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 call the first Order.

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

[(The Quorum Bell was rung)]

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I wish to report to the Senate that pursuant to Standing Order No.49 (1) of the Senate Standing Orders, I have received the following Message from the Governor of Makueni County on the cessation of logging activities in Kivale Forest in Mbooni Ward, Makueni County. The Message, dated Monday, 28th July, 2025, was received in my office on Tuesday, 29th July, 2025. Pursuant to Stan…

NOTING that implementation of specific national Government policies on natural resources and environmental conservation, including forestry, is a function devolved to county governments; AND NOTING that there have been unexplained ongoing logging activities in Kivale Forest, located in Mbooni, Makueni County, carried out without knowledge of public participation or participation of the local comm…

Pursuant to Standing Order No. 49 (6) (c) , I refer the said Message to the Standing Committee on Land, Environment and Natural Resources for consideration. Next Order.

[(The Message was referred to the Standing Committee on Land, Environment and Natural Resources)]

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to lay the following Paper on the Table of the Senate today, Thursday, 31st July 2025- Report of the Auditor-General on financial statements of Machakos County Climate Change Fund, County Government of Machakos for the year ended 30th June,

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 Labour and Social Welfare on a matter of national concern regarding the increasing dire conditions faced by elderly women across the country, particularly those who have been abandoned or are living without family support, caregivers or access to consistent social protection.…

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I have two Statements. I request your indulgence to read them one after the other.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a Statement from the Standing Committee on Trade, Industrialization and Tourism on a matter of county and countrywide concern regarding the rise in unfair asset recovery amidst rising debt defaults.

Kenya is experiencing a surge in debt defaults among households and businesses due to rising living costs, high bank interest rates and declining incomes to our households. This has led to growing reliance on debt collection agencies whose asset recovery methods are often opaque, aggressive and emotionally distressing to Kenyans. The sector suffers from fragmented regulation, weak oversight and i…

Proceed, Sen. Peris Tobiko.

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 the matter regarding an infant who, though formerly referred from Loitoktok Sub-County Hospital to Kenyatta National Hospital, was instead taken to a private facility, Abyann Hospital in Eastleigh, Nairobi, on 12th June, 2025. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the one-year-old inf…

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 failure by the County Government of Samburu to pay salaries to the Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) teachers who were employed earlier this year. This raises serious concerns about the welfare, dignity and rights…

Hon. Senators, I will allow the Senator for Kisii, Sen. Richard Onyonka and after that, we will move to the Committee of the Whole before coming back to the Statements. Proceed.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to read a Statement on behalf of Sen. Richard Onyonka, the Senator of Kisii County. 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 suspension of healthcare facilities and the disbursement of claims under the Social Health Insurance Authority (SHA) . M…

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a Statement from the Standing Committee on Roads, Transportation and Housing on a matter of national concern regarding the cost and transparency of Green Park Pedestrian Underpass Project in Nairobi City County. While I acknowledge and commend the Government’s commitment to enhancing pedestrians’ safety and modernising urban in…

In the Statement, the Committee should address the following-

Hon. Senators, allow me to rearrange today’s Order Paper, pursuant to Standing Order No.45 (2) . We will move to Order Nos.17 to 21. Once we are done, we will resume the normal flow as contained in today’s Order Paper, that is, going back to the Statements. Clerk, kindly call those Orders.

[(Interruption of Statements)]

Clause 22

Madam Temporary Chairperson, I beg to move – THAT Clause 22 of the Bill be amended in subclause (5) by inserting the word “relevant” in paragraph (f) immediately after the words “plans as the”. The Temporary Chairperson (Sen. Mumma) : Division will be at the end. Clause 23 The Temporary Chairperson (Sen. Mumma) : Division will be at the end. Clause 24

[(Question of the amendment proposed)]

[(Question, that Clause 23 be part of the Bill proposed)]

Madam Temporary Chairperson, I beg to move– THAT Clause 28 of the Bill be amended in subclause (2) by inserting the word “relevant” in paragraph (c) immediately after the words “prescribed by the”. The Temporary Chairperson (Sen. Mumma) : Division will be at the end.

[(Question of the amendment proposed)]

Clause 29 (Question, that Clause 29 be part of the Bill proposed) The Temporary Chairperson (Sen. Mumma): Division will be at the end. Clause 30

Sorry, I am just concluding. We must have an opportunity for all of us to access fertilizer. I am only disappointed, as I expected Sen. Murango to have brought a Statement on the Gazette Notice on the importation of rice, yet rice in Mwea and Nyatike is yet to be bought. I found that Gazette Notice that was issued unfair to the farmers of Mwea. We should mop the rice that is in Mwea and Nyatike, …

What is your point of order, Sen. (Dr.) Murango?

