National Assembly · Afternoon Sitting

Members on your feet, take the nearest seats. Hon. Members, I have three short Messages to deliver to the House.

and other testimonials of the nominees to the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security for consideration. It is important to note that, whereas Section 8 of the Public Appointments (Parliamentary Approval) Act, Cap 7F requires the Committee to which such nomination is referred to consider the matter and table a report in the House within 28 days, Section 6 (6) of the Nationa…

[(Laughter)]

to undertake the exercise within 21 days. In this regard, the Committee is expected to undertake the approval hearings and submit its report within the timelines provided for in the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights Act, Cap. 7I. However, Hon. Members, conscious of the fact that the House will be proceeding on a long recess on 15th August 2025, I urge the Committee to immediately commence…

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. On behalf of the Leader of the Majority Party, I beg to lay the following Papers on the Table:

Thank you. Chairperson of Special Funds Accounts Committee, Mama Migori.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I beg to lay the following Paper on the Table:

Thank you. Chairperson of Public Investments Committee on Social Services, Administration and Agriculture, Hon. Wangwe.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I beg to lay the following papers on the Table:

Thank you. Hon. Members, before we go to Order No.6, allow me to acknowledge, in the Speaker’s Gallery, students of Safa School from Garissa Township, Garissa County and Mau Secondary School from Kuresoi North, Nakuru County. In the Public Gallery, we have students of Gacharage Junior Secondary School from Kinangop Constituency, Nyandarua County, Craterview Ngata Academy from Rongai Constituency,…

Hon. Speaker, I beg to give notice of the following Motion: THAT, this House adopts the Report of the Special Funds Accounts

Thank you, Hon. Fatuma. The next notice of motion is from the Chairperson of the Public Investments Committee on Social Services, Administration and Agriculture, Hon. Wangwe.

Hon. Speaker, I beg to give notice of the following Motion: THAT, this House adopts the Fifth Report of the Public Investments Committee on Social Services, Administration and Agriculture on its examination of financial statements of the following State corporations, laid on the Table of the House on 5th August 2025:

Thank you, Hon. Wangwe. Hon. Members, Hon. Keynan has requested for an opportunity to welcome the students from the schools that I acknowledged. I will give you one minute to welcome the school from your constituency.

They have not come in yet. I am told they are in the next lot, but there is no harm in welcoming these ones.

Go ahead. You have one minute.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. The next group will consist of Eldas Girls Secondary School. I have seen students from Fafi Girls Secondary School, a school in Garissa County, and many other students. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome them to Parliament, where critical decisions concerning our country are made. See your legislators. This is their work station. I am sure this is where you w…

Thank you. Members, before we go to Order No.7, let us dispose of Order Nos.8, 9, 10 and 11. Clerk-at-the-Table.

Hon. Members, Hon. Ochieng’ has requested for an opportunity to give tribute to the late Hon. James Mukhongo, who was a Member of Bungoma County Assembly, and two retired parliamentary officers. Please, proceed.

Hon. Speaker, I rise on a sad note under Standing Order 259 (D) (2) to pay tribute to Hon. James Mukhongo Barasa Mukhongo, a Member of the Bungoma County Assembly for Chwele/Kabuchai Ward, who passed on yesterday. Hon. Speaker, you would know him better as this is your County Assembly. This House deeply condoles with you. Hon. Barasa began his political career in 2002 when he was nominated as a c…

Hon. Members, you recall Lucy Wanjohi. She served this House diligently for a very long time and retired two years ago. Unfortunately, she passed on yesterday but one. This is terrible loss to her family. For those of you who came to condole with me when I lost my mother alongside my brother, the MP for Westlands, you met our area Member of County Assembly who has been part of our family and who …

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. Let me join the family of Hon. Mukhongo to say pole upon the loss of a veteran MCA and politician in Bungoma, a member of FORD-Kenya Party and a respected leader. When I spoke to many of the leaders from Bungoma, I realised that they know him very well and have a lot of respect for him. May God rest his soul in a good place. Hon. Speaker, on the two retired members of sta…

members of staff as they proceed for retirement. If possible, in the future, this should even be extended to Members of Parliament when they leave Parliament so that people can understand how to go out there and deal with life after retirement. Thank you Hon. Speaker.

