The Senate Committee on Roads, Transport and Housing has summoned Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano to appear before it on August 4 after accusing her of attempting to evade parliamentary scrutiny over the Bomas International Convention Complex (BICC) redevelopment project.
The Committee reached the decision after Miano failed to appear before Senators on Thursday to answer questions on the multi-billion-shilling project. Lawmakers had sought updates on contract variations, approvals, planning documents and reports related to the redevelopment.
Instead of attending the session, the Cabinet Secretary wrote to the Committee requesting that the meeting be postponed, arguing that the Ministry had already responded comprehensively to the issues raised. In a letter dated July 17, 2026, addressed to the Committee through the Clerk of the Senate, Miano said the matters contained in the Committee's April 16 letter had already been addressed in the Ministry's response dated April 28 and asked that the meeting be rescheduled.
The explanation was rejected by Senators, who maintained that it is Parliament, and not the Executive, that determines whether responses submitted by Cabinet Secretaries are satisfactory. They insisted that appearing before parliamentary committees is part of the constitutional oversight process and cannot be substituted with correspondence.
Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang' said Miano's letter suggested she was attempting to determine when Parliament had received enough information, a position he said was inconsistent with the Constitution.
"It is not the duty of a witness to decide whether the information presented is adequate or not, because that's what the CS is trying to imply, that she has provided enough information, and so we should not call her. That is inconsistent with Article 125, Parliamentary Powers and Privileges, and Cabinet Secretaries must know that they serve the people," said Kajwang'.
Following the deliberations, the Committee resolved that Miano would no longer receive a routine invitation but would instead be compelled to appear through a formal parliamentary summons.
Committee Chair Eddy Oketch said the decision was informed by the Cabinet Secretary's conduct and what Members viewed as disregard for the courtesy previously extended to her.
"I think that the only way we can have a good conversation is if we issue a summons. Then she will understand the weight of this matter before the Committee and the concerns that we intend to address," said Oketch.
He recalled that when Miano appeared before the Committee on June 18, Senators found her inadequately prepared to respond to questions on the BICC redevelopment. Rather than reprimand her, Members allowed her additional time to prepare and even excused her from the remainder of the sitting after she cited other official engagements.
Oketch said the understanding was that she would return to provide detailed responses on the outstanding issues.
"So, to come and tell us that she has given us an adequate response is an abuse of what we had discussed on that day, because we excused her with a lot of respect on the understanding that she would come back and be able to elucidate some of the concerns that were contained in that presentation during the previous meeting," he said.
Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua said the Committee had gone out of its way to shield the Ministry from embarrassment during the previous sitting but that the goodwill had not been reciprocated.
"We were so magnanimous on that day when she appeared. Instead of sending her back on the basis that it would have been embarrassing to the Ministry, we decided to be courteous to her."
He added, "The CS should be summoned and come and face us because she is abusing Parliamentary courtesy."
The Committee's decision signals a tougher stance by Senators towards Cabinet Secretaries they believe are failing to fully cooperate with parliamentary oversight. Members insisted that constitutional accountability cannot be determined by the Executive and maintained that Miano must appear before the Committee on August 4.
The meeting was also attended by Marsabit Senator Mohamed Chute and Laikipia Senator John Kinyua.