MPs bar Wamboka from oversight committees
Politics
By
Irene Githinji
| Jun 11, 2026
An inquiry by the National Assembly has absolved Bumula MP Jack Wamboka from allegations of seeking financial inducement from former National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) officials.
But the Committee of Powers and Privileges recommended that the House bars the MP from appointment to or leadership of committees whose mandate covers matters relating to cohesion, governance, and audit.
“To preserve public confidence in the impartiality, fairness, and integrity of parliamentary oversight processes, the House finds Wamboka unsuitable to hold any leadership position in any committees exercising oversight over constitutional and statutory commissions, independent offices, and audit-related matters for the remainder of the term of the 13th Parliament.”
The inquiry followed complaints from former NCIC Chairman, Samuel Kobia, that the commission faced hostility, harassment, and demeaning treatment from the MP as the chair of Governance and Education Committee.
READ MORE
People Vs State: Mbadi's Sh4.8tr budget raises tax fears
Why you lost that underground tank after huge investments.
Wealth creation, spending discipline: What I want to hear in Mbadi's budget
Deal at last! MPs, senators agree to allocate counties Sh428 billion
Weak revenues test Ruto's bid to shift from debt to PPPs
House team warns tonnes of raw sugar import may be harmful
UN's push to have governments regulate Africa's housing market
Rethinking mall design and activation in growth towns to boost shopping
Real-time electronic tracking system cuts cargo theft, dumping
In a letter to Parliament, Kobia claimed that the commission had credible concerns regarding allegations that Wamboka had demanded financial inducements as a precondition for granting audience or favourable consideration during committee proceedings, and sought the intervention of Speaker Moses Wetang’ula.
The committee, however, vindicated Wamboka from the most serious allegation of soliciting for money but approved other lesser charges.
"We could not substantiate allegations of soliciting financial inducement as a precondition to grant audience or favourable consideration in a matter before a parliamentary committee Wamboka previously chaired," said the report tabled in Parliament.
At the same time, the team has recommended that the procedure and House rules committee develops and implements guidelines for the conduct of committee proceedings to reinforce respectful engagement with witnesses and public officers.
Appearing before the committee, Kobia said it was the standard practice of the NCIC to hold an internal debriefing session after appearing before a parliamentary committee, which they did following a meeting on February, 14 2024.
During that debriefing, Acting CEO Harrison Kariuki, claimed that Wamboka had approached him through an emissary and requested Sh3 million in exchange for facilitating clearance of the report of NCIC.
Wamboka denied the allegation and dismissed claim that the matter of recruitment of the NCIС CEO was outside the mandate of the Governance and Education team, and also stated that the issue had been flagged in the report of the Auditor-General.
“Audit committees serve as oversight bodies and are expected to rigorously scrutinise the use of public resources, including the audit query relating to allegations of the NCIC Commissioners misappropriation of funds and loss of Sh132 million,” the committee found.
The MP denied allegation that he sent an emissary to solicit Sh3 million in exchange for a favourable outcome for the NCIC and indicated that he did not know any person alleged to have acted on his behalf as such an emissary.
He also said that he did not possess Kariuki's telephone number and had never personally engaged him in any matter and that no affidavit or witness statement had been provided to substantiate the allegations made by Kobia.
According to Wamboka, he had never been summoned, investigated, or recorded a statement with any police station or law enforcement agency concerning the alleged bribery claims and the allegations were unfounded, fictitious, and based on rumours, which, in his view, should not be relied upon in the proceedings.