THIRTEENTH PARLIAMENT

Fifth Session

Thursday, 10th September, 2026 at 2.30 p.m.

PARLIAMENT OF KENYA

The House met at the Senate Chamber, Parliament Buildings, at 2.32 p.m.

PRAYER

DETERMINATION OF QUORUM AT COMMENCEMENT OF SITTING

NOTICE OF MOTION

ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF ENDOMETRIOSIS

THAT, AWARE THAT Article 43(1)(a) of the Constitution guarantees every person the right to the highest attainable standard of health, including the right to healthcare services;

FURTHER AWARE THAT the Kenya Health Policy (2014–2030) and the National Reproductive Health Policy (2022–2032) provide a framework for the

provision of equitable, quality and accessible reproductive health services, including addressing conditions that affect the health and wellbeing of women and girls;

COGNIZANT THAT endometriosis is a chronic gynaecological condition that can cause severe pain, infertility and other complications, with significant effects on the physical, psychological, social and economic wellbeing of women and girls;

NOTING THAT while the Ministry of Health has previously undertaken measures to strengthen endometriosis care, including establishing specialized centres, training laparoscopic surgeons, providing laparoscopic equipment and conducting public awareness initiatives, there remains a gap in the collection of reliable national data on the prevalence and burden of endometriosis, as well as in coordinated planning and delivery of comprehensive care;

CONCERNED THAT women and girls continue to face delayed diagnosis and treatment due to limited awareness, misdiagnosis, inadequate specialist capacity and unequal access to appropriate services, with specialist care concentrated in a few facilities and existing health financing arrangements requiring review to ensure equitable and affordable access to diagnosis, treatment, pain management, fertility care, psychosocial support and long-term follow-up;

NOW THEREFORE, THE SENATE RESOLVES THAT, the National Government, through the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with County Governments-

1. 1. Develops and implements a National Endometriosis Management Framework providing for awareness, early recognition, diagnosis, referral, treatment, pain management, fertility care, psychosocial support and long-term follow-up;
2. 2. Strengthens endometriosis services at national and county levels by establishing referral pathways, training healthcare workers, expanding specialist capacity and equipping designated referral facilities to provide comprehensive endometriosis care;
3. 3. Establishes a national endometriosis data and research mechanism, through the Kenya Health Information System and in collaboration with the Kenya Medical Research Institute, to collect, analyse and report data on the prevalence, diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of endometriosis; and
4. 4. Reviews and strengthens the adequacy of financing for endometriosis care under the Social Health Authority, to ensure affordable access to medically necessary diagnosis, treatment, surgery, fertility care, pain management and long- term care.

Next Order.

QUESTIONS AND STATEMENTS

STATEMENTS

THE 126TH NATIONAL BUSINESS LEAGUE ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN ATLANTA, USA

As Kenya advances its digital economy, we must ensure that MSMEs, young entrepreneurs and women-led enterprises are not excluded from this transformation. Access to technology must be accompanied by investment in digital skills, innovation and practical support that enables businesses to adapt and benefit from emerging tools.

The Conference further emphasised the importance of enterprise ownership and economic self-determination. Economic empowerment must extend beyond participation in the economy to include ownership, wealth creation and meaningful involvement in productive sectors. I was particularly encouraged by the connecting a million women in trade initiative under the Women's Global Trade Accelerator. The initiative supports women-led businesses through trade intelligence, capacity building, access to finance, technology, strategic partnerships, policy advocacy and trade facilitation. Women make a significant contribution to Kenya's economy, yet many women-owned enterprises remain small, informal and confined to local markets. We must deliberately create pathways for women entrepreneurs to access finance, technology, networks and export opportunities, enabling them to participate competitively in regional and global trade.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Conference underscored four important priorities for Kenya as follows-

1. (1) Our policies and programmes must support not only the establishment of enterprises, but also their survival, growth and competitiveness.
2. (2) Entrepreneurs, particularly young people and MSMEs must be equipped with skills and tools necessary to benefit from AI and the wider digital economy.
3. (3) Stronger markets and supplier linkages are required to help Kenyan businesses meet standards necessary to participate in local, regional and global supply chains.
4. (4) Chambers of commerce and business associations must be strengthened to serve as effective links between enterprises, Government investors, and international markets.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, Kenya has an energetic and entrepreneurial population and immense potential in agriculture, manufacturing, technology, tourism and the creative economy. Our responsibility is to create an enabling environment in which this potential translates into sustainable enterprises, decent jobs, industrial growth and shared prosperity. Our ambition should be not merely to create more businesses, but to build stronger and more competitive enterprises, not merely to participate in global trade, but to position Kenya as a leading producer, innovator and trading nation.

Thank you.

DELAY IN OPERATIONALISING THE PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, 2005

(Statement dropped) Senator for Isiolo County, proceed.

1. (1) The current operational status of Isiolo Abattoir, the volume of livestock processed to date, the adequacy of supporting infrastructure such as access roads and feed lots and measures to enhance the operational efficiency.
2. (2) The governance and management of the Abattoir, including the process and terms of appointing the operating manager, the due diligence conducted, the recruitment of staff and whether all appointments complied with applicable procurement and employment laws.
3. (3) The sustainability and commercial viability of the Abattoir, including sources of livestock, payment arrangements with livestock producers, the availability of domestic and export markets, measures to ensure sustainable markets and livestock supply, and the potential impact on existing slaughterhouses.
4. (4) Whether the county government has entered into agreements with neighbouring counties on the use of the Abattoir, and the extent to which livestock farmers, traders, residents and other stakeholders were consulted in its operationalisation.
5. (5) The socio-economic benefits expected from the Abattoir, including employment opportunities, increased income for livestock farmers and farms, regional economic development, and the measures in place to ensure the project delivers its intended objectives.

PREPAREDNESS OF COUNTY GOVERNMENTS TO UNDERTAKE SMOOTH TRANSITIONS AT END OF GOVERNORS’ TERM

(Statement dropped)

The Senator for Tharaka-Nithi County, proceed.

