National Assembly · Morning Sitting
Thursday, 20 June 2024
Hon. Ndindi Nyoro warned that failure to pass the Finance Bill would trigger large cuts across the budget, affecting State House, defence, NG‑CDF, electricity, livestock restocking, school feeding, cash transfers and the permanent employment of 46,000 JSS teachers. He urged the House to bring the Appropriations Bill forward to mitigate these impacts. Hon. Rashid Bedzimba opposed the proposed fuel tax increase, arguing it would raise the cost of living and called for respect of citizens’ grievances. Members debated the Finance Bill 2024, with some praising allocations for drought‑affected livestock owners, school teachers and local manufacturers, while others condemned the Bill for excessive taxation, IMF‑linked conditions, data‑privacy concerns and poor-quality locally‑made sanitary products. The discussion highlighted both support for specific provisions and strong opposition to perceived fiscal overreach and duplication of government functions. The Speaker opened the session by confirming quorum and urging decorum, then Hon. Opiyo Wandayi raised a point of order about police blockades preventing members from entering Parliament and questioned the legality of the police presence. Hon. Silvanus Osoro responded by defending the police’s independence and security role, prompting the Speaker to order a fact‑finding check before proceeding with the day’s business. The House then moved on to other items, including a public petition on the Elgeyo Border Settlement Scheme.
Order, Hon. Members. We have Quorum to transact Business. I thank you for your resilience yesterday. Many Members stayed in the House from morning until late. Those of you who wanted to speak yesterday but did not get the opportunity, I believe this morning you will have a chance to make your views known on the Bill. I also recognise the level of decorum that has been exhibited in this debate and…
On a point of order, Hon. Speaker.
Hon. Wandayi.
Thank you very much for your guidance, Hon. Speaker. So far, so good. However, we are facing some challenges and I would like to seek your guidance on this. Hon. Speaker, as you can see, the House is not full. A number of Members are finding it difficult to access the House. As we speak, some Members are finding it difficult to go through police blockades to access the House. I have had to strugg…
What is the problem?
The problem is that people who appear to be police officers have cordoned off the entire Parliament precincts. We are living in a democratic country and this House is the symbol of our democracy. No person in this country has the authority to establish a blockade around Parliament – to cordon off Parliament. As far as I am aware and under the Constitution, no state of emergency has been declared …
installation. Why is it that we are making this Finance Bill business so serious a matter that the whole country comes to a standstill? It is an issue that must be addressed before today’s business can proceed. I call upon my colleague Members to ensure that blockage is removed before we proceed with business. As a democracy, we cannot be making steps forward and then regressing.
Thank you, Leader of the Minority Party. Yes, Hon. Osoro.
Thank you very much, Hon. Speaker. We must appreciate our Constitution of Kenya 2010 and the independent offices provided therein. The National Police Service is an independent institution. They do not take instructions from Parliament or His Excellency the President. They work and exercise their duty independently.
[(Loud consultations)]
Can you repeat that? I was consulting with a Member.
All I am saying is that we need to appreciate our democracies. The Legislature is an independent institution. The National Police Service is an independent unit that does not take instructions from anybody. While we appreciate the right of every Kenyan to picket under Article 37 and as provided by the law, the police are there to provide security even for those who are not picketing. This morning,…
[(Loud consultations)]
Order, Hon. Members. I hear you, Leader of the Minority Party. I hear you, Whip of the Majority Party. I came to Parliament very early, at 6.00 a.m. Probably, the police had not taken their positions. This House will operate without fear, favour, intimidation or negative pressure. I encourage you to be assured that you are safe here, at all times. I direct the Clerk and the Serjeants-at-Arms to ch…
Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I rise to present a public
Thank you, Professor. Hon. Pukose.
Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I support the
the well-connected, who were in Government at that time. They grabbed huge chunks of lands, squeezing the poor into sharing either two-and-a-half acres or five acres. Then they forced them to pay Ksh5,000, which was a lot of money at that time. Cumulatively, debts have been accruing. So, as we forgive other debts like those of sugarcane and coffee farmers, we should also consider debts owed to SFT…
Thank you. The Petition is committed to the Public Petitions Committee to report back within 60 days. Next.
The Deputy Leader of the Majority Party.
Thank you, Hon. Speaker. Before I lay this Paper, if you allow me, I sincerely thank you for the way you conducted yesterday’s sessions. I commend you. If I get your full attention, I will be very happy. I commend you for conducting the debate yesterday and sitting throughout. I watched you rise at 9.00 p.m. If it was in any other place, I would have requested that we give the Speaker a standing …
[(Hon. Speaker consulted with the Serjeant-at-Arms)]
[(Applause)]
Thank you, Deputy Leader of the Majority Party. And thank you for the complement. Next.
There are two requests for statements, one by Hon. Monicah Marubu, Woman Representative for Lamu County. Go ahead.
Thank you, Hon. Speaker. Pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 44 (2) (c) , I rise to request for a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Transport and Infrastructure regarding the status of compensation of fishermen in Lamu County. For over a decade, fishermen have been engaged in legal battles and rigorous vetting processes to receive compensation after being dis…
Thank you. Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Transport and Infrastructure or any member of that Committee. Leader of the Majority Party, direct them to bring a response in two weeks. Hon. Ben Chonga. Give him the microphone. There you are.
Thank you, Hon. Speaker. It is Ken Chonga not Ben Chonga.
Ken. Oh, sorry. Hon. Ken Chonga.
Hon. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 44 (2) (c) , I wish to request for a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Lands regarding irregular allocation of a parcel of land in Gongoni Village, Junju Ward in Kilifi South Constituency. Indigenous people of Gongoni were displaced from their ancestral land by the colonial government, purportedly for public use. After the atta…
Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Lands, Hon. Nyamoko. Give him the microphone. Yes, Hon. Member for Changamwe. Hon. Nyamoko, take your seat.
[(Hon. Joash Nyamoko stood in his place)]
[(Hon. Omar Mwinyi spoke off the record)]
Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I want to express an interest in this matter. The said land belongs to our family and we have a genuine title deed. The Hon. Member is aware that we own that piece of land. The so-called Shifeya side is my cousin’s. I wish to state very categorically here that this land belongs to us and we have a genuine title deed and the Hon. Member is aware. Thank you. Hon. Speaker.
Proceed, Hon. Nyamoko.
Thank you, Hon. Speaker. We will give a response in 14 days.
[(Hon. Kangogo Bowen spoke off the record)]
Next Order. Yes, Hon. Bowen.
Hon. Speaker, I thought the owner of the land has already responded. Is there need for the Committee to look into the ownership of the land yet the owner is here and has said that the land belongs to him?
That notwithstanding, the Statement is directed at the Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Lands. He has to come and respond. Next Order.
Hon. Members, the time being 1.01 p.m., this House stands adjourned until today, Thursday, 20th June 2024, at 2.30 p.m. The House rose at 1.01 p.m.
Published by Clerk of the National Assembly Parliament Buildings Nairobi