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THIRTEENTH PARLIAMENT

Fifth Session

Wednesday, 10th June, 2026 at 9.30 a.m.

PARLIAMENT OF KENYA

The House met in the Senate Chamber, Parliament Buildings, at 9.30 a.m.

PRAYER

DETERMINATION OF QUORUM AT COMMENCEMENT OF SITTING

QUESTIONS AND STATEMENTS

QUESTIONS

Question No.037

REGISTRATION OF PLOT/PARCEL NO.570-686 ALONG NYAYO ROAD, MARSABIT COUNTY

Question No.045

SAFEGUARDS AND POLICY REFORMS FOR PROPER URBAN PLANNING

Question No.064

OWNERSHIP OF LAND PARCEL NO.LR.209/4401 IN BURUBURU, MAKADARA CONSTITUENCY

MOTION

ADOPTION OF REPORTS ON COUNTY OVERSIGHT AND NETWORKING ENGAGEMENTS IN KITUI, MAKUENI, MACHAKOS, KIAMBU, BUNGOMA AND KAKAMEGA COUNTIES

THAT, the Senate adopts the Reports of the Standing Committee on Health on the County Oversight and Networking Engagements in Kitui, Makueni and Machakos Counties, laid on the Table of the Senate on Thursday, 26th February, 2026; Kiambu County laid on the table of the Senate on Thursday, 19th March, 2026; Bungoma and Kakamega Counties, laid on the Table of the Senate on Tuesday, 21st April, 2026.

Senator for Nairobi City County.

POINT OF ORDER

FAILURE BY CABINET SECRETARIES TO APPEAR BEFORE THE SENATE

We would only encourage that all the Cabinet Secretaries be available for the House on Wednesday morning and not to prioritise other business before putting the session in Parliament on a priority basis.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

MOTION

ADOPTION OF REPORT ON INQUIRY INTO SHORTAGE OF SMART ENERGY METERS

THAT, the Senate adopts Report of the Standing Committee on Energy on inquiry into the shortage of smart energy meters in Kenya and the potential for their local manufacturing, laid on the Table of the Senate on Wednesday, 11th June, 2025.

Now, hon. Senators, I will proceed to put the question

because the debate on this Order has been concluded.

Clerk, do we have the requisite quorum? I will proceed to put the question.

Next Order.

MOTION

MAINSTREAMING A FRAMEWORK FOR CLEAN COOKING

THAT AWARE THAT, Article 42 of the Constitution guarantees every person the right to a clean and healthy environment, which includes access to safe energy options; FURTHER AWARE THAT, over 900 million Africans, including more than 90 percent of households in Kenya’s rural areas, still rely on traditional biomass (firewood, charcoal, animal waste) for cooking, resulting in high levels of indoor air pollution that cause premature deaths, particularly among women and children; CONCERNED THAT, in Kenya, indoor air pollution has been linked to over 23,000 annual deaths, with women and girls bearing the disproportionate burden of time spent collecting firewood and cooking, limiting their education and economic opportunities;

NOTING THAT, traditional cooking methods contribute significantly to deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate vulnerability at the county level, undermining national commitments under the Energy Act, 2019, the Climate Change Act, 2016, and Kenya’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs); RECALLING THAT, the Africa Clean Cooking Summit (Paris, 2023) mobilized USD 2.2 billion in commitments for clean cooking, and the International Energy Agency has recommended urgent financing and policy action to achieve universal access by 2040; ACKNOWLEDGING, the efforts of some counties, development partners, and private sector actors in piloting clean cooking projects, but recognizing that these remain small-scale and fragmented; NOW THEREFORE, the Senate resolves that the: - i) Council of Governors develops county-level policies, frameworks, and budgets that mainstream clean cooking into devolved energy and health functions;

ii) National Treasury and Ministry of Energy prioritize clean cooking in financing frameworks, including results-based financing and blended finance models to de-risk private investment; iii) County Governments incorporate clean cooking targets in their County Integrated Development Plans (CIDPs) and ensure public institutions such as schools, health facilities, and prisons adopt clean cooking solutions; i) National Treasury and County Governments to fast-track letters of authorization to unlock carbon finance markets (Article 6.2 and CORSIA) for clean cooking projects; and, ii) County Governments engage the private sector actors and community organisations to expand clean cooking access, create local jobs, and reduce pressure on forest resources.

MOTION

PROVISION OF COUNTY GOVERNMENTS’ IFMIS REPORTS TO THE SENATE

THAT, AWARE that, Article 96 of the Constitution provides that the Senate represents the counties, and serves to protect their interests, determines the allocation of national revenue among counties, as provided in Article 217, and exercises oversight over national revenue allocated to the County Governments; FURTHER AWARE THAT, in the case of Senate v Council of Governors and 6 others (Petition 24 and 27 of 2019 (consolidated) 2022) KESC 57(KLR), the Supreme Court affirmed that the Senate’s oversight authority extends to both nationally allocated and locally generated revenue; CONCERNED THAT, that Senators are constrained by lack of access to real time to data from the IFMIS system for the respective counties they represent, thus affecting effective oversight of County Governments; FURTHER CONCERNED THAT, in some instances data and information presented to the Senate by the Auditor-General and the Controller of Budget are received and considered late as a result of the backlog, resulting in too much information not getting properly reviewed by Senators; NOTING THAT, as a result of unchecked financial information and systems, County Governments have continued to accumulate pending bills resulting from unplanned expenditures, unaccounted for and inflated cost of projects; NOW THEREFORE, the Senate resolves, that the Cabinet Secretary in charge of the National Treasury shall on a monthly basis forward to the Clerk of the Senate all IFMIS transactions and reports for each County Government for onward transmission to the respective Senator for information on accountability and transparency, in order to strengthen their constitutional oversight and promote good governance in the management of public finances.

