National Assembly · Afternoon Sitting

Hon. Members, I have a short Communication to make. Hon. Members, you may recall that on Tuesday, 9th April 2024, I informed the House that the Parliamentary Service Commission was expediting the completion of the Bunge Tower with a view to having the building ready for occupation by Members. I also guided the House that the phased occupation of the offices was to commence on Thursday, 11th April …

On a point of order, Hon. Speaker.

Yes, Hon. Wandayi. Is the point of order on the Communication?

[(Hon. Opiyo Wandayi spoke off the record)]

Okay.

Hon. Speaker, let me thank and congratulate you and, by extension, the Parliamentary Service Commission on this milestone. Having said that, in the past day or so, we have been treated to some fairly negative publicity about the Bunge Tower Project. As a matter of fact, in today’s news, it is prominently covered, and the coverage is highlighting negative aspects of the project. I have also liste…

I hear you. My dilemma this afternoon is that even as we await the official opening of this building on Friday, which we must all attend, how do we assuage the public and address the concerns that are coming from the public about the efficacy of the Bunge Tower project? Thank you.

Hon. Members, the issues being raised by the Leader of the Minority Party… Order, Whip of the Majority Party. Take your seat. The issue being raised by the Leader of the Minority Party has not escaped my attention. Indeed, I have seen and heard Members who are pouring vitriol, scorn, anger, hatred and many negatives on this structure. Hon. Members, when you elected me as your Speaker, I communica…

[(Hon. Silvanus Osoro consulted other Hon. Members)]

[(Applause)]

Yes!

They are working effectively. The offices are ready. Furniture has been assembled in every office and there are some that are still going on. The gym is equipped. What remains is brushing up for Members to start using it. In the transition, there would be Members who may use the gym in the Continental House and those who will go into the new gym. The kitchen and the modern dining are ready. The Co…

vitriol on this process may find themselves before the Powers and Privileges Committee because they are saying things without proof, and which are utterly untrue. The contractor of the building does not owe Senator Cherargei any duty to show him the completion certificate or any other document for that matter.

[(Laughter)]

[(Applause)]

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. To your credit, it appears that we are finally going to occupy this behemoth that has remained with us for some time. In fairness, when issues are raised, I think they are more historical than current. I sit in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) , and I can see that my Chairman is not here. It is important to mention that the issue has arisen before the PAC. My only contr…

Thank you. Mama Zamzam.

Ahsante sana, Mhe. Spika.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I also rise to support my colleagues. It will go into the record that during your tenure, and within the shortest time possible, you ensured that we moved into those offices. I have already occupied my office,

Hon. Omboko Milemba.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I was lucky to be elected by the people of Emuhaya in the 12th Parliament. When we came here, we were told that we would be occupying that building in the next four months. The four months ended and we finished the entire parliamentary term without moving into that building. Therefore, I want to laud the efforts you have made to ensure that those in the 13th Parliament wil…

Hon. Dido Rasso.

Thank you very much, Hon. Speaker. You just need to walk around the Parliamentary Square to see the changes and know that there is a new sheriff in town – from the dining area, all the way to the pavements being done from where we access Continental House. At times, success is about what you can see. Those of us who have been in Parliament long enough, or doing our third terms, have waited for thi…

Can we leave it here so that we can go to the other business? Hon. Members, I want to assure you that we have even set up a digital library for you. You will go to that library and access any book on earth. If you want to read about Leo Tolstoy, Alexander Dostoevsky or anybody else, you will find the books in the digital library. You will be allocated personal parking under the Parking Bay. For th…

Hon. Members, I want to allocate 30 minutes to this Motion. Hon. Nelson Koech.

We will now move to Questions. Today we have the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Ms. Susan Nakhumicha.

[(Loud consultations)]

I have a second question. Can the Cabinet Secretary tell Kenyans whether county governments are paying the Community Health Promoters (CHPs) or they are relying on the national Government only?

Cabinet Secretary, take a minute to answer that. We must move faster. The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Health : Thank you, Hon Speaker and Hon. Members. On the issue of risk allowance to drivers, I think that needs to be determined by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) and then the Ministry will get guidance. On the issue of payment to Community Health Promoters (CHPs) , the nati…

[(Ms. Susan Nakhumicha)]

Hon. Duncan Mathenge. Cabinet Secretary, now you must take a maximum of five minutes per question. Question 086/2024

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I wish to ask Question 086/2024 to the Cabinet Secretary. Could the Cabinet Secretary—

Hon. Mathenge. Hon. Speaker, I have a supplementary question.

Go ahead.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. Going by the explanation given by the Cabinet Secretary, the means testing system is an algorithm that will be applied to an assessment done on households. An algorithm is blind to realities and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is insensitive to real life. Let me give an example of an elderly lady in Nyeri known as Mama Waziri, who is about 87 years old. She lives in a stone …

Thank you. Hon. Sunkuli, you will be the only joyrider there. Give him the microphone. Very well.