Hon. Wangwe

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. On behalf of the great people of Navakhololo and on my own behalf, allow me to convey my heartfelt condolences to you and the entire Kabuchai community. Hon. Speaker, I personally knew Hon. Mukhongo on one-on-one basis. Whenever we were in Bungoma Town, and whenever we visited your homestead, we would always interact with him. Together with the long-serving former MCA, Ho…

Hon. (Dr.) Robert Pukose.

Hon. Speaker, allow me to join my colleagues in saying pole to you and the people of Kabuchai for the loss of Hon. MCA James Mukhongo. You know, Trans-Nzoia and Bungoma counties are neighbours. Whenever you get problems on the Bungoma side, or we get problems in Trans-Nzoia, we feel for each other. Therefore, we know that this is a very difficult moment for the FORD-Kenya fraternity, which is clo…

Hon. Tim Wanyonyi.

Hon. Speaker, thank you. I wish to condole with the family of my good friend, my bakoki (age set) James Barasa Mukhongo, a person we grew up together. He served the people of his ward diligently from when you nominated him and when he was elected four times. He had been a very instrumental person in the FORD- Kenya Party. He had also been a very senior Member of the Bungoma County Assembly. We pra…

Hon. Owen Baya.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I want to join you and your family and the people of Bungoma in condoling with the family of James Mukhongo. I want to say one thing about this. Chinua Achebe says that if you wash your hands well, you can eat with the kings. Regarding that particular MCA, I have heard you speak in flowery language. He must have been somebody who served well. He washed his hands well and t…

vote for him since that time. There are many of us here who would not even wake up to go and vote for the MCA that represents the ward that we come from, because of lack of loyalty. Or even you as the Hon. Speaker, you have a Member who is a Member of your National Assembly from your constituency and probably you would not go to vote for him because of lack of loyalty. Politics has two things – in…

Thank you. Hon. Makali Mulu.

Thank you very much, Hon. Speaker. I also want to join my colleagues in conveying my sincere condolences, on behalf of myself and on behalf of the good people of Kitui Central to the three families. First, the family of the late MCA for Kabuchai, secondly the family of Ms Lucy Wanjohi and thirdly, the family of Mr. Nzioki. The two were staffers of Parliament. Hon. Speaker, it is unfortunate that …

Hon. Maungu.

Thank you very much, Hon. Speaker, for giving me this opportunity. Allow me to join my colleagues and the great people of Kabuchai in sending my condolences, on behalf of the great people of Luanda, following the sudden loss of Mhe. James Mokhongo of Kabuchai. I interacted with the late Mokhongo once or twice when I visited Bungoma and I found him to be a man who was very warm, very welcoming and …

Thank you, Hon. Maungu. Hon. Ferdinand Wanyonyi.

Hon. Speaker, may I take this opportunity to pass my personal condolences to the family and the people of Kabuchai for the passing on of the Kabuchai MCA, my brother James Barasa Mukhongo. I knew him very well. During elections in his ward, he would interact with the people and he was a very straightforward person. We are going to miss him in the party. As the Deputy Party Leader of FORD-Kenya, an…

I think we can stop there. Thank you very much, Hon. David Ochieng’ for bringing to the Floor the matter of Lucy, James and the other officer, Mr Nzioki. As I said, James Barasa Mukhongo was more than my MCA. He was like a son and a kid brother. He was always part of our life. May their souls rest in eternal peace.

Hon. Members, let us start with the Chairperson of the Select Committee on NG-CDF, Hon. Musa Sirma.

Hon. Speaker, last week, a Member rose in the House and asked for a statement on the issue of electronic Government Procurement System (e-GPS) . The Government of Kenya, through the National Treasury, has embarked on a full-scale implementation of the e-GPS, in alignment with the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, 2015 and the attendant Regulations of 2020. The directive aims to enhance t…

Hon. Musa Sirma, you know the rules.

I wanted to give a better explanation. That is the Statement. Thank you.

You do not issue a statement and start debating it. You end where the reading ends. Thank you very much. Hold on, Hon. Donya. I want to acknowledge, in the Public Gallery, students of Kenyenye Junior Secondary School from Bomachoge Borabu Constituency, Kisii County; Disciples of Mercy Junior Secondary School from Kisumu East Constituency, Kisumu County; and Kapserere Highland Academy from Keiyo S…

[(Hon. Dorice Donya spoke off the record)]

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. It is a great honour for us to welcome the students of Disciples of Mercy Junior Secondary School from Kisumu East Constituency. The children are 71. As their Member of Parliament, I am very pleased that they have been able to make it here to see for themselves what Parliament does. Thank you.

