PS Omollo risks Sh500,000 fine for snubbing MPs' committee ‘for over a year’
Interior and National Administration PS Raymond Omollo during the launch of Kasagam Police Station in Kisumu on April 11, 2025.
Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo has been summoned to Parliament for snubbing several invitations by the Committee on Implementation of House Resolutions for over a year.
The Interior and National Coordination PS also risks a fine of Sh500,000 for skipping three consecutive invitations to appear before MPs to provide the status of implementations of various House recommendations on public petitions.
The committee chaired by Budalangi MP Raphael Wanjala invoked the provisions of Standing Order 191(a) and issued summons to compel Mr Omollo’s attendance at a date to be communicated.
Standing Order 191(a) empowers Parliament and any of its committees to impose fines not exceeding Sh500,000 on individuals who fail to honour invitations or produce documents before House teams.
Mr Omollo skipped a meeting with the committee to resolve several matters raised in the public petitions filed on behalf of Kenyans in the National Assembly.
“The committee has resolved to summon Interior and National Coordination Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo pursuant to Standing Order 191(a) to appear before us on several issues that he has failed to attend to for over one year now,” Mr Wanjala said.
“We are therefore directing the Clerk to issue summons to Mr Omollo to appear at a date that we shall set. Failure to which we will impose a fine not exceeding Sh500,000 and order for his arrest.”
Mr Wanjala said that whereas the committee recognise the busy schedule and workload that Mr Omollo faces, the House has timelines within which to process its work and therefore cannot be sabotaged.
Mr Omollo was required to provide the status of implementation of the report of the Departmental Committee on Lands regarding a petition by former workers of the late Mayer Jacob Samuels on invitation and eviction of workers from their land in Roysambu Constituency by the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).
He was also scheduled to provide the implementation status of other two reports which the National Assembly approved for implementation.
Budalang'i MP Raphael Wanjala who chairs the Committee on Implementation of House Resolutions.
Mr Wanjala said the reports that have been pending since last year include one by the departmental committee on Lands that considered a public petition for the resettlement of Enoosupukia Evictees.
He is also required to appraise the committee on the implementation of a public petition filed in 2022 by Seme MP James Nyikal regarding compensation for Nyanza-Western Caucus of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
The PS has also failed for the past year to honour House invites on the implementation status of the petition filed by residents of Hospital Ward regarding evictions by the National Police Service in Mathare.
The government compulsorily acquired 17.16 acres of land from Mayer Jacob Samuels whose lease expired in 2003.
The government paid Mr Jacob Samuels before he died when his workers claimed ownership under adverse possession.
Land titling timelines
The land has been subject to a dispute between KDF, Solio Construction Company and Uchumi Supermarkets, among others forcing Kenya's military to invade and evict former workers of the late Jacob Samuels who were also laying claim.
The House on December 5, 2019 approved recommendations by the Departmental Committee on Lands requiring the Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning, in consultation with the National Lands Commission and the Nairobi County Government to complete the titling process for L.R No 5875/2 within 180 days of tabling of the report.
The House also approved a recommendation that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) investigate the officers of the Ministry of Lands who may have caused loss of public funds by effecting fraudulent transactions relating to the said parcel of land and prosecute any person found culpable and report to the House within 90 days.
The committee directed the Ministry of Lands to secure title relating to LR 23393 within a view of ensuring that innocent Kenyans do not lose money through fraudulent transactions as evidenced by the attempts to amalgamate it with L.R No 5875/2.
Appearing before the committee Thursday April 24, 2025, Lands and Physical Planning Principal Secretary Nixon Korir said the ministry has no role in the implementation of the House resolutions.
“The recommendations by the Committee fall under the mandate of the Ministry of Interior and National Administration and the National Land Commission and the State Department for Devolution. Therefore, they are best placed to give a status report,” Mr Korir said.
“The mandate of the State Department of Lands and Physical Planning under the provisions of the Land Act 2012, Sections 134 and 135 is to provide access to land to squatters and displaced persons on available land.”
He said currently, there is no land identified for purchase of land for the said purpose.