STATUS OF KEWI AT CHIAKARIGA CAMPUS IN THARAKA NITHI COUNTY

1. (1) Explain the specific interventions being undertaken to adequately fund or operationalise the KEWI Chiakariga Campus and deliver training and research tailored to the water scarcity challenges in Tharaka-Nithi County distinct from county government projects.
2. (2) Explain the status of all stalled and ongoing infrastructure projects at the Campus, including the funding gaps and projected timelines for their completion.
3. (3) Confirm the budgetary allocation to the KEWI Chiakariga Campus for the Financial Year 2025/2026 and provide a detailed breakdown of its utilization to date.
4. (4) The steps being taken to equip workshops and upgrade training equipment to support practical training, and the measures in place to ensure adequate resources for effective training, maintenance and sustainable operations.
5. (5) Whether there are plans to partner with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), development partners and other relevant institutions to mobilise resources and support the revitalisation and long-term sustainability of the Campus.

Thank you. This is Sen. Mwenda Gataya, CBS, Member of Parliament, Tharaka- Nithi County.

I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53(1) to seek a Statement from the Standing Committee on Labour and Social Welfare on a matter of nation-wide concern regarding the continued delay in the operationalisation of the Persons with Disabilities Act 2025.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, Section 57 of the said Act provides for income tax exemptions and long-term social assistance cash transfers for parents and guardians caring for persons with severe disabilities. Despite these provisions having been anchored in law, they remain un-operationalised, placing an unnecessary financial burden on affected families.

This is particularly concerning given the significant economic challenges faced by families caring for persons with disabilities, including the cost of care and assistive devices. Further, Section 58, subsection (2), provides incentives to local manufacturers of assistive devices, which also require effective implementation to achieve the intended benefits of the Act.

In the Statement, the Committee should address the following-

1. (1) The reasons for the delay in fully operationalising the Persons with Disabilities Act, 2025, including the status of any regulations, guidelines or administrative measures required to give full effect to its provisions.
2. (2) The timelines for full implementation of the Act, particularly the provisions relating to tax exemptions, social assistance and incentives for assistive devices to ensure that persons with disabilities, their parents, caregivers and guardians can access the benefits provided under that law.

I thank you, Hon. Speaker, Sir.

COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE CHAIR

VISITING DELEGATION PARTICIPATING IN THE SENATE INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME

Hon. Senators, I would like to acknowledge the presence, in the Speaker's Gallery this afternoon, of 10 young men and women who are undertaking an internship programme in the Senate.

Hon. Senators, the objective of this programme is to provide young people with first-hand experience in the legislative process, and to expose them to the intricate world of public policy and public service. I request the interns to stand, so that you may be acknowledged in the usual Senate tradition. You may stand as a group.

Now, on behalf of the Senate and my own behalf, I wish you well during the programme and in your future endeavours. You may be seated.

VISITING DELEGATION FROM BARAKA COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL, NAIROBI COUNTY

I would also wish to acknowledge the presence of a visiting delegation of five teachers and 150 students from Baraka Comprehensive School in Nairobi County, who are seated in the public gallery this afternoon.

The delegation is visiting the Senate for an academic exposition. On behalf of the Senate and my own behalf, I extend a warm welcome to the delegation and wish them a fruitful visit.

VISITING DELEGATION FROM LILY ACADEMY SCHOOL, KIAMBU COUNTY

I also wish to acknowledge the presence of a visiting delegation of nine teachers and 130 students from Lily Academy School in Kiambu County, who are seated in the public gallery.

The delegation is visiting the Senate for an academic exposition. On behalf of the Senate and my own behalf, I extend a warm welcome to them and wish them a fruitful visit.

VISITING DELEGATION FROM MARY LEAKEY GIRLS SCHOOL, KIAMBU COUNTY

Further, I would like to acknowledge the presence of a visiting delegation of six teachers and 117 students from Mary Leakey Girls School in Kiambu County, who are seated in the public gallery this afternoon.

The delegation is visiting the Senate for an academic exposition. Now, on behalf of the Senate and my own behalf, I extend a warm welcome to the delegation and wish a fruitful visit.

I will call upon the Deputy Minority Leader to extend a warm welcome to the students and the teachers seated in the public gallery, save for the school from Nairobi County, which I will call upon the Senator for Nairobi City County to do the honours of welcoming them.

As you do that, Senator for Nairobi City County, also extend a word of welcome to the interns who are present in the Senate. You may proceed.

to the visiting students and their teachers who have chosen to visit the Senate today and follow proceedings.

It should be noted by the visiting students and their teachers that this is indeed the ‘upper House’ of Kenya's legislature. This is where we debate and deal with matters that affect devolution. We are the anchors of devolution in this country, and we are trying to do the very best that we can to ensure that devolution succeeds.

When we were young and in school like them, we got the opportunity to visit Parliament once in a while, and we used to aspire to one day be Members of Parliament, and here we are. So, all dreams are valid. They should aspire to get into leadership at a level and take over from us when we retire.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I thank you and extend a warm welcome to them.

(Resumption of Statements)

BUSINESS FOR THE WEEK COMMENCING TUESDAY, 15TH SEPTEMBER, 2026

1. (1) We have 59 Bills pending conclusion, of which 39 are of Second Reading, 19 are at Committee of the Whole, and one is awaiting First Reading.
2. (2) We have 23 Motions pending conclusion.
3. (3) Twenty-five Petitions are pending conclusion by respective standing committees. Of this Petitions, 19 are due for reporting and 593 Statements, pursuant to Standing Order No.53(1), are under consideration by respective standing committees.

From the foregoing, it is evident that the legislative agenda before the Senate is heavy. I urge movers of business listed on the Order Paper to be available in the Chamber to prosecute the same. I also request the party whips to mobilise the requisite county delegations whenever divisions are scheduled in order for the voting to be undertaken.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, at the next sitting of the Senate, on Tuesday, 15th September, 2026, the tentative business for the day will include business not concluded from today's Order Paper as the business indicated in the Notice Paper.

The tentative business for the morning Sitting on Wednesday, 16th September, 2026, will include Questions to Cabinet Secretaries as approved by the Senate Business Committee as well as Motions.

The Questions scheduled include as follows-

1. (1) The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries; and,
2. (2) The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Interior and National Administration. The business of the afternoon on Wednesday, 16th September, 2026, will include business not concluded from Tuesday's Order Paper and the following-
3. (1) Bill at Second Reading - The Artificial Intelligence Bill (Senate Bills No.4 of 2026)
4. (2) Bills at Committee of the Whole-
5. (i) The Health Amendment Bill (Senate Bills No.12 of 2025).