MOTION

DELINKING JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS FROM PRIMARY SCHOOLS

THAT, AWARE that, the Ministry of Education in Kenya, introduced Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) as part of the Competency- Based Curriculum (CBC) implementation marking a major milestone for the country’s education system, and a key opportunity to improve the quality of education available to students; APPRECIATING THAT, the Junior Secondary Schools program play a vital role in shaping the academic trajectory of learners by providing students with a strong foundation in core subjects, helping them develop essential skills and offering them opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities promoting greater social inclusion; CONCERNED THAT, the integration of Junior Secondary Schools within primary school setups has posed major challenges for Junior Secondary teachers, including inadequate training on the new competency-based curriculum, limited opportunities for career advancement, conflict in leadership, decision-making and resource allocation leading to strained relationships with head teachers; FURTHER CONCERNED THAT Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) face critical shortages in essential infrastructure such as laboratories, libraries, ICT hubs, and science equipment necessary for the implementation of the JSS curriculum, coupled with inadequate access to approved learning materials and teaching resources, resulting in inconsistencies in curriculum delivery hindering effective teaching, learning, and overall student development; NOW THEREFORE, the Senate resolves that the Ministry of Education, the Teachers Service Commission and the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development should: - i) Provide for an independent administrative and operational framework for Junior Secondary Schools to enhance governance, streamline management, and create a more focused learning environment for the learners; ii) Allocate adequate funds for the construction and equipping of Junior Secondary Schools with essential facilities such as science labs,

libraries and ICT rooms, and provide adequate learning materials relevant with the curriculum; iii) Offer professional development programs for Junior Secondary School teachers to help them specialize in specific subjects to effectively implement the JSS curriculum; iv) Develop a clear career progression framework for Junior Secondary School teachers, including opportunities for promotions and additional responsibility allowances; v) Formulate clear policies and guidelines outlining the structure, curriculum, and management of Junior Secondary Schools; and, vi) Ensure an optimal teacher-student ratio to facilitate personalized student attention and effective learning. Sen. Gataya Mo Fire was not in the Chamber? That order is deferred. (Motion deferred) Next Order.

MOTION

PROMOTION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND INNOVATION POLICY IN KENYA

THAT AWARE THAT, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is redefining economies globally through emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain, and financial technology (Fintech); FURTHER AWARE THAT Kenya has made commendable strides in digital infrastructure and mobile innovation, positioning itself as a potential leader in Africa’s tech-driven future; NOTING THAT in a landmark decision, the African Union Executive Council endorsed the Continental AI Strategy during its 45th Ordinary Session in Accra, Ghana, on July 18-19, 2024 to underscore Africa’s commitment to an Africa-centric, development-focused approach to AI, promoting ethical, responsible, and equitable practices; COGNIZANT THAT the Continental AI Strategy calls for unified national approaches among AU Member States to navigate the opportunities of AI driven change, aiming to strengthen regional and global cooperation and position Africa as a leader in inclusive and responsible AI development;

APPRECIATING

THAT the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy recently formulated and launched the Kenya National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy 2025- 2030;

RECOGNIZING the need to align Kenya’s development with global standards in AI adoption while also safeguarding national values, inclusivity, and employment; CONCERNED THAT the absence of a comprehensive framework may hinder innovation among local start-ups and youth-led tech enterprises and slow down Kenya’s ability to harness AI for inclusive growth; NOW THEREFORE, the Senate resolves that the Ministry of Information, Communication and Digital Economy develops a Policy to promote Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies with particular emphasis on: i) promoting research and development of locally relevant AI solutions; ii) facilitating ethical guidelines to ensure responsible and beneficial application of AI; iii) creating innovation-friendly ‘Sandboxes’ for supervised testing of AI and emerging technologies; iv) Strengthening public-private partnerships to build digital skills and innovation ecosystems; and v) Integrating AI and coding into the education curriculum to prepare the next generation for the digital economy

PROCEDURAL MOTION

TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF PROCEEDINGS PURSUANT TO STANDING ORDER NO.38

Therefore, I wanted to request, if you could indulge us, that, pursuant to Standing Order No.38, the Senate do suspend its proceeding for 30 minutes for the Standing Committee on Finance and Budget to complete the work on that report and we resume our sittings at 10.30 a.m., with the tabling of the report and a Supplementary Order Paper, so that we begin that business.

Maybe just to make a provision for any eventualities, we say 10.40 a.m. Actually, it is the same. It will be 10.38 a.m. because it is 10.08 a.m. now.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I request Sen. Watenya Sifuna to second.

Now, Hon. Senators, there is a supplementary Order

Paper that is being circulated. That is the one that will be in use in this session.

Clerk, kindly, proceed to call the next Order.

PAPERS LAID

Report of the Mediation Committee on the Division of Revenue (National Assembly Bill No.2 of 2026)

REPORT ON CONSIDERATION OF COUNTY GOVERNMENTS ADDITIONAL ALLOCATIONS BILL, 2026

Report of the Standing Committee on Finance and Budget on the consideration of the County Government's Additional Allocations Bill (Senate Bill No.8 of 2026)

NOTICE OF MOTION

ADOPTION OF MEDIATION COMMITTEE REPORT ON THE DIVISION OF REVENUE BILL (NATIONAL ASSEMBLY BILLS NO.2 OF 2026)

MOTION

ADOPTION OF MEDIATION COMMITTEE REPORT ON THE DIVISION OF REVENUE BILL (NATIONAL ASSEMBLY BILLS NO.2 OF 2026)

We also raised the issue of Clause 5. The National Assembly requested its removal, but we stood firm and insisted that in case of any shortfall, it should be borne by the national Government. Likewise, in case of any surplus, the national Government would still enjoy the same. It was, therefore, a win-win arrangement. In the mediation process, we agreed that any shortfall or surplus should be borne by the national Government.

We held a total of seven sittings. In these sittings, we discussed issues such as pending bills in counties that need to be settled and various development projects across our counties. In the Fourth Sitting, we bargained and lowered our figure from Kshs454 billion to about Kshs440 billion. We stood firm and even walked out of the meeting, stating that if we were not getting the Kshs440 billion, then we would not proceed. At that point, the National Assembly had moved to Kshs425 billion.

The proceedings continued and we challenged the National Assembly to consult the different ministries, where some devolved functions had been allocated funds. These funds had been budgeted through the ministries, yet the functions are already devolved. We urged the National Assembly to remove monies from the ministries and allocate them to the counties through the Division of Revenue Bill. They can attest that we gave them a very hard time.

By the sixth meeting, they added another Kshs1 billion. The total then stood at Kshs426 billion, but we were still not satisfied and moved to Kshs435 billion. The discussions continued and, at some point, we reminded ourselves that we were carrying out our constitutional mandate. However, at times, governors do not even want to appear before committees of the Senate. We did not forget our mandate as defenders of devolution. We pressed for an increase in the counties’ allocation.

We also held further discussions on matters of the Equalisation Fund and many other issues. The National Assembly raised the issue of debt, noting that the fiscal space was limited. They presented figures and arguments concerning the debt situation.

We challenged them on the issue of the last audited and approved accounts. Currently, the last audited and approved accounts are for the Financial Year 2022/2023, yet we are dealing with the budget for the Financial Year 2026/2027.

