Sports Committee Threatens to Impose Stern Sanctions on PS For Skipping Meetings
A House Committee has threatened to impose harsher sanctions on Sports Principal Secretary Peter Tum for skipping to appear before it.
The National Assembly Committee on Sports has threatened to impose a Kshs.500,000 fine on the PS over his repeated absence from Committee meetings to explain delay in setting up of Sports Academies and completion of construction of stadiums among other issues.
The Committee chaired by Hon. Dan Wanyama (Webuye West) was today angered by the decision by Tum to skip a meeting for the fourth time.
He told the Committee that the PS had delivered a last-minute communication that he would not attend the meeting due to unavoidable circumstances.
“The PS has a tendency of skipping crucial meetings to explain to the Committee reasons behind delay in starting the construction of 25 Sports academies in selected constituencies in the first phase,” explained Hon. Wanyama.
“The Committee has invited him for the last time next Tuesday. If he fails to appear the Committee will invoke the Powers and Privileges Act by taking necessary action”. He warned.
The Committee Chairperson added that the Committee had allocated funds for the academies in the budget and delay in implementing the projects was unacceptable.
Hon. Mary Emaase (Teso South) said President William Ruto has proclaimed himself on setting up the academies and completion of construction of stadiums and as a Committee responsible for supervising the Ministry they have a duty to ensure the projects have been set up.
“The PS is a stumbling block to efforts by the President to have his promise on setting up of academies and stadiums is achieved,” said Hon. Emaase.
Hon. Catherine Omanyo (Busia County) said plans to set up sports academies in constituencies across the country was a noble idea and had excited youths. She however indicated that she was disappointed that the Ministry was lagging its feet in implementing the projects.
“The PS has shown evidently that he is incapable of running the Ministry and he should step aside to allow a competent person to be in the driving seat,” she added.
She noted that the academies were meant to tap and develop talents at the grassroots level and should be implemented without delay.
Hon. Richard Yegon (Bomet East) said the repeated absence of the PS during crucial Committee meeting showed that he had low regards for the House team.
“This is the fourth time the PS is ignoring Committee’s invite to appear before it, we will no longer tolerate this,” he warned.
Hon. Stephen Mule (Matungulu) called upon the President to dismiss the PS claiming that he has proved that he was not capable of delivering his agenda in the Ministry.
He said Members of the Committee were disappointed that they spared their time from recess to attend the meeting only for the PS to skip.
“We cannot travel from our constituencies to come for a meeting that the PS thinks is not important,” he noted.
On her part Hon. Naomi Waqo (Marsabit County) indicated that youths were the ones suffering by failure by the Ministry to construct the Sports facilities.
She asked Tum to take his work seriously noting that invites by the National Assembly Committees were critical as they addressed very important matters in the Ministry.
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