Wednesday, 18th February 2026

Serjeant-at-Arms, ring the Quorum Bell.

Hon. Members, we now have a quorum to transact business.

Members, on your feet, please take your seats. Hon. Raphael, take your seat. Order, Members. Take your seats.

Infrastructure, it has become evident that the framework contemplated in the Bill as published does not sufficiently give effect to the desired institutional realignment of the NTSA with regard to transportation safety regulation. This development necessitates the introduction of a new Bill to address the gaps and provide for the establishment of an entity exclusively mandated to regulate transportation safety.

Having considered the reasons stated by the Member for Limuru, Hon. (Eng.) Kiragu, and in light of the views of the relevant committee, I have acceded to the request. The National Transport and Safety Authority (Amendment) Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 24 of 2024), therefore, stands withdrawn forthwith. Nevertheless, the Member is at liberty to reintroduce the Bill in the suggested form, following the procedure provided for in Standing Order 140.

You are accordingly guided. Thank you.

The Deputy Leader of the Majority Party.

Hon. Speaker, I beg to lay the following Papers on the Table:

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Leader of the Majority Party. Chairperson, Departmental Committee on Education, Hon. Melly.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I beg to lay the following papers on the Table:

Leader of the delegation to the women’s meeting in New York, Hon. Wamuchomba. She is not in. Stay that item until tomorrow.

Next Order.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker, for giving me this opportunity. I rise to request an Adjournment Motion on a matter of urgent national importance to discuss the drought situation in Northern Kenya, pursuant to provisions of Standing Order 33 (1) . I seek leave to adjourn the House to discuss a definite matter of urgent national importance regarding the drought situation in Northern Kenya.

The arid and semi-arid counties of Turkana, Marsabit, Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, Isiolo, Laikipia and Samburu continue to experience a prolonged and severe drought occasioned by failed rainy seasons. This has resulted in acute food insecurity, rising levels of malnutrition, depletion of water resources, and loss of livestock, which remains the primary source of livelihood for pastoralist communities in this region.

There has been limited Government intervention, particularly on the distribution of relief food and cash transfer programmes to the affected population. There is also an urgent need to establish and verify the status and effectiveness of relief food distribution at the county level. This circumstance calls for coordinated and enhanced intervention by the national Government and other stakeholders to mitigate the suffering of residents in arid and semi-arid areas.

Hon. Speaker, it is against this backdrop that I seek leave to adjourn the House to discuss this matter of great national concern, with a view to declaring the drought situation a national disaster and exploring a sustainable, long-term solution.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker.

Do you have enough support, Hon. Yussuf?

Yes.

Hon. Keynan, you can support without shouting. The numbers are overwhelming. Take your seats. The Member who has sought adjournment of the House has also requested…

Order! The Member has requested that we give him time before 6.00 p.m. because it is Ramadhan and he has to futuru. In consultation with the Leader of the Majority Party, since I do not see the Leader of the Minority Party here, we have agreed to allocate you one hour. You will move your Motion at 5.00 p.m., and it will end at 6.00 p.m. We shall pause whatever business we have ongoing at 5.00 p.m., allow you to move your Motion, then we debate it. The Leader of the Majority Party will be here to hear your views on the plight of our compatriots

in drought-hit areas and convey them to the Executive. We will close at 6.00 p.m. and resume the business we shall have halted. Is that okay, Hon. Farah?

Yes.

Drought in Mandera is drought in Kisumu. Drought in Turkana is drought in Narok. Wherever a Kenyan is affected, we are all affected.

Hon. Speaker, I beg to give notice of the following Motion:

THAT, this House adopts the Report of the Select Committee on Regional Integration on its inspection visit to the East African Science and Technology Commission in Rwanda and the East African Health Research Commission in Burundi, laid on the Table of the House on Wednesday, 5th November 2025. Thank you.

You are done? Do you not have two?

Yes.

Go on with the next one.

Mhe. Spika, naomba kutoa arifa ya Hoja ifuatayo:

KWAMBA, Bunge la Taifa liridhie Ripoti ya Kamati ya Utangamano wa Kikanda kuhusu ziara ya ukaguzi kwa Taasisi zisizo huru kikamilifu za Jumuia ya Afrika Mashariki na Ushoroba wa Kati katika Jamhuri ya Muungano ya Tanzania, iliyowasilishwa kwenye Meza ya Bunge Jumatano, 9 Aprili 2025.

Well done, Hon. Irene. I encourage some of the Chairpersons of Committees to also embrace our alternative national language. Leader of the Majority Party, unaskia? Wale ambao mnaweza kutoa Hoja na Arifa zenu kwa Kiswahili mnakaribishwa.

Hon. Speaker, I beg to give notice of the following Motion:

THAT, this House adopts the Report of the Special Funds Accounts

Hon. Karemba.

