Interior CS Fred Matiang’i was warned on 22 November 2018 that Parliament could move to impeach him after he failed to honour repeated invitations from a National Assembly committee.
National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi told MPs that the Cabinet secretary’s conduct toward parliamentary committees could not be tolerated, after Matiang’i skipped two summons from the National Security committee chaired by Paul Koinange. The House said it had 60 questions awaiting answers from the CS.
Muturi directed the committee to summon Matiang’i again and return to the House if he refused to appear. He said Parliament would not accept a situation where the questions remained unanswered, adding that the House could “deal with him” if necessary.
The committee said it would call the Interior CS next week and warned that failure to show up could trigger impeachment proceedings. Koinange said both the CS and the Principal Secretary had missed the committee for a second time.
Several MPs backed tougher action. Kiminini MP Chris Wamalwa urged Parliament to impeach one Cabinet secretary as a warning to others who ignore committee sittings, saying Matiang’i was “not a super CS.” Kisumu West MP Olago Aluoch also rejected calls to shield the minister and instead pushed for a censure motion.
Homa Bay Town MP Opondo Kaluma and Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa, both members of the security committee, criticised Matiang’i for staying away and said the next summons should be treated seriously. Kaluma said the committee could go beyond fines and consider constitutional provisions, while Barasa said the committee wanted answers on the poor state of prisons, alleged diversion of prison funds, and claims that prison land was being grabbed by cartels.
The dispute came as the committee pressed for explanations on several security and correctional issues, including the condition of prisons despite government funding. The lawmakers said they were prepared to escalate the matter if Matiang’i ignored the next appearance date.
Related reporting at the time also noted earlier clashes between Matiang’i and parliamentary committees over other matters, including the sugar scandal, the Solai dam grilling and the Ruaraka invite.
