Thursday, 30th April, 2026

Clerk, do we have quorum?

Serjeant-at-Arms, kindly ring the Quorum Bell for 10 minutes.

Hon. Senators, we have quorum now. So, we will proceed with the business of the day. Clerk, kindly call the first Order.

Statements pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) . Is the Senator for Nandi County, Sen. Samson Cherarkey, not here? That statement is dropped.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a statement from the Standing Committee on Education on a matter of national concern regarding the shortage of special needs education teachers in public schools across the country.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, Kenya continues to face a significant shortage of trained special needs education teachers, thereby affecting the implementation of inclusive education and the realisation of the right to education for learners with disabilities. This shortage is particularly evident in the specialised subjects, including science, technology, engineering, mathematics and practical skills training.

In the statement, the committee should address the following-

Senator for Bungoma County, Sen. David Wakoli.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I was tasked early enough to read the statement on behalf of Sen. Wakoli and I accepted to do so.

I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a statement from the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries on a matter of countywide concern regarding discrepancies in coffee pricing in Bungoma County, particularly in respect of coffee cherry and mbuni (dry parchment) .

Mr. Speaker, Sir, coffee remains a vital cash crop for many smallholder farmers in Bungoma County. In recent seasons, farmers have raised concerns about variations in the prices offered for coffee cherries delivered to factories and those processed through cooperative societies. These variations have affected farmers' earnings and have raised questions on transparency, accountability and fairness within the coffee value chain.

In the Statement, the committee should address the following-

Proceed, Sen. Hamida Kibwana.

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 implementation of the integrated county payroll system by county governments and county assemblies.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, the National Treasury has directed county governments and county assemblies to process the April 2026 payroll through the Integrated Human Resource Integrated System (IHRIS) , Kenya payroll system and Integrated Financial

Management and Information System (IFMIS) payroll module. The system is intended to streamline salary processing, improve payroll accountability, address irregular staff records and ensure proper remittance of statutory deductions, including Social Health Authority (SHA), National Social Security Fund (NSSF), Pay As You Earn (PAYE), pension contributions and other deductions.

In the Statement, the committee should address the following-

Is the Senator for Kisumu County, Sen. (Prof.) Tom Ojienda not here? That statement is dropped.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, thank you for that indulgence. I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a statement from the Standing Committee on Trade, Industrialization and Tourism on a matter of national concern regarding reports of exploitation of consumers following the April 2026 increase in fuel and petroleum prices across the country.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, this matter raises grave concerns under the Consumer Protection Act 2012 and the Competition Act of 2010 and the Energy Act of 2019, which collectively safeguard the consumers against unfair trade practices and justified price manipulation and exploitative conduct of the same. Following the fuel price adjustments,

several counties have reported unreasonable increases in public transport fares and the cost of essential goods and services.

Credible evidence suggests that certain traders and transport operators impose disproportionate price hikes not fully justified by operational costs, thereby placing an undue financial burden on consumers.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, in the statement, the committee should address the following-

Sen. (Prof.) Tom Ojienda.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. 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 countrywide concern regarding the state of compliance with fair labour standards within the private industrial establishments in Kisumu County.

In recent years, Kisumu County has obstructed private investment in small and medium manufacturing, particularly in agro-processing and wood production. While these firms support growth and job creation, some of them operate in violation of labour and safety standards.

In the Statement, the committee should address the following-

Next is a Statement pursuant to Standing Order No. 57 (1) by the Senate Majority Leader.

Absolutely, the Senate Minority Leader, as a Member of the Senate Business Committee, may do so.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a Statement from the Standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations on a matter of national concern regarding the unlawful detention of a Kenyan national in undisclosed Ukrainian prison.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, Mr. Joseph Wairato Kabugi, a Kenyan national unlawfully recruited and trafficked to serve in the armed forces of Russian Federation, is currently detained in Ukraine after reportedly being coerced into military service, despite having been recruited as a computer technician and having no prior military experience.

Mr. Kabugi is being held in an undisclosed location following his capture by Ukrainian forces, raising serious concerns regarding compliance with the Geneva Convention, access to consular assistance and the protection of his fundamental human rights.

In the Statement, the committee should address the following-

Hon. Senators, I will allow comments for not more than 15 minutes. Therefore, if you get an opportunity to speak, kindly do so for not more than three minutes.

Hon. Kavindu, please proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for this opportunity. I want to comment on the Statement by Sen. Mumma about the teachers who are not enough for people living with special needs. I happen to have some of the schools in Machakos County and when I visit them, I feel so sorry for the few teachers who are there teaching those students. This is because you will find one teacher teaching 45, 70 or

even 80 students on their own. We are not helping these students because they do not learn the way they should learn.

I would support this Statement and request the Committee on Education, when this Statement comes to the committee, that they summon the people in charge. They should demand for more deployment of such teachers, so that the students will get their right. The Constitution is very clear that every child has a right to learning. The PWDs have a lot of issues. You will find that even some cannot go to classes because they have nobody to help them.

It is high time even the Kenyan Government looks into the issues of the PWDs and even provide for the parents or the caregivers, who take care of those children so that they can go to school. They could also build many boarding schools where they can be retained, and employ caretakers for them because they are citizens of this country, who have a right to education.

Thank you.

Sen. Mariam, please proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I also stand up to comment on the Statement sought by Sen. Cherarkey on the exploitation of the consumers following the increase in fuel prices. Some traders have taken that opportunity to increase prices of their goods. The most affected counties by this exploitation are the furthest counties from Nairobi, that is, those in northern Kenya.

Even during the rainy seasons, the traders normally exploit the consumers on food and foodstuffs. So, we urge the standardised prices to be enforced by the Government, to take care of issues like floods and fuel increments.

I also wanted to comment on the Statement by Sen. Catherine Mumma on the special needs education. The special needs of our kids, specifically the population, is now increasing and most of the parents are hiding kids. They do not want them to be seen in the public. They do not want to take them to school or the playgrounds. They normally lock them in their houses.

If there are enough teachers in Kenya, in all the counties--- We, as the Committee on Education, must also take initiatives to educate parents that they have to make the kids to have exposure. The Government must also employ enough special needs teachers.

I also want to comment on the Statement by Sen. Hamida on the payroll system. If this issue of payroll system is taken care of, there will be no issue of the ghost workers. Most of the workers who are working in the counties are ghost workers.

Again, there is the issue of this IPPD. Counties normally request the workers to be registered. It takes almost six months or one year for the workers to be registered.

