Asking public institutions to explain, account and respond

Public accountability depends on institutions being willing and able to explain how services are delivered, why delays occur, how funds are managed and what corrective actions are planned. In the Senate, a formal request for a statement is one mechanism through which a member can place questions before the responsible committee and government agencies.

Senator Kibwana has made use of this procedure in a range of fields. In June 2023, she requested a statement concerning the challenges people faced in obtaining passports and allegations of bribery within the Directorate of Immigration Services. The request sought explanations and actions to address delays and alleged irregularities. ^Source

She also raised questions about alleged irregularities in a mosquito-net procurement process involving the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA). ^Source

Her inquiries into cancer treatment and obstetric fistula care similarly used oversight to ask what capacity and financial assistance systems were available, while questions involving care homes and missing children sought clarity about safeguarding responses. ^{SourceSourceSourceSource}

The common theme in these matters is not that one Senator can directly run every agency. It is that parliamentary scrutiny creates a documented route for concerns to be raised and for responsible institutions to provide an account of their decisions and services.

Explore the record: Statements and Inquiries | Parliamentary Work