(ii) The Sports Bill, (Senate Bills No.33 of 2024). (iii) The Agriculture Produce Minimum Guarantee Returns Bill, (Senate Bills No.17 of 2025).

(iv) The National Construction Authority Amendment Bill, (Senate Bills No.15 of 2025).

1. (v) The Autism Management Bill, (Senate Bills No.19 of 2025).

(vi) The County Government Laws Amendment Bill, (Senate Bill No.14 of 2025). (vii) The Referendum Bill, (Senate Bills No.3 of 2026). (viii) Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill (National Assembly Bills No.61 of 2022).

1. (3) Motions
2. (i) The Rising Cases of Student Unrest, Arson and Insecurity in Schools in Kenya.

(ii) The Implementation of Section 39(k) of the Basic Education Act in the Provision of Sanitary Towels. The projected business of Thursday, 17th September, 2026, will include business not concluded from the Order Paper for Wednesday, 16th September, 2026, and any other business scheduled by the Senate Business Committee.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I thank you and hereby lay the Statement on the Table of the Senate.

NOTICE OF MOTION OF ADJOURNMENT ON DEFINITE MATTER OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE UNDER STANDING ORDER NO.37 ESCALATING INSECURITY, BANDITRY AND INTERCOMMUNITY VIOLENCE IN PARTS OF NORTHERN KENYA

to other affected parts of Northern Kenya, including West Pokot, Marakwet, Samburu, Isiolo, and Marsabit counties, where recurrent armed attacks and cattle raids continue to threaten the lives and property, livelihoods, and freedom of movement of Kenyan citizens.

Thank you.

government after government. That is why we look forward to a change so that the Kenyan economy and all communities can be run better, with equal opportunities for everybody. We are losing a lot of business in terms of getting meat exports from Kenya. One of the sure ways of doing it is making sure that meat is flown from the area where it is prepared, especially when it is prepared for the Islamic countries in a manner they like as prescribed by their religion. Therefore, I support that statement too, so that we can get economic benefit out of it.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I support.

petition at the National Assembly. It is a medical condition; I do not know why people are surprised.

When we look at the issues of PWDs, where is the problem? We know the challenges that they face, such as economic issues, access to different institutions and many other matters that appertain. We do not have maximum distribution of these regional offices, where people do not need to travel to the city to get these services. Sometimes even the inadequacy of the cards required for them to access different services are a challenge. Most of these offices should be devolved. Where is the problem? Parliament passed this Bill. Who is not doing their job? I could be wrong, but the policy and framework, the regulations that need to govern this Act should be in place. Who is supposed to do that? Apparently, as Parliament, we are the ones mandated with responsibility. Are we the ones still not doing our part? Who needs to do their part? As legislators, as our role pertains, we have the mandate of representation, legislation and oversight.

Legislation has been done; the Bill has been passed. Where is the gap and who is not doing their part? It is a question that we need to ask ourselves and tell Kenyans the truth. At times, we try to assert a lot of pressure, probably at the county level, Parliament, Judiciary and Executive, but specifically, who is not doing their part?

I want to challenge the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, where former Governor for Machakos, Hon. Mutua sits, to look into these issues of our people with disability. We should not, at this time in 2026, be discussing challenges that PWDs are still facing. We all know. We do not need science or a calculator to understand what is cutting. It is a high time that the people mandated, from the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection to do their part. Let them do what they are supposed to do.

I have a few minutes to just also briefly comment on the Statement tabled on behalf of Sen. Dullo. The Statement concerns the Isiolo abattoir, where she is questioning much more in terms of the facility, how much has been put in its establishment, and why the facility is not functioning.

Matters agriculture cut across. Agriculture is the backbone of this country. I have a Bill that is almost being concluded. I urge the Chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries to speed it up so that some of these issues can come to a conclusion. I have a very good Bill which I know is now going for mediation. It will be one of the Bills that the Senate will take pride in. I will be happy to go into history that at least this Bill came to light.

I support.

should be accessing as a PWD. This is just one of the few cases where we have PWDs across the country who are not even assessed by doctors so that they can have the cards to show, to access the facilities that they should be having. Even getting the cash transfers for many of them is really a big issue.

The law is very clear that even the caregivers of the PWDs who are staying with them, some of them being parents and relatives, should also be given cash transfers to facilitate them. This is because many of these mothers or even relatives cannot even leave them to go and work. These people stay at home to take care of the PWDs. The Government has a responsibility to facilitate them and to give them some cash transfers so that they can also motivate them to continue taking care of the PWDs.

When one meets some of these PWDs, they are very stressed because they cannot defend or do anything for themselves, and so they stay there waiting for the mercies of God. It is a high time the Government, and especially the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, takes action. I question and call upon CS Hon. Mutua to come forward and act on behalf of the PWDs.

Also, on the Statement from Sen. Dullo about agriculture, most of the farmers work very hard to bring forward produce, even from animals such as goats and cows. They get very little from their input, because middlemen go buy their produce; their cows and then sell them on their behalf because they cannot access markets. It is a high time that the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries also intervenes for our farmers so that they can get exactly what they have been labouring for as concerns their produce. That will motivate them to continue giving us food security and everything that is needed for our country, and even outside markets.

I support.

has about 60 million animals, especially sheep, goats and cattle. We cannot even export meat.

Hon. Speaker, in Somalia, every month they export four million animals. Just imagine the kind of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) that people are making. A failed country like Somalia is able to export four million animals per year to the Arab lands, but because of that kind of neglect, our farmers are rendered to keep animals, just trying to get their market for their animals.

If I come back to the business of the abattoirs, there are four export abattoirs that were constructed a long time ago, 15 years ago. One is in Isiolo. That is where Sen. Dullo is talking about. That abattoir is actually an international one. It is able to meet all the standards required to export our meat. Wajir also has one. In Isiolo, we have an international airport that can take that same meat fresh and fly it to any part of the Middle East in three or four hours. Wajir also has an international airport. Maralal has an abattoir. Garissa has one.

However, they are all idle. Those abattoirs have been constructed under borrowed loans from the African Development Bank (ADB).

