Senate · Afternoon Sitting

Clerk, do we have quorum? Serjeant-at-Arms, ring the Quorum Bell for 10 minutes. Order, hon. Senators. We have quorum; therefore, we will proceed with the business of the day. Settle down.

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

[(The Quorum Bell was rung)]

The Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Health or any Member of that Committee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I beg to lay the following Paper on the Table of the Senate, today, Thursday, 19th March, 2026-

Next Order.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I beg to give notice of the following Motion- THAT, the Senate adopts the Report of the Standing Committee on Health on the county oversight and networking engagements to Kiambu County on 10th November, 2025, laid on the Table of the Senate on Thursday, 19th March, 2026. Thank you.

Next Order.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.52 (1) to make a statement on a matter of national importance regarding the centenary celebration

of Kapsabet High School, Kapsabet Town, Nandi County, an institution that has for the last 100 years played a pivotal role in shaping Kenya's leadership, promoting academic excellence and contributing immensely to development of our nation. Mr. Speaker, Sir, founded in 1925 as a Government African school during colonial period, Kapsabet High School, as was known before as Kapsabet Boys, was estab…

In addition to political leadership, Kapsabet High School has produced distinguished professionals who serve the country with excellence in public administration and other sectors. Among them is Dr Richard Belio Kipsang’, who has served for the last 13 years with distinction as a Principal Secretary in various Ministries, contributing significantly to strengthening our public service in the Republ…

Next is the Senator for Baringo County, Hon. Kiprono Chemitei.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a statement from the Standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations on a matter of countywide concern regarding proliferation of illicit alcohol in Baringo County. On 16th February, 2026, residents of Eldama Ravine Town in Baringo County took to the streets to protest against widespread consumption of il…

The only statement pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) has been read by Sen. Chemitei. Next is a statement, pursuant to Standing Order No.57 (1) , by the Senate Majority Leader.

[(Loud consultations)]

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for giving me an opportunity to comment on this important issue. Drug abuse is dangerous to many young people in the country. Sometimes it arises out of depression, joblessness and bad company. The NACADA recently appeared before the Committee on National Cohesion, Equal Opportunity and Regional Integration and explained that they were facing several challenges includ…

expand to the regions but you could see lack of vigour in the team that visited the Senate. There is a lot of discouragement in terms of how it is anchored in the country. It is under the Office of the President but it seems not to be enjoying budgetary provisions. Some of the things they are supposed to do are running rehabilitation centres which quite a number of them are run by individuals lik…

Hon. Senators, before we continue with the comments, I will allow Sen. Mungatana to make his request for a statement, so that it becomes one of the statements that hon. Senators will be seeking to comment on.

At the interruption of debate, Sen. Joyce Korir had the Floor and you have a balance of 13 minutes. You may take them or you may rest.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I remember that I was contributing to this report on the Commonwealth Parliamentarians on the issues of People Living with Disability. Mr. Speaker, Sir, despite the efforts that have been taken by the Kenyan Government, in terms of making sure that they incorporate the PWDs or pupils living with disability within the primary schools, for instance, by providi…

have three children living with disability and the family is living in a very deplorable state. We cannot do it as individuals, but if the Government could take the initiative, just like other countries where these PWDs are being taken care of by the governments, we would set up an independent body to be looking at these people so that their issues are addressed. Mr. Speaker. Sir, I want to make…

I beg to support.

Sen. Wakili Sigei, you have the Floor.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, my request earlier on was to comment on the previous statements which you since passed on that and the second request, of course, was to move my Motion. So, I do not know whether the opportunity granted to me is to---

The opportunity is to contribute to the Motion.

Well, I will pass so that I move my Motion.

Sen. Wamatinga, you may proceed.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this Motion, one of the most important topics that we, as Africans, because of the very traditions that we have, are shy to speak about. When you talk about disability, we visionalise physical disability. It is, indeed, very important, and I want to concur with my colleague, that this is a topic that we need to …

but once they are pushed into the normal curriculum, they lose their touch and their talent gets wasted along the line. They end up getting wasted, and therefore, we, as a House, must be in the frontline in ensuring that we capture all the categories of disability, but most importantly, the allocation, as has been said by my colleague, is barely enough to see them through. Having said that, it is…

Sen. Mandago? Sen. Okenyuri?

