Senate · Morning Sitting
Wednesday, 11 October 2023
The Temporary Speaker briefed the Senate on the stalled stadium project, outlining its current frozen status pending a special audit, the total cost, and plans to complete it under the sports infrastructure masterplan while emphasizing value for money and the bottom‑up economic transformation agenda. Sen. Cheruiyot raised a procedural issue, urging that supplementary questions be limited to those directly related to the original queries to ensure orderly debate. The Cabinet Secretary for Interior explained that vacancies among chiefs and assistant chiefs arise from attrition, promotions, resignations and election‑related delays, making nationwide data hard to capture, but pledged to fill all positions within the current financial year. Senators sought clarification on specific appointment timelines for sub‑location chiefs in Kakamega, while the temporary speaker managed the order of questions and procedural rules. The Cabinet Secretary outlined new police reform measures requiring officers who have served more than three years at a station to be transferred within 60 days, with salary penalties for non‑compliance, and emphasized limited political involvement in chief appointments. The debate also recounted a recent Al Qaeda‑linked attack on the US Embassy, reviewed past terror incidents, and highlighted ongoing counter‑terrorism initiatives.
Clerk, can you confirm whether we have quorum? Serjeant-at-arms, ring the Quorum Bell for 10 minutes. Serjeant-at-arms, we have quorum, so you can stop the Bell. Hon. Members, we have quorum. Sen. Methu, Sen. Munyi Mundigi and Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale, take your seats. Clerk, you may proceed to call the first Order. The Chairperson Standing Committee on Health, there is a Paper to be laid; or any Me…
[(The Clerk-at-the-Table consulted the Temporary Speaker)]
[(The Quorum Bell was rung)]
Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I beg to lay the following Committee Reports on the Table of the Senate today, 11th October, 2023 - Report of the Standing Committee on Health on the Digital Health Bill 2023, National Assembly Bills No. 57 of 2023.
Hon. Members, I do take note of the presence of the Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Interior and National Administration, Hon. (Prof.) Kindiki. Welcome to the Senate, Professor. Hon. Members, for purposes of housekeeping, we have got quite a number of Questions. We have seven Questions for the Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Interior and National Adminstration, and two Questions for Hon. CS Namwamba. We, t…
that we do serve the people of Kenya. You are welcome, feel free and feel at home. Take us through the Questions which I am sure you have already submitted a Report to the House. You will be cognizant of the direction given in terms of management of time as well as also the Senator who is going to be asking the Questions. Sen. Chute, proceed.
Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, Sir. Let me congratulate and thank our able CS. I know you are doing a good job in this country. As the Senator from Marsabit County, I know you have done a lot for Marsabit County. Thank you, and karibu to this hon. House. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I have Question No. 25 and No. 26. If you will allow me, I can read both. Question No. 025
Proceed, Sen. (Dr.) Murango. We are running out of time.
Yes, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I am proceeding. I thank the Cabinet Secretary and will ask him one Question.
Hon. Cabinet Secretary, proceed to respond to the Question by Sen. (Dr.) Murango? The Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration (Hon. (Prof.) Kindiki Kithure) : Mr. Speaker, Sir, in response to Question No.032 by the Senator for Kirinyaga County, I would like to inform the House that in the last two years, which is a period for which he has asked for information, we have had six …
Thank you, Hon. Cabinet Secretary. Sen. (Dr.) Murango, do you have any supplementary question?
polisi wa manispa. Hata hivyo, kutoka siku hiyo, wale watu bado wanazurura kule na wanawakejeli viongozi kule. Katika uchunguzi wa yale maneno kwa sababu ni mambo ya aibu, umefika wapi na tunatarajia lini kwamba hatua itachukuliwa dhidi ya wale watu? Asante, Bw. Spika wa Muda.
polisi wa manispa. Hata hivyo, kutoka siku hiyo, wale watu bado wanazurura kule na wanawakejeli viongozi kule. Katika uchunguzi wa yale maneno kwa sababu ni mambo ya aibu, umefika wapi na tunatarajia lini kwamba hatua itachukuliwa dhidi ya wale watu? Asante, Bw. Spika wa Muda.
Hon. Cabinet Secretary, could you respond to the supplementary questions? The Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration (Hon. (Prof.) Kindiki Kithure) : Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, in response to the supplementary questions by Sen. (Dr.) Murango, I would like to request for seven days to file a written response. One is on the status of investigations on the case of the two broth…
Thank you, Hon. Cabinet Secretary. Sen. Dullo, you had requested to have a supplementary question. I want to ask you to proceed and ask the Cabinet Secretary the question.
Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I will ask quick questions since I had requested earlier on the three questions. Hon. Cabinet Secretary, congratulations for the good job. I know you are up to the task. We have served in this House together twice. The first question is on the recruitment of the National Police Reservists (NPR) and chiefs. I know that the Principal Secretary (PS) is aware t…
Hon. Cabinet Secretary, could you respond to those questions? The Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration (Hon. (Prof.) Kindiki): Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, it is true that there is a policy on how an officer should stay in one station. However, for a long time that policy has not been implemented. It has now been decided that going forward, no officer who has served for more …
Hon. Cabinet Secretary, could you respond to those questions? The Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration (Hon. (Prof.) Kindiki): Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, it is true that there is a policy on how an officer should stay in one station. However, for a long time that policy has not been implemented. It has now been decided that going forward, no officer who has served for more …
Thank you, hon. Cabinet Secretary for those responses. Hon. Members, we will defer Questions Nos.11 and 12 in the absence of Sen. Kinyua. Question No. 011
Question No. 012
Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I rise to ask Question No.051 to the Cabinet Secretary of Youth Affairs and Sports.
