Senate · Afternoon Sitting

Clerk, do we have quorum? Serjeant-at-Arms, kindly ring the Quorum Bell for 10 minutes. Order, hon. Senators, let us take our seats. We have quorum now, so we will proceed with the afternoon's business. Clerk, proceed to call the first Order, please. The Chairperson, Finance and Budget Committee, proceed.

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

[(The Quorum Bell was rung)]

Mr. Speaker, Sir, on behalf of the Chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee of the Senate, I beg to lay the following Paper on the Table of this Senate today, 15th May, 2025. The report of the Standing Committee on Finance and Budget on the Division of Revenue Bill, 2025 (National Assembly Bill No.10 of 2025) . I thank you.

Let us go to the next Order.

The Chairperson, Standing Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights (JLAHRC), proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I would like to give notice of the following Motion- THAT, the Senate adopts the Report of the Standing Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights on its consideration of the Sessional Paper No.3 of 2023 on the Kenya policy on public participation laid on the Table of the Senate on Wednesday, 14th May, 2025, and approves Sessional Paper No.3 of 2023 on the K…

Let us go to the Next Order.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. It is so nice to see these young people in the Senate this afternoon, especially coming under the umbrella of the NYS of Kenya, which to some people, means children who are undergoing training in specialities that are not very competitive amongst children who do very well in school. That they are here for engineering is something we must applaud.

I welcome, encourage and wish them well. Thank you.

Thank you, Senate Majority Whip. I will now call upon the Senator for Nandi to proceed to substantiate the claims he made pursuant to a Communication I made on Tuesday. Hon. Senator, proceed.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, thank you for your indulgence. I wish to withdraw and apologise since I can further use the Standing Committee on Education way. I thank you.

Okay, Hon. Senator. We now proceed to the Statements and Questions; the Hon. Senator for Kisii County, Sen. Richard Onyonka, proceed.

[(Resumption of Statements)]

Mr. Speaker, Sir, could you, please, protect me from Sen. Cherarkey. He was my wonderful friend. I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a Statement from the Standing Committee of National Security, Defence, and Foreign Relations on a matter of national concern regarding the rising wave of killings across the country stemming from land disputes. On the 13th April, 2025, five members …

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise pursuant to the Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a Statement from the Standing Committee on Lands, Environment and Natural Resources on a matter of county-wide regarding the acquisition and utilization of land for the construction of Lamu Port and its associated access roads. While the Lamu Port Southern Sudan Ethiopian Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor Developed Authority (CD…

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise, pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) , to seek a Statement from the Standing Committee of Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations regarding the indefinite suspension of plenary and committee operations of the County Assembly of Machakos. Mr. Speaker, Sir, pursuant to Standing Orders No.24 and 25 of the County Assembly of Machakos Standing Orders, the Assembly, by a re…

Statements pursuant to Standing Order No.56 (1) (b) . The Chairperson, Standing Committee on Roads, Transportation and Housing.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. On behalf of the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Roads, Transportation and Housing, Sen. Oketch Gicheru, I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.56 (1) (b) to make a statement on the

activities of the Standing Committee on Roads, Transportation and Housing for the period commencing 1st January, 2025 to 30th April, 2025. During the period under review, the Committee held 13 sittings, considered 75 Statements, one legislative proposal, one petition and one inquiry. During the period, a total of 75 Statements that were before the Committee were considered and concluded. The Com…

I thank you.

The Chairperson, County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.56 (1) (b) to make a Statement on the activities of the County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee for the period commencing 1st January, 2025 to 30th April, 2025. During the period under review, the Committee faced a challenge regarding the court ruling on the timelines under Article 229. However, the Committee in the circumstance…

The Committee has further conducted inspection visits to Kilifi, Mombasa and Kwale Counties between 22nd April to 24th April, 2025. Moving forward, we plan to undertake similar visits to all the other remaining counties with a focus on high-risk fiduciary investments facing hospitals, water companies and municipalities with significant financial vulnerabilities. The Committee further held a stake…

Let us now proceed to the Statement pursuant to Standing Order No.57 (1) by the Senate Majority Leader. Sorry. Before we have the Senate Majority Leader, let us have the Chairperson of the Committee on Delegated Legislation.

