Nairobi, April 11 : Controller of Budget Dr. Margaret Nyakang’o was turned away by Members of Parliament after she showed up for a committee session without the necessary documents.
The meeting took place on Thursday at Bunge Towers, where MPs waited for over an hour before the CoB arrived.
The National Assembly’s Committee on Cohesion and Equal Opportunities, chaired by MP Adan Yussuf Haji, was set to hear from Dr. Nyakang’o on matters of staff diversity and budget allocation for special interest groups.
When she arrived, she admitted she did not have the full report, only one copy, and asked for more time to produce additional copies.
“I have only come with one copy of the report for myself, and I am waiting for my officers to bring copies for sharing with MPs,” Nyakang’o said.
The MPs, however, were unimpressed by the explanation and chose to dismiss her from the session.
MP Duncan Mathenge from Nyeri Town expressed concern over her conduct, saying she should have submitted the documents two days before the meeting.
“The Controller of Budget was supposed to avail the documents to the Committee two days before she appears for Members to adequately go through,” he stated.
Mathenge also questioned why changes were being made to the report at the last minute. “It is unacceptable for her to ask for more time to also make changes to the reports. Why make changes overnight?” he asked.
He noted that the CoB is well respected by the public and said her actions should reflect that image when dealing with parliamentary matters.
Committee Chairperson MP Haji questioned the delay in preparation, saying the invite had been sent ten days earlier.
“You got our invite 10 days ago, and that should have given you enough time to prepare. It is unfortunate, but we have to send you back so that you prepare well and appear later,” said the Mandera West MP.
In response, Nyakang’o apologized and blamed the delay on technical issues during the printing process.
“I apologise to the Committee for inconveniences caused, and I comply with the directive and am ready to appear before the Committee whenever I am asked to do so,” she said.