Take your seat. There is a point of order. Sen. (Dr.) Murango, what is your point of order?

Mhe. Spika, naunga mkono vile Sen. Cherarkey anaongea lakini pia anafaa ajue kwamba nilijaribu kuleta ombi lakini halikuruhusiwa na Spika. Kwa hivyo, ni makosa kusema kwamba sijaleta ombi na ndio maana sijalisoma siku ya leo. Naomba aweze kuongea kwa sababu nimemwambia mahali ukweli upo.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. In conclusion, under Standing Order No.1, allow him to bring that Statement so that we can converse. It is in bad faith to issue a Gazette Notice to import rice, yet we have a lot of rice in Mwea and Nyatike, that farmers are not selling. I also hope there is no Gazette Notice to import sugar and maize again because it will kill the spirit and the soul of fa…

consideration of The Early Childhood Education (Amendment) Bill (Senate Bills No.54 of 2023) and seek leave to sit again tomorrow.

Madam Temporary Chairperson, pursuant to Standing Order No.153, I beg to move that the Committee of the Whole do report to the Senate its consideration of The Local Content Bill (Senate Bills No.50 of 2023) , and seek leave to sit again tomorrow. (

level, residents and local leaders have increasingly expressed concern over the transparency, equity, and overall effectiveness of this process. In the Statement, the Committee should address the following-

Madam Temporary Chairperson, pursuant to Standing Order No. 153, I beg to move that the Committee of the Whole do report on its consideration of the Street Vendors Bill (Senate Bills No. 41 of 2023) and seek leave to sit again tomorrow.

[(Protection of Livelihood)]

[(Question proposed)]

[(Question put and agreed to)]

[(The House resumed)]

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

the status and operational utilisation of donor-funded medical equipment and related infrastructure in public hostels in Kisumu County. Over the past several years, Kisumu County has benefited from significant investment in health infrastructure through support from the national Government and development partners. These include the Managed Equipment Services (MES) Programme, the Global Fund, and…

Thank you, Sen. (Prof.) Tom Ojienda. Hon. Members, I had directed that I am not going to allow any additional comments on the Statements read out. However, I know there are so many Members who have made requests. We are out of time for comments on Statements and we will not comment on them. We will proceed to the Order Paper. I will defer Order No.8, that is, the Technopolis Bill (National Assem…

Chairperson, please proceed. Just a clarification, you are not in this particular Bill. First of all, let us have Sen. Mumma, who was the Chairperson of the session, to report.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of the Whole has considered The Creative Economy Support Bill (Senate Bills No.30 of 2024) and seeks leave to sit again tomorrow.

I call upon the Mover to move.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I beg to move that the House do agree with the Committee in the said report and call upon Sen. (Dr.) Lelegwe to second.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I second.

[(Question proposed)]

[(Question put and agreed to)]

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. My time ran out when I was giving an example of what the situation looks like in one of my markets in Nyansiongo.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of the Whole has considered The Business Laws (Amendment) Bill (Senate Bills No.51 of 2024) and seeks leave to sit again tomorrow.

Mover to proceed to move.

just the County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) or the one chaired by my good friend, Sen. Ososti. We also need the Standing Committee on Land, Environment and Natural Resources to visit counties and audit sanitation conditions. Keroka is a famed market. Three-quarters of it lies within Nyamira. However, if you go there, garbage is everywhere, yet FLoCCA provides funds to improve sanitation in o…

It is such a shame!

Yes, I have. Sen. Omogeni: Sen. (Dr.) Murango, you do too. That is what we want for our people. When you drill a borehole, you should connect pipes to homes, meters installed and challenge consumers to pay you for the water they use. However, if you just drill a borehole and leave it there and the wananchi receive no service, what value does devolution bring to our people then? I am asking the Co…

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of the Whole has considered The Early Childhood Education (Amendment) Bill (Senate Bills No. 54 of 2023) and seeks leave to sit again tomorrow.

I call upon the Mover to move.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I beg to Move that the Senate do agree with the Committee in the said report. I call upon Sen. Kinyua to second.

storage area was not conducive for the business people of Bukembe. As I speak, the Government of the day, promised our good people of Bukembe that it will put little resources to ensure that they also enjoy benefits like other Kenyans. So far, the scenario has not changed. Our people expect that the County Government of Bungoma ups its game based on the taxes they pay and the support from the nati…

Sen. (Dr.) Lelegwe, you are a senior Member of this House and a leader. Much is expected of you. You may proceed to take your leave. We will now move to the next Bill for reporting. I call upon the Chairperson to report.

