Senate · Morning Sitting

Clerk, do we have quorum? Serjeant-at-Arms, kindly ring the Quorum Bell for 10 minutes. Order, Hon. Senators. Kindly, take your seats. Let us proceed with the Morning Sitting. Senator for Kakamega County, kindly, take your seat. We now have quorum, so we will start the day's business. Clerk, you may proceed to call the first Order.

[(The Quorum Bell was rung)]

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for that communication. I just want to go on record and register my disappointment with the Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury and Economic Planning because, if my memory serves

me right, this is the second time that the Cabinet Secretary is failing to present himself before this House to respond to questions by Members. I am disappointed. Let me just go on record and say that it is the height of contempt for this House if the Cabinet Secretary, a former Member of Parliament, can afford to write to you this morning at 9.00 a.m. to say that he is not presenting himself at…

Yes, Sen. (Dr.) Boni.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I am equally concerned. I sit in the Senate Committee on Finance and Budge. The Cabinet Secretary did the same thing to us yesterday only that he was clever by a half in the sense that his excuse was that he was attending the Cabinet. You can see that he was not in Cabinet, he was in a rally. If this Parliament is not going to rise, what is happening in the Broad-Based Gove…

Cabinet Secretary for any community, leave alone the Luo Community. He must serve us equally.

Sen. Sifuna, proceed.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, let me begin by saying that I do not know whether this thing called Broad-Based Government exists. I do not recognise any entity called Broad-Based Government. There is a Government of Kenya Kwanza under the leadership of President William Ruto. Every Cabinet Secretary who serves in that Government serves the Kenya Kwanza Government. I echo what Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale has said, tha…

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read today’s newspapers, data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows that the economy has done the worst since COVID-19. We have lost jobs and salaries and wages have shrunk because of the taxation that has been imposed by this Government. Still, you go to Citizen TV pontificating about the work that you are doing. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we will call out these Cabinet Secretaries wi…

Proceed, Sen. Mungatana.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, when a Cabinet Secretary does not turn up, it is fair for us to have access to that letter. I overheard a conversation that even the letter that was written was addressed to a committee and not the plenary. It seems the Cabinet Secretary is not even aware that he was supposed to be in plenary this morning.

Just for clarity, Hon. Mungatana. The letter is addressed to the Clerk. The reference is the three questions that are supposed to be responded to. Indeed, the Cabinet Secretary was aware that he was supposed to appear this morning before the plenary, but he chose not to appear, giving the reason as an engagement in other official duties.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, let me take it from there. Two of my colleagues have talked about what these cabinet secretaries do when they accompany the President to public rallies. I have heard Cabinet Secretary Hon. Mbadi speak about increasing the allocation of Jaramogi Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital to Kshs3 billion. I have also heard Hon. Opiyo Wandayi speaking about how much money he has put fo…

this country that we approved you as a cabinet minister for Kenya, then you come and tell us about your rural projects. Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is terrible and they must be called to order. I pray that the President watching this will call his cabinet secretaries to order. They are supposed to serve the Republic of Kenya and not their rural constituencies. It is wrong. Tana River County has never ha…

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Mr. Speaker, Sir, let me join my colleagues in contributing to this discussion. I remember yesterday we discussed this matter in the Senate Business Committee (SBC) and this letter did not come yesterday. What happens in the absence of these cabinet secretaries appearing in the House? There is a reason why we requested cabinet secretaries to appear on the Floor of this House. We also have other b…

Bw. Spika, asante sana kwa nafasi hii. Nawapa kongole Maseneta ambao wamemfokea Waziri wa Fedha na Mipango ya Uchumi ambaye ameanza kuonyesha utovu wa nidhamu. Mamlaka imemwingia kichwani. Amekosa kuheshimu Seneti kama Bunge la kuwakilisha raia. Najihusisha na matamshi ya mheshimiwa Mungatana. Kenya hii ina kaunti 47, zaidi ya maeneo bunge 290 na wadi zaidi ya 1000. Makabila yote yamo hapa nchini…

Lazima tukubaliane ikiwa sisi tulio serikalini tunafanya yale serikali inataka. Wale wako katika serikali kufanya kazi wasioheshimu kazi zao, tukutaneni hapa. Siku ambayo watataka tuwasaidie pia sisi tutakataa. Tuone ikiwa watapata hizo fedha. Juzi wamekuwa wakiturai hapa tupige kura ziende mashinani tukakubali kwamba tuko katika serikali ila wale tunaowatetea wanatudharau na kutuonyesha kiburi. …