We are convinced that within this masterplan, we should be able to complete Marsabit Stadium and the other stadia that have stalled because this masterplan has three pillars; sorting our international level stadia, making sure that our regional stadia are of the required standard and then investing heavily in community grounds, including academies. Allow me to go to the specific question raised b…
remains frozen until the audit is concluded and it will be completed in the context of the masterplan. The total cost to complete the whole project as designed was Kshs951,825,128. Responding to Question (d) in terms of an update on status of construction and expected date of completion; I can report to this Hon. House that Sports Kenya, through the contractor Banisa Limited, undertook Phase One …
remains frozen until the audit is concluded and it will be completed in the context of the masterplan. The total cost to complete the whole project as designed was Kshs951,825,128. Responding to Question (d) in terms of an update on status of construction and expected date of completion; I can report to this Hon. House that Sports Kenya, through the contractor Banisa Limited, undertook Phase One …
I have in my dashboard three requests by Sen. Kisang, Sen. Abass, and Sen. Dullo. I will ask --- Majority Leader, what is your point of order?
I have in my dashboard three requests by Sen. Kisang, Sen. Abass, and Sen. Dullo. I will ask --- Majority Leader, what is your point of order?
Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, apologies. Ordinarily, it is within your space to guide the House. However, I have noted in the morning that when you give Members an opportunity to seek supplementary questions, very few of them stick to supplementary questions related to the specific question. If that is the tradition then, would it not be in order to allow the Senators that have first listed questio…
Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, for that guidance. I rise to ask Question No.053 to the Cabinet Secretary of Youth Affairs and Sports.
The Senate Majority Leader you may have the Floor. At this juncture, I will use Standing Order No. 34 (2) (a) to extend the sitting of this Session by another 15 minutes so that you can be able to finish moving the Bill.
That technology makes it possible for community health programmes to send either a bus ticket or whatever means to mothers that have kids who on a particular day are supposed to be immunized and mothers that come from disadvantaged backgrounds. They know that when we analyse a particular lady, she may not be able to take her child for vaccination and they send them a bus ticket or something like t…
I know that this Bill is crucial, and I want to ask colleagues to take time and support this particular Bill because of the length of time that it has taken to be prepared, and the proposals that are therein, to ensure that our citizens can have their records kept in one interoperable system. Sen. Lomenen, if your citizens come to Nairobi and visit a health centre that will be on this National In…
That technology makes it possible for community health programmes to send either a bus ticket or whatever means to mothers that have kids who on a particular day are supposed to be immunized and mothers that come from disadvantaged backgrounds. They know that when we analyse a particular lady, she may not be able to take her child for vaccination and they send them a bus ticket or something like t…
Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I thank the Leader of Majority for giving me the honour to second this very game changer of a Bill. I could not be a better choice. I am one of the few Members in this Senate and in the National Assembly who is an expert in the matter which is at the heart of this Bill. Drawing in support of this Motion, I ask colleagues to draw experiences from what the Government did…
[(there are many in this country)]
Sen. Lomenen, what is your point of order?
Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, given the importance of this Bill, I seek guidance from you so that we limit the contribution time of the Members, maybe to between three and five minutes will be okay.
The Senate Majority Leader?
Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I know there will be intense interest by Members to contribute. So, as we did in the other Bills, we can keep it at five minutes so that as many Members get the chance to speak. I moved it in five minutes; it was seconded in five minutes too. I believe that will be good time.
Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, given the importance of this Bill, I seek guidance from you so that we limit the contribution time of the Members, maybe to between three and five minutes will be okay.
The Senate Majority Leader?
Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I know there will be intense interest by Members to contribute. So, as we did in the other Bills, we can keep it at five minutes so that as many Members get the chance to speak. I moved it in five minutes; it was seconded in five minutes too. I believe that will be good time.
Thank you, the Senate Majority Leader. Proceed, Sen. Mandago.
[(Question, that Members speaking to the Bill be limited to a maximum of five minutes, put and agreed to)]
Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, thank you, for giving me the opportunity to contribute to this Digital Health Bill. First and foremost, I thank my Members of the Committee of Health, and stakeholders who were engaged extensively in this Bill, for adopting and passing it. This nation is preparing to roll out the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) . It is a program that has been on the desk of this Countr…
Sen. Chute, you will have a reminder of three minutes when this debate resumes.
Thank you, Senator. Sen. Chute.
Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I take this opportunity to stand here to support this Bill. Marsabit, is a vast and an arid county. This Digital Health Bill is very important for Kenya. The nomadic way of living for Marsabit, Upper Eastern, North Eastern, Turkana and Samburu Counties makes us disadvantaged against the usual card-based health care. Our people travel all the way to a place c…
Sen. Chute, you will have a reminder of three minutes when this debate resumes.
Hon. Senators, it is now 1.15 p.m. and having directed a later interruption of business for the convenience of the Senate, pursuant to Standing Order No. 34 (2) (a) , the Senate stands adjourned until today, Wednesday, 11th October, 2023 at 2.30 p.m. The Senate rose at 1.15 p.m.