Senate probe into whereabouts of Sh16.5 billion edible oil at the centre of controversy ran into headwinds after key officials failed to show up for a meeting.
Investment, Trade and Industry Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano and management of Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC) were to appear before the Senate Standing Committee on Trade, Industrialisation and Tourism on Thursday.
The meeting chaired by Kajiado Lenku Seki was to be held at the KNTC head office in the Industrial Area, Nairobi.
The main agenda of the meeting was to inspect the KNTC warehouses to establish facts about the edible oil imported into the country early this year.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission in late October formally opened investigations on the alleged embezzlement of public funds at the agency through irregular award of tenders for the supply and delivery of food commodities.
The document indicated that KNTC single-sourced the companies contracted to import 125,000 metric tonnes of edible oil and set higher prices as opposed to what had been agreed on initially.
The cooking oil brought in by KNTC to cushion Kenyans from high prices.
The Senate committee was forced to call off the meeting after Miano and KNTC management failed to show up. It was also the fourth time the matter was called off due to inadequacy on the part of the Ministry and KNTC.
Members of the committee concluded that there could be a deliberate effort to conceal information from the public.
The committee said it would invite former Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry CS Moses Kuria who was in charge at the time when the edible oil in question was imported.
In another committee meeting, it emerged that staff at the Postal Corporation of Kenya will be paid their salary arrears after all.
ICT and Digital Economy CS Eliud Owalo told the Senate ICT Committee Postal Corporation of Kenya has been experiencing financial constraints but agreed with senators that the disbursement of salaries to workers is long overdue.
The committee directed Owalo to pay workers' salary arrears before Christmas.
“The reason for delays in meeting the salary obligations was occasioned by low business volume due to a decline in postal mail business,” he said.
He noted that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission owes the Postal Corporation of Kenya Sh1.1 billion.
“I have been reliably informed that the National Treasury is making some release of Sh550 million to IEBC to settle part of the debt,” Owalo said.
Meanwhile, Nairobi Governor Johnson failed to appear before the Senate Committee on Roads, Transportation and Housing for the seventh time.
Vice-chairperson, Nominated Senator Peris Tobiko expressed her displeasure against the governor and urged the committee to penalise him.
“Governor Sakaja has up to the 6th day of December 2023 to pay a fine of Sh500,000,” ruled the Kiambu Senator Karungo Thangwa, the chairperson of the committee.
He said the committee will consult Speaker Amason Kingi to bring a motion to discuss the conduct of the Nairobi Governor.