Senate · Afternoon Sitting
Thursday, 29 February 2024
Senators debated the Public Service (Values and Principles) Amendment Bill, urging its passage to enforce merit‑based recruitment, ethnic and gender balance, and inclusion of persons with disabilities. They criticised pervasive tribalism, clan‑based appointments and family capture in county administrations, calling for audits and stricter adherence to Article 232 of the Constitution. The discussion combined strong condemnation of current practices with constructive support for the reform bill. Senators highlighted persistent problems with county pension fund management, noting the absence of a unifying law and past parliamentary inaction. They called for a multi‑sectoral forum and a Treasury‑appointed task force to harmonise pension balances, address interest charges and draft specific legislation. The debate combined criticism of previous parliaments with constructive proposals to protect pensioners and improve the pension system. Senators urged the Senate to act on committee recommendations and summon county governors to explain the failure to remit pension contributions, emphasizing the hardship faced by retirees and pending pension bills. They also praised the recent split of the County Public Accounts and Investments Committee and suggested further subdivision to enhance oversight. The debate highlighted broader concerns about county accountability and the impact on vulnerable citizens.
Clerk, do we have quorum? Serjeant-at-Arms, kindly ring the Quorum Bell for 10 minutes. Majority Leader, they are outside the Chamber. Serjeant-at-Arms, stop the Bell. We now have quorum. Sen. Sifuna, you are totally out of order. However, you will go with a caution for now.
[(The Quorum Bell was rung)]
[(Sen. Cheruiyot spoke off record)]
[(Sen. Sifuna crossed from the Minority to Majority side without bowing to the Chair)]
[(Loud consultations)]
Mr. Speaker, Sir, these were our gracious hosts for 2023 Senate Mashinani. We had a beautiful time in the great County of Turkana; the cradle of mankind. They took care of the entire Senate in that one-week period. They have found time today to come and visit our House and learn one or two things about how this Senate operates. It is expected that the Offices of the Clerk and the Speaker will acc…
Next Order.
Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to lay the following Papers on the Table of the Senate today, Thursday, 29th February, 2024- Report of the Auditor-General on Financial Statement of Wajir County Revolving Fund for the year ended 30th June, 2017. Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statement of Wajir County Revolving Fund for the year ended 30th June, 2018.
Report of the Auditor-General on Financial Statement of Wajir County Revolving Fund for the year ended 30th June, 2019. Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statement of Wajir County Revolving Fund for the year ended 30th June, 2020. Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statement of Wajir County Revolving Fund for the year ended 30th June, 2021. Report of the Auditor-General…
There is also a report to be tabled by Sen. Mumma.
I am tabling on behalf of Sen. Mumma. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to lay the following Paper on the Table of the Senate today, Thursday, 29th February, 2024- Report of the 147th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and related meetings held in Luanda, Angola on 23rd to 27th October, 2023.
The next Papers are by the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations.
Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to lay the following Papers on the Table of the Senate today, Thursday, 29th February, 2024-
Clerk, let us go to the next Order.
Senate Majority Leader, now that you have laid that Report on the Table, you may proceed to give Notice on the same.
Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to give Notice of the following Motion- THAT, the Senate notes the Report of 147th Assembly of the Inter- Parliamentary Union (IPU) and related meetings held in Luanda, Angola on 23rd to 27th October, 2023, laid on the Table of the Senate on Thursday 29th February,
Sen. Kathuri, please, proceed.
Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to give Notice of the following Motion- THAT, the Senate notes the Report of the 63rd Session of the OACPS Parliamentary Assembly and 43rd Session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly Meetings in Brussels, Belgium laid on the Table of Senate on Wednesday, 6th December, 2023.
Clerk, let us move on to the next Order.
Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise pursuant to---
[(Sen. Sifuna, Sen. Oketch Gicheru and Sen. Olekina consulted loudly)]
Order, Sen. Sifuna, Sen. Oketch Gicheru and Sen. Olekina, you may consult, but keep it on the low tone. Sen. Chute, proceed.
Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a Statement from the Standing Committee on Finance and Budget regarding expenditure of funds in Marsabit County. In the Statement, the Committee should-
Let us now have the Statement by the Senate Majority Leader pursuant to Standing Order No.57 (1) .
