Senate · Afternoon Sitting

Clerk, do we have quorum? Serjeant-at-Arms, kindly ring the Quorum Bell for 10 minutes. Order, hon. Senators. We now have quorum. Clerk, you may proceed to call the first Order.

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

[(The Quorum Bell was rung)]

Hon. Senators, as you will recall, the Motion on the consideration of the report of the Standing Committee on Finance and Budget on the Fourth Basis for allocating the share of national revenue among counties was scheduled for consideration on Tuesday, 27th May, 2025. However, before the Motion was moved, several Senators rose on point of orders highlighting the need for more time to interrogate t…

not exhaustive. Consequently, it was agreed that the Motion be deferred and rescheduled for debate on Tuesday, 3rd June, 2025. Hon. Senators, in this respect, the Standing Committee on Finance and Budget has organized another breakfast meeting to apprise Senators on the contents of the report, facilitate consultations and consensus-building on the way forward regarding the Fourth Basis for alloca…

Mr. Speaker, Sir, pursuant to Standing Order No.232 (1) (b) , I hereby present a Petition to the Senate concerning the propagation and commercialization of new generation (Muthea) Antivenom in Kenya. As you are aware under Article 119 (1) of the Constitution- “Every person has a right to petition Parliament to consider any matter within its authority, including to enact, amend or repeal any legis…

THAT the petitioner's samples have been used without their consent and that they have been denied access to the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) premises without due process. THAT the petitioners have made efforts to resolve these matters through the relevant institutions, but all efforts have been unsuccessful. THAT none of the issues raised in the petition are pending before any court …

What is your last page, Sen. Omtatah?

Mr. Speaker, Sir, the petitioners are Mr. Patrick Musilu, Mr. Tom Babu and Mr. Alfred Dosso. It is presented by me, the Senator from Busia, Sen. Okiya Omtatah Okoiti.

Hon. Senators, pursuant to Standing Order No.238 (1) , I commit the Petition to the Standing Committee on Health for consideration. In terms of Standing Order No.238 (2) (a) , the Committee is required in not more than 60 calendar days from the time of reading the prayer, which is today, to table its report in the Senate for consideration. The Senate shall thereafter consider and adopt the report …

[(The Petition was committed to the Standing Committee on Health)]

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I was trying to confirm if you read the name of this institution right because to the best of my knowledge, students from Tengecha Boys were in this Parliament on Tuesday. This must be the second lot or the name is not typed correctly, but I will confirm. Nonetheless, when I was driving in this afternoon, I noticed students from an institution that looked familiar. I believe this…

Let us move on to the next Order.

Senate Majority Leader, proceed.

Chairperson Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, proceed. Do we have a Member from that Committee present? Senate Majority leader, then you may wish to table the report.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I can see many Members of the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries present. I wonder why they are not---

I do not know who they are, unless you mention one.

No, let me do it.

Let us move on to the next Order.

Thank you, 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 national concern regarding the murder of Father Alois Cheruiyot Bett on 22nd May, 2025 by suspected bandits and the resurgence of banditry activities in the country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, Father Alois Cheruiyot Bet…

Senator for Wajir County, the Hon. Abass, proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a Statement from the Standing Committee on Education on a matter of countywide concern regarding the deterioration of the state of Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centres in Wajir County. Mr. Speaker, Sir, Article 43 (1) (f) of the Constitution guarantees every person the right to education and further, …

The two statements by the Senator for Kitui County are deferred as per the Senator’s request.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, thank you for the opportunity, as well as for the reinstatement of this statement. I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a statement from the Standing Committee on Finance and Budget on a matter of national concern regarding fraudulent activities targeting retirees' lump-sum pension payouts. We are witnessing a disturbing trend where fraudsters are increasingly ta…

Thank you. Before we take the statement from the Senate Majority Leader, Sen. Tabitha, you had a personal statement to make. Proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity. I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.58 to issue a personal statement regarding false allegations made by Her Excellency Governor Susan Kihika. During the Senate's short recess in April, Governor Susan Kihika forcefully claimed in a television interview that I was admitted to a hospital in London suffering from kidney failure. She went …