We felt it was unfair for the National Assembly to continue delaying the passing and approval of audited accounts, as the revenue has changed. The revenue of the last financial year is not the same as that of the Financial Year 2022/2023. If we were to use the current audited reports, the figure would still be quite high.

“Mr. Speaker, Sir”, these were some of the discussions where we stood firm, defended county governments and justified why more money should be allocated to the counties. Yes, some counties have been a disappointment. That is true. However, this did not deter us from fulfilling our role and mandate---

Kwa hivyo, ningependa kuwasihi maseneta tukubali Shilingi bilioni 428 ambazo tumekubaliana na wenzetu wa Bunge la Taifa, tukizingatia kwamba bado kuna misukosuko katika uchumi wa ulimwengu. Tumeona kuwa kumeibuka sitofahamu katika Ghuba la Uajemi, ambako mafuta mengi yanatoka, na bei ya mafuta ulimwenguni imepanda. Kwa sababu hiyo, uchumi wetu utaathiriwa kwa sababu uchumi wetu hauko kisiwani. Uchumi wetu uko katika ulimwengu ambao kuna mambo mengi yanayotendeka. Kwa mfano, vita vinavyoendelea sasa hivi baina ya Iran, Marekani na Israeli, vyote hivyo vinaathiri uchumi wetu, ingawa matokeo yake yako mbali na nchi yetu ya Kenya.

Kwa hivyo, naunga mkono na ningependa maseneta tuunge mkono ripoti hii ya uwiano ili tuweze kusonga mbele na tuzingatie sheria ya County Allocation of Revenue Act (CARA), ambayo kamati yetu pia imeiweka na wako tayari kuiwasilisha.

Suala lingine ni la Equalisation Fund. Hivi asubuhi tulikuwa na Tume ya Fedha au Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA), ambapo tulizungumzia sera ya tatu ya marginalisation. Tumeona kwamba bado kuna malumbukizi ya takriban Shilingi bilioni 60 ya Equalisation Fund. Tatizo lililopo ni kwamba tukisema, kwa mfano, katika Division of Revenue Act (DORA), Equalisation Fund itakuwa, nafikiri, Shilingi bilioni sita mwaka huu, baadaye kutaletwa supplementary estimates, katika Bunge la Taifa na wanapunguza pesa zinazokwenda kwenye Equalisation Fund. Malumbukizi ya madeni ya Equalisation Fund sasa ni zaidi ya Shilingi bilioni 60. Kwa hivyo, ina maana kwamba hazina hii ya Equalisation ambayo ilitarajiwa kuleta usawa haitaweza kuleta usawa, na sasa tumebakisha miaka mitano, masUala ya hazina hii ya ustawishaji au usawa yamalizike. Na itakwisha bila kuhakikisha kwamba fedha zote zilizotengwa ziliwekwa katika hazina hii ya ustawi na zikalipwa kwa kaunti au maeneo yaliyopangwa kupata hazina hizo.

Hili ni suala ambalo li wazi na lazima, kama Bunge la Seneti, kwa sababu maeneo mengi yaliyo katika masuala haya ya Equalisation, kaunti 33 zilizopo katika mfumo wa sasa, zote ziko katika himaya yetu kama Seneti.

Asante kwa kunipa fursa hii.

We thank our team and the National Assembly for agreeing to 22 per cent. However, if you look at other countries, such as Germany, where devolution has really grown, the regions that form part of Germany, money is divided between the national Government and what would be the equivalent of county governments, on a 50-50 basis. So much money goes to the counties that are now able to look after themselves without having to refer to the national Government.

Madam Temporary Speaker, Article 203 of the Constitution states that not less than 15 per cent should go to the counties, but it does not limit it to 15 per cent. It just says “not less than”. The point I am making here is that the national Government should look seriously into the possibility of raising this in the next allocations. Let us move from 22 per cent to 35 per cent, then to 50 per cent. It is possible because this morning, we saw the approved estimates from our sister House, the National Assembly. I was very curious that they have allocated Kshs130 billion to housing. The Cabinet Secretary was supposed to be here this morning, yet the same department already has securitisation, which has constructed all these buildings across the country; the markets and the hostels.

Now, again, they are being allocated Kshs130 billion. So why is it that they have so much money? Is the function of building markets strictly a national Government function? When you look at it sincerely, it is possible for us to go to 50 per cent if the national Government can cede some of the money that is still being held at the headquarters.

This brings me to the next point I wish to discuss. If you look at this report, you will see at page four that there are projects that are jointly funded between the national Government and the counties. You see, there are the County Aggregation and Industrial Parks (CAIPs), the Community Health Promoters (CHPs), the Financing Locally-Led Climate Action Programme (FLLoCA), the Food Systems Resilience Project and the National Agriculture Value Chain Development Project. Agriculture is devolved. Why hold money at the national Government to say you are doing a national project on value chain addition? Why hold this money? If the national Government, the National Treasury listen to me, they can start seeing that it is encroaching on the duties of the counties and they will release these funds.

Madam Temporary Speaker, why should we have counterpart funding on Community Health Promoters (CHPs)? We have complained many times as Senators that the county governments are finding it difficult. The national Government pays, but the county government is not paying. It takes two to three months before the Kshs2,500 is paid to the CHPs. Health is a devolved function. Why should the National Treasury be holding to that Kshs2,500 for the CHPs? Why can the National Treasury not release these funds? Why should we be holding money for the County Aggregation and Industrial Parks (CAIPs) at the National Treasury, instead of this money being surrendered to the county governments? Why should the food resilience project be at the national level and then have counterpart funding at the county level?

I really believe that if the national Government can see what we are seeing and what the Constitution is talking about, it is possible to move from this commendable 22 per cent that has been given all the way to 50 per cent of the nationally raised revenue.

Madam Temporary Speaker, I would like to talk about my county, particularly about the agriculture department. In 2024, for instance, in Tana River County,

Kshs548,608,768 was allocated for agriculture, livestock, fisheries and veterinary services. A sum of Kshs166,000,000 went into recurrent expenditure.

A total of Kshs381,000,000 went into projects and infrastructure in those departments, which represented 6.8 percent of the total equitable share that went to Tana River County. However, when you look again at how that budget goes, you will see that most of the projects that the county was saying that it will execute are actually national projects.

Almost all of them form the development vote were national projects because the entire Kshs166,000,000 went to recurrent expenditure. So, why is the national Government doing the work at the county level? We have employees and officers there in the Department of Agriculture. We have our priorities and our money that should have been used. Why should the national Government come and do the same work? Why should we have this kind of confusion?