Hon. Speaker, I beg to give notices of the following Motions:

Thank you, Hon. Karemba. Before we go to the next Order, allow me to acknowledge, in the Speaker’s Gallery, students from Kiangua High School from Imenti South, Meru. On my behalf and on behalf of the House, we welcome the students, their teachers and those accompanying them to the House of Parliament.

Thank you. Next Order.

On a point of order, Hon. Speaker.

Yes, Hon. Jared.

Thank you very much, Hon. Speaker. I am taking a cue from the Report presented by Hon. Karemba. As you are aware, re-categorisation of areas as hardship areas has been my pet project. I am happy that Kilifi, together with Nyatike, has been mentioned in the Report.

Allow me to bring to your attention that even though you asked the Prime Cabinet Secretary to appear before us and give the classification of areas and the formula upon which they depended, up to now nothing has been actualised. You remember that certain new areas were to be gazetted as hardship areas in the report commissioned by this Government. Up to now, that has not happened. We have been waiting in limbo for way too long. Those who were to be beneficiaries of this, including teachers from the earmarked areas, have been pestering us. They are questioning what happened to the report and why it has not been actualised to this day. Whereas there was a proposal for other areas to be removed in that category, which is now the work of the Government, there are those who were to be considered a new in that report. I do not advocate for people’s removal because they have been benefiting from this forever, but what then happens to those who are newly brought into the fray?

Through your indulgence, I suggest that the new areas ought not to be disenfranchised just because of other extraneous matters that would be beyond our comprehension.

Are you sure that bracket is a fray?

Yes.

It cannot be a fray. Leader of the Majority Party, you promised that when the Prime Cabinet Secretary came here, he would furnish the House with a report or a Statement on the categorisation, re-categorisation and removal of certain areas from the hardship bracket.

Hon. Speaker, in fact, it is true that the Prime Cabinet Secretary had promised to do a comprehensive policy on the hardship areas because some used to be hardship areas but are no longer hardship areas. They were also to re-categorise some that had never been classified as hardship areas. For example, there are areas like Budalang'i that experience perennial flooding, making the area a hardship area for transportation. People cannot grow crops because every time they do, floods wash them away.

Allow me to follow up with the Prime Cabinet Secretary to find out how far they are.

Can you give us a report in two weeks?

Yes.

Thank you. Next Order

Hon. Speaker, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 44 (2) (c) , I rise to request for a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Education regarding the status of Secondary Education Quality Improvement Project (SEQIP) projects in Ijara Constituency.

The SEQIP was launched in 2017 by the Ministry of Education with support from the World Bank to expand access to quality secondary education in underserved regions. The programme deliberately targeted Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) , pockets of poverty and urban informal settlements, covering 110 sub-counties across 30 counties. So far, SEQIP has

recorded notable progress in the construction of classrooms and science laboratories, the installation of sanitation facilities, and the partial rollout of water systems, among others. However, despite being designated as a SEQIP beneficiary area, Ijara Constituency continues to experience widespread stagnation in the implementation of approved projects. Several critical facilities remain incomplete or entirely uninitiated, including classrooms and science laboratories at Hulugho Girls’ Secondary School, Hulugho Boys’ Secondary School and County Mixed Secondary School, as well as sanitation facilities across schools in Hulugho, Budhae and Ijara sub-counties.

Hon. Speaker, it is against this background that I seek a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Education on the following:

Thank you. Is Hon. Melly in the House? Somebody from the Departmental Committee on Education can respond to this. Hon. Makilap, you are a Member of the Departmental Committee on Education. When can you bring a response?

Hon. Speaker, we shall bring a report in two weeks.

Thank you.

The issue affects the whole country, not only Ijara Constituency.

Yes, Hon. Nicholas. What is it?

Hon. Speaker, I want to add on that before you proceed.

Do you want to joyride?

Yes.

Go ahead.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. Just like the Hon. Member for Ijara has put it, my constituency, Turkana East, has two sub-counties: Turkana East and Suguta. However, none of my secondary schools has been included in this programme since it was initiated. Therefore, I want to add a question about what he has asked the Committee.

What criteria are being used to add classrooms, labs, and other structures to the other areas, excluding the North Rift areas like Turkana County? Let the Committee explain why Turkana East Constituency has not been included in that list since the start of that programme.

Thank you, Hon. Nicholas. Yes, Hon. Bowen. Do you also want to joyride?

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. There is a need to look into the issue of hardship areas across the country so that we do not have individual petitions…

We are already past hardships. We are now dealing with the issue of the Secondary Education Quality Improvement project. That is not about hardship. You are starting very far to build up on your question. Go straight to the issue. Go ahead.

Hon. Speaker, I was building up on that. The issue raised by the two Members on Turkana County cuts across many hardship counties, including Kerio Valley, where I come from in Elgeyo Marakwet, West Pokot, and extends all the way to Northern Kenya. I want to ask the Committee that, when they are looking at this petition, they should not only look at the areas the petitioners have raised, but also across the country, so that we can have one harmonised document dealing with issues cutting across the country.