Sen. (Dr.) Boni--- Before Sen. Boni makes his request for a statement; hon. Senators, indeed, you are at liberty, pursuant to Standing Order No.58, to rise and make statements of a personal nature. However, as much as you have the latitude to make a statement of a personal nature, look at Standing Order No.101, especially the last sentence of Standing

Order No.101(1). I will read the entire Order No.101(1) and then I will extract the relevant portion of that particular Standing Order- “(1) Neither the personal conduct of the President, nor the conduct of the Speaker, or any judge, nor the judicial conduct of any person performing judicial functions, nor any conduct of the Head of State or Government, or the representative in Kenya of any frien…

Mr. Speaker, Sir, following your guidance, would it be in order for the statement to not be allowed to stand on the record of the House because the Governor of Nakuru would ordinarily be removed by this House and is the subject of this statement?

Senator for Nairobi City.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, that request by the Senator for Kakamega would depend on what you make of the words “adverse reference”. If I brought a statement here paying glowing tributes to the Governor of Nairobi City, that is not adverse reference. If it is saying I have not seen him in a few weeks, that is not adverse reference. That narrow understanding of what adverse reference means would guide the Ho…

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I have read Standing Order No.101 and I concur with the Senate Majority Whip on a statement of such nature. Unless it is proven by a court of law that a holder of a public office, who is subject to this House has been the one making such allegations, it would be improper for this House to keep that statement on record. My concern is on the status of this House. If we can discuss…

Hon. Senators, I lifted the contents of Standing Order No.101 as a general guidance, not specifically targeting the statement by the hon. Senator from Nakuru. However, having listened to your concern, allow me to give a substantive communication guiding on the application of this Standing Order.

I will, therefore, be guiding the House through our communication next week on this particular matter. Sen. (Dr.) Boni, you may proceed.

The Senate Majority Leader.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.57 (1) to hereby present the business of the week that commences on Tuesday, 3rd June, 2025. The status of business that is pending before the Senate is as follows- There are 53 Bills of which, 37 are at the Second Reading and 16 are at the Committee of the Whole. Therefore, as we have always done in the past, I request our whips, …

With respect to Petitions, I want to remind hon. Senators that in accordance to Standing Order No.238(3), the Senate is required to consider the reports on petitions within 14 sitting days of their tabling. At present, there are three such reports before the Senate. One is from the Committee on Health and two are from the Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights. I urge the chairperson…

Hon. Senators, this communication was read earlier, but unfortunately, the teachers and students were not sitting in the Public Gallery at that time. I have confirmed now they are well settled, and I will acknowledge them in this manner. I can also see the hon. Senator for Embu is keen on this. I would like to acknowledge in the Public Gallery this afternoon, the presence of visiting teachers and…

Asante, Bw. Naibu wa Spika kwa kunipa ruhusu nichangie na niwakaribishe watoto wa Kanyuambora Secondary School. Hii shule iko Mbeere North katika Kaunti ya Embu. Ni pahali ningetaka kusema ya kwamba, wakati wa by-election, tutakua huko. Kiongozi wa Wengi alikua amewakaribisha na ningeomba wakati wa siasa ukija, apitie kwa hiyo shule. Ni shule nzuri kule Embu na elimu inaendelea vizuri sana. Bw. N…

Sen. Mundigi, umetangaza kwamba kuna marudio ya uchaguzi na hakuna taarifa iliyoletwa hapa kama kuna kiti ambacho kiko wazi. Umejiuzulu ama unapanga namna gani?

Bw. Naibu wa Spika, hakujatangazwa lakini unajua kuna Waziri alipewa kiti na ile siku Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) itatangaza, kutakuwa na by-election. Ninajua Kiongozi wa Wengi atakuwa kule kwa sababu ameongea maneno ya hii shule, masaa mawili yaliyopita. Naibu wa Spika (Sen. Kathuri) : Asante, Sen. Mundigi. Next Order, Clerk.