We may be saying here that we are happy to move the money from Kshs415 billion to Kshs428 billion for all the counties, which is commendable from our representatives in this Committee. However, the question still begs, why is the national Government encroaching into county affairs? Why is it that in the Agriculture Department in Tana River County, all the development is being done through national government programmes? Why not surrender this money to the Department of Agriculture in Tana River County? It is because the national government is not accepting devolution to be what it is. We have to start accepting that these counties are the next level of government. It is like the National Treasury has still not accepted that we have county governments that are doing the work that they are supposed to be doing. Why should we have food resilience programmes being carried out from Nairobi?

Madam Temporary Speaker, since these people have no connection with the local people, they would come, for example, to start a programme on irrigation. They are told by the local people, we should dig a dam at that place, because this is a seasonal river. Since the people from Nairobi have the money and they are the decision makers, they do not listen to the locals. Instead, they create a dam away from the seasonal river. I have seen it myself. When you want to do the oversight, you are told this is a national government programme. The dam has been created away from the seasonal river. Consequently, when the seasonal river comes, the water is not dammed. That water is lost, the money has been spent from the national government and the people do not benefit from that money.

Madam Temporary Speaker, I am just wondering why it is that the national government cannot leave? Why are they still clinging to money? Practically, I am giving that example. That is what happens. People come from Nairobi to Tana River and say, this is a resilient programme on food security system and we need to do a dam. They have decided that from Nairobi. However, they are told by the locals not to dam this seasonal river here, rather, dam it on this other side. However, they go ahead and dam it at another place and that money is spent. They are the ones who do the procurement and awarding of contracts, and they do it to their friends. So, the dam is created away from the seasonal river. That money is lost, yet there is still no food resilience. As a result, the support to create food security in that particular area is not achieved.

Madam Temporary Speaker, I urge the National Treasury and national government to think again. Let us release all the money down to the county governments. The argument that is always given that county governments may not be using the money as they are supposed to is a different argument. Let us, first, get that money into the county governments. Let us deal with the first problem. I keep saying that there are no angels at the National Treasury. The same officers who are trained in the same agricultural training college and veterinary training college are the same ones who are sitting in the county governments and the national government. These people should not create the impression that when they are the ones executing the function, there is no corruption. It is false. It is true that at the national government, there is as much problems in terms of management of funds as there is in the county. So, let us desegregate this problem.

What we want to say is that more money must be released to the counties. Other countries have done it, and have really grown. It is possible for our country to move from this 22 per cent that we have achieved, and go higher to 30 per cent or 50 per cent, so that county governments can start operating as they should.

Madam Temporary Speaker, with those remarks, I support the Motion on the mediated version of the Bill. I thank you.

The Senator for Murang’a together with Senator for Laikipia are really distracting me as I am on my feet.

If a county cannot sort out ECDE; if a governor is only able to decide that children need porridge, but does not know that they need to maintain the ECDE teachers with proper terms and conditions of their labour contracts, then something is very wrong. If governors cannot sort out basics with what has been allocated now, we should not sit as Kenyans and imagine that the day we allocate Kshs600 billion, then we will have prudent expenditure of the resources being sent to the counties.

I call upon the counties not to embarrass themselves with basic programmes such as ECDE. The ECDE is in the best interest of children because it deals with the youngest, most vulnerable members of our community. It is our most precious gifts that we send to the ECDEs. If a governor cannot take care of ECDE teachers; is only able to give them a cup of porridge in the morning--- The porridge is good, it feeds the child. It is nutrition and is important to have that assurance that they can have a simple meal in school. Beyond the meal, can we see the resource that is supporting that ECDE programme being taken care of, so that those children can basically have a minder or a teacher who guides them through the day?

I take this opportunity to congratulate the Mediation Committee for the work they have done. It is commendable. The National Assembly can also make work easier for everybody and make it more seamless.

Some of the proposals made by the Senate, especially like the one that was made before the amendments were sent to the National Assembly, make a lot of sense. We have a lot of resources here in the Senate. By the time a whole group of 67 Senators have sat, used government resources, public resources and their time to sit here and legislate on amendments and bettered some of the legislation that is coming from National Assembly, and it is sent to National Assembly and all they can do is reject, sometimes they need to give very good reasons.

If you count the number of degrees in this Senate, plus PhDs--- We have Prof. Margaret Kamar. I think we need a few more professors. We also have Prof. Tom Ojienda. How can I forget the one who did the impeachment proceedings and defended the Senate? We have such heavy resource within the Senate.

I am reminded of the very Senator Sifuna from Nairobi City County. I hear his name, Senator Sifuna. I am being given the name Sifuna as one of the biggest resources, which is true.

We have a heavy resource in the Senate, and if it can be utilised properly, we will not waste people's time, mediations, six meetings over one month or over two months on just basic rudimentary principles and amendments that were made to better the legislation that came from National Assembly.

I hope the National Assembly can now respect the Senate and allow the Senate to do its work in a seamless manner. It is high time that the National Assembly looked at all those Bills that are stuck there with respectful lenses and passed them.

With those many remarks, I wish to say that the Committee has done a good job and should continue on this track.

I support.

What about a reversal of that situation? If the national government has decided that they are going to co-fund these projects, why can they not calculate the amount of the co-funding from the national government and release it in one lumpsum to county governments as additional allocation in the budget? This is a situation where we give county governments money, but we dictate to them how they are going to spend that money.

The same thing applies to the Community Health Promoters (CHPs). A determination has been made that nationally, we are going to have 107,831 CHPs across the country. The national government will give Kshs2,500 and the county governments will give another Kshs2,500 to the CHPs. A simple calculation tells you that the county governments, in totality, will have to spend around Kshs270 million every month to take care of the CHPs. Why can the national government not send the money for CHPs in the budget as part of the equitable share, as additional allocation to county governments?

If we are not careful, what will happen is that we will be told that there have been additional monies sent to counties, but those monies are budgeted by the national government. This is because these expenditures are non-discretionary. It is not the discretion of a county to spend or not to spend. I am happy that Sen. Veronica Maina has noted that any shortfall in the revenue collected nationally within the budget cycle must be borne by the national Government.

After we have agreed on this amount that we have sent to county governments, there should be no argument at any one given time within this financial year, that somebody is going to touch the allocations to county governments. If there is a shortfall in collections for whatever reason, the national government should bear it.

Additionally, it cuts both ways. If by whatever miracle the National Treasury is able to collect a lot more than has been projected, the county governments will not say they want a share of the more that has been collected. The national government can use that money to service the national debt.

