Karoney, Muraguri risk sanctions over MPs summons

Lands Cabinet Secretary (CS) Farida Karoney and Principal Secretary Nicholas Muraguri risk being sanctioned for failing to honour summons to appear before a parliamentary committee.

The two have refused to appear before the Implementation Committee of the National Assembly four consecutive times prompting the summons.

Yesterday, committee chairman Moitalel ole Kenta directed that the two appear before the committee in a week’s time, to explain why they have not resolved the dispute between Del Monte Limited and the Kandara Residents Association.

Muraguri had sent letter explaining that he and the CS would not attend the meeting, since they were engaged in Lamu where they had accompanied President Uhuru Kenyatta on official duties.

Kenta, however, warned that the committee will go ahead and invoke Standing Orders and report the two to Parliament to be impeached.

“The CS and the PS have been taking Parliament’s work for granted. We represent the people and we must be respected. We will not hesitate to report to the House to have them removed from office,” warned Kenta.

The committee further cautioned the ministry not to renew the leases of the 22,000 acres of land in question which Del Monte occupies.

“The committee directs that the status quo remains until after the matter is determined,” Kenta ruled.

The lawyer representing the Kandara Residents Association; Duncan Okach had asked the committee to intervene as the ministry was planning to proceed to renew the leases in favour of the fruit processor.

“We have heard that the ministry has asked for the documentation from the National Land Commission (NLC) to start the process of renewing the leases.

"This will hamper efforts to resolve the matter at hand and should be stopped pending the determination by this committee,” Okach told the committee. NLC chairman Gerishom Otachi, who was present, told the committee he had finalised his report on the matters in question but could not proceed without the presence of the Lands ministry officials since they are intertwined.

We are ready to proceed but since the matters before you must be implemented by the ministry, I think it is in order if we allow them to be present,” Otachi told the committee.

Otachi , however, assured that no renewals will be done before the matter is resolved.