When devolution started, governors invested in these abattoirs to improve standards. However, up to now, it remains a tall order. The abattoirs remain white elephant projects, yet we have spent so much money setting them up. People cannot take our animals anywhere. There is surplus meat. We cannot take care of all the animals that we have. In Kajiado, there are many animals. The Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) is just exporting. Wajir, Garissa and Turkana also have many animals. Almost 10 million Kenyans depend directly on these animals. It is the livelihood and mainstay of the population. This is a lifestyle.

As we speak, we have a shortage of milk in this country. Today in Nairobi, you cannot get milk, it is rare. It is not that we do not have animals. It is just poor and careless planning by the eadership. Therefore, it is high time that we took action. If this country is to improve, we need to take care of our animals. We need to improve our animals so that every month we can export thousands of animals to the Middle East, which is actually just a three hour flight from here. Twenty six percent of the meat that we consume comes from Somalia and Tanzania. This is very unfortunate. We have animals, but we do not care or mind about them.

Honourable Speaker, with those few remarks, I beg to support the Statement.

a situation where we pass laws for PWDs, but leave them on paper. It is really unfortunate. The PWDs should not have to lobby repeatedly on these rights since Parliament has already legislated on them. Many families are carrying this burden, for example, on wheelchairs, walking frames, white canes, hearing aids. Also, the medications are very expensive. We also need to look at VAT and the exemptions. Have they been given the exemptions yet? That is why we are crying foul.

In addition, the caregivers should also be taken care of. What I do not understand is that we cannot continue to celebrate legislation while mothers, fathers, spouses and families are carrying the burden of the disability, and are left to struggle alone.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I thank you. I support the Statement.

unconstitutional is because this House has ceded that power to the Executive and we are only concerned about the process. Therefore, we must call the Cabinet Secretary responsible to ensure that regulations under the Persons with Disabilities Act are brought to Parliament and implemented.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, this problem goes beyond that Act that Sen. Sifuna cited. Even in the fisheries space, for those of us who come from the Blue Economy regions, the regulations under the Fisheries Management and Development Act have taken too long. We passed that law in 2016 in this House and I was present, but it took long for the regulations to come out. By the time the regulations were coming out, they were in conflict with the functions of county governments.

When you go to the lake today, for you to operate a single boat as a fisherman, you pay licenses to the national Government, the county government and to other regulatory bodies that have forgotten that their job is to ensure a level playing ground that they have become revenue collectors. For you to put up a fish cage in Lake Victoria, you have to pay a levy to the county government, another to the national Government, the other to the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), and a plethora of regulators; again, who have become tax collectors.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, today, every regulator has converted their core business to tax collection, be it NEMA or KEBS, every single regulator today wants to have a fund for collection of levies. Even in the procurement space, there is a new levy that has been imposed on Government contracts called the capacity building levy. This is so that for every Government contract, there is a percentage that goes to a capacity building levy and then goes to the Public Procurement Oversight Authority (PPOA). Regulators should not be tax collectors. Regulators should not be small Zakayos in this economy, because they make life very difficult for people.

Under the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) Report and the conversations that happened during the formation of the broad-based Government, one of the issues that was prioritised was amendments to the Statutory Instruments Act. We processed certain amendments in this House. I believe this country also needs an honest assessment, that once we set up a marking scheme, or once we set up certain targets and objectives – for example the 10-point agenda that sealed this broad-based government – we should not deviate from the 10-point agenda under the broad-based arrangement and come up with new targets when those ones have not been achieved. Of course, it is good to plan ahead beyond Vision 2030, and to plan for Vision 2060, but what about the short-term goals and commitments that we made under the 10-point agenda? If we focused on that and if we stayed true to that, we would be able to deal with these problems of rogue members of the Executive who think that they are the lawmakers and yet, it is this House and our sister House that has been given that power by the public. I therefore condemn the Ministry, and I hope that the relevant Committee that is going to process this matter will take it seriously.

Perhaps, this should go to the Committee on Labour and Social Welfare. We must say the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection in this country has let this country down. When there is an industrial dispute, it is the role of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection to convene parties. When nurses are on strike for 41 or 43 days without

a resolution, it is not just a failure by the governors, the President or the Health Ministry, but it is a total failure by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection and the labour movement. This is because in industrial disputes, it is the Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection who convenes the parties. He is the one who becomes an arbitrator.

Therefore, when people are dying for 43 days and we are not hearing any statements, national commitments or national communication, no sense of urgency from the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection; we are just seeing the Cabinet Secretary flying planes while our people are dying, our mortuaries are filling up and there is no sense of urgency. I know we have bashed the Ministry of Health, the Cabinet Secretary, Hon. Duale, the President and the governors, but the existence of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection is to ensure that industrial relations are maintained in a manner that provides some positive benefits to the economy.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I hope that this House will seriously take the issue of regulations that need to be enacted under the Persons with Disabilities Act. The House may call the Cabinet Secretary to a Committee of the Whole, because this is a matter that touches on the soul of this country. This matter touches on the Constitution. That is an Act of Parliament that was clearly stated in the Constitution, that Parliament shall enact legislation to give effect to it. If the Executive does not come up with regulations to give effect to it, the Executive is guilty of abuse of the Constitution. When you abuse the Constitution, then you are impeachable.

I thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I will move swiftly to the issue of the PWDs Act and the lack of its implementation. You are aware that this matter is very close to my heart. It has been over a year, in fact, close to a year and a half since this law was passed and assented at State House. It was passed in May, 2025, and since then, nothing has been done to breathe life into this Act. Unfortunately, even though there is a lot of interest, and I am glad that the Senator for Nairobi City continues to have personal interest as the Senator for Nairobi and also as the leader of a very popular movement in the country whose focus

is to implement the letter of the law, this law is very clear on tax exemptions for PWDs, their parents and caregivers.

I want to give an update to the country as well as to Members of this House on how far and why there are bottlenecks that law is experiencing so far. It has been requested by Senators to understand why this Act has not been operationalised. I confirm and inform the House that the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD), together with the support of my office, has been in consultations with the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), the Ministry of Health as well as the Attorney General's office to sit down and negotiate on the policies that need to be regulated on.