As I conclude, let me address myself to the leaderships of the county governments. We are here debating additional funds to county governments. However, we have just come from a very ugly and unpleasant situation. A section of county governors just decided that they would not want to be held accountable for the resources that are allocated to them. It should be noted by county governors that accountability for resources allocated to county governments, including from own source revenue, is not a favour to the Senate or to the people in the county. It is a constitutional obligation.

Madam Temporary Speaker, I found time to follow discussions on that mediation and I do not believe it was easy. There is no mediation that is easy. We have heard what our colleague, Sen. Faki has just told us that the Members of the National Assembly would be giving an additional Kshs1 billion per sitting. Sen. Tabitha and your team, I was wondering whether you should have waited a little longer so as to get other additional Kshs1 billion, so that we get to Kshs450 billion. Perhaps, you should have waited a little longer; you should have asked for additional time like 50 days, so that we get to Kshs450 billion. Be that as it may, you have done your job. I mean, you have delivered at least something better than what we had.

Now, what we are saying is this; the time that the Senate and the representatives of the Senate spent pushing for the additional monies to counties should not be taken for

granted. It is the same thing that happened to the 12 county governments, including Nandi, Samburu, Taita Taveta and I think, Laikipia. We sat here and out of our clean hearts and our love for devolution, invoked the provisions of Article 203 of the Constitution on affirmative action and said that other counties were ready to lose some little money, so that we can get a little more to the 12 counties. We agreed that when we give those additional monies to those counties, we are going to ringfence those monies and spend them on critical projects.

Immediately the governors received that money, they completely disappeared and forgot that there was a deal on how that money was supposed to be used. Now, they are running away from accountability on how that money has been spent. Let county governors be accountable for the resources that we sent to them.

As I conclude, I address myself to my County Government of Kitui. There is a tussle that I am trying to mediate as much as I can. If I do not succeed in that mediation, I will be asking the Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations to step in and help us mediate between the County Assembly and the County Executive on matters of budget.

There was an argument that they were waiting for the Division of Revenue Bill (DORB) to be passed, so that they can agree on certain issues. This is going to pass any time soon. I hope that both the Executive and the County Assembly of Kitui will realise that the monies that we sent to Kitui County are supposed to help people in the county from Usweni in the north to Athi in the south. From Endau Malalani in the east, to the Thaana Nzau in the west.

It is not money that should be a source of conflict or dispute between the two arms of government. It should be appropriated in harmony between the county assembly and the executive to benefit our people. When the executive and the Assembly are unable to agree on budget issues, it is not them that are suffering. It is the people of Kitui who need water, better healthcare, support in agriculture, roads fixed and their Early Childhood Development Education (ECDEs) to be fixed.

With those many remarks, I support the Motion on the report. Thank you.

habit of spending money outside the budget. That was one of the issues that we noted that keeps encouraging supplementary budgets.

This is one of the reasons I was convinced that the money that we negotiated to go to counties is money that will at least reach counties. The Kshs428 billion is money that the Constitution protects and it will be able to go to the counties. Most of the money that is appropriated by the national government ends up just being good on paper because if that money was there, there would be no point of having a supplementary budget.

The position that we took yesterday was one that defends the interests of counties to guarantee at least the Kshs428 billion. The reality in this country today is that Kenya owes about US dollars 80 billion to foreign and domestic debt. In fact, as of Monday next week, Kshs85 billion will be due to be paid and if that money is not paid, Kenya will default in its payment. So, colleagues, this figure of Kshs428 billion was not what we thought would go to the counties. It was less than even the figure the constitutional body tasked to recommend on how money should be shared, the Commission of Revenue Allocation (CRA), had proposed.

I want to correct my brother, the distinguished Senator from Kitui County on the notion that this issue of County Aggregated Industrial Parks (CAIPs) in counties is mandatory. The way I understand the role of county governments, particularly looking at Article 217 and Article 219 of the Constitution, when it comes to the issue of financial management of counties, it is not a must that counties agree to what the national government dictates to them. In fact, the notion that the national government dictates to counties on how to spend their money is farfetched.

The challenge is the issue of leadership in the county governments. That project is co-funded. Instead of a governor who would want to see a CAIP built in the county agreeing with the national government that they will co-fund Kshs250 million to build it, they should first take it to their county assembly, discuss it, take it to the public and then budget for it. Once you budget, then you can do it. If you have not budgeted for it, there is no point in agreeing with the national government. No one is holding a gun to your head to say that you must now do what the national government wants.

Madam Temporary Speaker, it is imperative for us to separate facts from fiction. I want to beseech colleagues that one, the Mediation Committee succeeded in ensuring that if there is a shortfall in revenue collection in the country, the national government will absorb that shortfall. That is a repeated clause that the National Assembly, each financial year, attempts to remove. I am so happy that our Standing Committee on Finance and Budget is so keen on ensuring that clause remains, so that it protects county governments. It is also in line with Article 219 of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, which talks about the share of revenue that has been allocated to be released without undue delay or any deduction. That was a win for our counties.

Two, adding Kshs13 billion to Kshs415 billion to make it Kshs428 billion was also a win. We know what is happening around the world. The prices of fuel are going up. Recently, I was in France and I was driving. I rented a car and when I went to fill gasoline, a litre of diesel or gasoline was retailing at Kshs370 at the pump. That is when I said in Kenya, I think we are either a spoiled lot or we are very lucky, because we complain about everything.

Our mediated version of DORB settled a prolonged dispute between the National Assembly and the Senate in terms of dividing the resources that are collected by the national government.

As I conclude, I want to reiterate the points that were brought up by my colleagues, Sen. (Dr.) Mungatana, on the need for us to enhance our fiduciary responsibility. The National Assembly must now move expeditiously to consider the Auditor-General's current report. My colleague, Sen. (Dr.) Mungatana, said that we are getting 23 per cent of revenue going to the counties. What if we had considered the audited reports for the Financial Year 2024/2025? That 23 per cent you are seeing there, my good brother, would probably be eight per cent. So, I think it is important that the National Assembly pulls up its socks to make sure that we are current.

While we were at the Mediation Committee, my good brother, Sen. Eddy Oketch, raised a very valid question and asked this question: what if a Kenyan, and you know the way Kenyans are, just ordinary litigants--- I think the Judiciary makes a lot of money from cases which are being filed daily. What if someone goes there and says that money should not be sent to counties or should not be divided between the counties and the national government because the figures that are being used to determine are figures from two to three years ago?

