Lawmakers must reconsider the Tea (Amendment) Bill, 2023 after concerns emerged regarding a member’s conflict of interest.
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula instructed renewed examination of the Bill on Wednesday following the involvement of Gatundu South MP Gabriel Kagombe without revealing his stake in tea-related companies.
The Speaker’s decision came in response to a complaint filed by Nyeri tea farmer Dr John Omanga, who challenged the legitimacy of parliamentary discussions on the proposed legislation and requested their invalidation.
The dispute arises as legislators continue reviewing reforms designed to reshape governance and control structures within Kenya’s tea industry.
The industry sustains millions of small-scale farmers and represents one of the nation’s primary sources of foreign currency.
In an address to the House, the Speaker mentioned that his office had received a claim asserting that Kagombe, while engaging in debate on the bill, neglected to reveal his role as director of three tea enterprises.
The complainant contended that the operations of these three companies would be directly impacted by clauses in the Bill and that the MP’s involvement without proper disclosure undermined the integrity of the proceedings.
The Speaker noted that the complaint included corporate documents identifying the Gatundu South representative as a director of the three organizations since January.
The Constitution, the Conflict of Interest Act, 2025, the Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act, and the National Assembly Standing Orders mandate MPs to disclose interests that might affect their parliamentary responsibilities.
Wetang’ula stated that Kagombe had declared his directorship position in a tea-sector enterprise during discussions at the Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock, where he serves as a member.
However, he failed to make a comparable declaration during sessions of the Committee of the Whole House on March 12 when members debated terms concerning governance, administration, and supervision of tea factories.
“The contributions were substantial and directly relevant to the provisions being examined,” the Speaker noted.
“Without examining the value of Kagombe’s input to the discussion and its potential impact on the amendments reviewed, the member’s failure to declare his clear interest raises questions about the integrity of the deliberations.”
Wetang’ula indicated that any ordinary citizen would wonder whether an interest declaration might have influenced Parliament’s assessment of the Bill.
He further suggested that neglecting this issue might render future determinations on the legislation questionable.
Wetang’ula instructed that the Committee of the Whole House phase of the Tea (Amendment) Bill be repeated and that proceedings conducted on March 12 should not be referenced when the proposed law returns for review.
The ruling essentially restarts Parliament’s examination of the Bill at that stage, permitting members to reconsider amendments without reliance on the earlier debate.
Although Standing Order 107A considers failure to disclose personal interests as improper conduct, the Speaker chose not to impose a more severe penalty on the first-term lawmaker.
“I will presume he was unaware that, despite declaring his interest before the Committee on Agriculture and Livestock, he remained required and obligated to declare the same interest in the Chamber during the Bill’s consideration,” Wetang’ula explained.
Instead, he warned the MP and reminded legislators of their ethical duties as public office holders.
Majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah supported the ruling, stating it was essential to preserve the honor and credibility of Parliament.
“The reality that Kagombe had a financial stake in the tea sector means he should have declared his interest,” the Kikuyu MP emphasized.
He additionally cautioned that Parliament was experiencing growing pressure from members with interests in sectors potentially affected by upcoming legislation, including the Finance Bill 2026.