MPs Rally to Impeach Treasury CS Ndung’u Amid Pension Scandal
National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u has been fined 5h500,000 for failing to appear before the Senate Committee on Education five times to answer questions about the payment of retired teachers’ pensions.
Members of the committee refused yesterday to waive the punishment imposed on Prof Ndung’u on June 29 after he failed to appear for a meeting with the committee and instead submitted a letter indicating that he would be attending a Cabinet meeting.
He is supposed to pay the fine in his name. He was asked to appear before the committee on August 7, but senators told him he should attend within seven days or he would be sent to the entire House for possible impeachment proceedings.
The issue before the committee is the payment of pension dues for 23,487 retired teachers who retired more than 20 years ago.
Prof Ndungru wrote to the committee in May this year, saying that Sh16.08 billion had been paid to the instructors, notwithstanding their denial.
The CS has already ignored the committee summons four times, and his failure to appear before them yesterday enraged the senators.
They anticipated him to shed light on a petition about compensation for teachers who retired between 1997 and 2007 and have been fighting for the money in court for years.
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“The CS must appear before this committee on the date specified, not at his leisure.” “We’ll notify the house about such rogue CSs,” said Penis Tobiko, who presided over the meeting.
On July 4, Prof Njuguna wrote to the Clerk of the Senate, JM Njegenye, requesting that the committee’s decision to impose a fine on him be reversed.
On June 29, he was told of the decision to fine him and was required to pay by July 12. “Article 125 of the Constitution and Sections 18 and 20 of the Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act, 2017 empower the Senate and any of its committees to summon any person to appear before them to give evidence or information,” the summons states.
Mr. Njegenye further warned that, in addition to the fine, the committee may order the CS’s arrest and prosecution. The maximum penalty for the offense is a fine of 5h200,000 or a six-month jail term, or both.
“We’ll give him one last chance so that he won’t use Cabinet meetings as an excuse,” Ms Tobiko said.
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Laikipia Senator John Kinyua suggested that the committee consider a resolution to impeach Prof Ndung’u if he fails to appear for the summons.
“Teachers are waiting for us to respond, but the CS is leading us in circles.” Kenyans expect us to work, not make fun of them,” he remarked.
The case originates from a petition filed by retired teacher Phillip K. A. Too, who is one of a group of teachers who have been demanding payment of their retirement benefits in court since 2006.
Prof Ndung’u was expected to throw light on the teachers’ fate after the Teachers Service Commission informed the committee that it had processed the teachers’ documentation and sent them to Treasury for payment.
MPs Rally to Impeach Treasury CS Ndung’u Amid Pension Scandal
