National Assembly · Morning Sitting
Wednesday, 25 September 2024
Members debated the chronic problems afflicting Kenya’s sugar industry, highlighting farmer exploitation, lack of licensing, and the dominance of cartels that hinder reform. They called for greater government support, modernisation of processing equipment, and policies that empower small‑scale growers. The discussion combined criticism of current practices with constructive proposals for revitalising the sector. Members highlighted long‑standing neglect of the sugarcane sector and urged immediate government action to support farmers. The debate then focused on the education bursary system, with Hon. Esther Passaris condemning fragmented schemes, delays and inadequate funding that lead to dropout, teenage pregnancy and low self‑esteem, and calling for a unified, capitation‑based funding model to deliver truly free and compulsory basic education. While criticism dominated, there was also praise for the new Education Cabinet Secretary and a constructive push for policy reform. Members debated a motion to improve bursary schemes and move toward free education, praising recent government investment while urging reallocation of funds to the education sector. Several speakers highlighted the need for adequate teachers, infrastructure, and decentralized funding through NG‑CDF, expressing concern that consolidating bursaries could create inefficiencies. The discussion also welcomed visiting students and emphasized the role of Parliament in shaping education policy.
Serjeant-At-Arms, you may ring the Quorum Bell for 10 minutes.
[(The Quorum Bell was rung)]
This is a crisis. We do not have the Whip of the Majority Party and Whip of the Minority Party. We do not have the Leader of the Majority Party and the Leader of the Minority Party. How do you expect to get Quorum? This is bad. Serjeant-at-Arms, let us add another five minutes. Alright, Hon. Members. We may proceed.
[(The Quorum Bell was rung)]
[(The Quorum Bell was rung)]
Yes, Deputy Leader of the Majority Party.
Hon. Deputy Speaker, I beg to lay the following Papers on the Table:
Next Order.
The Member for Likuyani, Hon. Innocent Mugabe, has a question.
Hon. Deputy Speaker, I rise to ask the Teachers Service Commission the following Question: While some counties face acute shortage of teachers, others experience a surplus of teachers resulting to unequal distribution that negatively impacts the educational outcome of students in various regions. This imbalance not only exacerbates regional disparities but also hampers the realisation of the righ…
Hon. Member for Likuyani, you need to read the question as it appears in the Order Paper. You can start again.
Thank you for the guidance. Could the Commission –
This will be replied to by the Departmental Committee on Education. Is the Chairperson here? Any Member of the Committee?
Hon. Deputy Speaker, we have invited the CEO of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) tomorrow to our committee meeting. The question raised is part of what she will be responding to. I ask the Member to make himself available tomorrow so that he can get a response. The meeting will be at 10 O’clock tomorrow.
Hon. Mugabe, you can find out from them the location because sometimes the clerks may not have notified them yet. The meeting is at 10.00 a.m. Next is a request for a Statement from Hon. Ariko Amoit, the Member for Turkana South.
Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I rise to request a Statement regarding the Administration of Equalisation Fund for Projects in Turkana South Sub-County. Pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 44 (2) (c) , I rise to request for a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning regarding the Administration of Equalisation Fund for Projects in Tur…
This will be replied to by the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning. Is there any Member from the Committee? Hon. Ariko is a Member of that Committee. He shall notify the Committee of the same. This is not on the Order Paper but it has just been approved by the substantive Speaker. The Member for Konoin, Hon. Brighton Yegon.
Thank you very much, Hon. Deputy Speaker. Pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 44 (2) (c) , I rise to request for a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock regarding the discrepancies in tea farmers’ annual bonuses in some parts of Rift Valley. It has been in the public domain that there exists a stark difference in the amount of bonuses p…
Hon. Members, there is another Statement by Hon. Dorice Donya which was scheduled for the Order Paper in the afternoon, but because the substantive topic is similar but of different circumstances, I will allow her to make her Statement now. We are also introducing that Statement to the Order Paper. You may proceed, Hon. Dorice. After that, I will give Members a chance to comment on the two stateme…
Fair enough. Hon. Mohamed Ali. Take as few minutes as possible so that the next Member, Hon. Phyllis Bartow may also get an opportunity to weigh in in a minute or two.
Asante sana, Mhe. Spika wa Muda. Ningependa kwanza kumpa kongole Mhe. Esther Passaris ila nitapinga Hoja yake inayosema kwamba pesa zote ziwekwe katika mfuko mmoja. Hiyo ni sawia na kusema ugatuzi uharamishwe. Ugatuzi uliletwa ili pesa ziweze kufika mashinani. Njia moja ya kipekee ambayo inaonyesha vizuri masuala ya ugatuzi ni pesa za NG-CDF. Hizi ni pesa ambazo zinaweza kumfikia mwananchi wa kawa…
ni vigumu sana kuweza ku identify watoto watakaofaidika mashinani. Lakini, ukiangalia NG- CDF na vile ambavyo tunafanya kazi, mama wa chini kabisa anaweza kumfikia Mbunge na Mbunge kufika mashinani kusaidia watoto kupata elimu. Kwa mfano ukiangalia kwangu, eneo Bunge la Nyali, Kaunti ya Mombasa, ni dhahiri ukitembea utatambua kuwa mgao wa NG-CDF unafanya kazi. Kuhusu pesa ambazo ziko na magavana,…
Member for Karachuonyo.
Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I know I have very short time remaining, but I will contribute quickly. We have about five schemes giving bursaries as we speak. When the money that is allocated to them is added or pooled together, it cannot be enough to provide free education. Some money will have to be added. I ask that we look at how the bursary performs. The money given to NG-CDF performs v…
governments. Whatever is being given to them should also be centralised back to the national Government, which will defeat all the purposes of the Constitution 2010. I agree that we need to give free education, but we use NG-CDF to carry out the exercise of giving bursary to students. If we do that, we will allocate money where the problem is. It should not be the Ministry, but on the ground at t…
Member for Moiben, you have 20 seconds, but you can start taking the bite and then you will conclude in the next minute.
Hon. Temporary Speaker, I want to use a study which was done in Trans-Nzoia by Nyakundi and Onsomo in 2023 on the impact of constituency bursary provision on school efficiency: secondary schools in Trans-Nzoia County. Bursary being apportioned to different entities was not a mistake. What we should do is to increase the amount of money. We cannot consolidate everything in the Ministry of Education…
Do you wish to have the balance of your time on another allotted date or have you contributed fully?
I do.
Okay, you will have the balance of your time on the next allotted date for the same Motion.
Hon. Members, the time being 1.00