Sen. Maanzo, please, proceed.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would like to comment on the Statement requested by Sen. Cherarkey about the prices in the counties. I congratulate him for framing it correctly for the purposes of devolution and this House.

One of the things that is coming out clearly is that for a regulatory authority to decide on such great of impact to Kenyans, then they must conduct public participation. That is one of the things the current Government has done very poorly. There must be a way, before prices are increased, that sectors should be consulted. If there is consultation

to that extent, including with the tax money, then it would have been found prudent not to raise prices, then deal with the consequences later.

This is a matter which should be investigated, that the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) should appear before the relevant Committee of Senate and deal with this matter. What I am urging the team to do in that particular committee is to look at the aspect of public participation as it is required under Statutory Instruments Act and the Constitution of the Republic of Kenya.

I am sure if that is done, Kenyans will either reject or accept in advance and all the consequences dealt with in good time. However, the idea of increasing fuel costs has a very serious impact on commerce and business. Like Sen. Mariam has said, if it is in Mandera, then everybody is left to decide how they are going to charge transport, whether it is for goods or for people. That has a serious implication to the pockets of Kenyans.

I believe that goes contrary to what is expected of good governance, so that if you make cost of living very high, then it means people can barely survive, money goes out of circulation, commerce stalls and investors will not come here. This ties it with a young person stuck in Europe, in a war-torn situation. The reason Kenyans are going to risk their lives abroad is because there are no job opportunities in the country. Investors have moved to neighboring countries and other regions where the cost of doing business is reasonable, cheaper and more profitable. This has left our graduates and young people jobless, forcing them into situations that may become potentially dangerous.

I, therefore, urge the Committee to act with speed, so that we know our foreign policy. This is a serious matter. The last time the---

Sen. Mundigi.

Asante, Bwana Spika, kwa kunipa nafasi nichangie kauli iliyoulizwa na Seneta wa Kaunti ya Bungoma kuhusu kilimo cha kahawa. Siku hizi kilimo chochote, kiwe cha kahawa, majani chai, makadamia, mahindi au sukari, kimekuwa kinaleta pesa nyingi kwa mwananchi na Serikali ya Kenya.

Kamati itakayoshughulikia mambo ya kilimo cha kahawa huko Bungoma kinafaa kikague mambo mengi. Nakumbuka kuna wakati tulitembea Kaunti ya Bungoma na tulipata shida nyingi. Wakati tulipitisha Mswada wa kugawa pesa kwa kaunti, tulijua magavana wanafaa kuajiri agricultural extension officers. Lakini pesa tulizokuwa tunaongezea magavana wamezitumia mahali kwingine.

Nakumbuka wakati tuliuliza hilo swali tulijibiwa kuwa wakulima wenyewe ndio wanaajiri wale maafisa wanaoshughulikia kilimo cha kahawa. Pia, tulipochunguza vizuri kwa kaunti zengine, wananchi hawajui kama kuna pesa kama hizo za kuajiri agricultural extension officers.

Ningeomba pia kamati ishughulikie suala la value addition ya kahawa na kilimo chochote. Tumeona kaunti zingine zinauza kahawa kwa bei ya Shilingi 145 kwa kilo, ilhali Kaunti za Embu, Meru, Tharaka-Nithi na zinginezo zinauza kahawa kwa bei ya Shilingi 100. Kamati hii inafaa kuangalia mambo mengi kwa kaunti zote na sio Bungoma pekee.

Kaunti ya Bungoma iko karibu na mpaka wa Kenya na Uganda na tumesikia kuhusu wizi wa kahawa. Watu wanatoka Mt. Elgon na kuiba kahawa na kuisafirisha hadi Uganda. Kwa hivyo, kamati hii iko na mambo mengi ya kushughulikia.

Pia, ningeomba wajadiliane na Waziri wa Kilimo, Waziri wa Vyama vya Ushirika na Maendeleo ya MSMEs na magavana wa kaunti hizo ili mkulima asiumie tena. Kuna sheria mpya ya kufuatilia vile mkulima atakuwa anapata pesa inayofaa.

Bwana Spika, kahawa ni kama dhahabu katika nchi yetu ya Kenya. Kahawa nzuri duniani kote inatoka Kenya. Kwa hayo, naunga mkono kauli hiyo.

Asante.

Sen. Osotsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I wish to comment on two statements. The first is by Sen. Hamida Kibwana on the implementation of an integrated county payroll system.

I agree with the national Government’s approach to establish a centralised and integrated payroll system, similar to what has been done for procurement and the proposed integrated system for revenue collection. Although some argue that these initiatives interfere with devolution, there is value in having an integrated payroll system. Audit reports show that many counties fail to pay statutory deductions, have poor payroll management, weak data management and even ghost workers.

A centralised system would help address these challenges. While we complain that the national Government is micromanaging counties, the reality is that counties have failed in these areas. If the Council of Governors (CoG) were proactive, they would look into these areas and regulate their own systems.

The second statement is by Sen. Kinyua on the illegal migration of Kenyans to Ukraine and Russia to participate in the war. This problem is not going away. We had a high-profile visit by the Prime Cabinet Secretary and the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs to Russia. It was a high-level trip by a high ranking Government official, but he returned without a solution.

He owes Kenyans an explanation on what happened. The problem persists. Many young people continue to be taken to Russia or Ukraine irregularly and the Government seems unaware of what is happening. The Russian Government has also said they are not aware. We are operating like a failed state, where people take our youth and we have no idea what is happening. When we go---

Sen. Cherarkey.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. For the record, under your guidance, the Prime Cabinet Secretary and the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs appeared before the Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations. He confirmed that there is now an arrangement between the Kenyan Government and the Russian Federation through Sergey Lavrov, the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Russia.

The Prime Cabinet Secretary, Hon. Musalia Mudavadi, informed the committee that the Diaspora Department had been tasked with following up and tracking Kenyans who go to fight in Russia and Ukraine. He confirmed that about 1,000 Kenyans are fighting in the war and 45 have been repatriated by the Government. I wish the

Chairperson of the Standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations was here to converse on the same. When criticising the Government, it should be done with facts. You cannot say that Kenya is a failed state. Then what are you still doing in Kenya? You can go and create your own country.

I confirm to the House that the Prime Cabinet Secretary confirmed that the directors of the agency responsible for taking 250 Kenyans have been arrested. When we are taking tea, mandazi and nduma outside during the lunch you have given us, I am willing to give that information to the Senator for Vihiga County. I know he might have political differences with the Prime Cabinet Secretary, but he should not escalate the matter for purposes of scoring political points.

