Speaker of Parliament Jacob Marksons Oboth has warned individuals against threatening or intimidating parliamentary committee chairpersons as they carry out their oversight responsibilities.
Speaking during plenary on Tuesday, Oboth said committee chairpersons have a constitutional mandate to process parliamentary business on behalf of the House and the public.
The Speaker cautioned individuals who have been issuing covert or open threats to committee chairpersons to stop, warning that he would not protect anyone seeking to evade accountability.
He stressed that intimidation of committee members undermines Parliament’s oversight role and called for such actions to cease immediately.
The warning follows an earlier directive issued by the Speaker on August 19, 2026, in which he urged accounting officers to honour summons issued by parliamentary committees to ensure effective scrutiny of government programmes and public resources.
Oboth reminded accounting officers that they have a constitutional obligation to account to citizens through Parliament, where they are represented.
The Speaker also urged parliamentary committees to conclude and submit all pending business for consideration by the House ahead of the planned three-week parliamentary recess from September 3 to 29, 2026.
He further called on the Leader of Government Business to ensure that all Bills scheduled for the next parliamentary meeting are presented early enough to allow for timely consideration.
The Speaker’s latest warning signals a firm stance by Parliament against interference with committee proceedings and efforts to frustrate the legislature’s constitutional oversight responsibilities.