I will go specifically to the issues that we have been talking about. We have now concluded the review of the comments on the regulations. Two regulations so far; the registration and adjustment orders have been agreed on by the entire committee I have just mentioned that is tasked with operationalising this Act.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, on tax exemption, there are two types. There is the tax exemption of people with disabilities themselves of income tax; as well as tax exemptions now through the PWDs Act for parents and caregivers of people with disabilities, who carry a huge burden of taking care of these vulnerable groups. On tax exemptions, we have agreed to consolidate the two proposed regulations into a single regulation, since the process involved is essentially the same to exempt people with disabilities and their families. However, we were unable to reach consensus on three key areas that affect people living with disabilities.

The amount allowable for tax exemption is the first. The KRA has proposed Kshs150,000 as the threshold for individuals and Kshs30,000 only for parents and caregivers as the threshold. The plenary has opposed this proposal and maintain the position of Kshs500,000 to be the threshold for exemption of both individuals with disabilities and their caregivers. A total of Kshs30,000 for a mother, father or a caregiver with disability is not enough. You have heard me and other Members in this House talk about the burden and heartache that families have to go through, which are fundamentally monetary.

The second part is additional specialists’ reports. That is the second issue on the table. The KRA has proposed requiring PWDs to submit specialists’ reports in addition to medical assessments that are already undertaken by specialists for PWDs. The panelists have opposed this requirement, noting that requiring additional reports will create an unnecessary burden, where necessary specialists’ assessments have already been conducted by medical practitioners across the country.

The third issue is the disability percentage bands. The KRA has proposed introducing different tax exemption bands based on the percentage of disability or severity. The Council and the panel have strongly opposed this proposal.

There was, therefore, no consensus on these three issues that I have summarised. The resolution from the panel was that our top leadership should engage the National Treasury to negotiate further on all these three issues, preferably before the end of this year in order to prevent further delays. This means that the timeline for public participation will have to be adjusted and delayed again until these engagements are

heard and concluded. The draft regulations cannot be submitted to us without consensus on these issues that I have laid out.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to plead that the panel that I have just mentioned has to sit down and do this work, because it has been over a year and four months now. We are now getting to the end of 2026. There are over eight million PWDs in this country. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 15 per cent of Kenyans are PWDs. If they do not have Identification Cards (IDs) like Sen. Cherarkey properly said, they cannot get disability certificates. If they do not get IDs, they cannot get voters cards. If they do not get IDs and they are not counted, they cannot enjoy benefits that are provided for in this Act.

I want to persuade, urge and appeal to every single person involved in the process of the regulations coming to life to just do their part. It is not possible that legislators toil and sweat in this House to push a Bill until it becomes an Act of Parliament, and then they are still required to midwife implementation of the said the Act. It should not be us, in Parliament, pushing implementers to do their work. That is unfair not on anyone else apart from PWDs, who this Act has been passed to support. Someone said here that we need to find out whose fault it is, and we have mentioned who is charged with this mandate.

However, words are very powerful. I want to finish by saying this. Words are very powerful. There is one person in this country, the Head of State, who can and has the power to give a directive for this Act and its implementation to be prioritised. It can just take one word from President William Ruto to have this prioritised and fast-tracked, so that we, in this session, are satisfied that our people in each and every county are being supported by the PWDs Act.

Last week, the President gave a directive on smallholder traders and, seven days later, you saw action. Imagine what would happen if the President said this Act must be prioritised. Imagine what would happen if the President said he wants in the next three months to have life breathed and the framework for this Act to be sitting in Parliament so that it can be reviewed and passed and PWDs enjoy what they are rightfully supposed to through this Act.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, my appeal is to the President directly. We have done our job. I pray that you also do yours.

I thank you.

COMMUNICATION FROM THE CHAIR

USE OF UNPARLIAMENTARY LANGUAGE BY SEN. OKIYA OMTATAH

Hon. Senators, as you will recall, during the afternoon sitting of the Senate held on Wednesday, 9th September, 2026, while commenting on the Statement sought by the Senator for Nairobi City County, Sen. Edwin Sifuna, MP, regarding the living conditions of refugees at Kakuma Refugee Camp and across the country, the Senator for Busia County, Sen. Okiya Omtatah, MP, stated as follows–

“The roadside pronouncements by the President first of all violated the Constitution, Article 135; that does not allow the President to go yapping around and saying things that have not been approved.” Pursuant to Standing Order No.101, the Senator for Nandi County, Sen. Samson Cherarkey, MP, rose on a point of order drawing the attention of the Speaker to Sen. Omtatah’s use of unparliamentary language. In the point of order, Sen. Cherarkey argued that the use of the word “yapping” was unparliamentary and inappropriate with reference to His Excellency the President.

In support of the point of order, the Senator for Mombasa County, Sen. Mohamed Faki, MP, submitted that the word “yapping” was unparliamentary. The Senator referred to Google Dictionary definition of the term as ‘talking too much about unimportant, trivial and uninteresting things.’

Standing Order No.101(3) states as follows- “It shall be out of order to use offensive or insulting language whether in respect of Senators or other persons.” Guided by the foregoing provision, the Temporary Speaker then, Sen. Abdul Haji, MP, considered the point of order raised by Sen. Cherarkey, and determined that the use of the word “yapping” was indeed unparliamentary. He consequently directed Sen. Omtatah to withdraw the expression and substitute it with a more appropriate and parliamentary expression.

Hon. Senators, during the course of the proceedings, however, and before Sen. Okiya Omtatah, MP, could comply with the direction issued by the Temporary Speaker, Sen. Mohamed Faki, MP, pursuant to Standing Order No.41(1), drew the attention of the Temporary Speaker to the absence of quorum in the Senate. The Temporary Speaker, having counted the Senators present and confirmed that indeed there was no quorum, caused the Quorum Bell to be rung for 10 minutes. There being no quorum at the expiry of the 10 minutes, the Temporary Speaker adjourned the Senate.

Having regard to the foregoing and noting that the proceedings were interrupted by the absence of quorum, I now invite Sen. Andrew Omtatah to withdraw the expression and apologise. I also caution the Senator that failure to comply with the direction shall amount to gross disorderly conduct within the meaning of Standing Order No.122(1)(a) and (b), and the sanctions of Standing Order No.122(2) shall apply.

Sen. Omtatah, you may proceed.

Unless the stranger is out of the House, I will not accommodate any points of order.