Let me also comment on the issue of special needs.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

What is your point of order, Sen. Osotsi?

Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is very unfair for Sen. Cherarkey to belittle my contribution as just a political issue in our county. I am raising these matters because even after his trip to the Russian Federation, the issue is still ongoing. Sen. Kinyua has also raised a statement on the same matter. So, even though an explanation was given, why does the issue persist? Do not belittle it or make it look like a Vihiga County issue. This is not a Vihiga issue. This is a national and international issue.

Hon. Senators, debate this matter soberly and do not attach politics to it.

You may proceed, Senator for Nandi County.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I am willing to provide further information, including taking up the matter raised by Sen. Kinyua. After this, I will call the Prime Cabinet Secretary to ensure that Mr. Joseph Wairato Kabugi is tracked. I confirm to my brother, Sen. Kinyua, that I will follow up and ensure he is traced and brought back. I will speak to the Prime Cabinet Secretary.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

What is your point of order, Senator for Kakamega County?

Mr. Speaker, Sir, we have truly restrained ourselves. Is the Senator for Nandi a Cabinet Secretary? The Senator for Nandi is attempting to answer issues directed at the Government. Those are serious issues where parents are crying because their children are lost, while others are confirmed dead and uncounted for, and he makes it a matter of a light touch.

Is he in order to act as a Cabinet Secretary, when we know that the only thing he has won in his life in terms of being recognised was making statements on athletes who have won various competitions internationally? This is serious business. Do not joke with the lives of our youth.

Order, Senator for Kakamega.

Order, Senator for Nandi. Senator for Kakamega, you cannot belittle the statements honouring our athletes. That is equally important and we need to encourage our athletes. We need to honour them whenever they bring glory to this country.

Senator for Nandi, these statements have been addressed and committed to the relevant committees. Allow the committee to work.

You may proceed.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I made it in good faith because it was just a concern. I have said that this matter has been brought to their attention.

I know you have offered to assist.

Yes. I would like to advise Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale because he seems to be smoking substances that---

Senator for Nandi, withdraw the last part of your sentence.

I withdraw and apologise.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

Senator for Kakamega, the statement on you has been withdrawn and he has apologised. Let us rest it there.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I honestly thank you. The Senator for Nandi deserves respect. However, since his level of operation is so low, he should not be allowed to imagine even rising to our levels. How can he imagine---

Senator for Kakamega and Senator for Nandi, let me tell you this, I come from the coast and we have this saying; “ukiona mwendawazimu ametoa nguo, usiotoe zako maanake hatutajua kati yenu wawili nani mwenda wazimu.” So, let us leave it there.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, regarding Sen. Mumma’s statement, I agree that there is a shortage of special needs teachers. It is sad that out of 439,000 teachers, only 9,340 are trained to handle children with special needs. This is an issue that should be given proper attention.

I thank you.

Proceed, Sen. Hamida.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would like to comment on the Majority Leader’s statement regarding the backlog and the issues we have concerning Bills. I feel quite disheartened because of the backlog that we have so far. We keep on complaining that our Bills do not get to the National Assembly or they are not finalized, yet we are not committed.

It is frustrating at times. Like yesterday, we could have had the Committee of the Whole because of many pending Bills, including mine, but they are not moving. We have been stuck at some point. I think it is two or three months that we have not moved, yet we see our Bills and Motions on the Order Paper. It is unfortunate that sometimes we do not have the quorum to finalise them.

Our mission in Parliament is also to fulfil policies, legislation and other issues that we came to do. We only need to sacrifice our time to do what is necessary. It is also frustrating when our Bills get stuck in the National Assembly and some of them get lost, but you do not know how to follow them up.

I urge my dear colleagues. Let us sacrifice and find time to finalise all our Bills, Motions and Petitions. Let us do what is necessary for Kenyans, not just making a lot of unnecessary noise at times. Let us be here and serve Kenyans.

Bw. Spika, that is all that I have to say. Asante.

Next is Sen. Essy Okenyuri.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would like to comment on the statement by Sen. Cherarkey on fuel prices and request the committee that will do investigations to establish whether hoarding and artificial shortage is influenced from certain quarters or it has been influenced because of the crisis in the Middle East.

We have people who take advantage of consumers and hike prices. The end result is that we are going to have inflation and living standards are going to go down. On that note, I would like the committee to also establish what measures the Government has put in place to cushion its citizens in that regard.

I would also like to comment on the statement by Sen. Mumma regarding shortage of special needs teachers for special learners. It is sad to know that only 2.1 per cent of the teaching workforce is tailored towards special needs education. Even the few that we have are moving to regular schools and deserting special needs students. The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and the Ministry of Education need to prioritise special education because we have so many learners out there who are disabled and lack major basic needs like education, health and many other aspects, which they are entitled to.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I wish to urge our counterparts in the National Assembly to prioritise funding for special education, so that children with special needs equally benefit. This is so that we are not just lamenting that we do not have enough teachers to train them, but instead, do something to train those teachers. I believe that the Sen. Montet-led committee is going to look into this matter and bring substantive answers to the House.

I thank you.

Next is Sen. Abass.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would like to contribute on the statement regarding the integrated payroll that has been a concern for many years because there are counties that are still using manual payrolls and that creates opaque kind of payments and encourages corruption. Most employees who are under manual payrolls are actually casuals and those on contracts. You may find some employees in the counties being on the payroll even for three years without being confirmed in appointment. That is illegal.

Another issue is that counties do not submit statutory deductions. Most county employees were inherited from the defunct local authorities. When they reach retirement, it is difficult for them to access their pensions and other benefits because they were not being submitted and that has affected pensioners. Therefore, in my opinion, it is high time now this House should take action against this kind of business; that all counties

must go into the integrated payroll. They should stop giving money to casuals. If they are not employing, then they should be discharged and paid some dues, so that at least--- It is very unfortunate for somebody who has worked for 10 years, not even expecting any pension.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, we have to enforce the Constitution that counties must abide by the laws. During the Senate County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee (CPI&SFC) and County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) meetings, the Auditor- General and the Controller of Budget (CoB) always comment on the same issues, but there is no improvement going on. So, we need to move forward, so that at least these manual payrolls can be done away with.

I thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

Sen. Crystal Asige, please, proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise to comment on the shortage of special needs teachers by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) in the country.