[(Loud consultations)]

Senate by Hon. Isaiah Maina, a Member of the County Assembly of Nandi, representing Ol’lessos Ward on proposed - I am still learning how to use these gadgets - amendments to the County Governments Act, CAP 265, laid on the Table of the Senate on Wednesday, 11th March, 2026. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the report to this petition is in the gadgets and I would like to request Members to have a look at it beca…

are available to a county assembly or to the governor in circumstances where that particular officeholder is absent from office. That is actually the basis upon which the Committee and the other stakeholders said that this then is not warranted because we have over-legislated on that aspect. Secondly, the Constitution provides for instances and action that need to be done in the event of absence …

In most cases, what happens is that when a rogue county governor, like the Governor for Bomet, who is very rogue; when he does not want to run the county government appropriately and in the event of absence of an office - like in this case, we had him reconstituting the CPSB the other day, we were without one for almost six months - then that law, as it is right now, has given the governor the lee…

Mr. Speaker, Sir, may I start by congratulating Sen. Sigei, who is the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs, and Human Rights (JLAHRC) , for bringing this Report before the House. I beg to second. Mr. Speaker, Sir, Sen. Sigei is one of the most hard-working chairpersons. Through his effort, we have seen the Senate Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights has b…

there. This is contrary to the requirements of public travel for governors. They must show the public benefit for that travel. This is a second-term governor who has been a Member of Parliament, an Assistant Minister and a Major in the Army. Why would you want to take money from the county, with a delegation of people, to go and stay in a rural county called Woodlands in Alberta to learn about go…

[[The Speaker (Hon. Kingi) left the Chair] [The Deputy speaker (Sen. Kathuri) in the Chair]]

CECM leave office for whatever reason. This is so that our county governments can run without a hitch and decisions can be made without a problem. Let us not personalise these offices. The other recommendation was given through the Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights Committee of the Senate, accepting what Hon. Maina had said through the petition he filed. He says that there must be a uniform…

Before I open the Floor for debate, let me make this Communication.

[(Interruption of debate on Motion)]

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I wish to take this moment to also welcome Mr. Obino Nyambane, a man well known to me for quite some time now and congratulate him for what he has been doing for quite sometime, even before he was recognised. It is interesting to note that just recently, courtesy of Mr. Obino, I got to identify that the clan which I come from, Omosweta in Kisii, is actually nam…

fields of other persons in Kisii, his maize field was never attacked. Courtesy of that, our clan accommodated a monkey as a friendly guardian in the community. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I feel this is the reason we need to notice and acknowledge such kind of persons in our communities. It is not just Abagusii but all other communities that make we, people, proud Kenyans. It reminds us of where we …

Hon. Senators, I have another Communication to make.

(Bill deferred)

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I beg to move the following Motion- AWARE THAT, the Constitution of Kenya under Article 43 (1) (f) guarantees every citizen the right to education, and Article 53 (1) (b) provides that basic education is free and compulsory; FURTHER AWARE THAT, the Government of Kenya launched the New Education Funding (NHEF) model in 2023, primarily targeting University and Te…

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I beg to move the following Motion- AWARE THAT, the Constitution of Kenya under Article 43 (1) (f) guarantees every citizen the right to education, and Article 53 (1) (b) provides that basic education is free and compulsory; FURTHER AWARE THAT, the Government of Kenya launched the New Education Funding (NHEF) model in 2023, primarily targeting University and Te…

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this chance to second this Motion by my deskmate, Sen. Nyutu. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, indeed, our teachers have been going through many challenges, bearing in mind that this Government has been trying as much as possible to make sure that they employ the highest number of teachers since independence. The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) , under…

[[The Deputy Speaker (Sen. Kathuri) left the Chair] [The Temporary Speaker (Sen. Wakili Sigei) in the Chair]]

Hon. Senators, I now wish to propose the question. Now, Hon. Senators, having proposed the question, the Motion is available for debate. I invite Sen. Kiprono Chemitei to make his contribution.

[(Question proposed)]

[[The Deputy Speaker (Sen. Kathuri) left the Chair] [The Temporary Speaker (Sen. Wakili Sigei) in the Chair]]

Thank you, Sen. Chemitei. I am seeing that the Deputy Speaker who just walked out, is actually on the request list---No, this is not the Deputy Speaker, I am sorry about that. Sen. Nyutu, proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, for the opportunity to contribute on the Motion which has been moved by the Hon. Member from Murang’a County. I rise to support the Motion because the students in teacher training colleges are students just like any other students in the universities. Therefore, they have a right to be given a higher education loan just like the other students. During their …

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, pursuant to Standing Order No.110 (1) , I request that the debate on the Motion on the Inclusion of the Teacher Training College Students in the Higher Education Funding Model be adjourned to allow Senators to contribute to it in the next sitting. I thank you.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, pursuant to Standing Order No.110 (1) , I request that the debate on the Motion on the Inclusion of the Teacher Training College Students in the Higher Education Funding Model be adjourned to allow Senators to contribute to it in the next sitting. I thank you.

Sen. Joe Nyutu, the Chair is cognisant of the provisions of this particular Standing Order and also takes note of the Motion itself. It is a very important Motion to the extent that teacher training college students, as ably put by Sen. Chemitei, are supposed to equally benefit from higher education loans from the national Government. Therefore, it is something that requires a lot of support and c…

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

now adjourned, put and agreed to) Clerk, call the next Order. Sen. Okiya Omtatah, who is supposed to be the Mover of this Motion, is not present in the Chamber. That Motion is therefore deferred to the next sitting.

Hon. Members, we now may rise.