(Sen. Okiya Omtatah walked out of the Chamber following an order by the Speaker) Next Order, Clerk. (The Clerk-at-the-Table consulted with the Speaker) Sen. Kavindu, I know you have a pending Statement that you need to make pursuant to Standing Order No.53(1). You may proceed.

I will come back to you, Senator for Homa Bay and Senator for Nairobi City County.

(Resumption of Statements)

STATUS OF MACHAKOS COUNTY APPROPRIATION BILL, 2026

1. (1) The impact on the delay of the payments of salaries and other statutory obligations and the measures in place to safeguard county employees from undue financial hardships.
2. (2) The effects of the impasse on ongoing roadworks, garbage collection services, the Integrated County Revenue Management System, and other essential county services.
3. (3) The status of funding for bursaries that were required to fund the Machakos Youth Service, Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE), and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes, and the measures in place to ensure continuity of these programmes.
4. (4) The measures in place to ensure continued implementation of development projects and fulfilment of the county government's existing contractual and financial obligations.
5. (5) The interventions by the National Treasury and the Controller of Budget and other relevant institutions to resolve the impasse and ensure that public funds are accessed and utilised in accordance with the Constitution and the applicable laws.

POINT OF ORDER

MANAGEMENT OF PROCEDURAL MATTERS WHEN THERE IS NO QUORUM IN THE SENATE

House has no quorum are comments that should attract the wrath of the Speaker. Let us ask ourselves whether we want to be like the other House, that pulls the nuclear card.

As I conclude, if you watch the proceedings of the South Afirican Parliament--- I want to thank you, because you have sent me to represent you at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) meeting that will be held in South Africa. If you see the way the Malema’s operate in that House, if you were to pull the nuclear option, there would be nobody remaining in that House.

So, I just wanted to urge restraint. Sen. Omtatah was in the process of apologising. I am not his advocate, but I might find myself in a similar situation. I pray that I will not be thrown out. I just urge restraint, and we should not pull the nuclear card every other time that Members are out of order.

Instead of the Hon. Senator proceeding to withdraw, he started to give a lecture basically trying to mitigate his use of un-parliamentary language. When I intervened, the Hon. Senator decided to go on an exchange with the Chair, again contrary to and breaching our Standing Orders.

Hon. Senators, if the Chair will allow you to go on an exchange, we are not going to have a Senate. That is a conduct that happens in a bar, to say the least. If the Speaker is speaking, the honourable thing to do is to take your chair, take your seat, listen to the Chair, then you can resume to speak and explain yourself. I was very lenient, Hon. Kajwang’ – extremely lenient to Hon. Okiya Omtatah. When I was speaking to him, he chose to engage me with threats, and you do not threaten the Chair if you read the Standing Orders. We gave ourselves these Standing Orders, and we have to respect them. You may not respect me, but respect the Standing Orders that you, yourself, took part in formulating and adopting. Please respect your own Standing Orders.

You have raised the issue on whether that word was uttered when the Senate was properly constituted, and my response is that indeed those words were uttered when the Senate was properly constituted. As you are aware, unless a Member raises the issue of quorum, proceedings will continue, and will be deemed to be proper proceedings.

So, the Hon. Okiya Omtatah uttered this word when the issue of quorum had not been raised. It was raised by the Senator for Mombasa County after he had been asked by the Temporary Speaker to withdraw that word. That is when the issue of quorum was raised, and subsequent to that, there was an adjournment. So yes, the word was uttered when the Senate was properly constituted, and the proceedings were legal. Therefore, the Temporary Speaker made the right calling by asking the Hon. Member to withdraw that un-parliamentary language.

Now, Senator for Kakamega County, you know exactly what you need to do if you feel that these Standing Orders amount to gagging your freedom of speech. We can review them, but as long as these are the Standing Orders that you, yourself, passed, as the Chair, my duty and the oath that I took obligates me to ensure that I do not breach these Standing Orders and the Constitution. The same applies to all Members of the Speaker’s Panel. So, if you feel that it, in a way, tends to infringe your freedom of speech, you know exactly what to do. They are not cast in stone. We can review them to conform to the comforts that you dearly hold.

So, Hon. Senators, the sum total of all this is we have Standing Orders, let us just respect them. If we do that, we will have a wonderful session day in, day out.

Next Order.

parliamentary, but the context in which it was used in regard to Standing Order No.101 is what is un-parliamentary?

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I just wish you could clarify a little bit for the sake of future debates in this House. To me, the Standing Orders are very clear in the sense that you cannot use slang to demean the conduct of the President, a Judge or the Speaker in that case. However, does the word “yapping” in itself become unparliamentary, or is it the context that was used?

Mr. Speaker, Sir, recently, there was a day that you excused a word which was used by the distinguished Senator from Nairobi City County. I am still trying to remember the word. He was also referring to a particular matter. So, could you kindly clarify, so that when we debate on matters, we know how far we can go with slang, given that ‘yapping’ is an English slang. We are referring to a matter that touches on the conduct of the President, which is prohibited by Standing Order No.101.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

(The Clerk-at-the Table consulted the Temporary Speaker)

COMMUNICATION FROM THE CHAIR

VISITING DELEGATION FROM GETHSEMANE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY, MFANGANO ISLAND

Hon. Senators, we have a Communication from the Chairperson of the Visiting Delegation of teachers and students from Gethsemane Christian Academy, Mfangano Island.

Hon. Senators, I would like to acknowledge the presence of a visiting delegation of six teachers and 50 students from Gethsemane Christian Academy, Mfangano Island, in Homa Bay County, who are seated in the public gallery. The delegation is visiting the Senate for an academic exposition.

On behalf of the Senate, and on my own behalf, I extend a very warm welcome to the delegation that is coming from a very far county, Hom Bay County, and I wish them a very fruitful visit.

I thank you. I would like to request your Senator to proceed and welcome you.

The first three kilometres section starting from Sena is being tarmacked. I want to assure our children, because many of them come from fishing families, that Cabinet Secretary Joho will soon be visiting the island for us to roll out a blue economy master plan. This is aimed to ensure that the lake can put money in the pockets of our parents the same way tea is putting money in the pockets of parents in Mt. Kenya, or dairy in the pockets of farmers in Nandi and in Narok. I want to assure our children that in our conversations with the President, we are concerned about the insecurity in the lake, and we will continue to give effect and provide budgetary support to the Kenya Coast Guard to ensure that our lake is safe.