Broadly speaking, the state of inclusive education for learners with disabilities in our country is absolutely at abysmal levels. With the work that I do, and the extensive research that my office conducts, it is really unfortunate that in this day and age, learners with disabilities are not accorded the same or equal chance at education, and not just that, but quality and diverse education for that matter. It is quite unfortunate that the Ministry of Education has not sat down to look at the curriculum for learners with disabilities, and understand that we, too, as people with disabilities, require to be included in matters of the future of work.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I like the question that is in the statement asking the Ministry of Education to answer to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects. Are learners with disabilities accorded the opportunity to learn STEM subjects and so many other subjects that all of our non-disabled learners are given a chance to study and work in? You will be aware that I am the founder of the Crystal Asige Foundation, and currently, we are in partnership with the European Business Institute of Luxembourg. We have been offering full and part scholarships to learners with disabilities across the country in STEM subjects in particular, because we see the gap that nobody else is filling, unfortunately, in the country.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, we have been able to support over 850 learners with disabilities with full scholarships last year, and currently, we are also extending 250 more full scholarships for learners with disabilities in subjects like robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI) , cybersecurity, management and leadership, business management, special needs education, and so many other subjects that require us, as learners with disabilities across the country, to also be supported with and given an opportunity to dive into, because the future of work will demand us as well to upskill and be able to gain more knowledge in STEM subjects.

So, I would like to challenge, in addition to the statements, the Ministry of Education and other ministries as well, to give an opportunity for learners with disabilities to learn STEM subjects and others, because we are brilliant, if only we are given the chance to access these kinds of education. They will always give us basic -

Kiswahili, English and Basic Mathematics. We are far more brilliant than this country gives us credit for.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I really support and urge any learner with disability in the country---

Sen. Cheburet, please, proceed. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for the opportunity you have given me to make a comment on the statement that has been read by Hon. Catherine Mumma on matters of special education for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) . Sen. Catherine Mumma has addressed the issue of shortage of teachers that are required in the schools for PwDs. I would like to add something, because in our country, we have very few schools for learners living with disability.

In some counties, you may find a county that has no single school for the people who are living with disability. In the county which I represent, Baringo County, we have only three schools for PwDs. Therefore, I urge the Ministry of Education to consider increasing the budget in the Department of PwDs, so that we may get many schools.

Persons with Disabilities are disadvantaged. They need facilities to be closer to them because they are not just like other people. They may need to be treated better, so the Government and the Ministry of Education should increase their schools within our country.

Secondly, Mr. Speaker, Sir, they should also be supplied with the required equipment such as vehicles and good learning facilities. They should not be treated like normal schools. In addition, they should be considered in co-curricular activities such as sports, so that they can feel like they are not neglected, just like learners in other schools.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

Sen. Kinyua, please proceed.

Asante, Bw. Spika. Ningependa kuchangia Kauli iliyoletwa na Sen. Mumma kuhusu upungufu wa walimu ambao wanapaswa kufunza watoto walio na mahitaji maalum.

Bw. Spika, ni kweli kwa sababu wanafunzi walio na mahitaji maalumu wana haki kikatiba kushughulikiwa. Walakini, kwa Wizara na vile vile kwa gatuzi zetu, jambo hili wamelichukulia hivi hivi, na halitiliwi mkazo. Kwa hivyo, ni vizuri kamati itakayokuwa ikishughulikia haya mambo isishughulikie tu upungufu wa walimu, ila pia waangazie machifu wana majukumu kwa hawa watoto wenye mahitaji maalum waweze kujulikana wako wapi. Ukitembea sehemu zingine, unapata wamefichwa na wanaonekana ni kama watu ambao hawafai katika jamii. Kwa hivyo, sio tu katika elimu lakini inafaa iangaziwe katika jamii zetu na waweze kujulikana kwamba hata wao wana sehemu katika jamii yetu. Kwa hivyo, Kamati inayohusika inafaa kuangalia hayo masuala kwa undani sana.

Kauli nyingine ambayo ningependa kuchangia imeletwa na Seneta wa Kaunti ya Nandi, Sen. Cherarkey, kuhusu bei ya mafuta ambayo imepanda maradufu. Walakini, inapaswa ijulikane kwanza, Jamhuri ya Kenya au Serikali ina jukumu ya kulinda wananchi wa Kenya. Ukiangalia bei ya mafuta, Uganda na Rwanda, iko chini kuliko Kenya, kwa sababu ushuru wa bei ya mafuta iko juu zaidi.

Hata hivyo, kumekuwa na wafanyibiashara walaghai ambao wanalaghai Wakenya kwa kuongeza bei maradufu. Kwa hivyo, kuna mashirika kama shirika la udhabiti, na vile vile mamlaka ya ushindani. Hawa wanapaswa wawajibike, ili waweze kufuatilia ilhali hawa wafanyibiashara walaghai ambao wanafanya bei kwenda juu zaidi wachukuliwe hatua.

Kamati ambayo inapaswa kushughulikia jambo hili inafaa kuangalia haya masuala, pamoja na mashirika na mamlaka, waitwe hapa Seneti ili waulizwe maswali wanafanya nini ili waweze kusaidia Wakenya, na si kuwa tu tuko na mashirika haya na tuko na haya mamlaka, lakini hayafanyi kazi yoyote kuwasaidia Wakenya---

We have long spent the 15 minutes that had been allocated for comments. Therefore, we shall proceed to the next Order.

However, before I ask the Clerk to call the next Order, allow me to pass this Communication.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. It is not a Vice-Chair; it is a Co-Chair. Unfortunately, we cannot be subordinate to the National Assembly.

Correct!

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to move- THAT this House adopts the report of the Mediation Committee on the National Disaster Management Bill, (National Assembly Bill No.24 of 2023) .

The objective of the Bill is to establish a National Disaster Management Authority and the County Disaster Risk Management Committee and to provide a legal framework for the coordination of disaster risk management activities.

As you are aware, the National Disaster Risk Management Bill, (National Assembly Bills No.24 of 2023) was published vide the Kenya Gazette Supplement No.80 of 2023 of 31st May, 2023 and introduced in the National Assembly by way of First Reading on 9th August, 2023. The Bill was considered by the National Assembly and passed with amendments on 20th June, 2024. Thereafter, the Bill was referred to the Senate for consideration in accordance with Article 110.

Sen. Chute, can you read the Motion as it should.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move- THAT, the Senate adopts the Report of the Mediation Committee on the National Disaster Risk Management Bill (National Assembly Bills No. 24 of 2023) , laid on the Table of the Senate on Tuesday, 28th April, 2026, and that pursuant to Article 113 (2) of the Constitution and Standing Order No.167 (3) of the Senate, approves the mediated version of the Bill.

