Senate · Morning Sitting

Clerk, do we have quorum? Serjeant-at-Arms, kindly ring the Quorum Bell for 10 minutes. Serjeant-at-Arms, I am informed we have the quorum now, so you may stop ringing the Quorum Bell. Clerk, proceed to read the first Order.

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

[(The Quorum Bell was rung)]

[(Several Senators entered into the Chamber)]

Hon. Senators, if you look at the Order Paper, there are four Questions listed for response by the relevant Cabinet Secretaries. Question No. 011 and Question No. 012 were directed to the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration. However, we received a letter informing the Senate that the Cabinet Secretary will not be present today for purposes of responding to these two Question…

Hon. Senators, last night we received a letter from the Cabinet Secretary of Investment and Trade indicating that he will not be able to appear before the Senate for purposes of responding to this Question. Again, no satisfactory reason was contained in that particular letter. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the same will be discussed during tomorrow’s special SBC for purposes of invoking Standing Order No.51 …

[(Sen. Kinyua stood in his place)]

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for your guidance. I agree with you because the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, for purposes of Question Nos.11 and 12, we have rescheduled twice. I want to agree with you that you did write letters yesterday. That is why we are here.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Cabinet Secretaries are not taking this House seriously. So, I would recommend that you be firm when dealing with this matter at the SBC so that we can invoke provisions of Standing Order No.51(d). I agree with you and I support your decision.

Clerk, is the Cabinet Secretary for East African Community (EAC) , ASALs and Regional Development present? Can you usher her to the rightful place? I am informed that the Cabinet Secretary in charge of East African Community, ASALs and Regional Development is present for purposes of responding to Question No.14. Let me take this opportunity to welcome her to the Senate. Thank you so much, Madam …

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

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. Looking at the amended Standing Orders No. 51, I know there is a ruling you have made. I am rising under Standing Order No.1. As you retreat to write your ruling, I am not reopening or varying your ruling, you need to give us direction because, the next Statement meant for the Cabinet Secretary for Investments Trade and Industry has been--- synonymous with the q…

Sen. Cherarkey, kindly resume your seat. That matter was well addressed by the Speaker when he was here. That is why I am giving you guidance that the matter is well-placed. It will be canvassed tomorrow at a high-level meeting which will make some conclusions. So, wait for the confirmation. Sen. Cherarkey, do you want to contribute to this Motion? Now that there are no other Senators intereste…

[(Sen. Cherarkey spoke off record)]

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

Hon. Senators, in the Public Gallery, we have 90 students accompanied by 2 teachers from Moi Girls High School in Nairobi City County, who are in the Senate on an education tour. In our usual tradition of receiving and welcoming visitors to Parliament, I extend a warm welcome to them, and on behalf of the Senate and on my own behalf wish them a fruitful visit. I thank you.

[(Applause)]

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I join you on behalf of my colleagues to welcome our beautiful girls from Moi Girls High School. Their performance has been exceptional. They are lucky to be in the Chamber when we are discussing a critical Motion on water. I hope we are not encouraging them to be taking ‘passport’ showers as Sen. Mungatana has alluded to. We love you and wish you well. We want you to…

Sen. Oketch Gicheru, you can also welcome them.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I am always glad to see wonderful schools visiting us because some people like Sen. Cherargei are soon leaving the stage and therefore the future of this country is actually seated here. We really appreciate your coming to learn. This is also the time you are looking at the future and your careers. One of the best places to be is in public service. Sometimes it is diff…

We will resume debate. I notice that Sen. Thang’wa is the next speaker. Maybe you can also take a minute to welcome them since you are from a neighbouring county.

As I contribute to the Motion?

Yes.

[(Resumption of debate on the Motion)]

My name is Karungo wa Thang’wa, the Senator for the neighbouring Kiambu County. I take this opportunity to welcome the students from Moi Girls High School in Nairobi. You are in the right place. You are lucky that your teachers saw it fit for you to come and see the place where decisions about running this country are made. We make right decisions not only for you but also for everybody in this R…

three minutes are enough for you to be done. I do not know whether we will go that direction. This Motion is asking us about three issues; optimize water use, reduce wastage and promote efficient water management. This Motion could not have come at the right time. This is the right time when the country is about to roll out the affordable housing. If all the suggestions and recommendations by th…

why I was proposing the holidays amendment Act. Nowadays, they are calling me Seneta wa sherehe or Seneta wa ma-holidays. I was proposing that for people to have enough time to visit other counties in this country. You go to Marsabit, Wajir or those landlocked counties and you see what they go through to get water. We have just been told by the Senator for Tana River County that water scarcity i…

Sen. Abass, please proceed.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I beg to support the Motion. Having intelligent systems for water management is a very crucial thing in this country. This is a country that is water scarce. If you go to most parts of the country, there is no water available. Especially in Nairobi City County, now as it is, the city is growing and we are depending mainly on water bowsers. Of course, we do not know how…

Currently, if you see what is going on in Nairobi City County through the rivers flowing, it is more or less sewage. The same water is being used by many people in Kiambu County who cannot afford water for domestic use. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, it is necessary to have systems that can purify and conserve water. If you go to homes, as you have seen it, water is wasted so much, and we do not eve…

