Senate · Afternoon Sitting

Clerk, do we have quorum? Serjeant-at-Arms, please ring the Quorum Bell for five minutes. Clerk, read the first Order.

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

[(The Quorum Bell was rung)]

Hon. Senators, I have a Communication to make relating to this Special Sitting of the Senate.

On the request of the Senate Majority Leader, vide Letter Reference Senate/ML/CORR134 dated 15th October, 2025 and with the support of the requisite number of Senators, I appointed today, Thursday, 16th October, 2025 as the day for a special sitting of the Senate. The appointment was made vide Gazette Notice No.15006 dated 15th October, 2025. In the Gazette Notice, I indicated that the business t…

formation of a grand coalition government with the then President Mwai Kibaki and served as Prime Minister until March, 2013. Notably, the late Raila Odinga contributed to the accomplishment of flagship infrastructure projects such as the Thika Superhighway and various bypasses around the Nairobi metropolitan area, thereby facilitating ease of movement of goods and services. He was also instrume…

Hon. Senators, you may take your seats. In recognition of the late Raila Odinga's extraordinary contribution to Kenya and to afford the Senate an opportunity to pay tribute and eulogise him, I have approved a Motion which is scheduled at Order No.3 in this special sitting’s Order Paper. After this communication, notice will be given and thereafter the Motion will be moved in the usual manner for S…

Proceed, Sen. Wambua.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, it is with a heavy heart that I beg to give notice of the following Motion- AWARE THAT His Excellency the President issued a Proclamation on Wednesday, 15th October, 2025 communicating the passing on of the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga, EGH, former Prime Minister; FURTHER AWARE THAT, the late Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga, EGH, served as the Prime Minister of the Republi…

NOW THEREFORE, the Senate of the Republic of Kenya expresses its profound sorrow and conveys its heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and the people of Kenya on the demise of the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga, EGH; and resolves to record its sincere appreciation of his outstanding service, monumental contribution to the nation and Africa and his indelible legacy as a patriot, democrat and vi…

Next Order.

Hon. Senators, before I call the next Senator to contribute to the Motion on the Floor, allow me to invoke Standing Order No.1 to acknowledge and recognise a senior citizen of this country who is seated in the Speaker's Gallery. Allow me to acknowledge and recognise Hon. (Prof.) Julia Ojiambo, a renowned veteran politician and academician. Hon. Julia Ojiambo, who was recognised by the Senate duri…

[(Applause)]

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, for giving me the opportunity to also contribute to this Motion. The people of Tana River County, myself and family join the rest of Kenyans in expressing our deepest sympathies and condolences to the family of the late Rt. Hon. Prime Minister Raila Odinga. Many people have said what Raila Odinga did at the national level. However, as you know, myself, Sen.…

Speaker, President Chief Fortune Charumbira, asked us to convey through this Senate to the Republic of Kenya. That is what the Parliament of Africa thinks of the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga. In 2018, the Hon. Raila Odinga was appointed as the African Union High Representative in charge of Infrastructure. That is a high position that works across the continent. The High Representative for Infrastructure…

One minute.

In our tradition, we say that we do not praise people who pass on, but we learn from them. He taught us that it is how you use any position. You can be a clerk in the office of the DC, but be as effective as the pastor in the church or as the local MP. So, as Kenyans, let us work to emulate what he left behind. With those few remarks, I thank you. May his soul rest in eternal peace.

Sen. Agnes Kavindu, please, proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to join the rest of my colleagues in support of this Motion of eulogising a statesman in this country who has really done more than we can even say in these three minutes that we have. Let me start by conveying my sincere condolences to the family of Raila Amolo Odinga; Mama Ida, the children, our colleague, Dr. Oburu, the ODM famil…

[(Loud consultations)]

Hon. Senators, let us hear the Senator in silence.

Thank you and please spare my minute. I remember in 2021 when I vied for a senatorial seat in the Machakos by-election, Hon. Raila Amollo Odinga withdrew his candidate and said they were all going to support me. Maybe that is how I came through. In 2022, he had a candidate in Machakos for the senatorial seat. He withdrew and said Mama Kavindu tosha in Machakos. As you know, we were all together in…

Sen. Munyi Mundigi, please, proceed.

Asante Bw. Spika wa Muda kwa kunipa nafasi hii ili niweze kuchangia na kuleta rambirambi za watu wa Kaunti ya Embu. Pia mimi nikiwa Deputy Party Leader wa Democratic Party katika muungano wa Kenya Kwanza, yangu ni kusema pole kwa watu wa Kaunti ya Kisumu, familia ya Raila Amolo Odinga na pia kwa chama cha ODM kwa yale yaliyotendeka. Yangu ni kusema pole kutoka kwa watu wa Embu. Sisi kama watu wa …

Mimi nikiwa Seneta wa Kaunti ya Embu, ninasema asante sana kwa ODM na Rais wa Kenya, William Ruto na Naibu wa Rais. Raila amewacha kaunti 47 tukiwa kitu kimoja. Na kwa sababu alikuwa na ajenda zake ambazo alitaka zitimizwe kama vile mambo ya barabara, maji, afya na mambo ya pesa mfukoni, ningeomba watu wa ODM, tafadhali tuungane pamoja tuunganishe watu wa Kenya ili tuweze kuenda pamoja na tuweze k…

Asante, Seneta. Sen. Hamida Kibwana, you may proceed.