As I said earlier, this Bill went through the National Assembly, it came to the Senate and was considered and passed with amendments on 15th April, 2025. The Speaker of the Senate conveyed the decision of the Senate on the passage of the Bill to the National Assembly on 15th April, 2025 pursuant to the provisions of Article 110 (4) of the Constitution and Standing Order No.46 (2) of the Senate Standing Orders.

The National Assembly considered and rejected the amendments from the Senate on 24th July, 2025. Subsequently, the Bill was referred to a Mediation Committee pursuant to Article 112 of the Constitution.

The Speaker of the National Assembly appointed Members of Mediation Committee on 19th August, 2025 pursuant to Standing Order No. 149 (2) of the National Assembly Standing Orders. The Speaker of the Senate also appointed Senators to mediate on 3rd November, 2025 pursuant to Standing Order No.116 (2) of the Senate Standing Orders.

The Mediation Committee had a total of six sittings. The first sitting was held on Tuesday 31st March, 2026. The Mediation Committee held its last sitting on Saturday 25th April, 2026. The Mediation Committee considered and agreed on a version of the National Disaster Risk Management Bill, (National Assembly Bills No.24 of 2023) in accordance with Article 113 (2) of our Constitution.

Therefore, having considered the National Disaster Risk Management Bill, (National Assembly Bills No.24 of 2023) , the Mediation Committee recommends that this House adopts the report and approves the agreed version between the two Houses on the National Disaster Risk Management Bill, (National Assembly Bills No.24 of 2023) .

Allow me to call Sen. Asige to second this Motion.

Thank you very much, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I rise to support our Co-Chair. He has already given a snapshot of what we have been working on in this mediated---

Sorry, Sen. Asige Chair, Sen. Chute---

I said he was the Co-Chair. The Deputy Speaker (Sen. Kathuri) : Sen. Chute, you did not beg to move just like you do, at the end, when you move a Bill. Then you will call Sen. Asige to second the Motion.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move the Motion and request Sen. Asige, the incoming Woman Representative of Nairobi City County, to second.

Thank you very much, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I will not comment on what has just been said. However, I rise to support this Motion, that the Senate do adopt this mediated committee version of the National Disaster Risk Management Bill. Members of the Senate and the National Assembly sat together for several meetings and agreed on several provisions and amendments therein.

It has been aptly summarised by our Co-Chair, Sen. Chute. Therefore, I just rise to support and second.

Proceed, Sen. Wamatinga, Commissioner, Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) .

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me the opportunity, but I was being given a brief by my colleague, Sen. Kinyua. Let me give this opportunity to someone else.

Have you benefited from his wisdom?

No, he had not finished, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. He is still going on, so I think I will benefit from it.

Okay, proceed, Sen. Cherarkey.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, from the onset, I want to congratulate Sen. Chute or Shute, whichever the case, because you remember, Sen. Mundigi has a funny way of saying his name.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we are lucky because you were once a Member of the National Assembly and now you are a Member of the Senate, the ‘upper House.’ For Kenyans who are following, this is a bicameral Parliament. The definition of ‘Parliament’ in Article 93 of the Constitution is that it is both the National Assembly and the Senate.

When a Bill comes from the National Assembly to the Senate and we do not agree with the proposals, as provided for under the Article 113 of the Constitution, 2010 of the Republic of Kenya, the Bill is taken for mediation. Therefore, on this issue of the Disaster

Management Risk Bill that originated from the National Assembly, under your office, you ably appointed Sen. Crystal Asige, the incoming woman rep of Nairobi City County.

I agree with Sen. Chute because you cannot say---

Sen. Cherarkey, there is no position called woman rep in the Constitution.

It is women representative, sorry for that.

No, she will be a Member representing Nairobi City County.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am well guided. We wish her well in her endeavours. I appeal to her to still come back to the broad-based government.

I am disappointed with this Report because our Chairperson of the Committee on National Cohesion, Equal Opportunity and Regional Integration, Sen. Chute, is being referred to as the vice chairperson. I thought he is the co-chairperson because we are equal partners. I appeal to our secretariat that-

I wish Clerk Chania would allow you to listen to this because it is a very pregnant point. We are not supporting the National Assembly. Therefore, they should have referred to Sen. Mohamed Said Chute, the distinguished Senator for Marsabit County, as the Co-Chairperson. I had appealed that he joins wazees to go and bring peace in Tseikuru because he is the Chairperson of the National Cohesion, Equal Opportunity and Regional Integration Committee. I am happy that through the facilitation of your office, the committee agreed.

In the spirit of Article 113 of Constitution 2010, of course, this matter now is rested. We shall vote on it and within the next seven days, His Excellency President Dr. William Ruto, will have an opportunity to assent to it. I have gone through most of these issues that were raised in the Report through mediation; they were more of a clean-up. For example, on the issue of drilling exercises where Kenyans are put on high alert, I do not know whether God lives in Kenya because we rarely experience major disasters in the country unlike other countries.

In America today, or yesterday night, there were hailstorms in Missouri. The windscreens of all cars were destroyed. The Asian countries are experiencing earthquakes such as the Tsunami. I was in Brazil in 2018 or 2019 to study their disaster preparedness. If a disaster happens in Brazil, the National Command Centre on handling disaster is alerted within 20 seconds. The response is quite fast.

We have been having minor disasters in the country such as road accidents or collapsed buildings that are more of a compliance issue. It is very important that this committee agreed on the issue of drilling and the role of the Cabinet Secretary. Therefore, I hope that when the House reconvenes and does a division within seven days, His Excellency the President will have to assent to the Bill.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, in conclusion, are you aware that this is the mining area of governors, especially those from North Eastern? Under the Public Finance Management (PFM) Act, 2 per cent of the budget of each and every county is allocated to

disaster management because disaster management is a concurrent function. It is done by the national Government and county governments. The information I have is that Marsabit County, for example, allocates more than Kshs1.5 billion to disaster management, but they cannot provide even basic water trucking to the citizens of Marsabit when there is severe drought in that region.

In Mandera County, the Governor went ahead and used Kshs55 million of the disaster management fund to buy wads of seedlings when he should be providing for water trucking. When we asked him where the trees were, he told us to follow the road to see where they had planted those seeds. You cannot talk about Wajir County, where the Chairperson of the Council of Governors the (CoG), Ahmed Abdullahi, comes from. Interestingly, I informed Sen. Chute that most of his governors, starting with Governor Abdullahi, the Governor of Marsabit County, the Governor of Garissa County and the Governor of Mandera County are all absentee governors. They operate more from South B or South C, Nairobi, than in their counties. That is where they eat.

