National Assembly · Afternoon Sitting
Tuesday, 21 November 2023
Members broadly welcomed the Supplementary Appropriations Bill, praising allocations to education, health, security and specific sectors such as tea, coffee and dairy. However, several MPs urged the Budget Committee to address the rising deficit, reduce the extra allocation to the Presidency, and increase funding for agriculture to curb Kenya’s net food imports. The debate combined supportive remarks with calls for fiscal prudence and sector‑specific enhancements. Members raised concerns over a massive budget amendment, urging that such large sums be scrutinised by the Budget and Appropriations Committee before passage. The debate also praised the committee’s clean‑up efforts while calling for timely release of NG‑CDF funds for schools and better allocation to sports, culture, heritage and coastal agriculture. Overall, the discussion blended commendation with criticism of oversight gaps and allocation shortfalls. Members praised the Budget and Appropriations Committee and the Supplementary Appropriation Bill, highlighting agriculture funding and thanking officials for their work. The debate became contentious when an opposition member claimed the Ksh24 billion oil stabilisation allocation was a hidden subsidy, accusing the government of misrepresentation. Despite the dispute, the House moved forward with the third reading of the bill.
Ring the Bell. Hon. Members, we now have quorum to transact business. Leader of the Majority Party, what happened to our covenant on quorum? I do not see any of the Chief Whips from either side. You assured the House as an Office that at the beginning of every sitting, all chairpersons of committees must be in the House because their numbers alone constitute quorum. We have more than enough Membe…
[(The Quorum Bell was rung)]
[(Loud consultations)]
Hon. Speaker, it is very unfortunate that this is happening. As you said, we have the numbers, especially chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of committees. I want to be very categorical that they lack a sense of responsibility.
It is not that you do not have choices because you do.
Yes, we have choices. Hon. Speaker, I assure you that as we approach the next session of Parliament, we will crack the whip on our chairpersons and vice-chairpersons. We will ensure that we do not have this problem after we come back from recess. It also embarrasses us as leadership.
[(Hon. Joseph Makilap stood in the gangways)]
Hon. Makilap, the Speaker does not need any help with this. Take your seat.
[(Laughter)]
Hon. Moses Kirima, you may present your Petition.
Hon. Speaker, I rise to present a Public Petition on behalf of Mr Gerald Muli Kiilu. I, the undersigned, on behalf of Gerald Muli Kiilu residing in Central Imenti Constituency, draw the attention of the House to the following: THAT, through a letter dated 31st January 2005, Mr Gerald Muli Kiilu was wrongly terminated by Absa Bank ; THAT, Absa Bank claimed that in the course of duty, Mr Gerald Mu…
[(formerly, the Barclays Bank of Kenya Ltd)]
Thank you, Hon. Kirima. Hon. Dawood.
Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I support the Petition by Hon. Kirima regarding Mr Gerald. The amount of money involved is so petty that somebody can make a mistake in the daily accounts received in a bank. M/s Absa Bank should have been more considerate to Mr Gerald. It should unequivocally reinstate him with his benefits. A Ksh360 difference in the takings should not be a reason for dismissal. I suppo…
Hon. Atandi, do you want to speak to this?
Thank you, Hon. Speaker. First, I would like to thank Mr Gerald for being courageous enough to bring this matter to the House. Many Kenyans working in the private sector, especially in banks, suffer a lot under humiliating conditions yet they are unable to raise these matters because they fear that they will never get jobs elsewhere if the matters come to light. Once you have been fired from one b…
a Kenyan, yet we do not take these matters seriously. The Committee should go deeper into this matter and investigate other cases of this nature. Thank you, Hon. Speaker.
Next Order. Sorry, I have not committed the Petition. The Petition is committed to the Public Petitions Committee to report back in 60 days as is required under the Standing Orders. Is the Chairperson here? Hon. Owen Baya, I am not asking you to say anything, but you can see that chairpersons are not present. The Order Paper is normally circulated before a sitting, therefore, chairpersons know th…
[(Hon. Owen Baya spoke off the record)]
Leader of the Majority Party.
