National Assembly · Morning Sitting

Next Order.

transplant services at Mediheal Group of Hospitals, laid on the Table of the House on Wednesday, 15th April 2026.

Next is the Member for Githunguri, Hon. Wamuchomba.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I beg to give notice of the following Motion: THAT, agriculture remains the backbone of Kenya’s economy, contributing substantially to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) , rural employment and foreign exchange earnings with the key export crops such as tea, coffee, avocado, cut flowers, macadamia nuts, cashew nuts and related horticultural produce collectively accounting for a …

exporters of coffee, tea, avocado, cut flowers, macadamia, cashew nuts, and other designated export crops. Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker.

Thank you. Next Order.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I rise to ask Question 12/2026 to the National Land Commission: Could the Commission—

This question shall be replied to by the Departmental

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I will ensure that the Chairman provides a response within two weeks.

Next are Requests for Statements. The first is by Hon. Edith Nyenze, Member for Kitui West.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, 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 provision of functional motor vehicles to the National Police Service and National Government Administration Offices (NGAOs) in Matinyani and Kitui West sub-counties. The Motor Vehicle …

That will be responded to by the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security. Hon. Raso, I see you are the one who is here.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. What Hon. Nyenze raised is a significant matter that is already before the Committee, and we are in discussion with both the National Police Service and the Ministry of Interior and National Administration. We have increased the number of sub-counties by over 250 and the

police stations by over 500. This requires a colossal amount of resources on the ground, yet there is no commensurate budgetary allocation. For that reason, we will respond to her in two weeks and will also ask the Ministry to consider her case among the priorities already on the table.

So, that will be in two weeks?

Yes.

Thank you, Hon. Raso. Next is a Statement request by Hon. Karitho, Member for Igembe Central.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 44 (2) (c) , I rise to request a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Education regarding guidelines on the participation of primary and junior secondary schools in co-curricular activities. On 13th February 2024, the Ministry of Education issued interim guidelines for Junior Secondary School co-curricula…

Thank you. That will be answered by the Departmental

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I undertake to communicate to the Chair and Members of the Committee, and we will give feedback in the next two weeks.

Thank you. Next is a Statement request by the Hon. Member for Mvita, Hon. Mohamed Machele.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. Pursuant to Standing Order 44 (2) (c) , I rise to request a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Education regarding the harmonisation of house allowance and the review of the delocalisation policy for teachers in Mombasa County. Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya and among the most expensive places to live. Despite the high cost…

That will also be responded to by the Departmental Committee on Education. Hon. Ikiara, do you want to say something before Prof. Bartoo responds?

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I wish to support the Hon. Member on the concerns raised regarding disparities in house allowances for teachers. There should be a clear policy such that where cities have been designated and gazetted, teachers in those areas should enjoy house allowances equivalent to those in other cities. I support the Statement.

Prof Bartoo, on behalf of the Committee.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I undertake to communicate to the Chair and the rest of the Members of the Committee, and we endeavour to provide feedback within two weeks from today.

Thank you. Next is a Statement request by the Hon. Fatuma Masito, Member for Kwale County.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 44 (2) (c) , I wish to request a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Environment, Forestry and Mining regarding the proposed mining activities in Kwale County. In January 2026, the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs announced a proposed mining project in Mrima Hills, Kwale County. The Ministry indicated…

Yes, Hon. Tandaza.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for this opportunity. I rise to support a detailed Response to that statement, given that the same area in Kwale had the biggest base of titanium mining activity in the whole Republic. While the Mining Act is very clear that 70 per cent of royalties remain with the National Government, 20 per cent to the county government and 10 per cent to the community, 12 years l…

This will be responded to by the Departmental Committee on Environment, Forestry and Mining. Is there any Member who can give an undertaking on behalf of that Committee? In their absence, Hon. Waqo.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. The Committee will give a Response in two weeks.

Thank you. Next Order.

Hon. Gathiru.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. At the outset, I sincerely thank the Members for the very rich, thoughtful and constructive debate that the Bill has generated. What we have witnessed in this House is not just a debate on the Bill. It is a serious national conversation on the future of our education system. The obligations made have significantly strengthened both the intent and direction of this l…

A key issue that has arisen in this debate is the place of specialised institutions such as the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), maritime academies and defence institutions. These institutions are critical in our national development. I want to assure the House that this Bill does not seek to undermine them. On the contrary, at the Committee of the whole House, we shall introduce amendments.…

principle: differentiation strengthens systems; duplication weakens them. Hon. Deputy Speaker, add one minute to complete.

Allow him time to finish.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. The definition will ensure a university remains true to its purpose, policy direction, and prevents future deviation. In this regard, I invite all Hon. Members to bring forward their proposals and actively participate in refining the Bill at the Committee of the whole House stage. This is where we perfect legislation as a House. This Bill is guided by a simple princ…

[(Question put and agreed to)]

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

Hon. Members, this Bill has 31 minutes remaining. Members who wish to contribute should press the intervention button. Hon. Tandaza, you had indicated a desire to contribute. Hon. Mbeyu, do you wish to contribute? I can also see Hon. Karimu. Kindly press the intervention button. So far, only Hon. Tandaza has indicated. Hon. Tandaza requires a few more minutes. Anyone else who wishes to contribute?…

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. Allow me to appreciate Hon. Antony Oluoch, the great Member for Mathare, for proposing amendments to the Basic Education Act in support of Kenyan children. This Bill seeks to incorporate disadvantaged schools, not only in cities and urban centres but also in rural constituencies. It is a requirement that before a school is registered in this country, it must have a…

establish an institution within their compound. However, this has been limited. One is required to have at least two acres of land to register a school, something this Bill seeks to address. It proposes that we consider the morals of an institution seeking to establish a school, something that is very important. On the same, I will give examples of various churches in my constituency. You find th…

Hon. Tandaza.

