National Assembly · Morning Sitting

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

Thank you. Proceed to lay it. Who is the Co-Chairperson of the Joint Parliamentary CBK? I would imagine this would be the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning. We can skip this and come back to it later. Next order.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I have a request for a Statement regarding the status of the investigation into reported cases of child trafficking and sexual exploitation in Mai Mahiu. Pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 44 (2) (c) , I rise to request a statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security regarding the status of investigations int…

Hon. Temporary Speaker, it is against this background that I request a statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security on

Thank you. Hon. Members, you may be awarded as communicated yesterday – that, this afternoon, the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration will be in the House to respond to such. Therefore, I would rather we hold our horses and ask those questions to him. It will be a better thing to do than ask follow-up questions now, when the relevant Cabinet Secretary will be in the House th…

Hon. Speaker, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 44 (2) (c) , I request a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental

Hon. Temporary Speaker, it is against this background that I request a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Education on the following:

Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Education, this Statement Request is directed at your committee. Hon. Gisairo,

Let us do it in the first week upon resumption from recess.

Did you hear the question?

Yes, I have heard. I will get the Statement.

Order. On the issue of the Departmental Committee on Education, this was communicated yesterday by the Hon. Speaker, and it goes to all Chairpersons of committees. There is a reason why we have a Chairman and a Vice-Chairman of a committee. The idea that committees now appoint Members of Parliament to respond to questions is unacceptable. The reason we appoint Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of Committ…

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I am surprised by this particular Committee, or rather, the Ministry of Education. I asked a question three weeks ago. They gave two weeks as the time by which they would be able to respond. This is the third week, but the response has not been brought. This is not the first time that this particular ministry is not responding to Member’s questions. I wonder what…

Order. We are not discussing the Chairman of the Budget and Appropriations Committee. Your matter is very specific. Direct it to the Departmental Committee on Education. The Committee is so directed that the response to this Statement Request will be filed in the first week upon resumption from recess. Thank you. Next is the Member for Machakos County, Hon. Joyce Kameme. I think I saw her in the …

Hon. Temporary Speaker, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 44 (2) (c) , I rise to request a Statement from the

Chairpersons of the Departmental Committee on Roads and Transport regarding the safety and security of pedestrians using the Mlolongo footbridge. The main objective of providing pedestrians with footbridges is to enhance the safety of pedestrians and, at the same time, reduce pedestrian and traffic conflicts. However, the Mlolongo Footbridge, which was once intended to be a secure route, has dete…

The Request for Statement is directed to the Departmental Committee on Transport and Infrastructure. Is the Chairperson or the Vice-Chairperson in the House? Hon. Kamene, what have you just done? You have done it twice. We do not do that. You crossed the aisle without bowing on two occasions. Do the needful. Whether you are taking water or your phone, you have to follow the rules. Well done! Ho…

[(Hon. Joyce Kamene crossed the aisle without bowing to the Chair)]

[(Hon. Joyce Kamene spoke off-the-record)]

[(Hon. Joyce Kamene proceeded to the Bar and bowed to the Chair)]

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. We will respond in two weeks’ time after the recess.

Very well. The earlier communication I had given still stands – that this House frowns upon Chairpersons of committees, who have the responsibility of being here but frequently fail to attend. This behaviour is unacceptable. We cannot hold Hon. Dawood accountable as he is not the Chair of

the Departmental Committee on Transport and Infrastructure. Hon. Dawood, we will hold you to this.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 44 (2) (c) , I request a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations regarding the abduction of Mr Ambrose Kimiti Mwangi, a Kenyan, in the Federal Republic of Somalia. In September 2023, Mr Ambrose Mwangi was employed by Iqarus, a British-based company co…

This Request for Statement is referred to the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations. Is the Chairperson here? Who is the Vice-Chairperson? This matter is serious and should not be left to just any Member. Hon. Deputy Leader of the Majority Party, this is a serious issue and must be treated as such. A Kenyan has been abducted in a friendly country. It is not sufficie…

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I have listened to the Member, and I recognise the seriousness of this matter. It is our responsibility, as the government, to protect Kenyans both inside and outside the country. The abduction of a

Kenyan in a friendly country is to be taken seriously. I undertake to speak to the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations, and ask him to expedite the safe return of this Kenyan. Thank you.

How long do you need to respond to this one?

By tomorrow.

