PS Omollo faces fine, arrest after snubbing Parliament summons

Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo faces a fine of up to Sh500,000 and potential arrest after repeatedly failing to attend summonses from a National Assembly committee.

This follows his disregard for multiple invitations regarding unresolved land disputes and evictions that have affected many Kenyans.

Omollo has missed three summonses in the past year, prompting the Committee on Implementation of House Resolutions to use Standing Order 191(a) to compel his attendance.

Raphael Wanjala, the committee's chairperson and Budalangi MP, explained the committee’s decision to issue a formal summons after Omollo’s repeated non-cooperation with addressing public petitions.

"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," he said.

The committee’s resolution includes the imposition of a fine not exceeding Sh500,000, alongside the possibility of an arrest if Omollo continues to defy the summons.

Standing Order 191(a) allows Parliament to fine individuals for failing to comply with invitations or requests for documentation. Omollo’s continued absence is seen as a hindrance to the committee’s efforts to oversee critical matters.

Among the unresolved issues Omollo has been linked to is a land dispute involving former workers of the late Mayer Jacob Samuels, whose eviction by the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) from land in Roysambu has remained unsettled.

The workers claim ownership of the land through adverse possession, while the government had acquired it from Samuels in 2003 after his lease expired.

The dispute also involves KDF, Solio Construction Company, Uchumi Supermarkets, and the former workers.

The Ministry of Lands had been tasked with resolving this issue, but has made no significant progress, despite the House adopting a report in 2019 that recommended action on the land titling.

Further complicating matters, the committee also wants Omollo to provide updates on other ongoing issues, including the resettlement of former Enoosupukia evictees, compensation for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) under the Nyanza-Western Caucus, and forced evictions by the National Police Service in Mathare.

Omollo has faced criticism for his lack of response despite multiple reminders from the committee.

Wanjala stressed that while Omollo’s workload is acknowledged, the committee’s work must not be delayed.

"Whereas the committee recognises the busy schedule and workload that Omollo faces, the House has timelines within which to process its work and therefore cannot be sabotaged," he said.

In an appearance before the committee on April 24, 2025, Nixon Korir, the Principal Secretary for Lands and Physical Planning, distanced his ministry from the delays in addressing these issues.

Korir explained that many of the recommendations for resolving the land disputes fell under the purview of the Ministry of Interior, the National Land Commission, and the State Department for Devolution.

"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," Korir clarified.

Additionally, Korir noted that the Ministry of Lands’ role, as outlined in Sections 134 and 135 of the Land Act 2012, primarily concerns providing access to land for squatters and displaced persons, but no land had been identified for such purposes at present.

As part of its oversight, the committee also directed the Ministry of Lands to secure the title for LR 23393 to safeguard against fraudulent transactions, particularly the illegal amalgamation of this plot with L.R No 5875/2, which has been at the center of ongoing disputes.