In conclusion, as a country, we need to move from response-based to prevention and mitigation of disasters. Under the PFM Act, every county, including Meru County, must allocate 2 per cent of the budget to disaster management. Nairobi City County, for example, allocated Kshs846 million in the last financial year. However, there are floods in the city. We are being told that they wanted to buy boats, which we never even saw when there were floods in the city.

I am told that in some parts of this city, the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) were called to assist Kenyans due to lack of coordination. Nakuru City County allocated Kshs342.8 million to disaster management as per the 2 per cent allocation in the PFM Act. Narok County allocated Kshs298 million to disaster management, while according to the Controller of Budget (CoB), Marsabit County allocated Kshs174.9 million to disaster management.

What am I trying to demonstrate? That, disaster management is lucrative business for governors. The intention of the PFM Act as presented by this Report that has been ably moved by Sen. Chute and Mheshimiwa Crystal Asige was to assist Kenyans at times like this when we have floods in this city. When I heard the Governor of Nairobi City County saying that they wanted to buy boats, I thought it was a joke until it rained heavily the other day and vehicles became useless.

I appeal to Sen. Chute and my Chairperson for County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC), to see that we need to audit the funds for disaster management in this country. We face disasters that can easily be handled.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am happy that in the last session when you were in the National Assembly, we were pushing the Strategic Grain Reserve to buy more cereals to assist Kenyans during drought. It is very unfortunate that Kenyans are dying because of hunger. A true government is known by how it treats its vulnerable in terms of need. If it rains, they suffer. If there is sun, they suffer. This does not only affect human beings, but also animals. Sen. Chute, since you come from that region, we should enhance the livestock insurance in future, so that even as we take care of the people, we also take care of the livestock. He will tell you that the economic activity of Marsabit County and the

northern region is livestock, which they have in millions. I hope that on disaster management, we will push for prevention and not reaction.

I appeal to the President to assent to the Bill and ignore the naysayers. Today’s news headlines were saying that the economy grew under the Kibaki and Uhuru regimes, but it is not growing under the William Ruto regime. I ask the President to assent to the Bills and ignore the naysayers. By the way, the media also uses a principle that says, it is not news when a dog bites a man, but is news when a man bites a dog.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to appeal to the President to assist us by assenting to such legislative proposals that will improve the lives of Kenyans and include the naysayers. In this country, some people are behaving as if they are more Kenyan than others; they must leave this country. That is what we call the ethnicity inferiority complex in this country.

I have seen people celebrating the late former President, Mwai Kibaki. You are a member of the Njuri Ncheke. You must have experienced the reign of the late President, Mwai Kibaki. They celebrate President Mwai Kibaki so much, forgetting that from 2007 to 2008, there was post-election violence. They disputed the 2007 General Election.

So, the success story of this country will be written through such an innovative, precise legislative agenda that we give in this country. I want to appeal to the President as per Article 113 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, that within seven days--- I know Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, you will be able to present. With your indulgence, I want to thank the President because he took his time today to welcome Sebastian Sawe. I thank you for approving the statement, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir.

Mr. Sebastian Sawe, who won the London Marathon and ran under two hours, was given a customised number plate and millions of shillings. He was given a heroic response. I want to pray and appeal to the people of Meru to start being athletes. This is a lucrative business.

However, I have only one problem with the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA). Can you believe that after Mr. Sebastian Sawe won Kshs48.5 million in an award, KRA is taking Kshs18 million? The KRA should zero-rate. Why take Kshs18 million? So, I want to appeal to the KRA not to tax the money of athletes and sportsmen and women.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, with the indulgence that you have given me, because Mr. Sebastian Sawe is my villager, he comes from Ndonyongaria village, while I come from Mosoriot, I will not sit without acknowledging and thanking the President. However, the KRA, please, stop taxing Kenyans who are winning. There are many Kenyans who are doing tax evasion.

With those many remarks, I beg to support this mediated version of the National Disaster Risk Management Bill that came from the National Assembly. I hope it will be signed into law, and that Kenyans will use more preventive and mitigative measures rather than reactive measures in place.

I congratulate Sen. Chute for the job well done. We wish him well. Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir.

Very well. Hon. Senators, according to my dashboard, there is no other Senator wishing to contribute to this Motion. Therefore, I will call the Mover to reply.

Sen. Mohamed Chute, you may procced.

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, for this opportunity. Let me also take this opportunity to thank the distinguished Senator from Nandi, Sen. Cherarkey, again.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, pursuant to Standing Order No.63, I beg to move that the putting of the question be deferred to a later date.

Hon. Senators, I have accepted and the putting of the question has been deferred.

Hon. Senators, we are now going back to Order No.8, business appearing as Order No.8, The Division of Revenue Bill. Any Senator wishing to contribute?

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for the opportunity to contribute to the Division of Revenue Bill (National Assembly Bills No.2 of 2026) . I am glad that after the conversation and after the push and pull between the Senate and the Council of Governors (CoG) , we have the opportunity to debate and contribute to this Bill.

The Senate is in that space where we must play our role as the House that will fight for the protection of devolution by ensuring that we put our best foot forward to negotiate for adequate funds to be given to county governments in order for devolution to actually work as it was intended.

After fighting for devolution---

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I wish Sen. Cherarkey would just let people contribute. I feel disrupted. I feel I do not have your ear as the conversation is going on.

Sen. Mumma, this ear is on your side, so do not mind. I am just getting some direction.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, you are a miracle worker, that you can listen to Sen. Cherarkey and, at the same time, hear what I am saying.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, when Sen. Cherarkey contributed, I listened. In fact, I was in the Chair. I listened very carefully. I just want to urge that you also have respect for others as we contribute. Listen, I am sure you will have some good points to add.

On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir.

What is your point of order, Sen. Cherarkey?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, under Standing Order No.1, Sen. Mumma is saying I do not respect her and the House, and yet, you cannot approach the Chair without his permission. You are the one who beckoned me to approach. Is it certain that I am showing disrespect? I thought you had called me for one or two consultations. I did not do it in bad faith.

I respect the Senator. I normally listen to her submission. I do not know why she is taking offense and yet, the Deputy Speaker beckoned me. Unless, as the Temporary Speaker, she rarely calls people to approach her. I do not know.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, my point was this: Hon. Sen. Cherarkey, I request that you be humble enough to listen. Every day, we have to actually call you to lower your voice for people to listen. That is what I was referring to. I have no problem with you approaching the Chair, but listen---

Sen. Mumma, stop addressing Sen. Cherarkey directly.

