Wetangula Reprimands Ichung’wah and Wandayi Over Conduct of Committee Chairs

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula has called out Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah and Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayo over the conduct of committee chairpersons.

Speaking during the afternoon session on Tuesday, November 7, Speaker Wetangula lamented the committee chairpersons’ absenteeism and lack of concentration at the assembly.

“We pay you allowances for being chairs of committees,” Speaker Wetangula lamented. 

“We cannot have a situation where a matter is on the order paper, you know it is coming on because the order paper is circulated way in advance and when the matter is called…the chair is nowhere, the vice-chairs are nowhere,” he added. 

He called out their conduct to be unfair to the members of the public who have expectations of the legislators and are obliged to pay taxes.

In his defence, Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah noted that the matter had been brought to his attention, and he had tabled it in their morning meeting.

“This is a matter we even canvassed in the House Business Committee and even this morning in our parliamentary group meeting it was part of the agenda…on the commitment of our chairs and vice-chairs,” Ichungwa noted.

Ichung’wah stated that, as a house, they were already facing frustrations from the performance of other committee chairs.

In his opinion, he urged committee chairs who are paid more than other committee members to live up to the task and put the money they are earning up to the task.

He requested different committee members always to ensure they select effective chairpersons who will not frustrate the Parliament operations.  

Wetangula further urged committee chairs to brief their assistant or delegate duties in their absentia.