Senate · Morning Sitting
Wednesday, 12 November 2025
The Senate session began with Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku outlining youth employment and digitisation initiatives, after which the Temporary Speaker thanked him and moved to the next order. Senators then raised concerns about the repeated absence and deferments of Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi, demanding his appearance to address issues such as funding for junior secondary schools and internship conversions. The Speaker clarified the procedural steps for rescheduling and proceeded with the agenda. The Cabinet Secretary outlined the National Youth Service (NYS) enterprise aimed at creating sustainable jobs, skills training and entrepreneurship for youth in marginalised regions, and detailed new governance structures to ensure transparency and accountability. Senators questioned whether the plan adequately addresses urban marginalisation in Nairobi’s informal settlements and highlighted past failures of NYS commercial ventures, probing if lessons have been learned. The exchange combined constructive policy presentation with critical scrutiny of implementation and oversight. Senators questioned the Cabinet Secretary on the fragmentation of youth programmes across ministries and urged consolidation into a single, accessible platform. They raised concerns about alleged corruption and the commercialisation of the National Youth Service, seeking clarity on oversight, sustainability, and the impact on vulnerable groups. Additional queries focused on youth employment opportunities, both domestically and abroad, and the potential for preferential procurement for youth beneficiaries.
Clerk, do we have quorum? Serjeant-at-Arms, kindly ring the Quorum Bell for 10 minutes. Serjeant-at-Arms, kindly, ring the Quorum Bell for a further10 minutes.
[(The Clerk-at-the-Table consulted with the Speaker)]
[(The Quorum Bell was rung)]
[(The Quorum Bell was rung)]
Hon. Senators, we now have quorum, so we will start the day's business. Clerk, you may proceed to call the first Order.
Hon. Senators, we will start with Question No.090 by Sen. Miraj Abdullahi, directed to the Cabinet Secretary in charge of Gender, Culture and Children's Services. Clerk, can you usher in the hon. Cabinet Secretary, please?
[The Cabinet Secretary for Gender, Culture and Children Services (Hon. Hanna Cheptumo) was ushered into the Chamber] Hon. Cabinet Secretary, welcome to the Senate once again. You are before this House for purposes of responding to Question No.090. I will now allow Sen. Miraj Abdullahi to proceed and ask the Question. Question No.090
On a point of order, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir.
Sen. Kinyua, what is your point of order?
Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I am reading my Order Paper, which shows that there is another Cabinet Secretary coming. I am seated here because I am still waiting for him.
Thank you, Sen. Kinyua for reminding me. My apologies, hon. Senators. We have received an apology from the Cabinet Secretary, Hon. John Mbadi. He has requested for his question time to be rescheduled to a later date. The request was received through the right channel, let me just put it that way. Hon. Senators, we shall proceed to the next Order. What is your point of clarification, Sen. Cherark…
Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury and Economic Planning, Hon. John Mbadi, was supposed to appear. If my memory serves me right, I think he has requested for many deferments of his response for far too long. When we left the Chamber yesterday, we were sure that three Cabinet Secretaries will appear today. They included the Cabinet Secretary for Gender, Labour a…
Thank you---
Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, just 30 more seconds, so that I can conclude.
No, I have understood your clarification.
Can I conclude?
Conclude.
Is it in order for you to direct that the Cabinet Secretary appears here as soon as next Wednesday? I do not think there is enough reason he is avoiding to appear before this House. We need his expert advice. He is one of the expert Cabinet Secretaries. We need to see the contents of that letter in our official WhatsApp group.
Sen. Cherarkey, let me first correct you. You do not know if the letter was received this morning. I am actually informed that the letter was received yesterday, but it was received after the Senate Business Committee (SBC) sat and that is why there was no earlier communication. However, the request that you have put forward for the Chair to rule that the Cabinet Secretary appear next week is also…
[(Sen. Cherarkey spoke off record)]
Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, for this opportunity to move this Motion on the establishment of national teaching and referral hospitals in Kenya. I would like to move that---
Sen. Kinyua, what is your intervention?
Aware that Article 43 (1) (a) of the Constitution of Kenya---
[(Interruption of Motion)]
Just hold on, Sen. Mwaruma. What is your intervention, Sen. Kinyua?
Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, we have our Standing Orders, which are very clear. When we invite outsiders, even in our committees, we give seven days. We cannot just invite them in the morning and expect them to come. The same applies to them; when they are not coming for purposes of answering questions, the Standing Order is clear on the time duration that they are supposed to give to this House. W…
What is the time duration?
Seven days, the same time that we are supposed to give them. Then my concern is, why is this issue of the Cabinet Secretary being brushed aside so quickly, and we move on as if nothing has happened when we were busy here waiting? You heard what Sen. Cherarkey said on the question he wanted to ask the Cabinet Secretary. People in Laikipia, Kitui and Nandi counties are waiting for answers.
Clerk, can you give me the mic? Thank you. These are the Standing Orders that guide us like a Bible, through the Speaker. This is the creation of the Constitution under Article 123. When you look at Standing Order No.51A, which we amended, Part (6) is on scheduling the date for appearance, under Paragraph 5. The Senate Business Committee shall provide at least seven days' notice to the respective …
Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, Sen. Cherarkey also needs to be reminded that these are the fruits of some engagement called “broad-based government.” If you make your bed, you must be willing to lie on it. Article 125 of the Constitution, which is a higher authority, is very clear that either House of Parliament and any of the committees has the power to summon any person to appear before it for pur…
Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, give direction. Order the CS to appear before Senate on next Wednesday and close this matter and we move on. If he does not appear, breathe life to the Censure Motion and let us discuss him.
Thank you, Sen. Wambua. The CS has appeared before, just to correct your submission. This is the first time he has not appeared for this set of questions. I am informing you. We are not censuring him. You are wrongly censuring him. Sen. Cherarkey, we are guided by the Standing Orders. Standing Order No.51A
[(Sen. Wambua spoke off record)]
[(Loud consultations)]
[(Loud consultations)]
Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to move the following Motion- THAT, AWARE THAT Article 43 (1) (a) of the Constitution of Kenya provides that every person has the right to the highest attainable standard of health, including reproductive healthcare;
NOTING THAT in Kenya, we have five National Teaching and Referral hospitals with Kenyatta University Research and Teaching Hospital in Kiambu County and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County being the only ones outside Nairobi County; CONCERNED THAT the bed capacity, medical equipment and human capital in these National Teaching and Referral hospitals are not sufficien…
Thank you, Senator. Sen. Beatrice Ogola, you may second.
Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, for granting me the opportunity to second the Motion of Sen. Mwaruma, my senior colleague, both in the House and in the party. I rise to second this Motion which speaks to my heart and to the hearts of most Kenyans. It is a Motion that seeks to establish national teaching and referral hospitals in Kenya. This is crucial to me and should be crucial to everyon…
access not only in terms of quantity, but also in terms of quality, which speaks to the services that the Mover of the Motion has clearly outlined. Hon. Temporary Speaker, for a long time, Kenyans have had to travel long distances to access referral hospitals. These are sick Kenyans, some terminally ill and not in good shape, yet they must travel to the established referral hospitals, primarily K…
Hon. Senator, when the House resumes, you will have a remaining balance of nine minutes to conclude seconding the Motion.