- CS Murkomen said ex-President Uhuru's government rushed the projects and didn't reach the required standards.
- Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei said that the CS can only be excluded in only two occasions, questioning which procedure the house used to heed Murkomen's request.
Image: DPCS
A section of UDA senators on Wednesday condemned Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen.
The CS was supposed to appear before the Senate in the morning to answer questions raised by the Senators.
Bomet Senator Wakili Hillary Kiprotich Sigei who sits on the Speaker's panel made a communication that CS Murkomen had asked the Senate to wait for him as he was leaving Mombasa for Nairobi.
"Communication received is that he ( Murkomen) is travelling from Mombasa and is on his way to come to respond to the questions," he said.
The communication however did not sit well with the Senators who caused an uproar.
Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei however said that the CS can only be excluded in only two occasions, questioning which procedure will the house use to heed Murkomen's request.
"This house has rules and we can only wait for cabinet secretaries if they are attending parliamentary committee proceedings or in cabinet," he stated.
"Which procedure would force the House to adjourn and re-adjourn to wait for a CS who was well vast of that he was to appear?'" Cherargei posed.
The UDA Senator noted that If CS Murkomen was busy, he would have rescheduled his appearance to a later date.
Tana River Senator Danson Mungatana emphasized that Murkomen appearance was timely as he would have addressed the JKIA leaking roof issue, which he termed as a national embarrassment.
"I was personally waiting for CS Murkomen because we have a national embarrassment at the airport where rain is falling inside the international airport. It would have been an important session for him to clarify the issue," he said.
Mungatana also criticised Murkomen's comment where he blamed the former Jubilee regime for the leaking roof.
"How can we be talking about the Jubilee administration one year down the line? We want him ( Murkomen) to come to clarify on this important podium," he added.
Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale also questioned why the Speaker of the session chose to accept Murkomen's request for his delayed appearance.
"My question to the chair is under what standing order do we (Senate) wait for the CS. We have never seen a scenario where the business of the house is paused to wait for a minister," he noted.
CS Murkomen on Wednesday morning had joined Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua at the 30th Institution of Engineers of Kenya Convention and the 18th World Council of Engineers at Pride Inn Beach Resort, Mombasa,
On Tuesday, Murkomen said the previous government did shoddy work in the maintenance of the JKIA facility and other 12 airstrips across the country.
"When we got to the office, we found out that many of our airports are in a pathetic state and JKIA leaking is a result of that," he said.
Murkomen said the renovation at JKIA in terminal 1C and I1 was sub-standard because it was only meant to serve temporarily.
He made the statement at the Ukunda airstrip in Kwale County.
He said ex-President Uhuru's government rushed the projects and didn't reach the required standards.