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. He wanted me to verify that, that is what I was saying. I was just requesting, very humbly, that even as we listen to you, please, also listen to us.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I was making the point that we were angered, as the Senate, by the manner in which the CoG conducted itself. We had said we would defer the conversation on the Division of Revenue Bill. I am glad that we have come to discuss it because that is a constitutional responsibility that we must actually attend to. We also have the constitutional responsibility to oversee how these funds are deployed. Therefore, both roles are for the Senate. Without shame, without fear, we will carry out both in a manner that the people of Kenya contemplated when they gave this role to the Senate.

Even as I say so, I would want to support those who have argued that the Senate must go back to negotiate for more funds. Our committee has recommended Kshs454 billion and the CRA has recommended more money than that. My view is, first, we need to know that Kshs450 billion is the amount, and I speak as a member of ODM who is aware that this issue was discussed as part of the MoU between ODM and the Government.

There are those who pride themselves that we are doing a lot as a broad-based government. In good faith, if the Government respected Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga, we need

to, at least, honour his memory by doing what is right. An amount of Kshs450 billion was supposed to be given in the past financial year. In this financial year, we should be going up.

I urge the Government to give more to counties. In my view, my humble advice to the national Government of the day is that embracing devolution will actually develop this country faster because a lot of the service delivery that is required to trigger the economic growth is in functions that are carried out by county governments. When we hold up the money, and yet the development budget for national Government is not more than 30 per cent, we end up with the grumbling that is happening.

The Kshs420 billion is not enough. We still have functions listed in the Fourth Schedule that have never been implemented by some counties. Counties are always complaining that they do not have enough money. The wage bill is still high, as you are aware. Key services such as agricultural extension services have been relegated; they are not there.

We have not had enough money to deploy into the health sector, for instance, to do effective preventive health care. We actually are misusing the Community Health Promoters (CHPs) who are given Kshs2,500 to carry the burden of doing preventive health for a Government that should not think otherwise. The Kshs2,500 is an insult.

Properly speaking, we should be trying to find monies that we can deploy if we are serious about Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Both in preventive health and in our public facilities, the bulk of the services are carried out by county governments for us to achieve what we are talking about.

The model of UHC, in Kenya, cannot be achieved when we are giving a drop of the amounts of money that we are giving to counties. We have functions such as the museum and the libraries, which the national Government had held on to. They are now transferred but the monies are not yet transferred.

Along the line in the Fourth Schedule, with the mandate on Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) and Vocational Training Centres (VTCs), there is a function of care institutions. Care institutions are particularly required by the most vulnerable in this country. Young girls from the informal settlements go to work for the middle-class people who need care services for their children. They go to do some days work and come back to feed their families. I am in the Committee on Education and that is a function that nobody is implementing. It appears as if it is easy to fall off because the money is not enough. The museums would be best to keep our culture. I want to find out which of your counties is implementing that function properly.

Honourable Deputy Speaker, Sir, my suggestion, and I would want you to take this suggestion further with the House, is that the Senate, in the 14th year after devolution, has kicked off. It should prepare a better indicator on the functions that should be implemented by county governments for us to know how many of the functions that were given to the counties are being implemented and how many are not.

We know that part of the problems of governors are that they do not have enough money. The natural thing would be to drop off what looks like luxury. However, those functions are not luxury. We need to actually ensure that every function is implemented. It cannot be implemented when we only add Kshs5 billion to what was given last year,

knowing very well the economy is not seriously growing and inflation is a factor. What are we trying to achieve?

When we come to oversight as well--- I am urging that our Committee on Finance and Budget team and whoever will be in the Mediation Committee, to fight to for the maximum. I suggest that we go for the CRA proposed share.

When we come to the oversight, we must also audit the expenditure by county governments and governors that are against the Constitution. It is despicable that a governor would proudly share how many millions they have given, for instance, Kshs500 million to bursaries, which is not their function, but will not have built one ECDE, which is their function. We also need to get governors in a room to understand what their function is.

Governors are not above the law. We cannot go fighting, as a Senate, for them to get more money. We hear governors are signing illegal MoUs to give conditional grants to the national Government on bursaries, an issue that all politicians want to give monies to. The Members of the National Assembly, the President separately, all these cards are giving scholarships. What is in this bursary? We need a proper evaluation of that, and we need to surcharge the governors who have taken little money instead of deploying functions that they are actually assigned under the Fourth Schedule, who go to assign it to other issues.

I can see, in the Bill, that the national Government is talking about cost cutting some of the things that are put into account. I agree that as a nation, we need to understand what is a priority and what is not.

One of the things we must look at, at both county and national Government levels, is the parallel governments, in the name of advisors, in the name of these people who are employed willy-nilly by governors, by the President, and whose impact on the budget we have never been told properly.

In fact, the Senate might also want to find out how much budget line is being deployed by governors to the employment of the fleet of advisors, who are more than County Executive Committee Members (CECMs) and those who are employed to carry out functions.

In the 14th year, I think beyond what we did this morning, I want to give accolades to the Senate for, particularly the Senate Secretariat. I think we need to also come up with a publication on the state of the implementation of the functions assigned to counties. We need to start auditing each county against that standard.

We actually need to call out county governments that have spent monies on things that they should not have spent on. Those people need to be surcharged together with their finance officers. That is what was contemplated by the Constitution. Nobody is above the law and when you go above the law, you should be penalized. The Constitution contemplated that such people would be personally penalised for making decisions that are not within the law.

As I support, I want to ask that we vigorously campaign and lobby for more money. We must tell the President that a lot of money is still held at the national Government, such as, money for roads. We have parastatals that are holding functions of the counties, hence money that should be given to counties is still being held by the

national Government. The national Government cannot afford to throw a token of Kshs5 billion extra to the counties.

The Committees must also be firm and tell the governors that we will do what we are supposed to do. We will ensure that they spend the monies that they are given to the functions that they are supposed to spend on. They have to cut down on unnecessary expenditure for our people to get services.

If we are not careful, the people of Kenya are getting tired. Parliament, the Executive and the Judiciary should start doing their job guided by nothing but the Constitution. I believe that this country will go far if we implement this Constitution as was contemplated. When campaigning, the governments that we have had in the recent past lied to us that they would embrace devolution only for them to come and affirm parastatals that carry out roles that are not theirs.

