Bumula MP Jack Wamboka during a session as the chairman Public Investments Committee on Education and Governance at the Bunge Tower Nairobi on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
The National Assembly’s decision to suspend Bumula MP Jack Wamboka from chairing a committee just minutes after it adopted his team’s report over a Sh257.6 million scandal has put its accountability commitment into doubt.
The report indicted immediate former National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) members.
Deputy Speaker in the National Assembly Gladys Shollei.
On April 22, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss suspended Mr Wamboka from chairing the Public Investments Committee (PIC) on Governance and Education for 45 days following complaints from the NCIC former commissioners.
The decision was made on the basis of former commission chairman Rev Dr Samuel Kobia’s July 23, 2025, formal complaint to House Speaker Moses Wetang’ula on the conduct of Mr Wamboka.
“The chairman has demanded inducements—bribes—as a precondition to grant audience or favourable consideration during committee proceedings,” Dr Kobia’s letter reads.
The office of the Speaker did not explain why it took close to 10 months to act on the letter, even as Mr Wamboka complained that he was condemned unheard and without evidence.
Yesterday, Mr Wamboka said that the NCIC letter and his subsequent suspension from the chairmanship of the committee were attempts to let the former commissioners off the hook over misuse of public funds, as highlighted by Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu.
Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu.
“They have, three times, failed to honour our invitations and summons issued to them to appear before us and respond to the audit issues as raised. Let them know that they can seek protection from whatever quarters, but they will not escape accountability over public funds,” said Mr Wamboka.
Dr Kobia had not responded to our inquiries sent to his known phone number by the time of publication.
Former National Cohesion and Integration Commission Chairman Dr. Rev. Samuel Kobia.
Other than Dr Kobia, the former NCIC commissioners who declined the committee summons include Vice-chairperson Wambui Nyutu, her successor Dorcas Kedogo, and commissioners Phillip Okundi, Danvas Makori and Abdulaziz Ali Farah.
Also required to appear was former CEO Skitter Wangeci Mbugua, whose tenure was marred by controversy, including her suspension over allegations of altering her appointment letter to extend her term.
Among the issues the committee wanted the commissioners to respond to include unauthorised over expenditure, unauthorised overdrawing of bank accounts, irregular change of employee terms, irregular payment of legal fees and irregular expenditure on task force allowance.
The report of the Auditor-General indicates that the commission spent Sh161.4 million against a budget of Sh29.4 million on four expenditure items: domestic and foreign travel, printing services, office stationery and office repairs and maintenance, “ resulting in over expenditure of Sh132.1 million”.
For instance, the commission spent Sh132.9 million on domestic and foreign travel against a budget of Sh20.4 million and Sh12.1 million on office repairs and maintenance against a budget of Sh921,200.
The commission was also flagged for spending Sh10.63 million on printing services against a budget of Sh3.12 million and Sh5.9 million against a budget of Sh4.9 million.
Further, the commission was fingered for overdrawing from its account held in a local bank to the tune of Sh118.03 million without the approval of the National Treasury and in the process, attracting Sh822,345 in interest charges.
The commission also entered into an agreement with a law firm in September 2023, before the approval of the Attorney-General had been granted.
As per the contract, the commission was to pay the advocate a fee of Sh4.62 million, inclusive of taxes, statutory charges and other disbursements.
“However, the fee was way higher than what is provided for in the Advocates Remuneration Order as amended in 2014,” the audit says, adding “the contract price was also higher than the dues owed to the petitioner by the commission”.
This after it emerged that the advocate was paid Sh7.5 million, an amount higher than the dues owed to the petitioner by the commission, with Sh722,949 yet to be paid.
The commission also spent Sh2.2 million on task force allowances without specifying the duration of the task, a violation of the public service guidelines in the appointment and management of task force allowances.
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