NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 11 – Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed has been summoned to appear before the Senate Committee on Labor on Tuesday next week to answer to queries over her directive to the registrar to undertake an inspection of Football Kenya Federation (FKF).
Amina was scheduled to appear before the Committee on Thursday morning but failed to make an appearance prompting the Chair and Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja to issue the summon.
She had sent an apology on Wednesday night through a letter which was directed to the Office of the Speaker, saying that she was engaged in receiving the said report from the Registrar of Sports.
“When parliament calls you, it is not a coffee date where we agree which date works for you. This is a constitutional mandate not a social interaction. It is not suggestion it is law and must be followed,” a furious Sakaja said as the meeting started, nearly 45 minutes later than scheduled.
He added; “For us we want the law to be followed throughout the process, you cannot cure what you use as an illegality using another illegality you cannot cure it that way and we have tried as much as possible not to take any side but to say that there must be an audit, there must be an inspection, that is what the law states but let the law be followed,” he said.
While the no-show sparked fury among the Senators who expressed displeasure in the manner in which Amina was handling the matter casually, it emerged that she was receiving a report from the inspection committee which was mandated to do an audit of the FKF.
Already, Amina has formed a caretaker committee to run the Federation and will be chaired by retired judge Aaron Ringera notwithstanding that the decision is set to attract a ban from world football governing body FIFA who are expected to treat this as government interference.
Makueni Senator Mautula Kilonzo Jnr had petitioned the Committee to seek answers on management of sports in the country following allegations that Amina was running down the entity and by extension overseeing mismanagement of funds allocated to her Ministry.
Amina was also expected to be quizzed on the sporting fund and how much is being used for sporting activities in the country in the wake of allegations that the national team which is in Kampala, Uganda to play Uganda in their penultimate World Cup qualification match has not been accorded any financial help.
Senator Mutula threatened to sponsor a censure motion against Amina whom she accused of being doggy and unwilling to cooperate with the Committee.
“The Cabinet Secretary is trying to manage the Committee, speaker and everybody for whatever motives but it is my considered view that the contempt being shown by Amina is not new and we must it on the record that we censured two Cabinet Secretaries and we are prepared to censure Amina again and I will prepare that motion myself,” he said.
Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot wondered why Amina opted not to send a representative to the meeting.
“The letter that she has sent before this committee is completely unacceptable, that is treating Parliament with contempt. This ping pong more game she wants to introduce to this committee is unacceptable,” he said.
Nakuru Senator Susan Kihika observed that the impunity witnessed in the Sports Ministry should be tamed.
“The letter that she has submitted is not sufficient we should not even take it to account, she knows better and she should be here to answer our questions,” she said.
