Senate · Afternoon Sitting

Clerk, do we have quorum? Serjeant-at-Arms, kindly ring the Quorum Bell for 10 minutes. I am informed that we now have quorum. So, we will proceed with today’s business. Clerk, proceed to call the first Order.

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

[(The Quorum Bell was rung)]

Hon. Senators, I would like to acknowledge the presence, in the Speaker’s Gallery this afternoon, of a visiting delegation of Hansard officers from the Parliament of Ghana, the National Assembly of The Gambia, the County Assembly of Nyeri, the County Assembly of Trans Nzoia and the County Assembly of Nyandarua who are undertaking a training at the Centre for Parliamentary Studies and Training (CPS…

I will request each member of the delegation to stand when called out so that you may be acknowledged in the Senate tradition.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, thank you for allowing me to welcome our visitors. Dear visitors, the reason you see the House is slow to start off this afternoon is because we have lost a colleague of ours. There is a requiem mass that is ongoing. So, most Members of Parliament are out there. Welcome to Kenya, especially those ones from Ghana. Ghana and Kenya draw quite a number of similarities. We are proud …

to them that they should pay for that long throne of 20 feet of pure gold, where the King now sits. That is gold from Ikolomani in Kenya and gold from Accra in Ghana. They stole it from us. You are most welcome.

Next Order.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I beg to lay the following Paper on the Table of the Senate today, 7th May, 2025. Report of the Standing Committee on Health on a Petition to the Senate by Ms. Mercy Jepchirchir regarding alleged medical negligence and staff incompetence which led to the death of Ms. Annita Jepkorir at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital. Thank you.

Next Order.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I beg to give notice of the following Motion- THAT, the Senate adopts the Report of the Standing Committee on Health on a Petition to the Senate by Ms. Mercy Jepchirchir regarding alleged medical negligence and staff incompetence which led to the death of Ms. Annita Jepkorir at The Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, laid on the Table of the Senate on Wednesday, 7th M…

Next order.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a statement from the Standing Committee on Finance and Budget on a matter of national concern, regarding the collapse and liquidation of Imperial Bank Ltd, Kenya. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the collapse of Imperial Bank Ltd in 2016 adversely affected thousands of depositors, many of whom lost access to their life savings and …

Proceed, hon. Senator

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a statement from the Standing Committee on Health on a matter of international concern regarding the suspension of licensing of all foreign medical personnel in Kenya. Mr. Speaker, Sir, before 2014, the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) had a provision for permanent registration of foreign doctors. After …

Statements pursuant to Standing Order No. 56 (1) (b) , the Chairperson Standing Committee on Energy, proceed.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise pursuant to Standing Order No. 56 (1) (b) to make a statement on the activities of the Standing Committee on Energy for the first quarter of the Fourth Session, covering the period commencing 1st January to 30th April, 2025. Mr. Speaker, Sir, during the period under review, the committee held a total of 12 sittings, during which it considered and concluded one inquiry. At…

pending statements have been forwarded to the relevant Senators and are awaiting consideration by the committee. The committee met with the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Petroleum and received submissions from various state agencies on the 2025 Budget Policy Statement (BPS) and Medium-Term Debt Management Strategy. The committee considered proposed policies, programmes, expenditure c…

engaged the Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) and National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) as well as key private sector stakeholders. The committee's report was adopted and tabled on 31st July, 2024 with key recommendations aimed at enhancing public safety, including strengthening safety measures for the operation and handling of LPGs, simplifying the…

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. The Committee on Finance and Budget has a statement under Standing Order No.56 (1) (b) , being our Quarterly Report. It refers to the following: That, under this Standing Order, I wish to make this statement relating to the activities of our Standing Committee on Finance and Budget for the First Quarter of the Fourth Session, covering the period between January and Ap…

The Chairperson Standing Committee on Health.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.56 (1) (b) to make a statement relating to the activities of the Standing Committee on Health for the First Quarter of the Fourth Session covering the period between January and April, 2025. During the period under review, the committee held 20 meetings during which it considered three Bills, one Petition, one Memorandum and follow…

I thank you.

Hon. Senators, before I allow comments on the statements sought, I beseech you that we handle Order Nos.8, 9 and 10, then go back to comments. These are Orders that require a voice vote. We can dispense with them in the next five minutes at most. Clerk, proceed to call those Orders.

[(Interruption of debate on the Statements)]

Clerk, do we have the requisite quorum? Hon. Senator, this is a matter that does not affect counties. Therefore, voting shall be by voice. I will proceed to put the question. Let us go the next Order.

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

[(Question put and agreed to)]

Do we have the necessary quorum? Hon. Senators, this is a matter that does not affect counties. Therefore, voting shall be by voice. I will proceed to put the question. Let us go to the next Order.

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

[(Question put and agreed to)]

Clerk, do we have the requisite quorum?

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

Again, this is a matter that does not affect counties. Therefore, voting shall be by voice. I will, therefore, proceed to put the question.

Thank you so much, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for according me this opportunity to add my voice to the statements that have been raised today, more so, the reports that have been presented on the Floor of this House. We know that we have a political and moral obligation to the Kenyan citizens to raise matters that affect them. I have listened keenly to the various statements that have been read. I have al…

[[The Speaker (Hon. King) left the Chair] [The Deputy Speaker (Sen. Kathuri) in the Chair]]

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, allow me to point out that I am one of those who support the idea that development in any part of this country is development everywhere. Therefore, I expect every Member of this House to support connectivity to the national grid even in marginalised areas, so that we share the national cake as we also share national obligations. That way, everybody will have an equal oppo…

Hon. Senators, kindly note that we are just making comments on the statements. Every Senator will have three minutes to do so. Next is Sen. Wambua.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I cannot argue with your ruling, but that is not procedural. Once a debate has started, you cannot limit it just like that but that is fine.

That is why I said that this is not a debate. You are supposed to make comments on the statements.

Okay, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I will try. However, if I do not make it, I will ask you to add me a minute. I would like to begin by commending the Committee on Energy, especially on their visit to the Thange River last week. It is unimaginable that the people of Thange are still grappling with the consequences of an oil spill that happened in 2015, yet the Government is almost mum on that issue.…

[(Sen. Wambua microphone was switched off)]

Give him a minute, but observe the signs.

I will do so, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. On the matter of the Committee on Health, this team, led by the former Governor of Uasin Gishu County, must begin to deal with matters of healthcare beyond political statements. We do not want them to sit with politicians and come here to report their discussions with them. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we want this committee to carry out inquiries, go into hospi…

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me the opportunity---

[(Sen. Cherarkey consulted loudly)]

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me the opportunity---

[(Sen. Cherarkey consulted loudly)]

I call upon Sen. Eddy to move this particular Bill.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, it is an honour to be back on this Dispatch again. Through your honour, I beg to move that the Creative Economy Support Bill (Senate Bill No.30 of 2024) , be now read a Second Time. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, it is a big honour to move this Bill, because the creative economy is an economy that has been very elusive to our country. It is one of the economies that is gr…

not influence or do not inform the action or inaction of the county or the national Government. Therefore, even though they contribute to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by creating employment, the citizens working in the creative economy, opportunities, both short-term and long term and even sometimes midterm, are still exposed to the vagaries of inadequate public policy. We have seen several p…

Sen. Eddy, you will have to stop there. When the House resumes, you will have 53 minutes to continue moving your Bill.