National Assembly · Afternoon Sitting

I beg to give notice of the following Motion: THAT, this House adopts the Report of the Departmental Committee on Social Protection on the Review of the Budget Implementation for the Financial Year 2022/2023 for the following Votes, laid on the Table of the House on Thursday, 8th August 2024:

Hon. Fredrick Lusuli, I thought you were Fredrick Ikana.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. ‘Lusuli’ is also my name. I beg to give notice of the following Motion:

Thank you, Hon. Ikana. Next Order, Hon. Mark Mwenje.

Hon. Speaker, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 44 (2) (c) , I request a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Affairs regarding fire incidents in four markets within Nairobi City County. Devastating fires have affected several markets in Nairobi in the recent past. These incidents highlight the recurring issue of market fires in Na…

Order! Once you ask for a Statement and you finish, you sit down. You have no business soliciting for anybody to speak to it. You just let whoever wants to ride on your Statement as a joyrider request, but you do not solicit for anybody. Yes, Hon. Elachi, are you the joyrider?

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. That is on a light note. It is true that, indeed, we would wish the Chairperson to look into this issue because if markets burn, then what happens afterwards? Counties must ensure that the markets have perimeter walls. Traders in the market know themselves. For example, in Toi Market they have been there for about 20 to 30 years and they know each other. If we can build fo…

Thank you, Mama Dagoretti. Hon. Tongoyo, this is to you. How soon can you bring a response?

I appreciate. First, I apologise to the affected families and everyone who fell victim to the market fires. Hon. Speaker, you note that I have quite a number of un-responded to Statements and the reason being given by the Ministry is that majority of the Statements are prepared by the

officers who have been trying to calm the situation. I kindly ask to have it responded to in two weeks, so that I address the more urgent ones and the previous ones, next week.

Next week? Do you need two weeks?

Two weeks for this particular one.

Okay. Hon. Mwenje, two weeks. Hon. Lillian Siyoi. She is not present. Hon. Tandaza.

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 compensation of residents of Southern Bypass commonly known as Dongo-Kundu. Hon. Speaker, the Dongo-Kundu Road serves as a crucial bypass which connects Miritini and Kwale County with three bridge…

The Chairperson, Departmental Committee on Transport and Infrastructure. Is he in? Hon. Bedzimba, are you the Vice-Chairperson or a member of the Committee?

I am Hon. Bady Twalib, not Hon. Bedzimba.

Hon. Bedzimba was standing in front of you.

He had just come to me to consult on a certain matter. As a ranking Member, you know very many people need to consult me before doing anything.

[(Laughter)]

Okay. Hon. Bady Twalib, the ranking Member.

Hon. Speaker, as a member of the Departmental Committee on Transport and Infrastructure, I am very much aware about that road because it starts from my constituency. On behalf of my chairperson, let me state that in two weeks’ time we will give him a reply on the same.

Two weeks.

In two weeks’ time.

Yes, Hon. Tandaza.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I think two weeks will be too long given that we expect this road to be officially opened any time. Once it is officially opened, I am really worried about how we will follow up the matter of compensation again. I think two weeks is too long.

Yes Hon. (Dr) Nyamai.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I agree that the Statement is urgent. There are also other roads that are already being used like Kibwezi- Kitui Road yet compensation has not been done. It needs to be addressed urgently. I was wondering whether this matter will also touch on the National Land Commission (NLC) . The Vice-Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Lands is in the House. I was just wonder…

Okay. Who is the Vice-Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Lands? Hon. Jayne Kihara, I saw you seek to speak.

Yes, I was raising my hand because this matter is before us in the Committee. It should have been directed to the Departmental Committee on Lands so that we can follow up with the NLC.

Hon. Tandaza, have you misdirected your request?

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. As a matter of fact, I am aware that all the funds for the roads are with the NLC, but the way it was done in the Table Office... I am aware that NLC has all the funds even as we speak here.

I direct that despite the enthusiasm of Hon. Bady Twalib, the Question be directed to the Departmental Committee on Lands to deal with it. So Hon. Jayne, can you have the answer here by Thursday next week?

Hon. Speaker, I will. Thank you.

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 Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations regarding the arrest and deportation of thirty-six (36) Ugandans from Kisumu, Kenya. Hon. Speaker, 36 Ugandans believed to be members of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Party, had been lawf…

Hon. Speaker, it is against this background that I request for a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations

Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations, Hon. Nelson Koech. Is any Member of that Committee present? What about the Vice-Chairperson? Hon. Joshua Kandie, are you a Member of that Committee.

Yes, Hon. Speaker. I am a Member of the Committee.

Inform your Chairperson to bring the Statement in two weeks.

Hon. Speaker, I will do that.