I want these children to go back knowing that the first petition in this Senate was one regarding the people of Mfangano. It was a petition for the provision of a free ferry, and this Senate has delivered. When they go back home, they need to report to their parents that the Senate works to protect not just the interests of counties, but also the interests of people who have been marginalised.

Over the years, Mfangano has been a hardship zone. Very soon, we want to turn it into a beautiful island, like the Sicilian Islands or the islands of Europe. Some of them are much smaller, some are less marvellous, some of them have bad weather, and yet we have that sleeping giant, the sleeping beauty called Mfangano. That should be the focus of the Vision 2060 that William Ruto is working on. That should be the focus of the negotiations that we are having with President William Ruto about the next elections and about the future of this country.

Madam Temporary Speaker, I will talk to the students outside, and I know that my friend Ledama Olekina and Sen. Cherarkey will also join me so that when these children travel back 400 kilometres away, by road and by lake, they will be inspired. One day, when they grow up, they will be like the great Cherarkey, the great Ledama, or like the great Karen Nyamu.

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

NOTICES OF MOTION

ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF ENDOMETRIOSIS

Madam Temporary Speaker, Sir, I beg to give notice of the following Motion-

THAT, AWARE THAT Article 43(1)(a) of the Constitution guarantees every person the right to the highest attainable standard of health, including the right to healthcare services;

FURTHER AWARE THAT the Kenya Health Policy (2014–2030) and the National Reproductive Health Policy (2022–2032) provide a framework for the provision of equitable, quality and accessible reproductive health services, including addressing conditions that affect the health and wellbeing of women and girls;

COGNIZANT THAT endometriosis is a chronic gynaecological condition that can cause severe pain, infertility and other complications, with significant effects on the physical, psychological, social and economic wellbeing of women and girls;

NOTING THAT while the Ministry of Health has previously undertaken measures to strengthen endometriosis care, including establishing specialized centres, training laparoscopic surgeons, providing laparoscopic equipment and conducting public awareness initiatives, there remains a gap in the collection of reliable national data on the prevalence and burden of endometriosis, as well as in coordinated planning and delivery of comprehensive care;

CONCERNED THAT women and girls continue to face delayed diagnosis and treatment due to limited awareness, misdiagnosis, inadequate specialist capacity and unequal access to appropriate services, with specialist care concentrated in a few facilities and existing health financing arrangements requiring review to ensure equitable and affordable access to diagnosis, treatment, pain management, fertility care, psychosocial support and long-term follow-up;

NOW THEREFORE, THE SENATE RESOLVES THAT, the National Government, through the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with County Governments-

1. 1. Develops and implements a National Endometriosis Management Framework providing for awareness, early recognition, diagnosis, referral, treatment, pain management, fertility care, psychosocial support and long-term follow-up;
2. 2. Strengthens endometriosis services at national and county levels by establishing referral pathways, training healthcare workers, expanding specialist capacity and equipping designated referral facilities to provide comprehensive endometriosis care;
3. 3. Establishes a national endometriosis data and research mechanism, through the Kenya Health Information System and in collaboration with the Kenya Medical Research Institute, to collect, analyze and report data on the prevalence, diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of endometriosis; and
4. 4. Reviews and strengthens the adequacy of financing for endometriosis care under the Social Health Authority, to ensure affordable access to medically

necessary diagnosis, treatment, surgery, fertility care, pain management and long- term care.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

MOTION

ADOPTION OF REPORT ON ALLEGED IRREGULARITIES IN THE PETROLEUM PRODUCTS SUPPLY CHAIN

THAT, the Senate adopts the Report of the Standing Committee on Energy regarding alleged irregularities in the petroleum products supply chain, laid on the Table of the Senate on Tuesday, 14th July, 2026.

MOTION

ADOPTION OF REPORT ON HANDING OVER OF COOKING GAS HANDLING FACILITY TO A PRIVATE FIRM IN MOMBASA COUNTY

THAT, the Senate adopts the Report of the Standing Committee on Energy on its inquiry regarding the handing over of a cooking gas handling facility, in Mombasa County, to a private firm, laid on the Table of the Senate on Tuesday, 14th July, 2026.

MOTION

ADOPTION OF REPORT ON COOPERATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT AND NAIROBI CITY COUNTY GOVERNMENT

THAT, the Senate adopts the Report of the Standing Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations on the Cooperation Agreement between the National Government and the Nairobi City County Government laid on the Table of the Senate on Wednesday, 15th July, 2026.

MOTION

ADOPTION OF REPORT ON THE APPLICATION FOR CONFERMENT OF CITY STATUS TO THIKA MUNICIPALITY

THAT, the Senate adopts the Report of the Standing Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations on the conferment of City status to Thika Municipality, laid on the Table of the Senate on Wednesday, 15th July, 2026 and, that pursuant to section 8 (6) of the Urban Areas and Cities Act, approves the conferment of City status to Thika Municipality.

MOTION

ADOPTION OF REPORTS OF THE COMMITTEE ON DELEGATED LEGISLATION ON TRAFFIC RULES AND NTSA REGULATIONS

THAT, the Senate adopts the Reports of the Select Committee on Delegated Legislation on its consideration of the-

The Traffic (School Transport) Rules, 2026 (Legal Notice No. 11 of 2026; ii) The Traffic (Motor Vehicle Inspection) Rules, 2026 (Legal Notice No. 13 of 2026); and iii) The National Transport and Safety Authority (Operation of Commercial Vehicles) Regulations, 2026 (Legal Notice No. 14 of 2026); laid on the Table of the Senate on Wednesday, 10th June, 2026; and that pursuant to Section 18 of the Statutory Instruments Act, the Senate resolves to annul the Traffic (School Transport) Rules, 2026 (Legal Notice No. 11 of 2026; the Traffic (Motor Vehicle Inspection) Rules, 2026 (Legal Notice No. 13 of 2026); and the National Transport and Safety Authority (Operation of Commercial Vehicles) Regulations, 2026 (Legal Notice No. 14 of 2026).