Asante sana, kwa kunipa fursa hii. Kwanza, namshukuru Mhe. Oluoch kwa kuleta Mswada huu, ambao ni wa maana. Umefika hapa wakati unaofaa, kwa kifupi, hata nitasema umechelewa. Sisi Waislamu, watoto wetu huwa wanaenda madrassa wakiwa wadogo sana. Kando na hilo, huwa wakati ambao pia wanapohitajika wawe katika shule za kawaida ambazo vipengee vyetu vinatambua kwamba ndio shule. Jambo hili limeturejes…

uwezo ama ng’ambo. Ni lazima kuwe na mijengo ambayo yamejengwa kulingana na sheria za Wizara ya Public Works, kuwe na wanafunzi kiasi fulani, na vifaa vinginevyo. Ikiendelea hivyo, na twajua hukuna taratibu zozote za Wizara ya Elimu kuanzisha shule, wazazi wataumia, kwani wao ndio huanzisha shule. Utapata wazazi hawana uwezo kufikia mahitaji ambayo vipengee vinahitaji. Unapata kuwa kuna sehemu zin…

Asante. Hon. Makali Mulu.

Thank you so much, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I wish to add my voice to this important debate. I would like to start by appreciating Hon. Oluoch for effectively representing his people. The reason why some of these community schools exist is that they serve a very unique group of students, most of whom are in our slums or in areas where our low-income populations reside. You realise that, without these …

exemptions for these unique situations is essential, so that we can still register while appreciating the environments in which the schools operate. In that case, we will create more opportunities for children to attend school. Since education is a constitutional right, we must enable all Kenyan children to enjoy their right to education. We all know education is a powerful equaliser. The more we…

Thank you very much, Members. The time allotted for this Motion is up. I now call upon the Mover to reply. Hon. Oluoch, you may proceed.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. First, I would like to thank all the Members who showed up, contributed, and provided useful insights that I will carry forward to improve the Bill and possibly make amendments in the Committee of the whole House. Allow me to briefly retrace the journey of this Bill. At some point during the 12th Parliament, I was approached by members from Mathare Constituency.…

70 clauses of this particular Bill. We have one of the most progressive and competent legal teams in Parliament. Hon. Temporary Speaker, a number of points have been raised that I need to address, and I want to thank the Members for their contributions. However, I want to reiterate that this is an affirmative measure, entrenched in the Constitution itself. I am not attempting to introduce anythin…

The other issue that came up was raised by Hon. Caroli and several other Members. Hon. Caroli approached me and asked the same question. That the Public Finance Management Act contemplates that public finances can be deployed only to fund public purposes. How will we ensure there is no proliferation of briefcase schools? It is because people think that there will be funding. I challenged Hon. Caro…

I will give you a minute. You will have a lot more to say in the Committee of the whole House.

Thank you. The governance structures will create a community's trust in the Committee of the whole House. It will delimit who can run public schools and must be non-profit making. We must also innovate around housing because they are mostly informal settlements. Some of the social amenities that the housing levy is being used to come up with must include physical and social infrastructure that wil…

Thank you very much, Hon. Oluoch.

[(Question put and agreed to)]

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

I beg to move that the Prevention of Livestock and Produce Theft Bill (Senate Bill No. 12 of 2023) be now read a Second Time. The Bill is co-sponsored. The original Bill was by the Hon. Samson Cherargei, Member of Nandi County. The Bill has been in the halls of Parliament since 2023. It went to the Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock in 2024. It is now two years down the line wh…

[(Sen.)]

address the issue comprehensively through a legal framework with specific provisions to address the challenges at hand. Here is the overview of the Bill. Part II of the Bill provides for the branding of livestock. In this regard, the Bill assigns specific responsibilities to the Cabinet Secretary and the County Executive Committee Member in charge of livestock. Clause 4 obligates the Cabinet Sec…

penalty shall be a term of not less than 20 years. Further, Section 32 provides for the offences under the Act that shall be tried by any subordinate court, as set out in Article 169 of the Constitution. The Bill further gives the courts unlimited jurisdiction to determine matters under the Act. Clause 36(2)(a) of the proposed Bill gives powers to the Cabinet Secretary to make regulations:

Order! Member for Malindi, you are seated on our United Democratic Alliance (UDA) nominated Member from Meru. You are literally seated on her.

No.

No? Are you not? Are you seated in the seat? That is completely out of order. You can be orderly. The seat next to you is vacant. Take the seat next to the distinguished Member moving the Bill. That will be in order, or you move to the next row. Thank you. You may proceed, Hon. Dawood.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Branding is like the number plates we have on cars. It identifies which vehicle is attached to the number plate. We are leaving the branding to legislation, which will be done by the county executive members in the counties. They will propose how to go about it. If livestock from Meru moves up to Samburu, branding will ensure livestock movement is followed up. Th…

to keep a register or logbook showing who they have bought from, to ensure people do not sell stolen livestock and get money that is not theirs. That will assist in a way. The Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, Hon. Kipchumba Murkomen, recently gazetted a few regions as disturbed. The Samburu Governor said that he would not agree with that Gazette Notice. I was surprised …

Hon. Members, before Prof. Bartoo seconds the Bill, take your seats.