I think it is about time that we put discipline in our institutions. Both Parliament and the Executive must be on the front line to inculcate financial discipline and accountability, so that we can teach future generations that when we were here, we made sure that we solved problems that have taken us so many years to solve.

I am happy that this Senate, the County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) and also the County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee (CPI&SF) are ahead of their game. That is not because of our own doing, but because someone out there went out and questioned the work that we are doing.

Finally, to the county governors, we took a lot of time to mediate and to negotiate. My sister, Sen. Tabitha Mutinda, alluded to the fact that we were being treated to a musical chair of getting a billion here, a billion here, but we stood firm for you. I want to plead with you to ensure a fiduciary responsibility. The money that we are sending to the counties must reach the poorest of the poor. It is sad when we sit here and burn the midnight oil to make sure that we fight for you to get that money, but when we call you to come and account, it becomes long stories. When you have the money, you do not do what is supposed to be done.

Madam Temporary Speaker, this Senate has done its job. A lot of people do not understand the work of Senators. They think the work of Senators is to run around fundraising in villages daily. Our work is to put discipline in institutions.

We have managed to make sure that we send more money to counties. We have also managed to make sure that we develop legislation that will support the current and future generations. It now behooves the county governors also to play their role. This

money does not belong to them. A lot of governors run counties as if it were their personal kiosk. It is not. This Senate, particularly the CPAC, has managed to compromise and, instead of sticking to the cash basis of accounting, has gone into the accrual basis of accounting because of the trade payables or pending bills that are choking this economy. We move from pending bills to trade payables. It does not change. It is still the same thing. County assemblies, do your job. Ensure that these trade payables become the first charge of the account, so that the money that we send to you does not start new projects if you have not paid suppliers.

A lot of people are committing suicide. That is the reality. You go and take a loan, then you are auctioned. You took a loan because the law; the Public Finance Management (PFM) Act, the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, prohibit any county government or any institution from providing services. In fact, it is not even like going to the shop.

We may want to consider a situation where I deliver a bottle of milk and you pay me. I deliver a bottle of water, you pay me. This business, where we have legislation that will allow you to tender, you supply everything and then you start billing. When you are billing, and this Senator sends money to the counties to pay you, they start telling you stories of “oh, the money is in Internet Banking; oh, the money---” The problem is control of the budget.

The same discipline that the Ministry of Roads and Transport has instilled in its system, whereby there are no current pending bills of all road contractors, is the same thing that we need to borrow to send to our counties. A county governor who will stand there and say, we do not owe anybody money, would be one who would be seen as wanting to grow and to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor.

With those few remarks, I want to plead with my colleagues to support this Motion, so that we can complete the division of revenue, immediately start the process of the County Allocation of Revenue Bill (CARB) and after CARB is assent and becomes CARA, we can do the cash disbursement schedule, and then send money to counties. From there, we can now follow up and ask questions.

Madam Temporary Speaker, I thank you.

COMMUNICATION FROM THE CHAIR

VISITING DELEGATION FROM GENDA MIXED SECONDARY SCHOOL, MURANG’A COUNTY

Hon. Senators, I have a communication from the Chair on a delegation of teachers and students from Genda Mixed Secondary School from Murang’a County, the county where yours truly comes from.

Hon. Senators, I would like to acknowledge the presence in the public gallery this afternoon, a visiting delegation of four teachers and 92 students from Genda Mixed

Secondary School in Murang’a County. The delegation is visiting the Senate for an academic exposition.

On behalf of the Senate and on my own behalf, I extend a warm welcome to the delegation and wish them a fruitful visit.

I will now request Sen. Karung’o Thang’wa from the neighbouring county to welcome this delegation together with Sen. Consolata Wakwabubi, who is a former teacher.

Hon. Speaker, I am getting a lot of disturbance from Sen. Mundigi and Sen. Tabitha.

lamenting here that the National Assembly always trashes the reasoning of the Senate on every single matter. So, I look at this report of the mediation committee, look at the reasoning of the National Assembly as to why we cannot be given Kshs450 billion as a family of devolution. They have given two reasons there.

At paragraph seven of that report, you will see that they are saying revenue shortfalls as one of the excuses. Then they have said that the House observed that the allocation of Kshs420 billion as equitable share to county governments was informed by prioritising of expenditures of national interest, including public debt, obligations and other national commitments. When the National Assembly defines national interest, the counties do not feature anywhere as an ingredient of national interest.

Then you go to page three of that report and you see the reasoning of the Senate. From paragraph 11, we have taken time to explain to the National Assembly why counties need these resources. These guys just do voodoo math. They just pull numbers from the air, whereas the Senate sits down and tells them point by point why we need this extra allocation.

Number one, there are mandatory obligations that have been put on the Senate, including annual salary adjustments of county government workers. They are always here at our gate protesting because counties are unable to honour their obligations under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Additionally, county governments are in arrears in implementing the third and fourth remuneration and benefits review cycle as recommended by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), amounting to Kshs10 billion.

Madam Temporary Speaker, I heard the Senator for Narok County during his submissions mention that counties have to find a way to accommodate the national government when it comes to some of these projects, particularly the counties that need the CAIPs.

We have Members of the County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) in this House. We have had governors, such as the Governor of Makueni County, Hon. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr., appear before us. He stated that they specifically told the national government that they did not need the CAIPs. However, the national government insisted they must be built. In fact, the design of these parks is the same throughout all counties.

For them, the interest lies in the construction, not in whether they are necessary in the counties. It was forced upon the governor and he had to accept and co-finance it, even though it was not in the interest of the people. We therefore said there is a need for stability and predictable county budgets.

In this Senate, we passed a very useless document called, “the Disbursement Schedule”. Not once has the National Treasury, led by Hon. John Mbadi, ever honoured the Disbursement Schedule passed in this House. Essentially, we pass these laws merely to tick boxes. When has the National Treasury ever complied with the Disbursement Schedule?

At times, very senior people in the government go around in rallies claiming that counties are up to date with their disbursements, yet county governors tell us a very different story. We can go on and on, but the Senate always presents reasoned arguments as to why counties need this money. Then Hon. Samuel Atandi, the Chairperson of the Budget and Appropriation Committee of the National Assembly says there is no money. He goes for lunch, comes back and says he will add Kshs1 billion. He simply pulls figures from the air. There is no scientific process in his mind that results in the allocations under this Bill. This is deeply embarrassing.