The current Chairperson of the Committee on Finance and Budget and the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of National Treasury and Planning are ODM Members. Raila Odinga stood for devolution. In the last financial year, he asked that Kshs450 billion be sent to county governments. If they, including the President, truly respected Raila Odinga, they should give the counties the Kshs450 billion that should have been given to them in the last financial year. They should also mark it up in this financial year. I am asking that we mark it up to what the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) has recommended, in good faith.

Let us find other ways of saving cost on the largesse. If we do that, we will find that money. I believe that money is there and we can find it and give it to the counties.

I thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir.

Thank you very much, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I will not take a lot of time because I am to chair a meeting a few minutes from now. I want to contribute in support.

We, Senators, must fight for increment of allocation to the county governments. We must reinforce and protect the gains that have been. It can never be lost to us that the 48 governments in Kenya, 47 counties and the national government, serve the same people. Therefore, it is in our best interest, in one Government approach, that we unbundle as many functions as possible and also ensure that the budget follows the functions that have been unbundled.

It must also not be lost to us that we have a constitutional role of oversight. Some governors have made it very difficult for us to audit and follow up the resources allocated to them. We have had situations where some of them refused to appear before specific committees for questioning. As we fight for enhancement of the money to the county governments to increase the services to the people at the grassroots level, we must also come up with mechanisms that will ensure that the money allocated to the county governments is accounted for. We also have to make sure that the money is spent in a way that can make an economic, social and political impact to the people at the grassroots level.

We know that the notorious counties are those which are marginalised and touted as poor. Some of them have been allocated hundreds of billions in the last 15, 14 or 13 years, but they cannot show much of it. As we fight for the increment of the allocation to

the county governments, we must also reinforce and relook at the mechanism that has been put in place to ensure that we do not only oversight, but also come up with a definition of what is an impactful project.

If we leave it at the liberty of the governors, as it is today, some of them will give manure to the people, while some will give cows that die after a couple of days. Some of them will give the people all manners of things in the name of social development. This can only be achieved if we come up with a matrix.

Unfortunately, that is not defined in the Constitution. We probably need to sit down with the governors, in the spirit of moral responsibility, and agree on the parameters that define how they spend the money. We can also agree on how the resources that go to the county are expended for them to be impactful.

Some counties have shown tremendous progress in the way that they are implementing and using their money though we must be alive to the fact that a development done this year becomes an expenditure in the following year because of the maintenance cost. Therefore, an increment of Kshs5 billion is not enough to ensure that what was developed the previous year will be also maintained.

I want to urge the governors to ensure that whatever they get is spent in a way that is accountable and transparent. The Senators, in their role of oversight, must come up with a formula that will help them follow up on how resources are spent. If they do that, they will not be reduced to morticians who come and say that money was lost after it has been lost.

We, Senators, need to come up with mechanisms that will ensure that projects that have been conceptualized make sense politically, economically and socially to the people. At the end of the day, the scarce resources allocated to the counties should be impactful.

As I sit down, I want to commend the President because his administration, the Kenya Kwanza Government, has ensured timely disbursement of money to the county governments as opposed to the previous regime. The previous regime used the county allocation as a balancing figure variable when we have shortage in the government. There is something to be happy about. All we need to do is to unbundle the services and ensure that the budget line follows them. We must also have reinforced oversight commitment from the Senators and the governors must appear before the Senate Committees when there are queries. That will help cultivate the goodwill with the people.

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

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me the opportunity to also make my submission on the Division of Revenue Bill.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we, Senators, always champion for the governors to appear before the committees for them to explain how they have been managing our county resources. We, Senators, also champion for the increment of county allocations.

This is the House and we are the Members mandated to oversight governors. I appeal to our governors to appear any time they are summoned by the committees. At any time, they are being summoned by the committees of this House. As we champion for the increment of resources within our counties, we also demand accountability among our governors. We want them to show us how they are managing and using our public

resources. This is because we do not know a situation where, as Senators, we are championing the national Government to increase the allocation of resources to our counties and, again, we do not see the results.

In several counties within our country, roads are in a very pathetic condition, and you find governors demanding for more resources. Agriculture and Health sector is doing badly in our counties, and yet, we come to this House and request the national Government to continue allocating more resources to our counties, and we do not see the results.

Therefore, we demand our governors to appear before any committees when they are being interrogated, so that we know the resources we are fighting to be allocated to our counties, whether they are doing the required job or they are being misused by our governors.

Lastly, in my county, recently, we were led by the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Health of the Senate, Sen. Mandago. We were in Baringo and the assessment we went through revealed that the health facilities in my county are doing very badly. Therefore, I will urge and demand this House to discuss Baringo County as a national disaster because our people are suffering in terms of health facilities. We do not have drugs, doctors or nurses. Even those people who are working as casual, they are never paid.

There is a report we will submit before this House on matters of health sector in Baringo County. I will request all the Senators to focus on Baringo County on matters health.

Thank you.

Hon. Senators, the Mover of this Bill is not around to reply. So, I defer the reply of the Motion to the next sitting.

Hon. Senators, I want to reorganise the Order Paper again. Order appearing as Nos.9, 10, 11 and 12 are deferred. Then when you look at our Order Paper again, business appearing under Order Nos.14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 are divisions. Therefore, they are also deferred. Then we will go to Order Nos.19, all the way to 29. So, that business stands deferred.

to enhance the interaction between the Senate and county governments, as a means of bringing the Senate closer to the counties and the general public;

ACKNOWLEDGING the recommendation of the Senate Business Committee that a sitting of the Senate be held away from the traditional premises in Parliament Buildings, Nairobi, during the term of the 13th Parliament; and the subsequent resolution of the Senate made on 8th March, 2023, to hold plenary and committee sittings in the counties for a one-week period within the month of September in every Session of the 4th Senate, except during an election year with the objective to: -

1) promote the role and work of the Senate and enhance public awareness regarding the Business of the Senate and Parliament in general;

2) highlight existing and new opportunities for engagement in the legislative process; y

3) develop and strengthen partnerships at the county level of government; and

4) provide an opportunity to members and staff of county assemblies to learn and share best practices with Senators and parliamentary officers.

FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGING the successes made during the previous sittings of the Senate outside Nairobi held in Uasin Gishu, Kitui, Turkana and Busia Counties in 2018, 2019, 2023 and 2025, respectively;

NOW, THEREFORE, pursuant to Article 126 (1) of the Constitution, the Senate resolves to hold its Plenary and Committee sittings in Kilifi County, from 21st to 25th September, 2026.

(Motion deferred)

(Bill deferred)

Hon. Senators, there being no other business on the Order Paper, the Senate stands adjourned until Tuesday, 5th May, 2026, at