Hon. Barongo.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to welcome the students of Kenyenye Junior Secondary School, one of the best schools in my constituency. I congratulate you on continuing to post excellent results in your academics. I ask you to continue to dream big and to use this experience and this visit to continue to work hard and to ready yourselves for the leadership that awaits you …

Hon. Mandazi.

Thank you very much, Hon. Speaker. I appreciate the opportunity you have given me to welcome the students who have come to visit Parliament. Specifically, allow me to welcome students from Kamaget Mixed Day Secondary School from Chepalungu Constituency, Bomet County. They are seated in the Speaker’s

Gallery. This is a day school that has a large population of students. It is known for discipline and great performance. I join my colleagues in welcoming all the students present and wish them well too. I also extend my best wishes to all the Form IVs who will be sitting for examinations later this year.

Thank you. On my behalf and that of the House, I welcome all the students, their teachers, and those who are accompanying them to the House of Parliament. Hon. Omboko Milemba.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I rise on a point of order. Now that students and teachers are in Parliament, allow me to mention that we have the national drama festivals taking place in Meru. Ordinarily, schools that qualify for drama at that level are sponsored by regional education offices of the Ministry of Education. However, as it is Hon. Members, all schools in our constituencies do not have fac…

Hon. Oundo, is it on the same?

Hon. Speaker, many of us who are here today have received many calls and representations to assist schools to attend the function and activities in Meru. I have a school in my constituency, Moody Awori Primary School, that is taking about 70 learners to participate in the function and activities in Meru. They have no money at all! Today morning, while they were travelling to Meru, they got strande…

Hon. Chiforomodo Mangale.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. This issue has come at a time when our children are going to showcase their talents. However, it is very unfortunate. I thought this issue was only affecting my constituency. I have contributed

money for Mwamose Primary School and Menzamonye Primary School. They were unable to ferry the children to Meru. Parents, too, are contributing some money for the activities, while the Ministry is also supposed to send the schools some money for the festival. It is absurd to stand before this House as Members of Parliament to lament that our children could not be ferried to Meru for the music festi…

Hon. Donya.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. Things inform other things. It is a high time we debated the challenges that our schools are facing. As we discuss their facilitation to the music festival, other key issues which affect our learners are not spoken about. For example, we take our children to school when they are okay and glittering but, when they come back, their uniforms barely fit them. I do not know whe…

Hon. Owen Baya.

Hon. Speaker, I thank Hon. Omboko Milemba for being an educationist and for having raised this very important matter. On the issues that has been raised by my friend Hon. (Dr) Oundo, the Government sends capitation to schools that includes activity money, examination, and all manner of funds that schools require. However, between the school and the Ministry, all money gets wasted and is taken awa…

Hon. Members, you are the authority. If Members of Parliament are crying, what will members of the public do? You have the power to summon the Cabinet Secretary here or to your committees, prosecute this agenda in his presence, and hold him to account. That is what the Constitution and Standing Orders give you. How many students are in Meru? Yes, Hon. Milemba.

In Meru there is a full house of all students…

That does not answer the question. How many students are there?

Hon. Umulkher Harun.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. Pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 44 (2) (C) , I wish to request for a statement from the Chairperson, Departmental Committee on Communication, Information and Innovation regarding the allocation and implementation of the Universal Service Fund (USF) . The Universal Service Fund was established under Section 84 (J) of the Kenya Information and Communication Act…

Thank you, Hon. Harun. Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Communication, Information and Innovation? Any Member of that Committee present? Leader of the Majority Party, inform the Committee Chairperson to bring a response in two weeks, but since we are going on recess next week, make it on the first week upon resumption. Hon. Samuel Arama.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. The response is ready. I will table it as directed. Hon. Temporary Speaker, because I am on my feet, allow me to welcome the students who are seated in the Speaker’s Gallery. They are students from a school called Woodard Secondary School in Murindati Ward, Gilgil Constituency. You can see that they are quite a number - more than 100. This is one of the largest …