Hon. Speaker, I beg to lay the following Papers on the Table:
Thank you, Deputy Leader of the Majority Party. Hon. Members, before we call the next Order, allow me to introduce to you a delegation of six staff from the Department of Official Reports from the Parliament of Uganda seated in the Speaker’s Gallery. They are on a visit to the National Assembly to learn about the production of timely and accurate verbatim reports of the proceedings in the Director…
[(Applause)]
[(Applause)]
Member for Mandera South, Hon. Abdul Haro?
Hon. Speaker, I beg to give notice of the following Motion: Hon. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 33 (1) , I seek leave for the adjournment of the House for purposes of discussing a definite matter of urgent national importance regarding the current severe El Nino crisis and its devastating effects particularly in Mandera County. Hon. Speaker, the adverse effects of the El Nino crisis are sig…
Thank you, Hon. Speaker.
Do you have the requisite support? The support is overwhelming. Hon. Members, you may now take your seats. Member for Mandera Central?
[(Several Members stood up in their places)]
[(Loud consultations)]
Yes. Next Order.
Chairperson of the Budget and Appropriations Committee.
Hon. Speaker, I beg to move the following Procedural Motion: THAT, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 120, this House resolves to reduce the publication period of the Supplementary Appropriation (No. 3) Bill (National Assembly Bill No.71 of 2023) from seven days to four days. As Members are aware, there is nothing much happening with regard to Government. And that is affecting this Hous…
Hon. Njeri, you do not need any eloquence here. Just second.
[(Laughter)]
Hon. Speaker, I rise to second. I want to thank my very good friend and role model to many of the young politicians, Hon. Ndindi Nyoro, Member for Kiharu. Indeed, we need the country to operate and I am seeking that once this is done, the National Treasury releases the funds with immediate effect so that we can get back to work. Thank you, Hon. Speaker.
Thank you, Hon. Njeri.
Put the Question.
Is that the mood of the House?
Yes.
[(Question put and agreed to)]
[(Hon. Mark Mwenje spoke off the record)]
Order, Hon. Mwenje. Before we declared you the Whip of the Minority Party, you were fighting to sit on the Front-bench.
[(Laughter)]
Next Order. Second Reading
On a point of order, Hon. Chairlady. The Chairlady: Hon. Kangogo, what is your point of order even before we begin?
Thank you, Hon. Chairlady. When the substantive Speaker and other Members of this House were upstanding, the two Hon. Members — Hon. Naisula Lesuuda and Hon. Sarah Korere — were just seated. Were the two Hon. Members in order to be seated while the all of us together with the substantive Speaker were on our feet?
Thank you, Hon. Chairlady, we actually stood and I think it is about time Hon. Kangongo checked the prescription of his glasses. Honestly, we stood. He needs to go and get his glasses checked.
[(Laughter)]
Hon. Kemei.
Hon. Chairlady, I must confess that Hon. Kangongo was just appreciating the way the Hon. Member who has just stood is looking very beautiful and smart. He just wanted to have that attention. Thank you.
[(Laughter)]
I see that was said in jest. Let us proceed.
We are now in the Committee of the Whole House to consider The Supplementary Appropriation (No. 3) Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 71 of 2023). I now call the House to Order. (Clause 3, 4, 5 and 6 agreed to) First Schedule
Mover to move the amendment.
Thank you very much, Hon. Chairlady. I beg to move: THAT, the First Schedule to the Bill be amended by inserting the following new votes and their corresponding details after vote R2031. I will just read the votes and Members can interact with the content in the circulated amendment sheets.
Take your seats, Hon. Members. Hon. Chairlady.
Hon. Temporary Speaker, I beg to report that the Committee of the whole House has considered the Supplementary Appropriation (No. 3) (National Assembly Bill No. 71 of 2023) , and approved the same with amendments.
Mover.
Hon. Temporary Speaker, I beg to move that the House do agree with the Committee in the said report. I request the Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock, Hon. (Dr.) Mutunga Kanyuithia, to second the Motion for agreement with the report of the Committee of the whole House.
