National Assembly · Morning Sitting

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I rise to ask the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) the following question: Could the Commission:

The Question is to be replied to by the Departmental

I will talk to the Chairman, Hon. Melly, to give a reply to that Question. Possibly in the next two weeks. Thank you.

Okay, thank you. Let us go to Statements. We have a request for statement by the Member for Chepalungu, Hon. Victor Koech. Are you here? You may proceed.

Thank you. Hon. Deputy Speaker. Pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 44 (2) (c) , I rise to request for a statement from the Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Affairs regarding delays and inconsistencies in the operationalisation and gazettement of various administrative units. The inconsistencies in the alignment of administrative and political boundar…

The Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Affairs will respond to this request for statement.

Further, I also undertake to inform the Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Affairs, Hon. Tongoyo. He is my neighbour.

The Member for Gilgil would like to say something.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I thank Hon. Mandazi for that request for statement. Although it is just for his constituency, so many administrative units have been gazetted over the years. Some date back from 2017, including over ten in Gilgil. Koelel and Kamathatha are examples. There are so many. As the Committee answers with a statement, they can have a general overview of all gazetted units …

Member for Taita Taveta.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I also commend Hon. Mandazi for bringing the issue on the Floor of the House. Indeed, the delay in making them operational has caused a lot of inconveniences in so many ways. We are affected even in Taita Taveta. Some are ready but not operational. We miss opportunities in cases of recruitment and such matters. As the Committee gives answers to those questions, I a…

Therefore, I direct that the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Affairs not only responds to the request of statement by the Member of Chepalungu, but also to all the other administrative units in all the constituencies. We appreciate you for raising this, Hon. Victor Koech. I hope the Table Office will ensure that the clerk of the relevant Committee also puts it on the agenda o…

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. Pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 44 (2) (c) , I request for a statement from the Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Tourism and Wildlife, regarding the disappearance of Mr Brian Makori Odhiambo. Mr Brian Makori Odhiambo of ID No.3072005, who is a resident of Manyani area in Kivumbini Ward in Nakuru Town East Constituency, accessed Lake Nakuru Nat…

Hon. Member for Rarieda, I see you have an intervention.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I only wish to lend my voice and support for that request for a statement, and to add that I am aware that the case of Brian Odhiambo was actually litigated in court in case number E003 of 2025. However, the court came to the conclusion that they could not issue orders of habeas corpus because it was not demonstrated that he was in the custody of the respondent. And…

Hon. Member for Chepalungu, you also seem to have an intervention.

Yes. Thank you so much, Hon. Deputy Speaker. As I rise to support the case of Brian, who disappeared and no one has ever produced him or even have a trace of him, I equally have two cases involving my residents. One is Hilary Muge and the other one is Elvis, popularly known as Elvis Chepkosa. He was here in Nairobi seeking medication and when they were returning home, a figure intercepted them aro…

Thank you. This matter shall be handled by the Departmental Committee on Tourism and Wildlife. Again, like we said, the Clerks-at-the-Table will pick up the other additional information that has been given by the other Members who have contributed. Before I move to the next Order, I wish to recognize the presence of Kiota School from Dagoretti North Constituency, Nairobi County. On behalf of the …

[(Applause)]

I thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I do not want to correct your direction, but I want to seek for a clarification. Hearing Hon. Gikaria's question, it seems like it is a security question and not a tourism question. If they were going to see some animals or trees, it could go to that Committee. But those are disappearances. Therefore, I want to seek your clarification whether that question should …

I think the reason this was initially marked to the Departmental Committee on Tourism and Wildlife is because he was arrested by wildlife rangers, and he was last seen in their custody. Of course, if they took him to court... That is why there was additional information given by the Member for Rarieda and the Member for Chepalungu. They actually raised that it is the other security agencies who s…

Hon. Bernard Shinali.

THAT, the Gold Processing Bill, (National Assembly Bill No. 46 of 2023), be now read a Second Time. Hon. Temporary Speaker, when I introduced this Gold Processing Bill, I did it with the main purpose of creating a legal and institutional framework for gold processing in Kenya. The import of this Bill is to revise the scope and application of the Mining Act (No. 12 of 2016), so as to exclude the ex…

the gold sector in Kenya would enable the country to accumulate a gold reserve and eventually benefit from it. Gold reserves attract foreign exchange, contribute to financial stability, unify exchange rates, and contribute to the global influence a country has. Countries with gold reserves often have regulations governing the exploration, extraction and processing of gold. Those laws, just like th…

Hon. Member for Shinyalu, proceed. Give him the microphone.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I beg to second.