[(Hon. Martha Wangari tabled the document)]

Thank you, Hon. Martha Wangari. I hope the students work hard as you do. All those students are welcome to the National Assembly, over which Hon. Martha Wangari presides, to observe the proceedings. We wish you well in your studies. The next request for statement is by Hon. Peter Masara to the Departmental Committee on Education. Do we have the response? Do we have any Member representing the Cha…

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I would like to respond to the request for statement regarding capitation to schools, textbook ratio and early childhood education programme, that was sought by Hon. Peter Masara. On plans to increase capitation for both primary and secondary schools, the approved capitation rate to be provided by the Government under the Free Primary Education (FPE) programme i…

It is to be noted that over the last five years, funds provided to the Ministry of Education have fallen short of the current approved rate, leading to underfunding of schools. The Ministry is compelled to divide the available amount with the number of learners. This results in capitation amounts that are lower than the approved rate. To illustrate, the table below shows the trends for secondary s…

Grade 10 text books were reviewed and evaluated in April and May of this year. This will ensure that publishers have ample time to print and distribute books to public schools by the start of the third term, 2025. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Hon. Peter Masara, are you satisfied?

Hon Temporary Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity. First, I want to bring to the attention of this House that something needs to be done with regard to Statements and Questions. This particular Statement was brought to this House in early February this year, but we are getting the response now. If you look at the first Question I asked on capitation, the Presidential Working Party o…

to do it the way they want, we will be leading this country to a real disaster in future. A time will come when the students who are in ECD now, and are not being capacitated well, will become doctors, engineers, teachers and Members of Parliament. It means that at such a time, this country will be in a real problem. I am, therefore, requesting this House to re-direct the Departmental Committee o…

Hon. Peter Masara, you have raised critical matters concerning the education sector. Let me just indicate that the substantive Speaker has already directed that the Cabinet Secretary for Education will be in the House tomorrow to address that matter of capitation and the other one. Therefore, because we will be having the Cabinet Secretary for Education here tomorrow, in as much as it is on that m…

Hon Temporary Speaker, as I had alluded earlier, I am not satisfied. Maybe tomorrow he will come up with a better answer that can satisfy Kenyans because education is the key to everything in a country. Without proper education, you cannot have good managers, speakers or Members of Parliament. Therefore, this is a crucial issue which needs to be addressed. Maybe the Ministry can show us the way fo…

I cannot agree more, Hon. Peter Masara. Hon. Kangogo Bowen, what do you want to add to his sentiments?

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I am well guided by your direction. Indeed, I was making the suggestion that because the Cabinet Secretary is coming tomorrow, we could include the two Questions that the Hon. Member for Emuhaya and Hon. Masara have raised so that the Cabinet Secretary can answer them. There is a serious discrepancy between the data in the Ministry of Education in terms of the number of stu…

I thank you. Hon. Members, let us leave it at that. Hon. Wangwe, do you want to say something? I want you to say what you want to say after I recognise a number of institutions in the House. In the Speaker’s Gallery, we have Naramat Junior School from Kajiado North Constituency, Kajiado County. In the Public Gallery, we have Kamviu Secondary School from Manyatta Constituency, the great Embu Coun…

Hon. Wangwe.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Allow me to weigh in on this issue of the Cabinet Secretary coming tomorrow. I have an issue on National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) , which is a challenge. Sirigoi Secondary School in my constituency has 480 students. When it came to entry into NEMIS Portal for them to get capitation, they registered 18 students. They were issued with textboo…

On a point of information, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Hon. Clive Gisairo.

Maybe, I will be the Cabinet Secretary in future, but I am your colleague now. I rise on a point of information, so that when Hon. Members ask questions tomorrow, they will not sound like they are not in touch. As Hon. Kangogo has said, this House allocated Ksh100 million to the Ministry of Education to move from NEMIS to the system they are now using since 1st July 2025, which is Kenya Education…

Thank you, acting Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Education, Hon. Clive Gisairo. Let the issue of capitation together with the matter concerning the travel of our students and pupils to Meru National School be addressed by the Cabinet Secretary in charge of Education tomorrow. Do we have the response to the Question that was asked by Hon. Stephen Mogaka? The Chairman of the Committee o…