Hon. Temporary Speaker, I rise to second the Motion. We have realised that Kenya is finally moving in the right direction. We are focusing on agriculture which is our main stay and where the greater population is anchored. The more we allocate money in agriculture, the more we support the common man and greater percentage of Kenyans in this country. Hon. Temporary Speaker, I second.
[(Question proposed)]
[(Question put and agreed to)]
Mover to move Third Reading.
Hon. Temporary Speaker, I beg to move that the Supplementary Appropriation (No. 3) Bill, (National Assembly Bill No. 71 of 2023) , be now read a Third Time. Before I request to be seconded, I thank all Members who have taken part in the debate in this Bill. I also thank the Budget and Appropriations Committee and our technical team led by the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) , most of who are se…
[(Applause)]
Before Hon. Eric seconds, Hon. Chairman must be careful when he uses the article ‘the’. You can only use that on one university. Hon. Eric.
[(Laughter)]
Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I wish to thank and commend the work that has been done by the Budget and Appropriations Committee led by the Chairman and alumnae of Kenyatta University, Hon. Ndindi Nyoro. I wish to attest to the fact that the Committee gave us very good time as the Chairpersons of committees, when we went to discuss the Budget. I thank them for a job well done. This Supplement…
Put the question.
I will allow a few people to contribute. Hon. Melly, proceed.
Hon. Temporary Speaker, I rise to support this Report by the Budget and Appropriations Committee. More specifically, the Committee has respected the decisions of various departments. Previously, I remember the Budget and Appropriations Committee arrogated itself the position of knowing every department and allocating resources. It did so in a very bad manner. In the last Parliament, I remember we …
a Supplementary Budget for the Departmental Committee on Education. As Members of the Committee, we allocated resources knowing very well what the sub-sectors wanted. All that was disregarded when it reached the Budget and Appropriations Committee of the last Parliament. That Committee decided to turn itself into a Budget Sub-committee of every Departmental Committee in the House! It is good that …
[(Applause)]
Hon. Members, it is good to note that we have exhausted the debate. Take a maximum of two minutes. Just make short comments. Hon. Junet, go ahead.
This is the Third Reading and I want also to commend the Chairman of the Budget and Appropriations Committee. Having said that, it is good to put the record straight now that we have passed the Appropriation Bill. We have just appropriated Ksh24 billion in the name of stabilising oil. The Stabilisation Fund is supposed to come from the Petroleum Development Levy. It is not supposed to come from t…
What is out of order, Hon. Melly? Order, Hon. Junet.
Hon. Temporary Speaker, I think it is not in order for Hon. Junet to misinform the House about a subsidy for which there is no line. The Chair of the Budget and Appropriations Committee is here. Why is he insinuating that there is a subsidy when it is not there? Can you read the statement where the subsidy is included, instead of misinforming the House?
Hon. Temporary Speaker, the line reads “stabilisation”. As I said, very well, the Stabilisation Fund is supposed to come from the Petroleum Development Fund. It is not supposed to come from the money we are appropriating here. We have appropriated Ksh24 billion in the wrong line. We have subsidised fuel with Ksh24 billion. It is good. Do not be shy. Do not run away from it. It is going to help the…
[(Laughter)]
Hon. Bashir.
Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I first want to commend the Chair and Members of the Budget and Appropriations Committee. I am fully aware that the Chair and his team respect the views and concerns of Departmental Committees. This Budget is supposed to help Kenyans. I know this is the Supplementary Estimates I. The Supplementary Estimates I will be coming shortly. Most important, goi…
Order, Members. Hon. Members, remember we have an Adjournment Motion. Also, remember we have discussed these issues in Second Reading. This is the Third Reading. Hon. Naisula.
Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I also rise to thank the Chair of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, the very youthful and dedicated young man, Hon. Ndindi Nyoro, for how he has led the Committee when we were looking at the Supplementary Budget. I also sit in that Committee. Once we pass the Supplementary Budget this afternoon, it is important that the National Treasury releases funds on…
Order, Hon. Members. I have confirmed that the House is properly constituted for making this decision. The next Order is by the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Sports and Culture. Give the microphone to Hon. Wanyama.
[(Question put and agreed to)]
[(The Bill was accordingly read a Third Time and passed)]
Hon. Members, the time being 7.00