A standoff is brewing between Members of Parliament (MPs) and President William Ruto’s administration over the non-implementation of critical House resolutions. Leading the list of grievances is an order to prevent schools from compelling parents to purchase uniforms from specific suppliers.
In a report tabled by the National Assembly’s Implementation Committee, chaired by Budalang’i MP Raphael Wanjala, various government agencies and ministries, including the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB), the Education Ministry, Treasury, and KenGen, were flagged for failing to act on parliamentary directives.
Uniform Policy Sparks Concern
At the forefront is a directive issued on March 1, 2023, calling for a policy to standardize school uniforms and their production. Despite over a year passing, the Education Ministry has yet to fully implement the directive, causing frustration among legislators.
The committee noted that the ministry’s circular addressing the directive only focused on secondary schools, ignoring primary school pupils. Furthermore, the order to stop schools from restricting parents to specific suppliers was poorly disseminated, leaving many parents unaware of the change.
To address this, MPs are urging the Education Cabinet Secretary to broadcast the circular through public announcements on various media outlets. Additionally, the committee has recommended creating a comprehensive standardization framework to ensure compliance and curb exploitation by schools.
School Feeding and Birth Registration Delays
The MPs also raised issues with the school feeding program, which they deemed mismanaged. They recommended extending the program to all schools following a thorough needs assessment.
Another area of concern is the Interior Ministry’s failure to establish birth and death registration centers in all 290 constituency headquarters. As of the review, only 159 centers were operational, falling short of Parliament’s directive.
Accountability Challenges in Agencies
The committee expressed frustration over delays in implementing recommendations by government agencies, often attributed to insufficient budgets or deliberate procrastination.
For instance, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has yet to act on fraud allegations linked to the West Kano Irrigation Scheme, dating back nine years. MPs demanded that the EACC submit a progress report within 60 days of adopting the committee’s findings.
The NSSF also came under fire for holding over KSh 942 million in pension contributions in suspense accounts, making it difficult for pensioners to access their funds. In addition, a dispute with KRA over a tax overpayment of KSh 904 million remains unresolved, despite a 2016 court ruling and a subsequent directive for a refund.
Mismanagement at NCPB and Agriculture Finance Corporation
At the NCPB, MPs criticized the failure to prosecute employees implicated in the 2018 maize scandal. The committee called for internal investigations to identify and take legal action against responsible current and former employees.
Similarly, doubts were cast on the recoverability of KSh 4.5 billion in loans issued by the Agriculture Finance Corporation between 2004 and 2012. The committee urged the agency to implement a radical recovery strategy to salvage the funds.
Broader Implications
The report highlights a recurring pattern of government agencies disregarding House resolutions, undermining the oversight role of Parliament. MPs noted that such inaction erodes public trust and hampers efforts to ensure accountability and service delivery.
As the Wanjala-led committee pushes for compliance, the spotlight is on the government to address these systemic issues and uphold the resolutions passed by Parliament. The coming weeks will be crucial as lawmakers demand swift action and concrete progress on the flagged directives.