I want the people of Kenya to know that those betraying the dream of devolution are members of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). They are the ones betraying devolution. Hon. Samuel Atandi, as Chairperson of the Budget and Appropriation Committee, should put his foot down. He comes from Siaya and calls himself Baba’s child. He should surely defend devolution. In fact, I saw on social media that even the DJs who perform at their events are not being paid. I want Hon. Atandi to see me on television. If he does not pay that DJ by the end of this week, he will see that DJ in Thika. It is deeply embarrassing.

They even go around lamenting that the national government has refused to pay the ODM Kshs12 billion owed under the Political Parties Fund yet they are the ones in charge of the basket. It is like going home with the basket and failing to put aside flour for your own children, while giving others money and leaving your children starving. You are the ones in charge of the basket, Hon. Atandi and Hon. Mbadi. For heaven’s sake, you are embarrassing us, as a party. We are embarrassed. Instead of lamenting like the rest of us, why not take the money and put it in the budget? Then they tell us there are shortfalls in revenue. I will not tire in saying how embarrassed I am as the Secretary- General of ODM.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, the National Assembly uses four methods to deny counties money. The first is the base amount used to calculate revenue. Article 203(2) of the Constitution states that in every financial year, counties should not receive less than 15 per cent of the revenue that has been received, audited and approved. What the National Assembly does is ensure that they are never up to date with the audited reports.

Here in the Senate, we have the County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC(, of which I am a member. It is proudly chaired by a member of ODM who understands what the party stands for, the Senator for Homa Bay, Sen. Moses Kajwang. The Senate adopted last year’s audited accounts of counties in March. We are up to date. In our meetings, we are only following up on where counties stand.

Can you imagine that the amount being used to calculate the share to county governments is from the 2022/2023 Financial Year? I am not certain who chairs the Public Accounts Committee in the National Assembly, but I suspect it is also a member of the ODM. It is Hon. Tindi Mwale. He is embarrassing us as a political party. It is his responsibility and that of his committee to ensure that they are up to date. These are the people letting down Baba and killing the dream of devolution. These are the people who should be held before the disciplinary committee of the party, not Sifuna for insisting that we need to implement the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that Baba signed.

Before I depart from the issue of the base amount, if you look at the revenue for the Financial Year 2022/2023, it is stated to be Kshs2.050 trillion. If they were using

current audited accounts, the last financial year’s revenue was at Kshs2.571 trillion. That is not insignificant. That is over Kshs571 billion. If you applied 15 per cent on that amount, you would see the revenue for counties increase.

The second issue is borrowing. Yesterday when we were debating the Food and Feed Safety Control Coordination Bill (National Assembly Bills No.21 of 2023), one of the reasons advanced by the National Assembly on why county governments and their departments cannot be considered authorised entities was that they are not recognised internationally.

When it comes to borrowing in this country, the only level of government able to borrow from foreign markets is the national government. Counties are unable to access this. However, when calculating shareable revenue, the national government first deducts national interests and national obligations in repayment of debt.

One of the arguments I have made is that whereas under the framework of devolution we can see a schedule of 47 counties on the received amount, we do not see a similar schedule of the expenditure of the debt accumulated in projects across counties.

If you ask the people of Bungoma whether they know how much money is spent in Murang’a or Mandera from the national basket, they do not. When people complain, others respond by claiming that counties also get money and ask what they have done with the money allocated to them.

The figure of Kshs428 billion is insignificant compared to the amount retained by the national government. Therefore, nobody should make such arguments. In fact, I want to promise here that once we establish the government in 2027, one of the things we shall do is ensure that we only use the resources we raise. The issue of borrowing is also killing devolution.

The Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning, Hon. John Mbadi, will go to Jeevanjee Gardens and sell open lies to Kenyans about the state of debt in this country. We must also address public expenditure, so that we can eliminate borrowing. If the late former President, Hon. Mwai Kibaki, was able to balance our budget, it can be done. We see a lot of wastage in this country, with large sums simply thrown around.

Madam Temporary Speaker, I do not know if I can ask you a question directly, I understand the rules do not allow. However, when was the last time you replaced the roof of your house yet there is this spectre where someone replaces the roof of State House every two weeks simply because he has the money? If he dislikes the colour or if rain has faded it, he decides to change the roof again.

That is what I am saying. In fact, we were discussing this with one of the Senators here.

State House is changed every two weeks. Could the Senator substantiate that? It is kind of ridiculous to make such a statement. Perhaps Sen. Cherarkey knows if the State House roof is changed every two weeks.

wholly difficult and we place the blame squarely on the National Treasury because it behaves as if it is the national government Treasury and not Treasury for all of us.

Lastly, Madam Temporary Speaker, there is a refusal to devolve functions. Sen. Mungatana has taken us through many examples of refusal to fully devolve functions. I will reiterate that, in fact, the full unbundling of functions was one of the conditions in the expired Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). These are issues that bring me problems because I remind Members of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) that is what Baba signed up for.

We have had fights here with Members of the National Assembly again on the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF) because the Constitution recognises only two levels of roads. That is national and county roads. We are supposed to have only two levels of funding. They are supposed to take care of national highways and trunk roads while counties are supposed to do roads in the counties.

Madam Temporary Speaker, can you imagine that we have the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) doing roads in Nairobi? Under what definition does a road in Nairobi fall under KeRRA? Hon. Raila was very clear because he is the one who brought these road agencies. He said they became obsolete after promulgation of the new Constitution and therefore they needed to be wound up. We will continue to defend that legacy even if it costs us our lives. We want people to know that we will defend things that Mzee used to believe in, including this.

With those many remarks, Madam Temporary Speaker, I refuse to support this report. The Senate committee should have done more to get us money that was promised by the Head of State.

I thank you.

least 50 per cent should go to counties because that is where majority of the population get their services.

Another issue is that every time we see our doctors and teachers striking because there is no money being allocated to them. It is their right to have an increment every year. There are also pending bills in the counties. It is indicated here that we have inclusion of Clause 5 as part of the Bill to provide that the national government will bear any revenue shortfall and in case of any surplus, the surplus will be applied to pay debts. If there is a surplus, we need not to reduce money for counties. However, I doubt if there is any surplus because we have huge debts to pay for and every time the country is committed to debts.

It is because of that that there is a lot of wastage. Perhaps only a blind person may not see that there is a lot of wastage. I agree with the Senator for Nairobi City, Mheshimiwa Sifuna, that we have a lot of unnecessary expenditures in both cases where, for instance, the national government is using a lot of money, including buying flowers and other funny things.