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

You could have raised it when Sen. Osotsi was contributing. Certainly, it cannot be a point of order. I got busier after the Statement was concluded.

In fact, the point of order is just on clarification.

You may proceed if it is a clarification.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, the clarification I would like to seek from the Chair is that I have heard him congratulate you for allowing the two committees to function. He said it is based on the fact that there was a court ruling directed to the Senate in the way we handled accounts. I would like him to clarify. Does he mean that we are defying a court order or what exactly does he mean? The Senate should…

Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale, there is absolutely no court order that is being defied. The directive that was given is in line with the provisions of the Constitution and our Standing Orders. So, it is not in breach or contradict any court order. Let us have the Chairperson of the Committee on Delegated Legislation.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am here to read a Statement relating to the activities of the Committee on Delegated Legislation for the period between 1st January, 2025, to 30th April, 2025, pursuant to Standing Order No.56 (1) (b) . Mr. Speaker, Sir, during the period under review, the Committee on Delegated Legislation held a total of 13 sittings, conducted post-publication scrutiny of 21 statutory instru…

Let us now go to the Statement by the Senate Majority Leader.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, this is a Statement by the Senate Majority Leader, which I want to read on his behalf. The status of the business pending before the Senate includes 54 Bills, of which 42 are at Second Reading and 12 at Committee of the Whole; 23 Motions pending conclusion; and 28 Petitions pending conclusion, out of which 19 are due for reporting by the respective standing committees. We also h…

Sen. Hamida Kibwana.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise pursuant to Standing Order 52 (1) to make a Statement on a matter of national concern regarding the rising incident of unintended pregnancies and abortion-related complications, largely attributed to ineffective contraceptive methods and gaps in reproductive health care services. A recent study titled, Incidents of Induced Abortion and Related Complications in …

Mr. Speaker, Sir, the study, which covered Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa, and Nakuru counties, paints a grim picture of unmet needs and stigma in reproductive health. It recorded 793,664 abortions in 2023, representing a rate of 57.3 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 49 years. The highest abortion rates were reported in Nairobi and Central Kenya at

Before we move to comments on these Statements, I would like to call upon the Chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries to lay a Paper on the Table.

[(Interruption of debate on Statements)]

(Bill deferred)

Sen. Wakili Sigei, you were on the Floor when this debate was interrupted and had a remainder of four minutes. Please, Proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I will start from where I left off yesterday. I wish the sponsor of this Bill, Sen. Eddy Oketch, was in the House because this is a proposal that I would like to make as regards the provision--- I would like to make a proposal to Sen. Eddy to amend Clause 13 of this Bill. Clause 13 provides for the Cabinet Secretary for the relevant ministry to designate an a…

[(The Clerk-at-the Table consulted with the Temporary Speaker (Sen. Abdul Haji)]

Sen. Wakili Sigei, use the Dispatch Box. There seems to be a problem with your microphone.

[(Sen. Wakili Sigei moved to the Dispatch Box)]

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I made my contributions yesterday on the Creative Economy Support Bill (Senate Bills No.30 of 2024) and I would like to proceed from where I left. This is a proposal to the amendment to Clause 13 that provides for designation by the Cabinet Secretary of an administrative unit within the respective Ministry to serve as secretariat. In order to make sure that …

We are aware that creative arts groups have got aspects where one individual cannot perform. For example, we have acrobats who show their skills along our streets. They should be allowed to register with the council as a group and benefit from this. I propose that corporate membership be included in Clause 16, so that dancers, players, acrobats or actors who register as a group can be allowed in o…