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. This is a response to a request for statement regarding the state of preparedness for cyclical wet season in the Lake Victoria rain belt as requested by Hon. Stephen Mogaka, Member for West Mugirango. The first question sought was on the measures the Government has put in place to ensure timely and effective information on hazardous weather, and whether it has b…

and partners, have implemented several proactive measures to ensure timely and effective dissemination of weather-related warnings. They include the following: In the Lake Basin, the initiatives are done through the Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA), in collaboration with the Kenyan Meteorological Department and other agencies. Those have been critical in safeguarding lives and livelihoods …

Okay. Hon. Stephen Mogaka, let me recognise the institutions that are seated in the Public Gallery before you confirm whether you need any further clarification. We have Balek ‘B’ Secondary School from Bomet Central Constituency, Bomet County and St Mary's Primary and Junior School from Matayos Constituency in Busia County. On my behalf and that of the National Assembly, students from those insti…

[(Applause)]

Thank you for giving me this opportunity to confirm that my fears on our lack of preparedness have actually been confirmed. That is after reading and listening to the Committee’s response to my concerns. Firstly, I raised this concern quite ahead of the disaster that has already crystallised. That was before the rains came. Therefore, the response is coming too late in the day. It is so full of b…

vulnerability that happens every year and people registering losses is a thing that should not be heard 65 years into Independence. Hon. Temporary Speaker, I wish that you would order this Committee to go back and relook at what they are doing to sensitise Kenyans on disasters arising from climate change. In particular, they should re-look at the Lake region, where we cyclically suffer from thund…

Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Regional Development, I direct that Hon. Mogaka appears before the Committee

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. First, I agree with the Member for West Mugirango that quite some time has passed since this request for statement was sought. A lot has happened since then. I say pole to the families of his constituents who lost their lives due to those disasters. We feel for the Member and the families of those who lost their lives. Perhaps, the Government did not adequately p…

How much time do you need?

Now that we are going for recess next week, we can do it in the first week after we come back.

Hon. Mogaka, would that be satisfactory so that the matter is interrogated in totality?

That is fine. However, my friend, Hon. Ferdinand, suffers from the same problems. Kindly ‘catch his eye’.

Hon. Ferdinand Wanyonyi, I request that you all appear before the Committee, so that we deal with the remaining requests for statements and proceed to the main business. Give Hon. Ferdinand Wanyonyi the microphone for a minute.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I agree with the Member. We should not wait for a disaster to happen. I am from the Lake region, and this is a critical issue. I want my colleague to take it upon himself to get the Ministry concerned to address this issue. It is a matter of acquiring the right equipment to protect our people from such disasters. Apart from what my colleague has said, I also lost two famil…

I support the request for a statement.

Thank you, Hon. Ferdinand Wanyonyi. The Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Regional Development… Order, Hon. Liza Chelule. I am addressing the Chairman. I direct the Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Regional Development to convene a meeting within a month to conclusively address this matter. Parliament is going on recess, but it never closes. Kindly confirm that, so that all the Me…

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. We will do as directed.

Hon. Mishi Mboko had requested for a statement from the Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Transport and Infrastructure. Please address the status of the upgrade of the Likoni Ferry Crossing. Is Hon. Mishi Mboko in the House? She also serves as a Commissioner. Whoever is representing the Chairman of the relevant Departmental Committee should proceed and respond.

Is Hon. Omanyo in the House? She is not in the House. Therefore, as tradition provides, you may table the Statement. Proceed and table the Statement because Hon. Omanyo is not in the House. Let us move to the next Order.

[(Hon. Komingoi tabled the document)]

Mover.

Thank you. Hon. Temporary Speaker, I beg to move; THAT, this House adopts the Fourth Report of the Public Investments Committee on Social Services, Administration and Agriculture on its consideration of the Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements of the following State Corporations, laid on the Table of the House on Thursday, 17th October 2024;

Hon. Emmanuel Wangwe, how long do you estimate to move the Motion?

I will definitely take my 30 minutes.

I am looking at the clock and I am worried we may not complete moving the Motion. You have consumed five minutes of your time. You will have the balance of time when the business is next scheduled in the Order Paper. Is this an ordinary Motion? The clock is showing five. How many minutes are remaining?

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

You still have a lot of time to move the Motion. That way, we will be doing justice to the audit reports. I am informed that you have a balance of 55 minutes.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.