If you go to our offices, you will find a lot of flowers. Do we really need to have flowers in offices when Kenyans are hungry? We spend a lot of money on unnecessary things such as newspapers. Some of us can afford to buy newspapers. Likewise, a senior officer in a certain office can afford to buy Daily Nation or The Standard newspaper. Therefore, we really do not need to supply them. That money can be put to other uses.

There are also functions that have been abandoned. We have 42 institutions that are still performing functions of the counties. Already, it was approved by the Cabinet, including functions of the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) and KeRRA that my friend talked about. They are supposed to be wound up because they have no business doing functions that belong to the counties. However, the same agencies and other parastatals continue doing functions that are supposed to be performed by counties because the National Assembly allocates funds to them. That is wrong. If those institutions are wound up and those functions are taken to the counties, the same money will go to counties therefore calling for an increase of the amount of money to the counties.

We also have officers such as Community Health Promoters (CHPs). That is actually a national programme, which should be taken by the national government, but it is co-shared thus reducing the amount that would have gone to the counties. However, what has been brought by the national government is cost-shared again, reducing the money going to counties. In most instances, the national government meets this obligation. It pays the Kshs2,500 in time, but counties cannot pay because they lack funds and are not given extra money for that. As a result, these people who work under the scorching sun and walk long distances to promote health services, are not paid on time. Their money is delayed for four to five months. That money should be released immediately.

There is also a lot of duplication of functions. Water, agriculture and health are all devolved functions yet when counties sink water pumps and drill boreholes, Members of the National Assembly take money from the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation, and do the same job again. This kind of wastage and duplication must stop. If the money goes to the counties, the same work can be done more efficiently. In fact, about 80 per

cent of the budget for water, agriculture and health remains at the national level, while what goes to counties is very little. This duplication of projects should be done away with.

Madam Temporary Speaker, on page five, the National Assembly gave reasons for rejecting the Senate amendments. The funny reason cited was limited fiscal space. It says-

“The House noted that increasing the equitable share to county governments to Kshs454 billion for Financial Year 2026/2027 would widen the fiscal deficit and increase borrowing”.

I do not understand that argument. It is a wrong perception. There are other factors increasing borrowing, not the allocation to counties. That is, therefore, not the right message to give to Kenyans. Governors have turned counties into private enterprises where everything is done at the governor’s will. The governor decides where to put water or what to do, instead of following the Appropriations Bill. County assemblies have also failed to provide oversight. It is the assemblies that appropriate funds, yet Senators are the ones forced to say if what is going on in counties is unacceptable. Our assemblies must wake up and improve oversight because they are the ones who appropriate the funds. Fund appropriation must be done properly to meet the required distribution of funds. Funds must go up to sub-counties, wards and locations.

As much as we appreciate that the national government has committed to release money to counties, there are unnecessary delays. Sometimes it takes three to four months for counties to receive funds. The National Treasury holds county money and delays it until counties are forced to borrow from banks at a cost. Banks charge interest on such loans. I therefore request the National Treasury to release funds on time, so that counties can meet their bills.

With those few remarks, I beg to support the Bill.

On funding of counties, there is still a challenge. I associate myself with Sen. Sifuna and say that all devolved functions must be devolved fully. If it is agriculture, functions should not be held in Nairobi. We, in Makueni, deal with mangoes and citrus fruits. When the national government retains certain functions that are not fully devolved, we cannot devolve the functions and fail to have the money follow those functions.

If functions and money are devolved, counties will have enough. In health, if the entire function is devolved in totality with the money, we will achieve devolution. In totality, this version presented today fails the test of the Constitution and the wishes of counties. I oppose it and will vote against it.

Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker.

responsibility that we would be expected to bear in the event of a shortfall of revenue that would be collected. Similarly, in case of any surplus, the requirement that that surplus revenue that would be made available will be utilised to pay debts. This is one of such clauses that the Committee indeed managed to retain because when you look at the conversation that went on in the National Assembly, their rejection was under two headings - revenue shortfalls and national interest obligations.

The Committee, however, managed to make sure that the introduction of Clause 5 is not defeated. Therefore, we would expect that all our county governments, throughout the financial year, will be protected. In the event that there is any shortfall, county governments and the allocations that have been given are not going to be affected. That in itself is one of such responsibilities that the Committee indeed protected devolution and the resources that are available to the county governments.

Madam Temporary Speaker, secondly, and this is also one of the important concerns that has been raised by colleagues, is with regards to the resources on projects which are co-shared by the national government and the county governments. This is the County Aggregation and Industrial Parks (CAIPs), among others, including the issue on-- - I am forgetting the term. It is disappearing. Allow me to correct this. That is, besides the CAIPs and the team that is normally the responsibility of the national government. The issue which colleagues have talked about here in terms of the allocation on those roles that are shared by the county governments and the national governments, it is because of the mistrust, I believe, that has gone out there to the county governments, such that when you talk about the allocation, for instance, of Kshs250 million for purposes of the County Aggregation and Industrial Parks or the Community Health Promoters (CHPs), as well as the Financing Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) programme.

Yesterday, we had one of the committees where we were subjecting governors, including the Governor of the County of Bomet, where FLLoCA projects which have been funded have been taken over by county governments as though they have been fully funded by the national government. When you look at the regulations that are coming from the National Treasury, these are supposed to be projects managed and handed over to the community upon their completion.

Joint funding is going to continue as is to make sure that we protect these joint projects from being taken over by county governments. Since they are continuously funded, control on the resources that are located is going to protect service delivery and also misuse of these resources. It speaks back to what I said in terms of accountability, for those who are in charge of our counties as well as us at the national level in the role that we are conducting as an oversight House.

The role that this Committee has done; the push that they have maintained to enhance from Kshs415 billion to Kshs428 billion is an improvement of last year's funding. I call upon the colleagues who are also saying that they are not going to support this to change their mind because we have to protect devolution. The reasons that have been advanced by the National Assembly as well as the justifications of our counterparts who sat in the Mediation Committee are sufficient enough to objectively accept the fact that Kshs428billion is in itself an improvement of the amount that we got in the previous year.

Of course, we should encourage the National Assembly to make sure that in the subsequent financial years, this amount goes up. We are looking at this because it has improved from Kshs415 billion to now Kshs428 billion. We definitely look forward to getting additional allocations in the subsequent years because we are protecting devolution. I ask colleagues to support this Bill. It has been brought in good time because there is no way CARA can be dealt with without DORA being passed by this House.

I support.

ADJOURNMENT

1. 00 p.m., time to adjourn the House. The Senate, therefore, stands adjourned until later today, Wednesday, 10th June, 2026 at 2.30 p.m. The Senate rose at 1.00 p.m.