BILLS

Second Reading

THE STREET NAMING AND PROPERTY ADDRESSING SYSTEM BILL (SENATE BILLS NO. 43 OF 2024)

(Bill deferred)

(Committee of the Whole deferred)

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE THE PUBLIC FUNDRAISING APPEALS BILL (SENATE BILLS NO. 36 OF 2024)

(Committee of the Whole deferred))

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE THE STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS (AMENDMENT) BILL (NATIONAL ASSEMBLY BILLS NO.3 OF 2024)

(Committee of the Whole deferred)

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE THE SEEDS AND PLANT VARIETIES (AMENDMENT) BILL (SENATE BILLS NO. 4 OF 2025)

(Committee of the Whole deferred)

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE THE ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT DISPOSAL RECYCLING AND REUSE BILL (SENATE BILLS NO. 5 OF 2025)

(Committee of the Whole deferred)

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE THE CULTURE BILL (NATIONAL ASSEMBLY BILLS NO. 12 OF 2024)

(Committee of the Whole deferred)

(Committee of the Whole deferred)

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE THE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION (AMENDMENT) BILL (NATIONAL ASSEMBLY BILLS NO.66 OF 2023)

(Committee of the Whole deferred) So, Clerk, you may call the next order.

BILL

Second Reading

THE LIVESTOCK PROTECTION AND SUSTAINABILITY BILL (SENATE BILLS NO. 32 OF 2024)

(Sen. (Dr.) Lelegwe Ltumbesi on 5.8.2026 – Morning Sitting)

Hon. Senators this is resumption of debate on the Livestock Protection and Sustainability Bill (Senate Bill No.32 of 2024), whose debate was on Wednesday, 5th August 2026 during the morning sitting. Sen. Cherarkey, this was the Bill you were seconding. You had eight minutes remaining to finalise seconding the Bill. I will give you the eight minutes to proceed. Are you ready for that?

Therefore, the fact that the Livestock Protection Sustainability Bill has been proposed by Sen. (Dr.) Lelegwe Ltembesi, it is critical that we protect our livestock. We have proposed that there be livestock insurance. There must also be a way of putting chips so that we can track some of these livestock. In Migori and Kakamega, some families are forced to lock some of their cattle inside their houses.

Madam Temporary Speaker, Mount Kenya, where you come from, is largely a tea growing area. I thank the Government and your Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe. He ordered that we need to import yellow maize so that we have animal feed, because we are likely to experience crop failure. We did not want the white maize to be used to process animal feed. We are importing a lot of feed from Uganda.

I am happy that my Bill on livestock is being considered in the National Assembly. I thank the Majority Leader, Hon. Kimani Ichung’wa, at least for fast tracking the Bill. The Chairperson to the Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, you know, is a former SG. It is good to have somebody such as Hon. Kimani Ichung’wa. He is one of the most loyal and fierce defenders just like you.

If you are going to any battlefield and you have Hon. Kimani Ichung’wa, the Majority Leader in the National Assembly, behind you, you can be assured he is not a coward like the Kiharu Member of Parliament. He has made very unsubstantiated claims. I will continue telling him the truth.

reminded them that elephants make very delicious meat. Unfortunately, they are protected.

When we went there, we were very happy to hear that the guns had been silenced in the valley. We were able to sit in a Church function for close to six hours. We were told that in the past, it was not possible for you to sit in a public gathering for six hours because you would not know where the guns would come from. The pretext was that they were coming to raid the village and rustle cattle. So, if we have a proper and effective livestock sector, well regulated, well supplied, well facilitated, then I believe that even those instances of insecurity, cattle rustling, and banditry that are a security threat to certain parts of this country will be managed.

Madam Temporary Speaker, we have friends who come from other countries. I have a friend who comes from Argentina who was posted to Kenya. He is working with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO). We are working with him in the parliamentarians for climate finance programme. My friend tells me things that I do not like hearing. He says Kenyan meat is terrible. He says Kenyan meat is too hard. The truth is that our livestock sector is wild. Our animal breeding sector is wild. We are like hunters and gatherers when it comes to raising our cattle, while other economies have become more deliberate in terms of ensuring that livestock – be they cows, sheep, goats or even chicken – are taken care of in a scientific manner. We were told that a cow is a unit of production. Here, it is a symbol of wealth. Here, it is a currency that is used to acquire wives or used to acquire spouses.

We should stop treating our livestock sector as currency or as a passport to additional wives, and look at our livestock sector as a unit of production where what you put in is what you get out. As we say in software engineering, garbage in, garbage out. If you cannot feed, vaccinate and spray your cattle, do not expect anything out of that cow.

This Bill, I hope, will treat the 13-year-old marginalisation and the 13-year-old situation where county governments are not investing sufficiently in livestock extension services. County governments are not providing proper schemes of service for veterinary officers. Every other time, you hear doctors and nurses are on strike, you wonder what happens to veterinary officers in counties.

The first thing is that many counties do not even have a single veterinary officer. Where there is a veterinary officer, you will find him or her moonlighting. He is all over the place, and perhaps does not have any facility. In fact, I challenge the relevant committee that will be looking at this Bill to tell us if a county has a veterinary officer. Does a county have a veterinary office? A doctor works in a hospital. Where does a veterinary officer work? Is there a county that has invested in facilities to ensure that our veterinary officers, doctors and the staff down the chain have a proper conducive environment for them to provide services?

Madam Temporary Speaker, therefore, as we approve this Bill and propose the establishment of a County Livestock Enterprise Development Fund, we are also proposing feeds risk data management systems that are established under the National Livestock Feeds Reserve. These will take care of many years of devolution where extension services; the spraying and the crashes that I talked about earlier have not been provided for by county governments.

I also hope that we will establish farmers’ training colleges because no one is born with the skills to milk a cow. Children are born with the skills to suckle from their mothers, but the skill to milk a cow has to be taught. If you have never been exposed to it at home or school, you would never know it. So, we must teach our farmers. One is not born with the skills of taking care of chicken, unless someone teaches---

QUORUM

ADJOURNMENT

Hon. Senators, there being no quorum, and the bell having rung pursuant to provisions of Standing Orders No.40(2), the Senate stands adjourned until Tuesday, 15th September, 2026 at 2.30 p.m. That is when the Motion that was to be discussed will be raised again.

The Senate was adjourned at 5.10 p.m.