Asante, Bw. Spika wa Muda. Kwa heshima, naomba kusoma sala ya kumbukumbu kwa marehemu, Mheshimiwa Raila Amolo Odinga. Baba wa Taifa wa demokrasia ya Kenya. Leo Kenya inalia kwa kuondoka kwa mwana wa pekee, mzalendo wa kweli na kiongozi aliyetoa maisha yake yote kwa ajili ya nchi yake, Mheshimiwa Raila Amolo Odinga. Ni vigumu kuamini kwamba sauti yake imenyamaza na mikono yake haiko tena kutuongoz…

[(Sen. Kibwana sobbed)]

[(Sen. Kibwana sobbed)]

Alikuwa kiongozi mlezi, mshauri na zaidi ya yote, Baba wa taifa wa demokrasia. Tunapomzika, tusimulilie kama aliyepotea bali tumsherehekee kama aliyeshinda kwa sababu, kweli, Baba Raila Amolo Odinga alishinda. Alishinda hofu, alishinda ukimya na alishinda vizuizi vingi vilivyowekwa mbele yake. Urithi wake utabaki hai katika historia ya Kenya, katika mioyo ya vizazi vijavyo na katika mioyo ya wale…

Juzi Baba alinipigia simu. Nikashangaa kwani alikuwa mgonjwa na sikuelewa kwa nini ananipigia simu. Nilidhani ni afisa wake wa usalama anayenipigia simu. Aliniambia, “Hamida, ni mimi nakupigia. Nitarudi nyumbani.” Alikuwa ameniwachia kazi yake nifanye. Aliniuliza kama nimemuandalia hiyo kazi. Nikamwambia kuwa sikuandaa tu, bali haitafanywa hotelini ila kwake nyumbani. Alicheka na kuniambia, “Hami…

Sen. Esther Okenyuri.

Asante sana Bw. Spika wa Muda. Naunga mkono Hoja hii. Kwanza natoa risala zangu za rambirambi kwa Wakenya, Mjane ambaye ni Mke wa Mheshimiwa Raila aliyeaga dunia, watoto, jamaa pamoja na ndugu yetu Sen. Oburu aliyefiwa na ndugu yake. Pili, ulimwengu huu ni jukwaa. Sisi tuliopo ni wachezaji na kila mtu ana nafasi yake. Nafasi ya aliyekuwa Waziri Mkuu na kiongozi wa upinzani kwa muda mrefu ilikuwa …

Bw. Spika wa Muda, kama viongozi wa sasa hivi, tunafaa kuwa na maadili kama hayo. Tunamkumbuka kama kiongozi aliyepigania ugatuzi, uhuru wa sheria na Katiba tuliyo nayo. Ni tumaini langu kwamba kama viongozi wa vizazi vijavyo, tutazidi kuongozwa kupitia sheria na Katiba kama vile mwendazake Mheshimiwa Raila Amolo Odinga alivyokuwa anayasimamia. Singependa kuzungumza mengi, lakini kwa kipindi kifu…

Sen. Andrew Omtatah.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, it is with a heavy heart that I thank you for giving me the opportunity to mourn the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga, a man I voted for every time he ran for President. I do not know how to mourn Raila. I do not know whether to mourn him as a statesman or as a forgiving, focused human being or as the enigma he was celebrated to be. I do not know how to mourn him. However, …

I hope that the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) will remain an institution. To those who have been left behind in this political party that has been around for 20 years, please, do not destroy that party due to personal ambitions or greed. Let the party survive. One of the biggest problems we have had in this country is the lack of consistency in political parties, where political parties come an…

Sen. Hillary Sigei.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to also pay my tribute to the fallen hero of this wonderful country called Kenya. Yesterday was such a sorrowful day. It was a sad day, not only for the immediate family of the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga, but for the rest of us as a country, as a community and the whole world indeed felt the pain of the loss of the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Oding…

I join the rest of my colleagues to say that the person of Raila Odinga could have left us now and is on his way to be interred ultimately. The spirit that he has left behind, the future that he had, we pray that we live up to it. It is a golden opportunity to ask as of ourselves as Kenyans, as leaders who are living today, who have the opportunity to lead today, to emulate that kind of leadership…

Hon. Senators, I call upon the Mover to reply. Hon. Senators, there is a situation--- Hon. Senators, if you could, please, it is for your own safety.

[(There was commotion outside the Chamber)]

[(Several hon. Senators spoke off the record)]

Hon. Members, please, it is for our own safety. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I beg to reply.

I thank you. Hon. Senators, I will put the question.

[(Question put and agreed to)]