Okay. Hon. Joseph Makilap. LANDSLIDE IN BARINGO NORTH CONSTITUENCY

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 Administration and Internal Security regarding the recent landslide in Baringo North Constituency. Hon. Speaker, unprecedented heavy rains with thunderstorms hit Kapchebokel Village in Kasisit Sub-location on the night of 6th August 2024 l…

Are you directing it to Hon. Gabriel Tongoyo?

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. Given the magnitude of the situation, I want to be given until Thursday, next week. Meanwhile, I want it to go on record that ever since this happened, the Hon. Member has been on my neck. As you know, he is very passionate about his community. I also want to confirm that the National Disaster Management Unit (NDMU) and other stakeholders are on the ground trying to mitiga…

Okay. Thursday, next week. Hon Joseph Makilap is that alright? Hon. Obo Ruweida! Sorry, Hon. Joseph Makilap. Are you saying something? Hon. Vincent Kawaya is ready to respond to your Statement.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I stand to request for a Statement regarding the delay in processing of medical insurance approvals for Kenya Police Officers. Pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 44 (2) (c) , I wish to request for a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Health on the delay in the pre- authorisation process for medical insurance approvals for Kenya Polic…

Thank you. Hon Tongoyo. Give him the microphone.

Two weeks, Hon. Speaker.

So be it.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. Pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 44 (2) (a) , I rise to give a Statement on behalf of the House Business Committee which met on Tuesday, 6th August 2024 to prioritise business for consideration during the week. Members should take note that the House further varied its calendar yesterday and is set to commence its long recess on Friday, 16th August 2024 and re…

Thank you, Leader of the Majority Party. The next Order is by the Chairperson of the Budget and Appropriations Committee. Hon. Members, I am told he has sent word that the Report is not ready, until Tuesday.

Who was on the Floor? Wanjiku, had you finished?

I was not on the Floor. I am sure a few minutes remained.

Quorum truncated you.

Yes, on the second day. Maybe the Clerks-at- the-Table can confirm how many minutes remain for me.

[(The Hon. Speaker consulted the Clerks-at-the-Table)]

You have 16 minutes to go. You are not obliged to exhaust them.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. In a nutshell, I spoke of the institutions visited and enumerated several observations by the Committee. The one I would want to repeat, because I see the House is quite full today, is communication challenges. We have the Northern Corridor and the Central Corridor. We experience communication challenges anytime we are in the Central Corridor. It is too expensive. We hope …

Every institution of the Community we visited, in the Central or Northern Corridor, there was always the challenge of inadequate professional staff. You would find a whole institution with only two skilled staff. We, therefore, ask the Council of Ministers to consider increasing the budget of the Community. Most importantly, we observed that air transport within the region is very expensive. This …

[[The Speaker (Hon. Moses Wetang’ula) left the Chair] [The Temporary Speaker (Hon. (Dr) Rachael Nyamai) took the Chair]]

Please, be on record that you have moved the Motion and request for a seconder.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I move the Motion and request Hon. Naomi Waqo, who is a Member of the Select Committee on Regional Integration, to second.

Thank you. Hon. Naomi Wako.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I rise to second the Motion. As I second the Motion, I congratulate our Committee Members who came up with these good recommendations. The purpose of the visit was to appreciate the operations of the EAC institutions in order to enhance mutual relationships amongst the neighbouring countries. All that has come out clearly in our recommendations. Secondly, the v…

Thank you, very much, Hon. Naomi. Hon. Members, you may now proceed to contribute. Hon. Dr Robert Pukose, Member for Endebess.

[(Question proposed)]

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I second the Motion on adoption of the Report of the Committee that conducted an inspection of EAC institutions in Uganda. As stated in the Report, an air ticket from Nairobi to Dar es Salaam is expensive compared to Nairobi-Dubai. We should harmonise taxes within the region and make business easy, accessible and profitable. A question was raised by the Member …

time, President Museveni said that we should encourage Kenyans to own properties in Uganda and Ugandans to own properties and anything else in Kenya. That is the kind of brotherhood we want to encourage within the region. We want to encourage free movement of people and goods. We should harmonise our state agencies in the region. When it comes to the medical profession, whether doctors are traine…

Thank you very much. Next is Hon. Joshua Mwalyo, Member for Masinga.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I rise to support the Motion on the inspection visit to semi-autonomous institutions of EAC in Uganda by the Departmental Committee. I want to commend those who participated in the tour, including the able Member for Kipiripiri who tabled the Report.

Order, Hon. Joshua Mwalyo,

Hon. Daniel Nanok.

