Senate · Afternoon Sitting

Clerk, do we have quorum? Serjeant-at-Arms, kindly ring the Quorum Bell for 10 minutes. Order, hon. Senators. We now have quorum. Clerk, you may call the first Order.

[(The Clerk-at-the-Table consulted with the Speaker)]

[(The Quorum Bell was rung)]

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a statement from the Standing Committee on Finance and Budget on a matter of county-wide concern regarding the status of pending bills for the County Government of Bungoma. In the statement, the committee should address the following-

Senator for Vihiga County, Hon. Osotsi.

Sen. Osotsi is not here? The statement is deferred. Next statement by Hon. Catherine Mumma, MP? Yes, Senator for Nairobi City County?

[(Statement deferred)]

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I confirm that I have authorisation in writing from Sen. Catherine Mumma to the request statement on her behalf.

I am in receipt of that authorisation.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, but just as a leader in the House, maybe the Senate Business Committee (SBC) needed to take note of the reasons for the absence of Sen. Thang’wa in the current week. We are aware that he lost his mother. Maybe preserve the business that originates from his office until that matter is done. I take this opportunity to send my condolences to him.

Sen. Osotsi, you may now proceed to make your request.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a statement from the Standing Committee on Roads, Transportation, and Housing on a matter of national concern regarding the deteriorating infrastructure at the Wilson Airport in Nairobi City County. In the statement, the committee should address the following-

Senator from Busia County, Hon. Andrew Omtatah.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) , to seek a statement from the Standing Committee on Land, Environment, and Natural Resources on a matter of countrywide concern regarding the alarming increase in deforestation linked to the growing use of firewood and wood-based biomass fuel by large manufacturing companies across the country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, several major industri…

Senator for Kirinyaga County, the hon. James Murango.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a statement from the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries on a matter of national concern regarding the performance of the Kenya Agricultural Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) in soil testing and analysis. Mr. Speaker, Sir, despite the importance of soil testing and analysis in modern agri…

The statement by the Senator for Nakuru County, Sen. Tabitha Keroche, is deferred. We will now move to Statement pursuant to Standing Order No.57 (1) by the Senate Majority Leader.

[(Statement deferred)]

I thank you. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.57 (1) to hereby present to the Senate the business for the week that will commence on Tuesday, 17th March, 2026. The legislative business for the Senate is as follows – We have 60 Bills that are pending conclusion, of which 42 are at the Second Reading stage, 16 are at the Committee of the Whole, two are awaiting First Reading. …

Hon. Senators, I will allow comments for not more than 15 minutes on the statements that have been sought. If you get an opportunity to speak, please, do so for not more than three minutes.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I take this opportunity to thank my colleague on the issue that he has raised about the challenges you have in Mwea. Some of these land issues, historically, involve situations where individuals have been settled in areas for periods not less than 30 or 50 years, even beyond the normal statute of limitation periods. I think the Committee on Land, Environment and Natural Resources…

Thank you very much, hon. Speaker. I support the statement by Sen. Osotsi. About a month ago, I brought a statement here on Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) . That statement is before the committee chaired by our able Senator, Eddy Oketch, and to date, nothing has been done. Again, issues have been raised by Sen. Osotsi. I have four things to say about Wilson Airport. I landed in Wilson…

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Let me comment on the statement of pending bills by Sen. Wakoli of Bungoma. This is a chronic problem in all the counties. We have had many of us here, including myself, that have brought statements on the same topic about pending bills in our counties. I brought a statement here, which committed to the Committee on Finance and Budget and nothing seems to be moving on …

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I also wish to contribute to the statement by Hon. Wakoli on pending bills as the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations. It is unfortunate that pending bills are accumulating in counties across the board. This goes back to 2013 and it continues to increase. There is no reason for counties to have huge pending bills. This House…

Sen. Faki.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I wish to comment on the statement made by Sen. Ososti on the deteriorating situation at Wilson Airport. Even the Moi International Airport in Mombasa is experiencing similar challenges. In Terminal 2 of that airport, the baggage belt has not worked for the last three years. Complaints have been made to the management, but no action has been taken. Travellers using Ja…

Yes, the Senate Majority Leader.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, the issue of Wilson Airport concerns all Kenyans who use it frequently. Any user of that airport must be concerned for their safety and we cannot continue the way things are. As mentioned by Sen. Chute, Runway 07 is under repair. If you observe the pace of the contractor, it is extremely slow. At that rate, it may take years before the runway is completed. Meanwhile, planes land…

Sen. Mwaruma.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker, for this opportunity to comment on the statement by Sen. Wakoli, the Senator for Bungoma County, about pending bills. This is a very serious issue and sometimes the Senate is blamed. In my village, someone asked me, “Senator, why can you not help the Governor to pay the pending bills?” I wondered how I could even do that. The record shows that, as Senate, we have tried eve…

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise to comment on the statement by Sen. (Dr.) Murango. The problems that are experienced in Mwea Tebere Irrigation Scheme are not different from the problems that we are experiencing at the Bura Irrigation Scheme in Tana North. The men and women who came and settled there and were given portions of land now have children who do not have their own allocation of land…

