Senate · Afternoon Sitting
Tuesday, 18 November 2025
Senator Cherarkey highlighted the failure of Nandi County to translate sugar and tea cess into road improvements and raised concerns about Kenyan women and children stranded abroad due to lack of travel documents. Other senators, notably Sen. Maanzo and Sen. Nyamu, criticised the role of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection in facilitating dubious overseas employment and condemned the practice of detaining mothers and newborns in hospitals for unpaid health insurance. The debate reflected both criticism of systemic failures and calls for clearer policy and procedural reforms. Senators highlighted the plight of Kenyan workers in Saudi Arabia, citing passport confiscation, lack of documentation, and inadequate support from the government, and called for regulated recruiting agents and pre‑departure training. They also raised broader concerns about the government’s failure to protect Kenyans abroad, including abductions in Tanzania, and criticized unpaid medical bills and poor healthcare delivery at home. The debate combined sharp criticism with calls for concrete policy reforms. Sen. Osotsi highlighted severe deficiencies in county hospitals—including equipment shortages, poor maintenance, overcrowding and non‑compliance with Ministry of Health standards—and warned that upgrading them to national referral hospitals without first strengthening lower‑level facilities would be counter‑productive. He opposed the motion to convert county hospitals to Level 6, urging more funding and full devolution of health functions to counties rather than shifting responsibility back to the national government.
Clerk, do we have quorum? Serjeant-at-Arms, kindly ring the Quorum Bell for 10 minutes. Hon. Senators, we have quorum. Kindly take your seats. Senator for Nairobi City County and Sen. Omtatah, kindly, take your seats. Clerk, kindly, proceed to call the first Order.
[(The Clerk-at-the-Table consulted with the Speaker)]
[(The Quorum Bell was rung)]
Mr. Speaker, Sir, on behalf of the Senate Majority Leader, I beg to lay the following Papers on the Table of the Senate, today, Tuesday 18th November, 2025- Report of the Auditor-General on financial statements of Tharaka-Nithi County Executive Staff Mortgage and Car Loan Scheme Fund for the year ended 30th June, 2025.
Report of the Auditor-General on financial statements of Tharaka-Nithi County Emergency Fund for the year ended 30th June, 2025. Report of the Auditor-General on financial statements of Tharaka-Nithi Youth Empowerment Fund for the year ended 30th June, 2025. Report of the Auditor-General on financial statements of Tharaka-Nithi County Climate Change Fund for the year ended 30th June, 2025. Repo…
Statements pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) . Proceed, Senator for Tharaka Nithi County, Hon. Mwenda Gataya.
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 on national concern regarding the unlawful---
[(Sen. Beth Syengo consulted loudly)]
Sen. Beth Syengo, consult in low tone. Proceed, Hon. Gataya Mo’ Fire.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. It is important for me to be heard in silence. 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 unlawful detention of new mothers in public hospitals across Kenya due to unaffordable medical bills. In 2016, the Ministry of Health launched the Linda Mama Programme under…
Senator from Busia County, Hon. Andrew Omtatah.
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 national concern regarding the failure by the University of Nairobi, the Commission for University Education, (CUE) and the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) to secure accreditation for the Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering programme introduced in 2015…
Mr. Speaker, Sir, in 2015, the University of Nairobi (UoN) launched the Petroleum Engineering Programme with a Kshs100 million Government allocation to address skill gaps in the oil and gas sector. Despite assurances of accreditation by the Engineers Board of Kenya, the programme was only formally recognised in 2018. Graduates, now totalling 40, remain unregistered by the EBK. A single student ex…
The Department of Weights and Measures mandated to ensure accuracy and fairness in trade faces challenges of inadequate funding, limited personnel and weak enforcement. This has undermined market integrity and objectives of the bottom up economic transformation agenda, Vision, 2030 and African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework in this regard. In the Statement, the Committee should ad…
Mr. Speaker, Sir, thank you very much for the opportunity to request for the Statement. I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a Statement from the Standing Committee on National Security, Defense and Foreign Relations on a matter of nationwide concern regarding the growing humanitarian crisis affecting Kenyan citizens, particularly mothers and children who are currently stranded, un…
safeguards and minimal institutional advocacy, raising urgent questions about the adequacy of Kenya's diplomatic and labour protection frameworks abroad. In the Statement, the Committee should address the following-
I will allow comments for not more than 15 minutes. However, before I do so, allow me to make the following Communication.
[(Interruption of Statements)]
Madam Temporary Speaker, I beg to move- THAT, the National Assembly amendments to the Meteorology Bill (Senate Bills No.45 of 2023) be now considered. Madam Temporary Speaker, the Senate passed the Meteorology Bill (Senate Bills No.45 of 2023) and it was transmitted to the National Assembly where they passed it with some amendments. The Committee on Lands, Environment and Natural Resources has c…
Sen. Nyamu, please proceed.
Madam Temporary Speaker, I second.
Hon. Senators, I will now propose the question. I do not see anybody interested in debating this Motion. I will defer the putting of the question because of quorum. I will further reorganise the Order Paper. I request the Clerk to call the next Order, which is Order No.15.
[(Question proposed)]
[(Putting of the question on the Motion deferred)]
Works, Roads, Energy and Transport in Pap/Oriang’ in Siaya County, laid on the Table of the Senate on Wednesday, 12th November, 2025.
The Mover is not around. Therefore, the Motion is deferred. Hon. Senators, we will also defer Order Nos.17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 because the Movers are not around.
(Bill deferred)
Hon. Senators, we will also defer Order Nos.8, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14.
NOW THEREFORE, the Senate resolves that the National Government, through the Ministry of Interior and National Administration:
Hon. Senators, that brings us to the end. There being no other business on the Order Paper, the Senate stands adjourned until tomorrow, Wednesday, 19th November, 2025 at 9.30 a.m. The Senate rose at 6.18 p.m.