Thank you Hon. Temporary Speaker, for the opportunity to move this Motion. I beg to move the following Motion: THAT, this House adopts the Report of the Select Committee on Parliamentary Broadcasting and Library on Enhancing Reporting of Parliamentary Business on Online Platforms, laid down on the Table of the House on Wednesday, 4th October 2023. This Committee is established pursuant to Standi…

this Motion to the House, that we would rather expand the scope and the space of reach for all the public. This scope is enabled by the digital platforms, that is the social media platforms. As I speak, the Parliamentary social media presence is as follows: We are on Twitter as Parliament and we have a following of about 350,000 people. We also have a Facebook page with a substantial following o…

parliamentarians, and in so doing, we will dissipate some of the fears that our members of the public have about the work Members of Parliament do while they are here. Based on those observations that we made as a Committee, having interacted with experts in Parliament about how we can improve the broadcasting of parliamentary business using these online platforms, the Committee recommends that t…

[[The Temporary Speaker (Hon. (Dr) Rachael Nyamai) left the Chair] [The Temporary Speaker (Hon. Peter Kaluma) took the Chair]]

that we need now. We will listen in, intervene, interject, and give opinions through these platforms. That interaction will enhance our legislative roles and the participation of members of the public on legislative matters. Finally, allow me to end by urging this House not to lose our traditions and practices while utilising social media channels. In the end, it is for the legislature to be agil…

Hon. Muhia.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. From the outset, I want to congratulate the Committee and the Chair. This Motion could not come at a better time. This Parliament is premised on Articles 95 and 96 of the Constitution for the welfare of the society and the just government of the people. However, the welfare of society and just government of the people is not known by the said people. In Parliamen…

[(Question proposed)]

The Deputy Majority Whip, Dr Naomi Waqo.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Pursuant to Standing Order 96, I propose deferring this Motion and moving to the next Order.

In my entire life as a Temporary Speaker, I have never seen a Motion before the Floor of this House moved with such detailed information and knowledge. Therefore, before I consider the request made by the Deputy Majority Whip, let me congratulate the Mover and the seconder for a very informative moving. I can see Hon. Dr Makali Mulu agreeing. The only Professor in the Public Accounts Committee, Dr…

Chair of the Departmental Committee on Communication, Information and Innovation also in the House, purposely made very substantive contributions to this. I thank those who want to proceed. However, looking at this matter, particularly the perspectives brought out by the Mover and the seconder, I request that we agree to move this important matter, considering what the Assembly went through a shor…

Is the mover in the House? The Bill is stepped down for consideration in the future. Next Order.

Is anybody keen to speak to this particular Motion? It is a continuing debate on the Public Petition on Funds Spent Contrary to Provisions 223 of the Constitution. Do you want to make some contributions? Please proceed.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I remember the last time this Motion was before the House, it was moved and seconded. We adjourned it because this is a very important Report from the Public Petitions Committee. This Committee looked at some of the expenditure items under Article 223 of the Constitution which captures the Supplementary Budgets of this country. What needs to be done in case items…

Kenya where the Government paid about Ksh6 billion for privatisation of this important Government entity. The other was food subsidies, as you can remember the maize flour. Looking at the two items because this matter also came to the Budget and Appropriations Committee, we were not convinced that Parliament had no reason to regularise them as required by law. Most of these expenditures were done…

Give Dr. Makali Mulu two minutes.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I was saying that, time has come for these recommendations to be implemented. It is not a new recommendation. Hon. Mutunga pushed for the same recommendation, and the Budget and Appropriations Committee did the same. Now, the Public Petitions Committee is pushing for the same recommendation. Can we move to the next step where we direct the investigating agencies to take up …

Hon. Mutunga.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I rise on a Standing Order 96. The kinds of issues that Hon. Makali Mulu is bringing up are so salient and important that I would wish we would had quorum in the House. I would like to propose that we adjourn debate on this matter to a later date when probably we have more people in the House. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

I note Hon. Pkosing has come in to contribute to this debate, Hon. Sabina Chege, and the Deputy Majority Whip of the Party, (Dr) Naomi Waqo. But really, I will grant that this debate be adjourned to a future date so that we continue with it when the House is much fuller. Next Order.

[(Debate adjourned)]

Chairperson, Committee on Implementation. Engaged out of the house on other State duties, the Motion will be stepped down for consideration by Parliament at a later date. Next Order.

Chairperson, Departmental Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives. Again, out of the country. Not out of the country, but out of the House on other Government engagements.

I have stepped down this Motion to a later date, when it will be scheduled for consideration by the House Business Committee. (Motion deferred) Next Order.

Chairperson, Committee on National Cohesion and Equal Opportunity. This particular Chairperson had requested that the Motion be stepped down. Hon. Members, remember this is the day that the new cabinet was sworn in. Most of these Members are out on other State engagements. This particular Motion is also stepped down to a later date. Next Order.

Again, Hon. Members, the Chairperson, Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning is clearly not in the House. Consideration of this particular Motion is deferred to a later date.

(Bill deferred) Let us be upstanding, Hon. Members