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Hon. Senators, we have with us the Cabinet Secretary for Education. He has about seven questions. We will be doing a lot of disservice if we eat into the time that the Hon. Cabinet Secretary would have used to respond to these questions. I have heard your frustrations, disappointments and concerns. Indeed, this letter is contemptuous. It does not even indicate the reason why the Cabinet Secretary…

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Move a censure Motion, so that this Senate can regain its respect. The cabinet secretaries can also acknowledge, indeed, that this is a House that speaks for and on behalf of the people. The questions that are supposed to be answered by the Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury and Economic Planning arise from concerns raised by Kenyans, not just you as Senators. Therefore, any cabinet secretar…

Mr. Speaker, Sir, thank you for the opportunity to ask this Question. Welcome to the Senate, Cabinet Secretary for Education. I have three questions. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to ask the Cabinet Secretary for Education the following Question.

Hon. Cabinet Secretary, you may now proceed to respond. Hon. Senators, before the Hon. Cabinet Secretary responds to this Question, we have six questions directed to him. To manage time efficiently, each question will be allotted a maximum of half an hour. The question by Sen. Mumma was raised at 10.00

Any supplementary questions? Proceed, Sen. Mumma.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I have some. Could the Cabinet Secretary indicate whether the Ministry of Education has any collaborative working relations with the State Department for Housing at the national level to ensure part of the housing development units for tertiary institutions, to provide accommodation for students given that these are the most vulnerable individuals who need housing? Secondly, doe…

Hon. Cabinet Secretary, proceed to answer. The Cabinet Secretary for Education : Mr. Speaker, Sir, I can confirm that we have collaborative working agreements with the national Government, through the Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development, to provide accommodation to tertiary institution students using the Housing Levy through the Affordable Housing Programme (AHP) . I…

[(Hon. Julius Migos Ogamba)]

Sen. Mumma, you have had your opportunity. Allow other Senators to ask any other supplementary questions. Proceed, Sen. (Dr.) Boni.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, there has been additional strain on TTIs that have been promoted to become national polytechnics, with special reference to Shamberere in Malava Sub-County and Sigalagala National Polytechnic in Ikolomani Sub-County. While visiting, the President assured us that he was going to put up a number of hostels in those institutions. Mr. Speaker, Sir, could the Cabinet Secretary confir…

Hon. Cabinet Secretary, you have noted down those questions. We will take more, then you will respond at ago. Proceed, Sen. Agnes Muthama.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, first, I would like to congratulate the Cabinet Secretary because when he is invited by committees, he appears. We invited him and he appeared before the Committee on Education. Cabinet Secretary, keep it up so that we do not speak like you have heard Senators talk about the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning. My question is this, how long does tra…

Hon. Cabinet Secretary (CS) , you may proceed to respond. The Cabinet Secretary for Education : Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. The policy of upgrading polytechnics or Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions to national polytechnics is that each county needs to have at least one TVET being upgraded to a national polytechnic. Once that is done, the financial implication…

[(Hon. Julius Migos Ogamba)]

develop and acquire extra land spaces to ensure that these institutions have enough space for expansion. In reference to Sen. Kavindu Muthama's question, in TVET institutions, the trainees graduate using specific stages. There are courses that take three months. These are skills that somebody gains by just being trained for three months and they are given certificates. Others that take two years.…

Hon. Senators, we shall now move to Question No.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I beg to ask the Minister for Education the following Question.

Hon. Cabinet Secretary, you may now proceed to respond. The Cabinet Secretary for Education : Mr. Speaker, Sir, in response to part (a) of that question, the enrolment of learners with hearing impairment in grades one, two and three of lower primary across special schools, integrated special units, and regular mainstream schools from 2022 to date is as follows:

[(Hon. Julius Miogs Ogamba)]

Proceed, Sen. Mbugua.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I have a supplementary question. Hon. Cabinet Secretary, I would like you to tell this House measures that have been put in place to ensure inclusive infrastructure in schools. Secondly, I would like you to explain to us why there is a substantial decline in enrolment from 2023/2024 and 2024/2025.

Hon. Cabinet Secretary, you may proceed to respond. The Cabinet Secretary for Education : Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Ministry is working to ensure that under the CBE, enough infrastructure is provided for in schools, so that we have students with special needs integrated. Up to this time, students go to schools with the facilities to support them depending on the severity of the disability. Where the …

[(Hon. Julius Migos Ogamba)]

Proceed, Sen. Mumma.

go to. Every school should have infrastructure that is integrated to ensure that learners with disabilities in that locality access education.

go to. Every school should have infrastructure that is integrated to ensure that learners with disabilities in that locality access education.