Thank you, Sen. Wafula. I hope your last comment was not bordering on influencing the comments that Sen. Osotsi will say as regards to the report on the county that you referred to. We will wait and hear. Sen. Olekina, it is your turn to comment.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the Report by the Standing Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations in as far as their reaction to the two Statements sought by two distinguished Senators in this Senate, that is, Sen. Wakoli and Senator of Vihiga County. It is embarrassing and I have to begin by saying it is absolutely ludicrous when it comes to a point where the peopl…

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I beg to move that the Senate do agree with the Committee on the said report and request Sen. Ogola to second.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I second.

[(Question proposed)]

[(Question put and agreed to)]

Hon. Senators, lastly, we are reporting progress of the Committee of the Whole on The Street Vendors Bill (Senate Bills No.41 of 2023) . I call upon the Chairperson to report.

[(Protection of Livelihood)]

governors here. Let us go to our counties so that when we are carrying out the oversight, we can walk around and go to those markets and shame them. Every day, we keep on fighting about how much should go to counties, but we only tick a box. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I appreciate the sentiments of Sen. Wakoli by saying that we need to take these governors to task when we read these reports. It …

Mover to proceed to move. Sen. Essy.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I beg to move that the House do agree with the Committee on the said report and request Sen. Eddy Oketch to second.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I second.

[(Question proposed)]

[(Question put and agreed to)]

Hon. Members, for the convenience of the House, we are going to rearrange the Order Paper. We will go back to statements. I have seen in the House, Sen. (Dr.) James Murango of Kirinyaga. I will allow you to read your statement.

[(Resumption of Statements)]

Bw. Spika wa Muda, nasimama kulingana na Kanuni ya Kudumu 105 ya Kanuni zetu za Kudumu. Je, ni vyema Seneta wa Kirinyaga, Sen. Murango, kusema kuwa mtihani unapewa wanafunzi katika vyuo vikuu kwa sababu kuna wajinga huko?

Bw. Spika wa Muda, wakulima kutoka maeneo mbalimbali ya Kaunti ya Kirinyaga wamekuwa wakifika katika Kituo cha NCPB cha Sagana na Wanguru wakiwa na vocha halali za kupata mbolea. Lakini, hukataliwa kwa sababu ya hitilafu katika mifumo ya kompyuta pamoja na upungufu mkubwa wa mbolea katika kituo hicho. Hali hii si tu ya kuvunja moyo, bali pia inahujumu juhudi za uzalishaji wa chakula na kuhatarisha…

Sen. Eddy, Sen. Kisang’ and Sen. Beatrice, if you must consult, do so in low tones, so that Sen. (Dr.) Murango can be heard in silence.

Nilikuwa nasema kuwa kuna wafanyibiashara wanaoumia ilhali wanatozwa kodi katika soko ambalo hakuna huduma. Sisi hapa hatufai kuwa walalamishi kila wakati. Kwa sababu kesi ya nyani huishia shambani, magavana hao bado watakuja hapa katika Seneti. Kwa hivyo, tunafaa kukata kauli na kwenda kuangalia kazi inayofanywa na pesa wanazopewa magavana. Katika Kamati ya Mashamba, Mazingira na Maliasili, siku…

Next is the Statement by the Senate Majority Leader pursuant to Standing Order No.57 (1) .

level, residents and local leaders have increasingly expressed concern over the transparency, equity, and overall effectiveness of this process. In the Statement, the Committee should address the following-

the status and operational utilisation of donor-funded medical equipment and related infrastructure in public hostels in Kisumu County. Over the past several years, Kisumu County has benefited from significant investment in health infrastructure through support from the national Government and development partners. These include the Managed Equipment Services (MES) Programme, the Global Fund, and…

Thank you, Sen. (Prof.) Tom Ojienda. Hon. Members, I had directed that I am not going to allow any additional comments on the Statements read out. However, I know there are so many Members who have made requests. We are out of time for comments on Statements and we will not comment on them. We will proceed to the Order Paper. I will defer Order No.8, that is, the Technopolis Bill (National Assem…

Clerk, call the next Order.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I join you in welcoming the boys from Orero Boys. This is the best school in my county. In the last exams, they posted the best performance. It was not just for one year. It has been consistent over the years. I joined the boys during their prize-giving day and I am extremely proud of them. When we were there, we encouraged them to continue working hard, and…

