Senate · Morning Sitting
Wednesday, 26 July 2023
Senator Cherarkey highlighted recent Supreme Court rulings confirming the Senate’s oversight over both equitable shareable revenue and own‑source revenue, and criticised several cabinet secretaries for repeatedly missing Question Time. He linked the Senate’s constitutional role to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, especially universal health coverage, while flagging persistent health service gaps in counties and urging stronger national‑county collaboration. Senators expressed disappointment over the lack of visible development in counties despite substantial funding, highlighting poor roads, water scarcity, and inadequate health services. They called for a robust accountability mechanism to track SDG implementation and resource allocation, proposing a unified reporting tool for both national and county levels. The debate combined criticism of current outcomes with constructive suggestions for improved monitoring and transparency. Senators discussed the need for a robust framework in the SDG acceleration bill, highlighting gaps in data infrastructure, the impact of political instability, and rapid population growth on achieving the goals. The Deputy Speaker praised recent senatorial interventions in local conflicts and emphasized the importance of actionable implementation roadmaps. The debate combined constructive criticism with acknowledgment of positive leadership efforts.
Clerk, do we have quorum? Serjeant-at-Arms, kindly ring the Quorum Bell for 10 minutes.
[(The Clerk-at-the-Table consulted the Speaker)]
[(The Quorum Bell was rung)]
I am informed that we now have the requisite quorum. Clerk, kindly proceed to call the first Order.
The delegation is in the Senate for five days to hold meetings and present their recommendations to their counterpart committee in the Senate. I request each member of the delegation to stand when called out so that you may be acknowledged in the Senate tradition.
Mr. Speaker, Sir, I join you in welcoming the visiting Hon. Members from the County Assembly of Kilifi who are in this House for an important exercise of public inquiry or hearings on the unfortunate happenings at Shakahola that one of the Committees of this House is undertaking. I hope that these local leaders will be able to give proper perspective from the local community on where the misses w…
Next Order, Clerk.
Hon. Senators, we had lined up three Cabinet Secretaries for purposes of responding to questions from Senators. During the Senate Business Committee (SBC) meeting yesterday, we received a letter from the Cabinet Secretary in charge of Labour and Social Protection indicating that he will be accompanying His Excellency the President to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Therefore, he will not be able to be p…
Question No. 020
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I beg to reply. Let me start by thanking my colleagues who contributed a lot in this Motion. They enriched the idea and suggested a way forward that we can embrace as a country, as we face the dangers of climate change. Everybody agreed that it is time we started treating water as a prestigious commodity. In some places, water is more expensive than fuel. All along, w…
Hon. Senators, pursuant to Standing Order No.84 (1) I proceed to make a determination that this matter does not affect counties and, therefore, voting shall be by voice. I will proceed to put the question. Next order.
[(Question put and agreed to)]
Hon. Senators, pursuant to Standing Order No.84 (1) I proceed to make a determination that this matter does not affect counties and, therefore, voting shall be by voice. I will proceed to put the question. Next order.
[(Question put and agreed to)]
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I beg to move the following Motion- AWARE THAT, the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 provides a shared global blueprint aimed at ending poverty, protecting the earth’s environment, climate and ensuring that people everywhere enjoy peace and prosperity; APPRECIATING THAT, the implementation of the 2030 Agenda fo…
other public health calamities and the current strained state of the Kenyan economy; NOW THEREFORE, the Senate resolves that the State Department for Economic Planning, in consultation with the Council of Governors (COG), come up with reviewed implementation roadmaps for the two levels of Government taking into account the shocks that have impeded or any other that are likely to impede the impleme…
[[The Speaker (Hon. Kingi) left the Chair] [The Deputy Speaker (Sen. Kathuri) in the Chair]]
Proceed, Sen. Ogola.
Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise to second the Motion brought by Sen. Mumma on the SDGs. The SDGs were ratification by the United Nation (UN) Member States in 2016 as the Mover stated. They formed what other countries use to prepare the national development plans. Due to the constitutional composition of this country where we have one national Government and 47 county governments, it means the SDG…
I can see a few Senators lined up to contribute. Proceed, Sen. Oketch Gicheru.
Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. It is lovely to see you after a while.
Thank you. Pole sana. I can see something happened to you. I wish you quick recovery, Sen. Oketch Gicheru.
Thank you very much, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I am getting better. I am happy to, once in a while, pop into the House and contribute. It is amazing that we are discussing SDGs this morning. These SDGs are a key framework to ensure that the human index in our country improves, with the ultimate goal of having a happy nation. That happiness is definitely signified by the element of dignity. Mr. De…
Thank you very much, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I am getting better. I am happy to, once in a while, pop into the House and contribute. It is amazing that we are discussing SDGs this morning. These SDGs are a key framework to ensure that the human index in our country improves, with the ultimate goal of having a happy nation. That happiness is definitely signified by the element of dignity. Mr. De…
In the context of Kenya, when SDGs were constituted by the United Nations (UN), I think it was the first attempt that saw a close focus on the problems that we were facing. The Seconder of the Motion, Sen. Ogola, has actually highlighted some of the SDGs that we are talking about. The first one is no poverty, the second is zero hunger, the third is good health and well-being, and the fourth is qua…
As we look at this Bill, one thing that was also lacking that perhaps Sen. Mumma should look at, as she will be working on this Bill, is in the context of stress areas that the Ministry will look at. It is the idea that both ministerial decisions as well as county government decisions must be reliant on the issue of data. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I remember, when we retreated with the National In…
Very well. Next is Sen. (Prof.) Kamar.
Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me the opportunity to support this Motion on accelerating the implementation of SDGs as articulated by Sen. Mumma. I thank and congratulate her for a well-articulated Motion. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, when Sen. Mumma was explaining that, she mentioned two points that I think need to continue to be emphasised. This is about the implementation roadmap; …
[(Interruption of debate on the Motion)]
Sorry, Sen. (Prof.) Kamar. Kindly give me three minutes I execute something, then you will proceed. Thank you.
Sorry, Sen. (Prof.) Kamar. Kindly give me three minutes I execute something, then you will proceed. Thank you.
I can see that the Mover of this Motion is not in the House at this hour. The new regulations of this House require that we drop Motions because you cannot have Motions on the Order Paper and then you do not communicate or request a colleague to move it. Therefore, we are forced to drop such Motions, so that it goes back to the queue. The Motion is therefore dropped. Let us move to the next one.
I can see that the Mover of this Motion is not in the House at this hour. The new regulations of this House require that we drop Motions because you cannot have Motions on the Order Paper and then you do not communicate or request a colleague to move it. Therefore, we are forced to drop such Motions, so that it goes back to the queue. The Motion is therefore dropped. Let us move to the next one.
Sen. Cheptumo is not in this House. Therefore, this Motion is dropped. It will go back to the queue. Next Order.
The Mover is Sen. Nyamu. She is also not in the House and therefore, the Motion is dropped. Next Order.
Hon. Senators, there being no other business on the Order Paper, the Senate stands adjourned until today, Wednesday, 26th July, 2023 at 2.30 p.m. The Senate rose at 12.54 p.m.