Hon. Cabinet Secretary, you can now respond. The Cabinet Secretary for Education : Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am in agreement that we need to have our facilities with sufficient infrastructure to integrate all our students. In view of the Persons with Disabilities Act that will be assented to tomorrow, these are some of the issues that have been tackled in that Act. Therefore, it will be mandatory for …

[(Hon. Julius Migos Ogamba)]

Mr. Speaker, Sir, on behalf of Sen. Joyce Korir, I beg to ask Minister for Education the following Question.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, on behalf of Sen. Joyce Korir, I beg to ask Minister for Education the following Question.

[[The Speaker (Hon. Kingi) left the Chair]]

I have this Communication to make. Hon. Senators, I would like to acknowledge the presence in the public gallery, this afternoon, of visiting teachers and students from Kamwimbi Secondary School in Tharaka-Nithi

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is not all the time and every time that children come here and find when the Cabinet Secretary is here. With due respect, under Standing Order, No.1, can you request the Cabinet Secretary to go and speak to the children behind the tent? I am especially making this request because this “Kamwemb” School does not have a school bus. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, he can probably…

Did you say Kamwembe or Kamwimbi? Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale, the Senator for Tharaka-Nithi County is Sen. Gataya Mo Fire. You are, therefore, out of order to make those allegations.

Sometimes, there is no need to blow your own trumpet. Now that Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale has come to my aid, I request the Cabinet Secretary to engage with the school, as I am certain they are facing numerous challenges. This is a

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is not all the time and every time that children come here and find when the Cabinet Secretary is here. With due respect, under Standing Order, No.1, can you request the Cabinet Secretary to go and speak to the children behind the tent? I am especially making this request because this “Kamwemb” School does not have a school bus. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, he can probably…

Did you say Kamwembe or Kamwimbi? Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale, the Senator for Tharaka-Nithi County is Sen. Gataya Mo Fire. You are, therefore, out of order to make those allegations.

Sometimes, there is no need to blow your own trumpet. Now that Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale has come to my aid, I request the Cabinet Secretary to engage with the school, as I am certain they are facing numerous challenges. This is a

rare opportunity, given that the school is visiting the Senate while the Cabinet Secretary is present. With the utmost respect to our Cabinet Secretary, I urge you, once this session concludes, to engage with the school. I am confident they will present several pressing concerns affecting them, including issues such as the school bus and other critical matters. I also agree Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale t…

Sen. Mo Fire, Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale is not the Chair to give instructions to the Cabinet Secretary. Therefore, that matter stands as it is. The next Question is by the Senator for Makueni County, Sen. Daniel Maanzo, MBS, MP. I do not know whether there is any other Senator who has been given written instructions.

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Hon. Deputy Speaker, I have been instructed to ask this Question on behalf of Sen. Maanzo, who had to leave. He was present earlier, but had to attend to an emergency court matter. Question No.071

This Motion is trying to achieve only one thing - to fight discrimination when it comes to issuing of bursaries. Who gets the bursary? The person who gets the bursary is that person who probably knows the Member of Parliament (MP) or fills those forms or is in the campaign team of those who are issuing bursaries. So, when we look at it that way, we see that not every child gets bursary. This begs…

FURTHER AWARE THAT, many students in secondary schools and higher education institutions come from financially disadvantaged backgrounds, making it difficult for them to afford school fees and access education opportunities; NOTING THAT, over the years, various interventions have been made, including the issuance of bursaries through the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NCDF), Na…

This Motion is trying to achieve only one thing - to fight discrimination when it comes to issuing of bursaries. Who gets the bursary? The person who gets the bursary is that person who probably knows the Member of Parliament (MP) or fills those forms or is in the campaign team of those who are issuing bursaries. So, when we look at it that way, we see that not every child gets bursary. This begs…

Allow him two minutes, please. Sen. Thang’wa: Thank you Madam Temporary Speaker. Even the Public Finance Management Act supports fund consolidation and accountability and, of course, Vision 2030. What does success look like? One transparent bursary system that is supplementary capitation given directly to the schools. It is even better for children to apply for bursary in their schools rather th…

Hon. Senators, it is now 1.00

The picture coming from those reports is not good. This money that we give as bursary funds is being misapplied and misappropriated in our counties. One of the recommendations we have given is the need to align those bursary funds to the law and consolidate them. Madam Temporary Speaker, some of us went to school through bursary funds when bursary was working. I remember at the university, I was …