Asante, Bw. Spika. Nataka kuchangia kauli iliyoletwa na Sen. (Dr.) Murango kuhusu Shirika la Utafiti. Shirika hili ni tegemeo kuu kwa mambo ya mchanga kwa sababu wakulima wanafaa wajue ni mchanga upi watatumia ili wajue aina ya mbolea watakayoiweka na mimea watakayopanda. Lakini, ikiwa shirika hili linazembea katika kazi yake, ni jambo la kuvunja moyo sana. Bunge hili limekuwa kama bunge la manun…

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise to support and contribute to the statement by Sen. Wakoli on the pending bills in our counties. These pending bills are not confined to the county that Sen. Wakoli represents. This House previously dealt with a Motion that was brought by the Minority Whip, Sen. Olekina, on the way to treat the outstanding pending bills in almost the 47 counties in this country. …

[(Sen. Cheburet Kiprono Chemitei)]

[(Applause)]

[(Laughter)]

[(Applause)]

[(Laughter)]

[(Applause)]

Thank you. Very well, Sen. Chemitei. If you do not want to speak, do not log in. I will have your name here and I will certainly ask you to speak. Hon. Senators, we have done more than 15 minutes and, therefore, we will move to the next Order. Clerk, next Order.

This Order is deferred because the Mover is not present. Next Order.

We are also going to defer Order No.9 because it is due for division.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

Yes, Sen. Mwaruma.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, now that some of us were not there to contribute to The Agriculture Produce Bill (Senate Bills No.17 of 2025) , is it possible for you to give us an opportunity to speak to the Bill, because the Mover is not here to reply?

[(Minimum Guaranteed Returns)]

Sorry, what have you said because the Senator for Mombasa was consulting?

I was seeking your indulgence. Some of us have not contributed to the Agriculture Produce Bill (Senate Bills No.17 of 2025) . Now that the Mover is not here to reply, we would like to seek your indulgence for us to make our contributions to the Bill.

[(Minimum Guaranteed Returns)]

That hurdle has long been crossed and, therefore, this Order is up today for a response from the Mover, not to open debate. If you were not present when it was open for debate, then I am afraid, I may not be in a position to reopen debate at this particular juncture. We will now move to Order No.10. You may proceed to call that Order, Clerk.

When debate was interrupted on Wednesday 11th March, 2026, Sen. Alan Chesang had the Floor and he had a balance of 12 minutes. I do not see the hon. Senator in the Chamber and, therefore, we will proceed with debate. Senator for Nairobi City County, the Hon. Edwin Sifuna.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute to this Bill. As you know, I am a Member of the County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) and I was listening to the Senate Majority Leader advising us on the timelines when we need to submit some of the reports. I want to confirm to the Majority Leader that there was a report-writing retreat this weekend and some of those rep…

Proceed, Sen. Enock.

I thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for granting me this opportunity to also add my voice to the Public Audit (Amendment) Bill (National Assembly Bills No.4 of 2024) . I will be very brief. I just want to limit myself to the issue captured in the Bill on repealing of Section 25 of Cap. 412.

Sen. Wakili Sigei, proceed.

Mr. Speaker, sir, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute to this particular Bill. Before I make my comments, I appreciate the Senator for Nairobi City County, Sen. Sifuna. He has done justice to this law particularly on the basis of its objective. If indeed it is true that it is founded on the desire to comply with the pronouncements of the court, that has not been fully done by …

March, 12, 2026 SENATE DEBATES 30

[[The Speaker (Hon. Kingi) left the Chair] [The Temporary Speaker (Sen. Wakili Sigei) in the Chair]]

Thank you, Sen. Mwaruma. The Chair was tempted, in the course of your contribution, to remind you as a seasoned Member of the House of the provisions of Standing Order No.92.

Asante sana, Mstahiki Spika wa Muda. Nawakaribisha wanafunzi wa muungano wa vyuo vikuu. Nitaongea kwa lugha ya Kiswahili kwa kuwa mimi ni mkereketwa wa lugha hii. Hapa Seneti tunafanya mambo mengi na hakuna kitu kinawazuia ninyi kuja hapa wakati wenu utakapofika. Masomo ni mazuri na yote mtakayoyapata hapa yatakuwa ya manufaa kwa Wakenya. Mstahiki Spika wa Muda, ukiona mti mara mbili msituni, uj…

[(Resumption of debate on Bill)]

Bw. Spika wa Muda, mimi pia ningependa kutoa heshima zangu kwa ndugu zangu ambao wamezungumza kwa lugha ya taifa. Wakati mwingine ingekuwa vizuri tupate nafasi kuizungumza katika Bunge hili. Jambo la kwanza, ningependa kuunga ndugu zangu ambao wametoa maoni ya kuhusu sheria hii ambayo inataka kubadilishwa. Mimi kama mmoja wa wanachama wa Kamati ya Fedha na Bajeti, tulimuita mama Nancy kumwuliza f…

I do not see Sen. Kajwang’ in the House. He ought to be the next. In his absence, as well as the Mover of this Motion, the Senate Majority Leader, I will defer reply to this Motion to the next sitting. So, reply by the Mover is hereby deferred to the next sitting of the House. I am just confirming from the Order Paper of today that Order Nos.11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 are subjects of Committee of the…

[(Reply to the Bill deferred)]