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. Kindly take your seats. Clerk, kindly call the first Order.

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

[(The Quorum Bell was rung)]

[(Hon. Senators took their seats)]

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. On behalf of the Chairperson, Standing Committee on Finance and Budget, I beg to lay the following Paper on the Table of the Senate today, 30th October, 2025- The report of the Standing Committee on Finance and Budget on its consideration of the National Assembly amendments to the County Government's Additional Allocations (No.2) Bill, (Senate Bills No.8 of 2025) .

My apologies for the Chairman.

Next Order. Chairperson, Standing Committee on Finance and Budget.

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 Education on a matter of nationwide concern regarding the persistent and systemic non-payment of allowances to teachers who supervise extracurricular activities and national examinations across the country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as you know, on 5th October we celebrate the World…

with similar frustrating experiences reported among those assigned to supervise national examinations. In the Statement, the Committee should address the following-

Mr. Speaker, Sir, Can I be next? I only have one, but then there are two more that are coming.

You can proceed with this one.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a Statement from the Standing Committee on Health on a matter of nationwide concern regarding the rapid test for sickle cell disease. Mr. Speaker, Sir, sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder in Kenya, common in Western and Coastal regions of the country. Early detection is vital to prevent complications a…

Sen. Andrew Omtatah.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I confirm that I have written instructions.

I received the note, you may proceed.

I am reading this Statement on behalf of the Hon. Sen. Andrew Okiya Omtatah, Senator for Busia. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a Statement from the Standing Committee on Trade, Industrialisation and Tourism on a matter of countrywide concern regarding the privatization and the current operations of the Webuye Pan paper Mills now known as Rai Paper Mills. Th…

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a Statement from the Standing Committee on Lands, Environment and Natural

Resources on a matter of countywide regarding the status of ownership and the proposed sale of land parcel LR No.14210 registered under the Kenya Triangle Company Limited in Kwale County. Mr. Speaker, Sir, there is growing concern over the fate of residents currently occupying land parcel LR No.14210 following reports of a proposed sale of approximately 110,000 acres, excised from the larger 172,…

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a Statement from the Standing Committee on Health on a matter of national concern regarding the Government's new food labelling rules aimed at tackling obesity and diet-related diseases. Mr. Speaker, Sir, Kenya as a signatory of the World Health Organization (WHO) global action plan on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs…

In response, the Ministry of Health, working with the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), has introduced mandatory food labelling regulations that require clear nutritional information on packaged foods covering sugar, salt and fat content. Products with harmful levels of these ingredients will now carry front or back warnings to guide consumer choice. In the Statement, the Committee should address…

Sen. Eddy, you may proceed with your Statement pursuant to Standing Order No.52 (1) . Read it as approved.

As approved, indeed, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I also want to thank you for your courtesy because just like Sen. Sifuna, I was in the team that went to India to bring the remains of our departed leader and brother, Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga. I would not participate better if I did not put myself on record to mourn together with our nation. Therefore, thank you so much for allowing me to read this Statement …

spirit of Hon. Raila Odinga that has always been both a source of hope and fear for all of us. A source of hope because through him, our country could come together as one nation to have the hardest conversations despite our divisive differences; to shake hands despite our diversity and sometimes, to harness global respect as a united country. It was a source of fear because up until his death he…

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I can go on and on, but the fact remains that even through our conclusive cries in mourning him, his soul rests in peace. I doubt his spirit will ever rest in peace if we do not live up to some of these ideals that he lived for. I doubt Raila's spirit will rest in peace if we do not strengthen devolution, for instance, by allocating adequate resources to devolved functions and en…

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. On behalf of Sen. Issa Juma Boy of Kwale County, I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a Statement from the Standing Committee on Lands, Environment and Natural Resources on a matter of countywide concern regarding the impending eviction of approximately 12,000 residents of Wasini Island in Kwale County following the decision of the National Land Commissi…

Let us have a Statement pursuant to Standing Order No.57 (1) , the Senate Majority Leader.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. These days, social media is very vibrant and robust. Let me make it clear that I am reading on behalf of the Leader of the Majority. I am not the Leader of the Majority. Mr. Speaker, Sir, pursuant to Standing Order No.57 (1) , I hereby present the business for the week commencing Tuesday, 4th November, 2025. As you already have observed in your Communication, on Tues…