Mr. Speaker, Sir, pursuant to Standing Order No.57 (1) , I hereby present to the Senate the business of the House for the week commencing Tuesday, 5th March, 2024. There are 34 Bills at Second Reading and four at the Committee of the Whole stage. Two of the Bills at the Second Reading stage have being listed for Division in today’s Order Paper at Order Nos.12 and 13. I request Majority and Minori…
Mr. Speaker, Sir, at the Senate Business Committee (SBC) meeting held on Tuesday, 27th February 2024, the Committee approved the next set of Questions for reply on Wednesday, 6th March 2024. The summary of these Questions and the Cabinet Secretaries to appear on that day are as follows - Question No.10 by Sen. (Prof.) Tom Ojienda Odhiambo, SC, to the Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport with…
can run the House better. I, therefore, wish to request that Members find time to attend this very important event. I thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I hereby lay the Statement on the Table of the
Next Order.
Hon. Senators, at that juncture, allow me to invoke Standing Order No.45 (2) for the convenience of the House to rearrange the sequence of today's Order Paper. Instead of proceeding with Order No.12 and Order No. 13, we will straight away move and proceed with Order No.14 which is a Motion whose debate was adjourned yesterday. Clerk, proceed and call out that Order What is your intervention? Cert…
[(Laughter)]
Mr. Speaker, Sir, it could as well mean that there is something that needs to be orderly. I request to indulge you under Standing Order No.45 now that you have rearranged the Order Paper. That in the course of debate should the Whips signal to us that they now have the requisite numbers to execute the order that we have skipped, allow us to pause the debate, conduct Division and go back to the Mot…
Very well, Senate Majority Leader. Next Order.
At the interruption of debate on this Motion yesterday, the Hon. Sen. (Prof.) Tom Odhiambo Ojienda, SC, was on his feet with a balance of three minutes. However, he is not present so we will go with the names on my dashboard. Sen. Maanzo, proceed. Clerk, can I have the list of those who contributed yesterday so that we do not have them talk today.
[(The Clerk-at-the-Table approached the Chair)]
Sen. Maanzo is not in. Proceed, Sen. Cherarkey.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I support this Motion by the Standing Committee on County Public Investments and Special Funds (CPICSF) . I remember in the last Session, we were not able to look at special funds and others like the county education, emergency and water funds. In the last Session - before you came on board - together with other Members of the Senate, we had combined both to form the …
Mr. Speaker, Sir, can you believe that most of the water companies are technically insolvent? A number of them, especially in counties have liabilities which are a very big challenge. That is why we were wondering if the water works---
What is your point of order, Sen. Thang’wa?
Mr. Speaker, Sir, my good friend is lost. The report we are supposed to be discussing is about the remittance of pension by county governments to pension schemes. The counties owe the pension entities. He is talking about water companies.
[(Sen. Cherarkey spoke off record)]
Sen. Cherarkey, relevance as a rule in this House must be upheld.
Okay, I will be relevant.
As you build your case, just know you have five minutes. If you intend to use the five minutes to build your case, then you will not make any progress.
[(Laughter)]
Mr. Speaker, Sir, I thought the rules of debate depend on how the debater wants to proceed as long as they are relevant. I was building my case. I wish my colleagues who just joined this House would learn very fast. I was comparing that before we had the CPAIC and now we have divided it to the CPICSF and CPAC. I have served in the Standing Committee on Labour and Social Welfare. We used to talk o…
Finally, I agree that counties must ensure they are transparent on how they spend these funds. Today, I was with the Garissa County Women Representative, Hon. Amina, and she was telling me a story---
Proceed, Sen. Mwaruma.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for this opportunity to contribute to this very important Motion on non-remittance of pension deductions to the pension schemes by county government entities. It should not be lost that in this House, I had requested for a Statement from the Standing Committee on Finance and Budget on non- remittance of these statutory deductions. I would like to thank the Committee h…
Committees further so that we can look at more Government agencies' reports and have more work done. In the last Parliament, I used to sit in the County Public Accounts and Investments Committee, where little work was done. However, because of the split of this committee, we have more work being done. If we can move ahead and split the committee maybe into five, we would have more work and more e…
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I support this Motion on county governments' non-remittance of pensions to these pension schemes. I really wonder why counties are unable to remit these monies to the pension schemes. This is a 12 per cent deduction from the employee and 15 per cent by the employer. Why are they unable to remit these deductions, considering that much of the money is from the employees?…
Sen. Madzayo, proceed. The Senate Minority Leader (Sen. Madzayo) :
[(Loud Consultations)]
[(Loud Consultations)]
Hon. Senators, it is now 6.30 p.m., time to adjourn the Senate. The Senate, therefore, stands adjourned until Tuesday, 5th March, 2024, at 2.30 p.m. When we resume, Sen. Tobiko will have a balance of eight minutes to continue on this amendment of the Bill. The Senate rose at 6.30 p.m.