Senate · Morning Sitting
Wednesday, 27 September 2023
The Senate resumed a previously interrupted debate, agreeing on a maximum ten‑minute limit for contributions. Sen. Mungatana expressed support for the Primary Health Care Bill but warned that its provisions grant excessive authority to the national Health Cabinet Secretary, risking fund withholding and duplicative bureaucracy at county level. He urged removal of certain national‑level advisory roles to protect county interests. Senators debated a primary healthcare bill intended to devolve services to villages, with Sen. Murgor endorsing its potential to improve maternal and child care. Sen. Onyonka raised several concerns, including excessive governance layers, centralisation of authority over counties, oversight mechanisms, and practical issues such as committee size and residency requirements, calling for amendments. The discussion reflected both support and significant criticism of the bill’s provisions. The Deputy Speaker reported on the compensation status for landowners affected by KETRACO transmission lines, noting the proportion of payments made and remaining deficits. He also outlined Kajiado County’s energy initiatives—including wind, solar, and geothermal projects—and described CSR activities and the Block 14T oil and gas exploration by the National Oil Corporation. The briefing highlighted both progress and outstanding financial gaps.
Clerk, do we have quorum? Kindly, proceed to call the first Order.
[(The Clerk-at-the-Table consulted with the Speaker)]
Senate, none other than Sen. (Dr.) Oburu, to also, under one minute, say a word of welcome in that order. Kindly, proceed.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I join you in welcoming the visiting delegations of students from PAG Secondary School and pupils from St. Augustine Boys’ Primary School. I hope I got the names of your schools right. I also welcome the students from KMTC. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I hope they get to experience Parliament in its live nature. Save for the building of Parliament, there is nothing else that has…
Mr. Speaker, Sir, I also want to take this opportunity to, first, welcome the eminent persons who have been invited or who have come to visit the Senate. Some of them know very well what happens in the Senate, like Emeritus Hon. Ekwee Ethuro, the former Speaker, who was our colleague in Parliament and later became the Speaker of the Senate and the other dignitaries who have been invited. I would …
We did almost everything to the extent that one time when I went to Norway, the Norwegians were complaining that Norway is establishing another colony in Kenya and that this county is no longer called Turkana, but it is now called Norkana and that they did not want Norwegians to continue paying. Mr. Speaker, Sir, you said that I welcome them under one minute. Once again, I welcome the visitors to…
The host Senator, Sen. Lomenen, under one minute, welcome the delegation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for this opportunity. I take this opportunity to welcome students from St. Augustine Primary School, the students from the Medical Training College and our leaders who have been leading us in the past, including Hon. Erastus, the current Principal Secretary, who was also the Speaker of the County Assembly, and Emeritus Speaker of the Senate, Hon. Ekwee Ethuro. I take …
Next Order.
Proceed, Chairperson, Standing Committee on Energy and thereafter to be followed by the Chairperson Standing Committee on Finance and Budget.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I beg to lay the following Paper on the Table of the Senate today, 27th September, 2023- Report of the Standing Committee on Energy on its inquiry into the high cost of electricity in the country. Mr. Speaker, I beg to lay.
[(Sen. Wamatinga laid the documents on the Table)]
Is the Chairperson, Standing Committee on Finance and Budget not here?
Any Member from the Committee, kindly, proceed to lay the Paper.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I beg to lay the following Paper on the Table of the Senate, today, 27th September, 2023- Report of the Standing Committee on Finance and Budget on the County Governments Additional Allocations Bill (National Assembly Bills No.23 of 2023) . Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir.
[(Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale laid the documents on the Table)]
Next Order.
Hon. Senators, I am informed that the two Cabinet Secretaries are now airborne on their way to Lodwar for purposes of responding to these questions. I therefore suggest that we proceed with Order No.8. I believe that by the time we will be concluding this, the Hon. Cabinet Secretaries will be with us and therefore, we will come back to Order No.7. Clerk, proceed to call Order No.8.
Yes, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir.
Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the people of Kakamega County are happy that the Cabinet Secretary has given us the respect to come all the way to respond to this very important Question.
Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale, do you have the response from the Cabinet Secretary?
Yes, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir.
Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. This is a satisfactory answer and I thank the Minister. We are excited to learn that the Cabinet Secretary is pushing for an international bid to attract an investor for the construction of that refinery. Could the Cabinet Secretary confirm that this bid will also involve an attempt to bring in an investor to carry out gold mining? I agree with what he has said …
as a very noble step to further anchor devolution in our country and give an opportunity to residents in counties to interact with their Senators. This is a very good initiative. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, coming back to the Question raised by Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale, I agree with you that I have a lot to say about mining. However, I will limit my statement to the question that has been asked. For part…
Thank you, Hon. Cabinet Secretary for that elaborate response. Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale, do you have any Supplementary Question?
Hon. Cabinet Secretary? The Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs (Hon. Mvurya) : Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. It is true that the Government of Kenya imposed a moratorium on licenses in 2019. The reason given that time was to be able to have an opportunity to organize the mining sector.
Cabinet Secretary respond to that comment. The Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs (Hon. Mvurya) : Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I confirm that we are working to ensure that we have an organized gold mining and refining in Kakamega County and across the country. Right now, we have companies that have been prospecting and some of them will graduate into mining licenses very …
Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. From my screen, I am unable to know who is interested in a Supplementary Question because some of the Members here are not in the Chamber. The Senate Majority Leader.
Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I appreciate the Cabinet Secretary for finding time to come and respond to questions from Members, a couple of kilometres away from the Capital. This is important to us and we appreciate that they found time for this. I have a Question for the Cabinet Secretary. Firstly, I am aware that towards the end of the last administration, for three or so years, the Gove…
Hon. Cabinet Secretary? The Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs (Hon. Mvurya) : Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. It is true that the Government of Kenya imposed a moratorium on licenses in 2019. The reason given that time was to be able to have an opportunity to organize the mining sector.
We have made good progress. First, let me acknowledge that this is the first time the Mining Ministry has been allocated resources to function. Therefore, I want to thank His Excellency the President and Parliament for the allocation. Through that process, we have concluded the geo survey that was happening across the country and found that we have 970 mineral occurrences. These minerals are 47 c…
Stick to one minute because of the time constraints. The Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs (Hon. Mvurya) : From the 970 mineral occurrences across the country, Turkana is a county that is blessed with key minerals including gold in areas like Lolupe, Sasame, Nakwaromu, Turkwel, Turkana South and also Turkana West. We also have an abundance of gypsum in this region. …
Cabinet Secretary (CS) , thank you for your time.