Tomorrow is okay. I hope you will keep your word. Is Hon. Kirima in the House? If he is not in, we will move on to Responses to Statements raised earlier. We have three responses from the Departmental Committee on Education regarding requests for Statements made by Hon. Bonaya, Hon. Anthony Oluoch, and Hon. Ann Wamuratha. Is the Chairperson present? The Vice-Chairperson? Hon. Gisairo, kindly, lo…

[(Hon. Clive Gisairo stood in his place)]

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I beg to lay the following Paper on the Table: Joint report of the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning, and the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Budget, on the approval hearing of a nominee for appointment as a Board member of the Central Bank of Kenya. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Next Order.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I beg to give Notice of the following Motion: THAT, taking into consideration the findings of the Joint Committee of the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning and the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Budget on the Approval Hearing of the Nominee for Appointment as a Board member of the Central Bank of Kenya, laid on the Table of …

to Section 11 (2) of the Central Bank of Kenya Act, Cap 491, this House approves the appointment of Mr Pius Ang’asa as a Board Member of the Central Bank of Kenya. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

On a point of order.

Hon. Sunkuli, what is out of order?

For purposes of giving a notice of Motion, is the Member in order to say “laid on the Table of the House this morning”? I am raising this matter because tomorrow, the Motion will not be read as “this morning”. It should be read out as per the exact date. Can she read the Motion the way it will always appear?

Hon. Naomi Waqo, you know that Hon. Sunkuli is a ranking Member. For clarity, go ahead and do what is requested of you.

Okay. Hon. Temporary Speaker, I beg to give notice of the following Motion: THAT, taking into consideration the findings of the Joint Committee of the National Assembly, Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning, and the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Budget on the Approval Hearing of the Nominee for Appointment as a Board member of the Central Bank of Kenya, laid on the T…

Well done! Members, for the convenience of the House, I am informed that Hon. Kirima and Hon. Kagiri are now in the House. We request that Members who have business listed in the Order Paper be here on time. It is only through your presence that we get a quorum, and we also carry out the business of the House. Hon. Kirima, go ahead and ask your Question.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I am very sorry. I got caught in a terrible traffic jam. Could the Commission—

Chairperson of Departmental

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Since we are heading for recess, I will respond in the first week after the recess. As a committee, we have been handling this issue, particularly for teachers aged 45 and above, as well as many P1 teachers who completed their courses in 2009 and who, up to now, have not been absorbed. The Commission brought us a Statement a few weeks ago regarding the member for…

I think we should leave it at that and wait for the reply. The Question is elaborate, Hon. Chairman. I want you to get time to look at the Order Paper. It is a very elaborate question regarding P1 teachers, promotions, and specifically those from Imenti Central. Hon. Members, let us proceed to Requests for Statement, starting with a request by the Member for Laikipia County.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for being magnanimous enough to indulge us. Pursuant to provisions of Standing Order 44 (2) (c) , I request a Statement regarding the effect of the ban by the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania on the operation of foreign businesses by non-citizens, particularly Kenyans. I also want to clarify at the outset that, in accordance with the provisions of …

[(Prohibition of Business Activities for Non-Citizens)]

consumption, it drew criticism from EAC partner states, including Tanzania, which viewed it as inconsistent with the Common Market Protocol and threatened retaliatory measures due to the impact on their exports to Kenya. In response to the resulting diplomatic friction and the spirit of regional cooperation, this House, through the Finance Act of 2023, repealed the 2019 provision. However, this r…

The Leader of the Majority Party, Hon. Baya, this is directed to you. Considering this is an election year in Tanzania, when can we expect a response?

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. This is the first time in this Parliament that a response to a Request for Statement is sought directly from the Leader of the Majority Party instead of the Committees in charge. That notwithstanding, I must say that the relationship between Kenya and Tanzania is still very stable. We still share a cordial relationship as brother-to-brother countries. We will con…

This is a very elaborate question, Hon. Baya. If you listened to Hon. Kagiri, the question cuts across four departmental committees. We hope that the response will be equally comprehensive and elaborate.

We will engage all the Cabinet Secretaries involved, especially the Ministries of East African Affairs and Foreign Affairs. We will coordinate with all the relevant Ministries, including the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment, to get an elaborate response. From this question, we may move to policy and ask the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) to look at all these matters and push a …

Hon. Members, I am informed that the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Education has flown back from Homa Bay and is now in the House. We had earlier been informed that he was in Homa Bay. I will allow him to respond to the questions by Hon. Mumina Bonaya. I have also seen Hon. Wamuratha and Hon. Anthony Oluoch in the House.

[(Loud consultations)]

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I rise to respond to requests made for statements by Members. First and foremost…

On a point of order, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Hon. Nyamai, what is out of order?