I commend Sen. Wamatinga, he is a water expert engineer. You need this to become a Bill and be adopted. It must be mandatory for every household and institution to harvest their own water and have at least a water reservoir. Water should be purified and we have the intelligence of water use. The system can be used to know the amount of water being used in every household and then there should be a…

Thank you, Senator. Sen. Omogeni, you may have the Floor.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I rise to support this Motion by my good friend, Sen. Wamatinga. If you travel to many countries, water is a security matter. If you go to Spain, where they store water is a security zone. You cannot even fly over that region. This is because countries appreciate that without water there is no life. If we have no water, there is no life. You know the agreeme…

ensure that they connect everybody to the sewer line so that we deal with this issue of pollution? They have made that request. They told us that some of the pipes supplying water and maybe that is what you take, were laid down in the city in 1932 by a mzungu. Up to today, those are the same pipes that are supplying water to the residents of Nairobi. All they need is just Kshs10 billion so that t…

National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and the Nairobi City County Government are doing nothing. We are polluting these rivers knowing that there is somebody downstream who is depending on that water for household use. We are being very insensitive. I hope that at the opportune time, we will also put this bodies to task. NEMA should tell us what they are lacking. They get financial allo…

Senators, I again interrupt debate to give a Communication from the Chair.

[(Interruption of debate on Motion)]

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity. As you have rightly said, I am the Senator for Kiambu County. I call myself the miracle Senator. I welcome the students to come and see how we deliberate in this House. This is where decisions running this country are made. We make laws that are assented to by the President and when we do so, they come into effect. I know man…

I also thank their teachers for giving them an opportunity to come and see how we interact. We are not like the other empty side. This is the Government side and the other is the Opposition side. They can see that, at least, the people in Government are working. Thank you and welcome.

Sen. Mungatana, do you wish to welcome the students?

Yes. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir

Take a minute.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, my two daughters, Hafsa Mungatana and Amara Mungatana passed through that school. So, I have an attachment with it. Right now, I have a little girl in Primary School by the name Arianna Mungatana. It is a good school and has done very well. It has trained very good students. St. Hannah’s should keep up. We are working hard. They should keep up the spirit. When they com…

Thank you, Senator.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. Through you, I take a minute of my time to welcome the students from St. Hannah’s School into this House. We love to see students in this House. My name is Sen. Oketch Gicheru. I am the Senator for Migori County. I am sure Migori County has some students in your school as well. My County has a high affinity for learning towards good schools like yours. These…

Thank you, Senator. We resume debate now.

[(Resumption of debate on the Motion)]

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, today we are debating what Sen. Wamatinga has brought on the Floor about water conservation and how we can improve our housing code by making sure that, as we build new houses in the country, we have faucets or plumbing systems that can ensure that we conserve water. This is an important Motion. I congratulate Sen. Wamatinga for bringing it to the Floor because of what…

The first one is the national housing code which has not been changed for a long time. This debate makes me start thinking creatively on whether Sen. Wamatinga can consider some amendments that can compel a total overhaul of our national housing code which allows free tendering on plumbing fixtures. We have almost a free market where you can choose low flow plumbing fixtures such as shower heads,…

Thank you Senator. Sen. Wafula proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to my senior brother’s presentation in the House today. In the

villages where we come from, it is sad to see women waking up very early in the morning, at 3.00 a.m., with jerrycans and pots on their heads, leaving behind their conjugal and entertainment roles to go fetch water downstream many kilometers away. This is because the Government has failed to step forward and minimize turmoil that ably talented men ought to be enjoying. Members are laughing but it …

[(Laughter)]

On a point of order, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir.

What is your point of order?

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, we are in a very progressive country. I am rising under Standing Order No. 105, which is about substantiating statements. Is the Senator for Bungoma County, Sen. Wafula in order to suggest that all women in our country who are waking up every day in the morning to go and struggle to get water would only be doing the opposite; conjugal entertainment? Is this in order? Do…

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I believe they are things which can be naturally explained by virtue of existing in this world. Matters of water are very serious today. In the last Government we had the Big Four Agenda where the Government was pumping billions of shillings in dams and connecting water. However, at the end of the day, the biggest matter that was not tackled was conservation and pruden…

Sen. Murgor, proceed. Sorry, Sen. Murgor, I have a Communication to make.

Hon. Senators, in the Public Gallery we have 20 students accompanied by two lecturers from Elgon View College Kisii Campus in Kisii County who are in the Senate on an education tour. In our usual tradition of receiving and welcoming visitors to Parliament, I extend a warm welcome to them. On behalf of the Senate and on my own behalf wish them a fruitful visit. I thank you. Sen. Murgor.

[(Resumption of debate on the Motion)]

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I join my colleagues in congratulating Sen. Wamatinga. Water is life as has been said by others. A large percentage of the human body is composed of water rather than blood. Water is life in that when one is lacking water, it has to be added into the body so that a person is brought back to life. Since water is life ---

Order. Sen. Murgor, you will have 19 minutes to continue with your contribution when the Motion is next in the Order Paper.