Hon Speaker, I want to appreciate the Cabinet Secretary for her determination in setting up this new law. She has exhibited a lot of competencies. I want to ask the Cabinet Secretary to clarify that there are no regulations yet. Tomorrow, she will appear before the Committee on Delegated Legislation to present those draft regulations for passing. More substantively, we have discussed, in the Depa…

Cabinet Secretary, can you answer those short questions in a minute or two? The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Health : Thank you, Hon. Speaker and Hon. Members. We discussed this extensively during the development of regulations. Means testing is a scientific tool that is developed by actuaries and health economists. I also want to confirm that we have CHPs on the ground who know the real and t…

[(Ms. Susan Nakhumicha)]

Esther Passaris, ask both your Questions. Minister, you will take Questions 87 and 88 at the same time. Question 087/2024

Thank you, Hon. Speaker.

Thank you. Esther Passaris, are you satisfied? Thank you, Hon. Speaker. Cabinet Secretary, on H. pylori, I want you to understand that when a woman goes to a hospital or a facility and she is having severe motion, stomach cramps, and pain and she needs to conduct tests, even if she has NHIF, she is going to be asked for some money to conduct that test. If she does not have the money to conduct the…

You are making a speech. Ask your question. I just wanted to know whether the Ministry was considering innovative tax options to enable those unable to afford lumpsum payments to join SHIF. One option could be a tax on power bills or mobile calls because that is the way to make them not feel the burden and to rope everyone in to have the medical cover.

Thank you, Esther. Cabinet Secretary, you hear the passion of the Nairobi Women Representative. Do you agree with her?

Hon. Speaker and Hon. Members. Hon. Passaris is my friend and on many occasions, she has come to bring me ideas on what we need to do at different levels. On the issue of the drugs that treat H-pylori being out of stock at the Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital, we have the drugs at the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA). That is a supply chain issue on how stocks or products move from the KEMSA to …

Hold on, Cabinet Secretary. Yes, Esther. Is there a problem?

Hon. Speaker, with all due respect, during the pandemic, over 300,000 girls were defiled and became pregnant. Since safe abortions are not permitted and the Ministry has not released the regulations on safe abortions and trained doctors on the same, those girls are forced to have children and they end up getting fistula. We should not look at the behavioural circumstances that lead to fistula. Man…

You have made your point. The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Health : Hon. Speaker and Hon. Members, as a woman, I understand Hon. Esther Passaris’s passion on this issue. However, I want to confirm that we are guided by the Constitution as the Ministry. Thankfully, we are speaking in the House that is responsible for making laws. Abortion is currently not allowed in Kenya unless it is determined…

[(Ms. Susan Nakhumicha)]

Last on this is Hon. Wamuchomba, Member for Githunguri.

I am told Hon. Zamzam was on the Floor. Wipe the screen so that I can see who the new interests are. Hon. Beatrice Elachi, do you want to speak to this? Hon. Caroli Omondi? We will start with Hon. Beatrice Elachi. Hon. Caroli, you better log in. I cannot see you on the screen.

[(Hon. Beatrice Elachi and Hon. Caroli Omondi spoke off the record)]

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I rise to support this Bill by Hon. Owen Baya. In the amendments, the Member is requesting us to see the crisis in NLC. Five years have lapsed and the Commission needs five more years to continue with their mandate.

[[Hon. Speaker (Hon. Moses Wetang’ula) left the Chair] [The Temporary Speaker (Hon. Farah Maalim) took the Chair]]

of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development that say one person was fighting to get part of Lavington Primary School. It was then revoked in 2017. If it was revoked in 2017, why are we back again in conflict with the same team? It is like we wait until the end and then come rushing to Parliament. We knew very well that in five years, the Commission would have a crisis. We have waited unt…

On a point of order, Hon. Temporary Speaker. The Temporary Speaker : What is out of order, Hon. K.J.?

[(Hon. Farah Maalim)]

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. As you will appreciate, the last thing I want to do is to interrupt my very good neighbour Hon. Beatrice Elachi, especially when she is making an important point regarding school land in Nairobi. I want to point out that the matter before us on the Floor is weighty; knowing how critical land issues are. Hon. Temporary Speaker, it is on this rostrum that I stand …

Indeed, it is abundantly clear that we do not have quorum. How many Members do we have in here? Five or six? Can you ring the Quorum Bell please. Ring it for 10 minutes.

[(Several Members spoke off the record)]

Hon. Members, there being no quorum, and the time now being 6.41 p.m., this House stands adjourned until tomorrow, Thursday, 18th April 2024, at 2.30 p.m. The House rose at 6.41 p.m.

Clerk of the National Assembly Parliament Buildings Nairobi