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I have just realised that Hon. Major (Rtd) Bashir is back in the House. I do not know whether he has finished the punishment he was given by the Speaker. He was asked to withdraw a statement he had made in the House, but he refused. I think it was a very long punishment, but I can see him in his seat, looking very happy.

Thank you. Hon. Bashir, how long was your punishment?

Hon. Temporary Speaker, my punishment was for that particular sitting. The Speaker said I would be out of Parliament for the remainder of the sitting, not for the whole session of Parliament. It was for that day only.

I confirm that Hon. Bashir has finished his term of imprisonment and is rightfully in the House this morning. Hon. Melly, go ahead.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I rise to give several responses to requests for statements made by Members. As per your direction, I hope the concerned Members are present. I will start with the request made by the Member for Isiolo. I also have requests for statements from the Member for Kiambu, Hon. Ann Wamuratha Mugo, Hon. Anthony Oluoch and Hon. Tindi Mwale. Hon. Temporary Speaker, I cannot go again…

Department, and Members who are involved in the discussion are then able to present responses before the plenary.

Order! Order, Hon. Melly. I want to say this with a lot of respect. The Speaker made a ruling yesterday, and as a friend, I took it upon myself to call and inform you of it. I also said this morning that we will not allow chairpersons to have kangaroo agreements with their members to shirk their responsibilities. That agreement you have with them is hereby quashed and should never be heard of on t…

The Member for Isiolo, Hon. Mumina Bonaya, requested a Statement, and the report is as follows: All the 18 schools have been approved as Junior Schools. Twelve of the 18 schools have already received capitation and have been registered in NEMIS. Their bank details have also been provided. The table below provides details regarding each of the schools.

Hon. Mumina, allow him to finish this Statement, and then we can deal with all of them together.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I agree with the sentiments of the Members. I would like to give you a short story. Hon. Sabina Chege

We will not allow any further discussion on this matter. The Chairperson has introduced a new confusion by stating that there was NEMIS and now there is KEMIS.

[(Loud consultations)]

[(Applause)]

Order, Hon. Members. The debate on this Bill was concluded last week. I will now put the question.

[(Question put and agreed to)]

[(The Bill was read a Second Time and committed to the Committee of the whole House)]

Next Order.

Hon. Members, debate on this Bill was also concluded. I will now put the question.

Hon. Members, as you remember, debate on this Motion was also concluded. I will now put the question. Next Order.

[(Question put and agreed to)]

its members do. Students, I am sure that as you grow up, you will be able to take up some of the roles that we currently hold here. You came back from the music festivals and you did very well. Congratulations. So, you are most welcome to the National Assembly and the precincts of Parliament. Enjoy your time. Welcome, all of you.

Hon. Members, as you are aware, the students are here to visit us. They are all welcome to observe the proceedings. Next Order.

On a point of order, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Hon. Tubi, what is out of order?

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I was here yesterday, and I raised an issue with the Temporary Speaker, Hon. Farah Maalim. The issue is that three weeks ago, I asked for a Statement from the Chairman in charge of the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security. It was slated for the first week upon resumption from recess. That time has lapsed. Now we are going into another recess, yet t…

Hon. Tubi, your concern is noted. You may be aware that the relevant committee is conducting a vetting on nominees to the National Police Service Commission this morning, but its members will be in the House in the afternoon. As I said earlier in the morning, even the Cabinet Secretary for the Interior and National Administration will be here in the afternoon. So be in the House and raise those ma…

[(Hon. Bidu Mohamed spoke off the record)]

The Temporary Chairlady (Hon (Dr.) Rachael Nyamai): Hon. Members, those who wish to participate in the Committee of the whole House, please take your seats. We are considering the Senate Amendment to the Land (Amendment) Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 40 of 2022) by Hon. King'ara. Hon. King'ara is in the House. I can see he is seated in his place. Senate Amendment to Clause 3 THAT, Clause 3 of …

Hon. Temporary Chairlady, I beg to move that the Committee do report to the House its consideration of the Senate Amendment to the Land (Amendment) Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 40 of 2022) , and its approval thereof without amendments. The Temporary Chairlady (Hon (Dr.) Rachael Nyamai) : Hon. Members, we are going to consider the second Bill, which is the Consideration of the President's Rese…

[(Question proposed)]

[(Question put and agreed to)]

Hon. Nyamai, proceed.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I beg to report that while in the Committee of the whole House, the Member for Machakos County, Hon. Joyce Kamene, rose under Standing Order 35 and objected that the House did not have a quorum. The Bell was rung for 10 minutes, but a quorum was not attained. Hon. Temporary Speaker, I beg to report.

Hon. Members, as you are aware, when that happens, we have to adjourn. Be upstanding, Hon. Members.