Bw. Naibu wa Spika, hakujatangazwa lakini unajua kuna Waziri alipewa kiti na ile siku Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) itatangaza, kutakuwa na by-election. Ninajua Kiongozi wa Wengi atakuwa kule kwa sababu ameongea maneno ya hii shule, masaa mawili yaliyopita. Naibu wa Spika (

This is a resumption of debate. Sen. (Dr.) Boni Khalwale, CBS MP, has a balance of 13 minutes. If you want to utilise them, well and good. If you have exhausted your points, then we can move on to any other Senator interested to contribute.

School in Nandi County. The delegation comprises of seven teachers and 153 students who are in the Senate for a one-day academic exposition. Hon. Senators, in our tradition of receiving and welcoming visitors to Parliament, I extend a warm welcome to them and on behalf of the Senate, and on my own behalf, wish them a fruitful visit.

No explanation is given to Kenyans that you need to know this can happen, this can go wrong, this can go right. All the time, and it is repeated. I am sure even as I am talking to you now, somebody is rushing into an emergency room. There is nobody at the reception to explain to them what the possibilities of a surgery. They are just asked to sign and then a surgery takes place. I wish that the co…

[[The Deputy Speaker (Sen. Kathuri) left the Chair] [The Temporary Speaker (Sen. Veronica Maina) in the Chair]]

No explanation is given to Kenyans that you need to know this can happen, this can go wrong, this can go right. All the time, and it is repeated. I am sure even as I am talking to you now, somebody is rushing into an emergency room. There is nobody at the reception to explain to them what the possibilities of a surgery. They are just asked to sign and then a surgery takes place. I wish that the co…

[[The Deputy Speaker (Sen. Kathuri) left the Chair] [The Temporary Speaker (Sen. Veronica Maina) in the Chair]]

If the surgery has been acceded to and something has gone wrong, there needs to be Annita Jepkorir guidelines in all public and private hospitals in Kenya that will be telling the doctors and the hospital management that when someone has lost someone, the relatives must be taken through a certain process. It should not be doctors who just come out and say, we have lost someone. Madam Temporary Sp…

Thank you, Sen. Mungatana. My condolences once again for the loss of your first wife, Mrs. Violet Wairimu Mungatana, whose mother also comes from my village. May she continue resting in peace. Sen. Joyce Chepkoech Korir, please, proceed.

Additionally, the Director of Medical Services has only been in office for about a year, meaning he brings fresh energy and a drive for reform. People new to the Ministry often seek to make a mark and drive meaningful change. Now is the perfect time to establish the Annita Jepkorir guidelines, a frameworks that will help patients manage medical outcomes and lodge complaints with relevant medical b…

vifaa vya kusaidia madaktari kutoa huduma ama hawajalipwa mishahara yao ambayo inawapa motisha ya kuendelea kutoa huduma zao. Lazima tutilie hayo maanani. Ingawa hata kama hujalipwa vizuri, hakuna mtu anayefaa kupoteza maisha. Nakubaliana na pendekezo kuwa familia ya mwendazake ilipwe fidhia. Hata hivyo, pesa zitakayolipwa haziwezi kulinganishwa na uhai wa binadamu. Vile vile, Kamati hiyo inapend…

I now call upon Sen. Mandago, who is the Mover of this Motion, to reply.

vifaa vya kusaidia madaktari kutoa huduma ama hawajalipwa mishahara yao ambayo inawapa motisha ya kuendelea kutoa huduma zao. Lazima tutilie hayo maanani. Ingawa hata kama hujalipwa vizuri, hakuna mtu anayefaa kupoteza maisha. Nakubaliana na pendekezo kuwa familia ya mwendazake ilipwe fidhia. Hata hivyo, pesa zitakayolipwa haziwezi kulinganishwa na uhai wa binadamu. Vile vile, Kamati hiyo inapend…

procedures are in place. We urge the Kenya Medical Dentists and Practitioners Council and all other regulating agencies for medical practitioners or health workforce, to make sure that they have regular supervision and inspection to assure the quality, standards and the procedures that needs to be followed in all medical procedures. I agree with my colleagues that, as the Senate Standing Committe…

