CS Mbadi Under Fire After Senators Call For Censure Motion Against Him
On Wednesday, May 7, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi urged senators to submit a censure motion against Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi for failing to appear before the Senate.
While addressing the House, Kingi acknowledged the Senators’ concerns after Mbadi informed them that he would be unable to attend his scheduled session with the Upper House, albeit on short notice.
Kingi urged lawmakers to take decisive action against Mbadi and other CSs who are infamous for skipping sessions without prior notice.
The Speaker of the Senate @HonAmasonKingi informs the House that he has received a letter from the Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury and Economic Planning, John Mbadi, indicating that he is not in a position to attend this session as he has other official engagements.… pic.twitter.com/FK1Ae7AMm1
— Senate of Kenya (@Senate_KE) May 7, 2025
According to the Speaker, this would help restore the House’s respect and deter disrespectful behavior from high government officials.
“I have heard your frustrations, concerns and disappointments. Indeed, Honourable Senators, this letter (Mbadi’s apology) is contemptuous and does not even indicate the reason why the CS is not present,” Kingi stated.
“Honourable Senators, you have a weapon to handle such kinds of CSs. If you read Standing Order 51(D) it clearly states that if a CS fails to appear for no good reason, then a censure motion can ensue,” he further asserted.
Kingi’s clarion appeal came after several Senators, including Nairobi’s Edwin Sifuna, Bungoma’s Boni Khalwale, and Kitui’s Enoch Wambua, expressed their displeasure over Mbadi’s absence from the session.
Wafula Wakoli of Bungoma and Fatuma Dullo of Isiolo have also joined the trio.
Sifuna, for his part, questioned why the CS could make time to appear on a national broadcaster’s late-night show but not in front of the Senate.
Sen. @edwinsifuna (Nairobi): Yesterday, just before the game between Inter Milan and Barcelona, I saw CS Mbadi on citizen TV. He has time to appear before Citizen TV, but he has no time to appear before this House. That is the highest contempt for this Senate. #SenateLive pic.twitter.com/9x6AbfnrJ5
— Senate of Kenya (@Senate_KE) May 7, 2025
The Nairobi Senator stated that this is the highest level of contempt for the Senate.
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Wambua questioned Mbadi’s apologies, claiming that his previous experience as a politician should have led him in his actions before the Senate.
“If CS John Mbadi, a former Member of Parliament, can afford to write to you this morning at 9 am to say that he is not presenting himself at the opening of this House is the height of contempt for this House,” he charged.
Sen. Enoch Wambua (Kitui): If CS John Mbadi, a former Member of Parliament, can afford to write to you this morning at 9am to say that he is not presenting himself at the opening of this House is the height of contempt for this House.
— Senate of Kenya (@Senate_KE) May 7, 2025
Sen. @DrBKhalwale (Kakamega): I'm equally… pic.twitter.com/QJBY4mToy5
Mbadi’s event, however, is not the first time a CS has ignored a Senate summons.
Last year, Tourism CS Rebecca Miano and her Environment counterpart, Deborah Barasa, faced censure motions for missing scheduled Senate appearances.
CS Mbadi Under Fire After Senators Call For Censure Motion Against Him