This is a very important Bill that has been proposed by my brother and neighbour, Hon. Shinali, on gold processing. Allow me to start by restating a very well-known fact that Kenya is a very rich country in the amount of gold deposits that are spread across the country. The gold deposits in the country are spread and are not limited to just Shinyalu and Ikolomani. There are many gold deposits in M…

The first chance will go to the Member for Kakamega County, Hon. Elsie Muhanda.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me this chance to put my voice to this Bill. First, I thank Hon. Shinali for coming up with such an important Bill. I come from that area, as I was born in Bushiangala, which will greatly benefit from this Bill. This Bill touches on research and development. Currently, gold mining in Shinyalu, Ikolomani and other areas is being done in a very unstruct…

Very well. The next chance will go to the Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Environment, Forestry and Mining, Hon. Gikaria.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. First, let me thank my brother, Hon. Bernard Shinali, Member of Parliament for Ikolomani, for bringing this very important Bill. As a country where mining has not been taken seriously, what Hon. Shinali has done will go a long way in transforming and regulating the mining sector. I thank His Excellency the President for accepting to have a relevant police unit w…

Hon. Temporary Speaker, our country has vast gold resources. Following an extensive aerial geo-survey, we identified 971 different minerals, 27 of which are classified as strategic minerals, including gold. This Bill proposes amendments to the Mining Act to incorporate those 27 strategic minerals. If enacted, our country will significantly reduce its reliance on borrowing. The contribution of gold…

Hon. Osoro.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I must start by appreciating Hon. Shinali for coming up with such a progressive Bill as far as this very precious mineral called gold is concerned. I speak as a person who has some little interest in that area, with practical experience of what goes on in that business. Running that business is a challenge in itself. Assembling the machinery, people, and everything that co…

I have had keen interest in this business for the past seven years. I know what it takes. I have seen people taking advantage of the lack of knowledge or exposure of our young people in those areas where we have such precious stones. But because I have been keen on this industry, I know that the precious stone is found in Vihiga and Siaya counties. It is not found in large quantities in Migori Cou…

Member for Migori.

Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I come from a gold mining area called the Macalder Mines of Nyatike Sub- county in Migori County. Gold is very dear to me. My house is about five or less minutes’ walk to the gold site in Nyatike. There are so many challenges. I congratulate Hon. Bernard Shinali for bringing the Bill. I support it in totality. It will help us if there will be any amendment…

live and yet, they are forced to apply through a portal. That is a disadvantage to our young people who do mining.

Last year, royalties that

On a point of order, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Hon. Dorice, what is your point of order?

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. You know, she is talking of the licences and saying that she does not understand those people in the county. Just to inform her, they have the committees…

What is your point of order?

I am informing her that through the national Government…

Do you want to be informed, Hon Fatuma?

Okay. Do you want to be informed?

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I did not say I do not understand the county. I said that the county governments are not given the full mandate. So, if she wants to inform me on other areas, I will allow her to inform me.

That would be a fishing expedition because she has already told you what she wants to inform you about. You either accept the information or continue because other Members are waiting.

Let me allow her to inform me. Information is power.

Women are the best. They are wise and appreciate information. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. On the licensing part, the national Government, through their directors who do nothing, has decided to delegate the responsibility to the County Committee on Mining to give licences to the miners. Shockingly, they even do not give the licences to the miners, but to the buyers. Let them do their work a…

Thank you for the information. The bottom line is that the small-scale miners are not protected by the rules and regulations that govern the mining sector. I am requesting the Government to look into the security and the life-threatening conditions that they work under. Like in Macalder Mines, we do not even have lights. Our women, after going through the tiring mining process, retire home and the…

On a point of order, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Hold on, Hon. Fatuma. Hon. Rahim, what is possibly out of order?

Hon. Temporary Speaker, the information Hon. Donya has given is completely wrong. She is misinforming the contributor because the licences are given by the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs and not anybody else. So, why is she misinforming the contributor? It should be expunged, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

I would like to hear from the Chairperson, Hon. Gikaria.

It is true, Hon. Temporary Speaker. It is important to have facts right. For you to get a licence, it only comes from the national Government under the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs. So, the licences that are usually given at the counties are consents for somebody to prospect. If you want to do prospecting of gold or copper, you have to get a consent. However, the proper li…

Hon. Donya, did you say the licensing is at the national level?

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. What I can attest to is that the Member just wanted to speak. He did not listen to what I said, which is that counties have mining committees. True or false? Do they have those committees, Hon. Chairperson?

Hon. Dorice, address the Chair.

Sorry. That is what I said. I connected the national Government and the county governments. So, the Member looked at his watch…

Hon. Dorice?

Yes.

I heard you very well and you had actually said that the licensing is being done at the county level using the delegated powers from the national level. So, the actual situation is what the Chairperson has confirmed, if you agree. You have eaten into the time of Hon. Fatuma. Hon. Fatuma, kindly wind up.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I agree with the Chairperson. What I am complaining about is not where the licences are being processed from but, rather, it is about the duration involved. When a small-scale miner applies for a license, it takes four years. For example, a person who applied two years ago is still waiting! That person applied when it was Ksh20,000, but it has been hiked to Ksh50…

Gold is a very precious item to the rich and even to the poor. I request the Government not to just support the rich investor only. Let it support the small-scale miners because they are the majority.

Hon. Fatuma, if you wish to contribute next time, you will have a balance of four minutes.