Senate · Morning Sitting

Clerk, do we have quorum?

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

Serjeant-at-Arms, kindly ring the

Clerk, we now have quorum, you may proceed to call the first Order.

Question No.093

Yes, Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I could not agree more with your ruling, but I am struck by the letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration. I would like to persuade the Senate that the reason why the Minister for Interior is not in a position is because this House found that the former Deputy President was impeachable and was removed. The statement from the …

[(Applause)]

I would like to defend the Secretariat because the letters of invitation to the Cabinet Secretary were done prior to his appointment and also approval by the National Assembly. I believe you have a point with regards to what the National Assembly and this House did in the course of last week. Proceed, Sen. Wambua.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I have listened to Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale. Let me just educate him a bit. Words have meaning. From where I sit, nobody has been appointed to the position of the Deputy President. There has only been a nomination pending--- Sen. Cheruiyot, I live in this world. I am in the same Senate with you. I will insist that words have meaning. Maybe where you come from in Kericho, appointment …

[(Sen. Cheruiyot spoke off record)]

The most important thing would have been for us to ask ourselves - over a period of time now, we have had questions listed for responses. In fact, if you remember and if my memory serves me right, we had to adjourn the sittings last Wednesday because Cabinet Secretaries that were expected here did not turn up. The same thing as happened today. Maybe there will be need for proper communication or …

Hon. Members, I am seeing a lot of interest in having this conversation further. I will allow a few more Members. Proceed, Sen. Mundigi.

Asante, Bw. Spika wa Muda. Nafurahi sana kwa kuwa tunafahamu kwamba tunaye Deputy President anayeitwa Abraham Kithure Kindiki. Nafahamisha Seneta wa Kitui, rafiki yangu anayetarajia kuwa gavana wa 2027, kuwa ni lazima Wakenya wajue ni ukweli kwamba ni yeye mteule na hangeweza kuja hapa kuzungumza kama Waziri wa Mambo ya Ndani na Utawala wa Kitaifa. Kama Kenya, tuko na furaha---

Sen. Mundigi---

[(Laughter)]

Bw. Spika wa Muda, ni vizuri kusherehekea kwa sababu tuko na Deputy President mpya. Wale wanajiita Mt. Kenya West mpaka mkubali tuko kwa serikali ya muungano. Sio serikali ya chama hii au ile bali ya Kenya nzima tukiwa kaunti arubaini na saba. Ni mpaka tukubali yaliyotokea. Mtuunge mkono ili aapishwe. Hiyo ndiyo tunangoja kwa sababu hakuna kitu kingine. Kwa hivyo, Bw. Spika wa Muda, ninaunga mko…

On a point of order, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I am rising under Standing Order No.103 to direct the House that it is a matter of public knowledge and notoriety that, in fact, the subject being brought on the Floor of this House is a subject of court proceedings happening before the whole country. It will be highly prejudicial for us to engage in that debate at this particular moment in time. We…

Order Paper, those questions were not even filed last week. Some of them are as old as six months or a year. It is unfortunate that it takes that long for us to engage with Cabinet Secretaries. One of the things we have tried to do in this House is to stay current. There are many matters that are live right now, including matters in the energy docket. I was expecting to see the Cabinet Secretary …

Thank you, Sen. Sifuna. Hon. Members, a further reminder, as well put by Sen. Sifuna, these are matters which are live before courts of law. If you must comment particularly with regards to non-appearance by the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, be alive to the fact that this is something that is ongoing before a judicial body. Therefore, limit your comments to the extent…

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I agree with the sentiments of quite a number of us, including Sen. Wambua, that the matter before us is being canvassed elsewhere. We are aware as a House that the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, Hon. (Prof.) Kithure Kindiki, has been faithful to his duties because he has been appearing before this House and in quite a number of committees.…

I also agree with Sen. Sifuna because there are many other Cabinet Secretaries who are supposed to appear before us, including the Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport, but they have not. I have some pending questions over that matter. We must register some dissatisfaction over that perhaps to compel these people to appear before this House. It is an obligation that they are supposed to appe…

Lastly, Sen. Maanzo.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, on this matter of appearances by Cabinet Secretaries, it is true that some of these questions are very old and matters are pending in courts. It is also true that other Cabinet Secretaries have been invited, but they have not explained why they are not here. There must be a way of making sure that this House is respected and that questions are answered. I am one of the…

Thank you, Senator. Sen. Ogola, you will be speaking next. Therefore, you will make your comments after the next Order is called out. Clerk, please, call the next Order.

THAT, the Senate notes the Report of the Kenya Delegation to the Extraordinary Session of the Sixth Parliament of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) held at the Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand, South Africa, from 20th to 27th March, 2024, laid on the Table of the Senate on Wednesday, 24th April, 2024.

Hon. Members, when the Motion was on the Floor, Sen. Ogola was making her contributions. You had a balance of seven minutes to conclude on your contribution. You may, if you wish, continue to utilise the seven minutes to conclude on your contribution on this Motion.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, for the opportunity to complete my submissions as I was making them the last time. Before I get to the Motion, I would also like to add my voice to the previous debate. As a Senate, we expect that Cabinet Secretaries, as notified, should appear before the House because we are representatives of the people. I was looking forward to the appearance of the Cabin…

Hon. Members, seems no other Member is interested in making contributions to this Motion. I would like to call upon the Mover of the Motion, Sen. Mungatana, to reply. Sen. Mungatana, please proceed.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to reply to this Motion. I want to thank the honourable Members who have contributed immensely to this Motion. It started last week and today it is coming to an end. I thank Sen. (Prof.) Kamar, Sen. Ogola, and many other Members who spoke to this Motion. I appreciate the invaluable contribution they have made to this Mo…

We had an occasion to spend time with President William Ruto. The President has been selected by the Assembly of Heads of States to spearhead and champion the reforms of the African Union organs. We had a very good meeting in State House where some of the issues that revolve around the reforms that need to take place within the organs of the African Union as per the mandate of President Ruto and a…

countries can come without a visa, so long as they are from Africa. Other countries have not done the same yet, but we hope they will. We believe that as we push these things and as we do our part, trade also will come. So, when we sit in that Pan-African Parliament, we push for these things, that you should be able to go to Angola and do business there and come back in the evening. You should be…

alone is not enough. They decided to create a parliament of Africa and this is when the Pan-African parliament was created. We keep pushing for increased inter-Africa trade movement within Africa and creating a passport for Africa, so that you can move through any country. It should not be as it is now that when you have a passport from the United States of America (USA), you are able to move in …

Thank you, Sen. Mungatana. Pursuant to provisions of Standing Order No.66, the putting of the question is hereby deferred to the next sitting of the House. Clerk, you may now call the next Order.

[(Putting of question on the Motion deferred)]

Chairperson, Standing Committee on Education, Sen. Joe Nyutu or any Member of that Committee, proceed to move the Motion.