The delicate dance between the Legislature and the Executive has turned into a standoff, with Speaker Moses Wetang’ula drawing a line in the sand over the hounding of top security chiefs.

In a pointed communication from the Chair, the National Assembly Speaker has cautioned Committees against turning parliamentary summons into a tool of harassment. The warning comes amid a fierce tug-of-war involving Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, who has been in the crosshairs of the Committee on Implementation and Oversight of the Constitution (CIOC) over alleged failures to address impunity.

The "Wild West" Warning

The friction reached a boiling point after MPs threatened to impeach both Wetang’ula and Senate Speaker Amason Kingi for allegedly shielding Executive officials. The legislators, led by a fiery faction of Senators, demanded that IG Kanja and even the President explain the wave of abductions and bribery allegations rocking the country.

Wetang’ula, however, is playing the long game. While acknowledging the oversight power of the House, he warned against "mob justice." He recalled his previous condemnation of the "Wild West behavior" regarding the dumping of garbage at Stima Plaza, but insisted that the dignity of the House requires procedural fairness, not political grandstanding.

• The Trigger: IG Kanja’s repeated failure to appear before the commission to explain the friction between his office and the National Police Service Commission (NPSC).
• The Stakes: The independence of Parliament is on trial. If they back down, they look weak; if they overreach, they risk a constitutional crisis with the Executive.

As the summons hang in the air, the message from the Speaker’s chair is clear: Oversight is a scalpel, not a bludgeon. Use it wisely, or lose the moral high ground.