Hon. Senators, I will allow comments for not more than 15 minutes. So, if you get a chance to speak, kindly do so for not more than three minutes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I want to make a brief comment on the statement sought by Sen. Okiya Omtatah on the privatisation status of Webuye Pan Paper Mills. It will be important for the Committee to which this statement is committed to clear the air about a very fundamental question that the Senator has sought to clarify whether this was a sale or a lease. This is because the information that…

would appear that it was an absolute sale; that the deal was closed and Pan Paper went to Rai Group, and so what they do with it then becomes their own private business. This question is important, coming at a time that there are national conversations around the privatisation of the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC). As a leader in this House and the country, I just want to caution all of us, includi…

Sen. Cherarkey

Mr. Speaker, Sir. I do not know why the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) guys are excited. I thank the ODM Secretary General, Sen. Sifuna for bringing this statement on teachers. I agree it is very unfortunate that teachers have to always make noise and to go for strike for their allowances to be paid, yet it is budgeted for. What is the work of the Teacher Service Commission (TSC) ? These are sm…

in the KPC and many others. We are also lying to Kenyans because most, if not all the parastatals, are making losses, including KICC. I saw that they were making Kshs4 billion loss or more. A number of parastatals are not necessary for this country. We must allow the Government to privatise. We have also Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) Acts. It is in the interest of the country that a number o…

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for allowing me to support the statement by Senator for Nairobi City about teachers. This has really taken long for teachers. Every time they want an increment or have a promise made to them, for it to be fulfilled, they have to demonstrate. Let us remember that everybody, including even the highest top seat in this country, the presidency, to the least, pass through…

Hon. Senators, allow me to rearrange the sequence here of today's Order Paper. We will come back to comments after we have dealt with Order Nos. 10, 11, 12, and 13. Clerk, proceed to call those orders.

[(Interruption of debate on Statements)]

Kangwaru Nyaga regarding the plight of the landless in Muthanthara, Embu County, laid on the Table of the Senate on Tuesday, 7th October, 2025.

Hon. Senators, I now put the question. Let us go to the next Order.

[(Question put and agreed to)]

(Resumption of debate interrupted on 29.10.2025 - Afternoon Sitting)

Hon. Senators, I now put the question. We will now resume comments on the Statements sought. Let us begin with Sen. Essy Okenyuri.

[(Question put and agreed to)]

[(Resumption of debate on Statements)]

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for this opportunity. I would like to weigh in on Sen. Sifuna’s Statement concerning delayed payments to teachers. It paints a feeling of frustration and exploitation. I have personally grown up in the house of a teacher and the challenges I had then are the same we are experiencing right now. I do not know. Is the problem the successive governments or we just do not …

Proceed, Sen. Olekina.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise to make some brief comments on two Statements. First, I will begin with the Statement by the distinguished Senator for Busia with regard to the issue of Webuye Pan-Paper Mills.

If my memory serves me right, Webuye Pan Paper Mills was sold in 2016, after being idle for about nine years because of wallowing in debt. It was sold to a private entity. The role of the Government was simple; to facilitate the transaction because it was already under receivership. Why should we wait for about 10 years to raise a question about it? Is that not interfering with the private entity?…

Sen. Kinyua, you have the Floor.

Asante, Bw. Spika, kwa kunipa fursa hii. Ningependa kuchangia kuhusu Taarifa iliyoletwa na Sen. Sifuna kwa sababu walimu wanafanya kazi muhimu sana katika jamii. Ikiwa hawalipwi marupurupu yao baada ya kufanya kazi, hiyo inawavunja moyo. Utawapata wakifanya kazi kwa utepetevu kwa sababu hawapati malipo yao. Ukitembelea sehemu nyingi wanazofanyia kazi, utaona kwamba sio nzuri. Hii ni kwa sababu wa…

kuangalia ni vipi tutaweza kuwa na kampuni nyingi za kuongeza ushuru ili nchi yetu iweze kujizatiti bila kubinafsisha hizi kampuni. Bw. Spika, nashukuru kwa kunipa fursa hii.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I wish to welcome the Youth Senators. Before coming to the Senate, I had an opportunity to serve as a Youth Senator. We were among the founding members, alongside Hon. Gideon Keter. Youth Senators, you are welcome here; this is a platform to learn from. You can easily transition to national politics or if you are not getting into politics, you shape policy that offers…

Let us go to next Order, Clerk. Just call Order No.9 as we wait for the Chairperson of Delegated Legislation to--- The Chairperson Standing Committee on Finance and Budget, proceed.

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