Please Impeach Them – Kimani Ichung’wah Calls Out Section of MPs Over Absenteeism

National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah has called out a section of Members of Parliament over absenteeism.

During a session on Wednesday, November 6, in Parliament, Ichung'wah singled out committee chairpersons and vice chairpersons, going so far as to publicly read out the names of those who were absent.

He urged the leaders to either fulfill their responsibilities or resign from their positions, suggesting that Members of Parliament should consider impeaching them if they fail to appear in the House.

“We need to reiterate the need for members to be in the House especially chairpersons and vice chairpersons. If you are a chairperson or vice chairperson of a committee, you must be in the House at 2:30 p.m. Let me tell chairpersons from both sides of the House, if you’re a chairperson or vice chairperson of a committee please take your work seriously.

"If you don’t, we have another 280 members who can take those positions. If you don’t have time for the House, do the honourable thing. I’m not encouraging anyone to impeach anyone but if need be, please impeach these chairpersons and vice chairpersons if they can’t be in the House,” Ichung'wah remarked.

The National Assembly Majority Leader made the remarks after several MPs who are committee leaders failed to turn up for the afternoon session on Wednesday.

Responding to Ichung'wah's remarks, Deputy National Assembly Speaker Gladys Shollei stated that some MPs had proposed that the chairpersons be changed.

She, however, noted that she would not initiate the process until the National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula, who is out of the country, is back in the House.

“What Kimani Ichung’wah has said is part of what was resolved during the leadership retreat in Mombasa. I know that members have actually proposed that those chairpersons be changed, but I’ll restrain myself from putting that question until the substantive speaker is in the chair," Shollei remarked.