Madam Temporary Speaker, first, let me take this opportunity to thank colleagues who have made several comments on the recommendations and contents of this report. The contributions that have been made on the Floor of the House have added value to this report. I want to acknowledge that because of the nature of investigations, there could have been other issues that could have been captured. Howe…

procedures are in place. We urge the Kenya Medical Dentists and Practitioners Council and all other regulating agencies for medical practitioners or health workforce, to make sure that they have regular supervision and inspection to assure the quality, standards and the procedures that needs to be followed in all medical procedures. I agree with my colleagues that, as the Senate Standing Committe…

Thank you, Hon. Senator. The putting of the question is deferred to a later session. We now reorganize the Order Paper. I will ask the Clerk to call out Order No.20

[(Putting of the Question on the Motion deferred)]

Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker. I want to appreciate the opportunity to do this. I beg to move that the Business Laws Amendment Bill (Senate Bills No.52 of 2025) be now read a Second Time. I have moved many Bills in this House, but none may prove to be as consequential as this particular Bill, in light of the challenges that this country continues to face today. We speak so often about the de…

It is until we are able to come up with sound policies to grow our tourism numbers to a point that the communities that live around the tourism circuits, those in the coastal areas and places that have wildlife sanctuaries, are able to see significant number of tourists to a point that business bounces back to levels that actually have never been seen before. Not even to what was there previously.…

Think about it, Madam Temporary Speaker. We spend as a country close to Kshs500 billion importing food alone, wheat, sugar, rice and cooking oil. It is not rocket science about the countries we import from. There is Pakistan for the rice, Malaysia for the edible oil, Russia, Ukraine and those parts of the world for their wheat. It is because they have listened to their private sector and have take…

Thank you, Senate Majority Leader. Sen. Danson Mungatana, proceed.

amendments to the Investment Promotion Act that will make the country as competitive as other regions? The Class G work permit is offered to any person who intends to engage, whether alone or in partnership, in prospecting for minerals or mining in Kenya. All you need to do is check, ensure and confirm that person has the expertise and has demonstrated that they have succeeded in a particular ind…

This Bill intends to bring amendments to various laws that help us in business operations. Most importantly, it marks a positive step toward creating a conducive business environment for those wishing to invest in this country. The first law addressed in this Bill is the Investment Promotion Act, which is being amended. I strongly second the proposed amendments to this Act. I also urge the Commit…

Thank you very much, Madam Temporary Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to second this Bill. I also wish to thank the Mover of this Bill, our able Senate Majority Leader, for moving the Business Laws (Amendment) Bill (Senate Bills No52 of 2024) . I may not be the most qualified person, but I am among those well-versed in business laws, as I am a lawyer. At one point, I lectured on various bus…

This Bill intends to bring amendments to various laws that help us in business operations. Most importantly, it marks a positive step toward creating a conducive business environment for those wishing to invest in this country. The first law addressed in this Bill is the Investment Promotion Act, which is being amended. I strongly second the proposed amendments to this Act. I also urge the Commit…

In this law, as much as we protect the investors, it will also help us to deal with them because they will be given a certificate which can be withdrawn. If you have been issued a certificate by the Government, then you start doing activities outside what was allowed--- We have seen some investors who slap Kenyans. Videos are taken of them slapping Kenyans when they are working. They mistreat or …

move from lamenting and make the law that will help this country move from where it is to another level. Madam Temporary Speaker, this is probably one of the best laws that we are actualising our thinking that Kenya must industrialise. Kenya must move forward. I beg to second. Thank you.

Hon. Senators, it is now 6.30