred Mutua, and Managing Director of Kenya Railways Corporation Philip Mainga.
The officials are now expected to appear before the committee on Wednesday, 20th August 2025 at 10:00 a.m. in the County Hall Mini Chamber.
They are required to respond to key issues, including the one-off honorarium for former councillors, delayed pensions for Kenya Railways pensioners, and a petition concerning the Kenya Cooperative Creameries (KCC).
Failure to attend the rescheduled session will attract penalties in line with Article 125 of the Constitution and the Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act.
The committee, chaired by West Pokot Senator Julius Murgor, expressed frustration over the repeated absence of the CSs.
Last week, Treasury CS John Mbadi failed to appear, prompting senators to reject representation by junior officials. On Tuesday, the committee dismissed Principal Secretary Cyrell Wagunda Odede, insisting that only a Cabinet Secretary could give satisfactory responses to the long-standing grievances presented in multiple petitions.
Among the unresolved issues are unpaid pensions for former staff of Kenya Railways and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), delayed death and disability benefits for public servants, and the still-pending honorarium for former 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 its meeting to Monday, 4th August 2025, emphasizing that Cabinet meetings held on Tuesdays will no longer be accepted as an excuse for non-appearance.
Kajiado Senator Samuel Seki Kanar questioned the logic of proceeding 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 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 sat in as a friend of the committee, also criticised CS Mbadi, 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 discussions in the absence of the CSs. “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.”
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