[(Sen. Nyamu spoke off record)]

We shall continue supporting you. We pray that you will continue leading Homa Bay County, leading Nyanza in posting good results.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity. May I take this opportunity also to thank amazing Senators for their industry in the visit that they had, most of it in the western Kenya region. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, you might not know, but I studied in the western Kenya region. I am an alumnus of Friends School, Kamusinga, which I am very proud of, having been educate…

In my view, those recommendations should not just end at a point of simply being a wish for the county government to take action on. I wish that these recommendations can be transferred or translated into pieces of legislation when you think about standard of markets. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I encourage the Members of these committees that they should perhaps consider sponsoring a Bill that c…

We cannot go to markets where when you leave your house, because most of these counties tend to be rural counties and in rural counties--- if you visit my brother, Sen. M. Kajwang’, you will find that he stays in a very serene place, facing the lake. It is a very nice place, very green, very lush and has a very nice community living. You can imagine people from his village, when they leave that l…

[(Applause)]

Hon. Members, before I allow the next contributor to this Motion, I have a communication to make on visiting teachers and students from Kimogoro Adventist Schools in Bomet County. Hon. Senators, I would like to acknowledge the presence in the public gallery this afternoon, of visiting teachers and students from Kimogoro Adventist Schools in Bomet County. The delegation comprises 10 teachers and 9…

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I join you in extending a warm welcome to Kimogoro Adventist Schools in Bomet County. They are privileged that they are attending a session where you are presiding over as our Speaker. This is a rare opportunity for Kimogoro Adventist School in Bomet. You should be very proud of your Senator, because apart from being your Senator, he is one of the key pillars that ensur…

[(Loud consultations)]

Sen. Cherarkey, you are aware of the powers of the Chair.

Under Standing Order No.1, with your indulgence, would you allow?

Order, Sen. Eddy! Sen. Cherarkey, I will not allow. Your request is declined. Proceed to comment.

Okay. The students from your county feel most welcome to be in the Senate. As I contribute on the issue of this Motion, I want to pick from where Sen. Eddy Oketch left. I want to request Sen. Eddy to be very humble because when seniors speak, he must listen. There is no school of experience. I am now speaking from experience. I am happy with this report on the issue of markets. As I exit, I want…

[(Resumption of debate on Motion)]

they do not go and ask the traders whether that market should be constructed. When they try to relocate Kapsabet Town central market to behind, how will one access customers? For example, in Mosoriot township, they have hidden the market next to the polytechnic and yet, the market is along the road. They are being rained on. The county levy traders Kshs100. It is shameful that counties take taxes…

Sen. Cherarkey, address the subject matter that is before us.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I was tying it up because where she was in Roysambu on the interface of Kasarani, there are small markets. Some of us know this town well. Why is the Senator shouting?

[(Sen. Oketch Gicheru spoke off record)]

Sen. Eddy is trying to catch your eye that Sen. Osotsi needs to contribute and time is running.

They know the Standing Orders. You limit debate. Has it been limited?

That was my choice of words.

I thought he was telling me something else. I will try to condense, and thank you for that guidance. Another danger to our markets is the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) , Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) and Kenya Urban Roads Authority

(KURA). I saw them destroying markets in Khayega in Kakamega County. Why would you allow our people to do two markets and then destroy them? These agencies must be called to order. What we are seeing in this country is infrastructural evictees. We no longer have forest evictees. In Kawangware, they go and destroy property that belongs to the mama mbogas and boda boda riders. What I saw in Khayega…

Proceed, Sen. Osotsi.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I want to start by thanking the Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations for taking time not just to respond to my Statement and that of Sen. Wakoli, but also visiting those two counties. They visited my county on 22nd June, 2024, which is about a year ago and now we are discussing the report today. What precipitated this Statement was because traders at…

Vihiga is among the 12 small counties with limited avenues or streams of own source revenue. In fact, the only major own source revenue are markets and we have quite a number of them. This report focused on Mbale, Majengo, Luanda, Serem, Chavakali Cheptulu, Shamakhokho, Esibuye and Mudete markets. Those are the key markets in Vihiga County. There are other smaller markets in Vihiga County like Ba…

will be talking to the Committee to ensure that the county provides correct information. This is because the information that is here is misleading. Let me now talk about challenges that we have in the county in terms of markets. A lot of issues were identified in the reports such as lack of water or adequate supply of water in some markets. Issues of sanitation, lack of toilets or functioning to…

Sen. Osotsi, unfortunately, time has run out. However, you have got a balance of 12 minutes to conclude on your contribution when the House resumes.