Lands and Public Works Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome on Wednesday failed to face senators to answer questions regarding her ministry after she fell ill.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi said the minister was set to appear before the Senate on Wednesday morning but suffered swollen eyes, making her unable to see.
Mr Kingi told senators that Ms Wahome had undergone eye surgery three days ago and was feeling well before she suddenly became indisposed on Wednesday morning.
The Senate was to welcome Ms Wahome and her Education counterpart Julius Ogamba to answer questions regarding their ministries.
“We expected two CSs this morning for purposes of answering questions. However, I have since received a communication from CS Lands that she will not be able to attend today’s session to respond to questions concerning her ministry because she is indisposed,” said Mr Kingi.
“I had a phone call discussion with a principal secretary in the ministry who explained what the problem is. The CS underwent eye surgery three days ago and was willing to appear today but woke up with a swollen eye this morning. She cannot even see and that is why she registered her regrets that she will not be able to be with us today,” he added.
Consequently, Mr Kingi deferred all questions that were supposed to be responded to by the minister.
“That is a very valid reason and we will have to defer all the questions that were supposed to be responded to by the CS,” said the former Kilifi governor.
Ms Wahome was to answer questions concerning circumstances that led to the publishing of a gazette notice by the Government Printer, informing the public of the loss of 367 title deeds, and the subsequent release of a contradictory statement by the ministry, indicating that security papers, and not title deeds, had been lost.
The question by nominated Senator Hamida Kibwana also required the minister to explain measures the government has put in place to ensure that the lost land documents are not illegitimately used, and provide details on the assistance or compensation the government would provide to individuals who fall victim to such use.
The MP further wanted the CS to explain what actions the government had taken against individuals responsible for any identified lapses that resulted in the loss of the land documents, and outline measures put in place by the Ministry to strengthen its document security protocols, to ensure that similar losses do not recur.
There was also a question on compulsory acquisition of land by the government and the status of compensation to affected land owners by nominated Senator Beatrice Ogolla.
Kirinyaga Senator James Murango also wanted to know what measures the Lands ministry had put in place to ensure all squatters across the country and, particularly, those in colonial settlement villages along Mt Kenya Forest in Kirinyaga County, are resettled and when they would be issued with title deeds.
The minister was also to disclose the current holders of the title deeds for three contentious parcels of land in Kamukunji Constituency, including where the Eastleigh Social Hall stands, one designated for use as the Eastleigh Open Air Market, and the last one for use by the Shauri Moyo Furniture Makers Cooperative Society, a question by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna.