To be fair, Hon. Makilap said this problem is not unique to Ijara, but it affects the whole country. Therefore, when they bring a response, they should be as far-reaching as possible. As Leader of the Majority Party, I gave you the opportunity to speak to the House and the country about the Russian debacle.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. It is true that you directed me to provide an update from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the Office of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) , and they have since provided an update.

First, you directed that we give this response today.

Hon. Speaker, protect me from the noise behind me.

Order, Hon. Members. Member for Aldai, take your seat.

Hon. Speaker, when we went for the retreat, we reminded our Committee Chairpersons that whenever a Member rises in his place to ask for a Statement or Question, the traditional response is that the response will be given in two weeks. However, two weeks never come.

Yes.

Tell them that failing to emulate the Leader of the Majority Party has consequences.

Dire consequences, Hon. Speaker. I have the Report. Indulge me not to go through the entire script, especially what I have received from NIS. I will give a summary of their statement. So far, they can confirm that there are rogue agencies.

Hon. Speaker, the ongoing Russia- Ukraine war continues to trigger the recruitment of foreign fighters by the Russian military through rogue recruitment agencies and individuals in Kenya. The rogue agencies are targeting ex-military, ex-police officers, as well as civilians aged between the mid-twenties and up to fifty years who are desperate for job opportunities abroad. The agencies have been enticing Kenyans, promising them lucrative terms of service, including salaries of about Ksh350,000 per month and hefty bonuses of between Ksh900,000 and Ksh1.2 million, as well as eventual issuance of Russian citizenship.

So far, over 1,000 Kenyans have been recruited and have departed to fight in the Russia- Ukraine war. Kenyans leave the country on tourist visas to join the Russian Army through Istanbul, Turkey as well as Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) . However, due to increased interception of these travellers at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) , the recruits have changed tactics. They are travelling through Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) , and South Africa to avoid detection. Additionally, the agencies have been colluding with rogue airport staff from the Directorate of Immigration Services (DIS) , the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) , the Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU) and the National Employment Authority (NEA) to facilitate the recruits' passage through the JKIA without interception. They have also been colluding with staff at the Russian Embassy in Nairobi and the Kenyan Embassy in Moscow, who have been issuing the recruits with Russian visit visas.

Equally, some civilians working in Qatar, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Jordan, and Asian countries took the lucrative deal and travelled to Russia. The close to 1,000 Kenyans who are estimated to be in Russia did not all travel from Kenya. Some were already in the diaspora in the aforementioned countries and have since moved to fight in Russia. Notably, as of February 2026, the following is the status of some of the Kenyans who went to Russia. Of those who went to Russia, 39 are hospitalised, 30 have been repatriated, 28 are missing in action, 35 have been deployed in camps or bases, 89 are on the front line, one has been detained, and one has completed their contract.

The Global Face Human Resources Limited is a private recruitment agency owned by Festus Arasa Omwamba, located along Koinange Street in Nairobi. His telephone number is indicated. The agency was registered on 15th February 2024 and is currently not accredited by the NEA. The agency has actively conducted recruitment drives in Kenya, targeting skilled and semi-skilled youth for foreign employment, using the Kazi Majuu Initiative to present itself as a legitimate, Government-endorsed recruiter. The recruits depart the country on tourist visas to clandestinely join the Russian military. Their travel routes are through Istanbul and Abu Dhabi in the UAE, as mentioned.

Several victims have returned to Kenya, either maimed or having managed to escape from the war zone through the assistance of the Kenyan Embassy in Moscow. The majority of the recruited Kenyans indicated that they were made to sign contracts by the agency and an unnamed overseas employment support agency based in Moscow, Russia. Upon arrival in

Moscow, they were taken to military camps, trained for three weeks and subsequently deployed to the battlefields against Ukraine.

They indicated that they have since shared intelligence with the DCI, who have since conducted a raid at one of the identified holding bases at the Great Wall Apartments, Athi River, on 24th September 2025, where 22 victims aged between 24 and 38 years were being held pending travel. They were under the care of Mr Edward Kamau Gituku and Mr Joel Muchiri Ngugi, alias Caleb. It was further established that Mikhail Lyapin, alias Sargevich, a Russian national, is linked to Festus's trafficking activities. His social media presence under the handle @Mishayalpin identifies him as the founder of Mwaki Kenya and as an African markets’ enthusiast. Mikhail was arrested on 25th September 2025, repatriated to Russia on 26th September 2025, and an Alert-to-Monitor Order was issued against him to ensure that authorities can detect him if he attempts to re-enter the country. Reports indicate that he is already planning to sneak back into Kenya.

Inspocare Health Limited, situated near Muthaiga Square along the Thika Road Superhighway, and the Universal Trends Medical and Diagnostic Centre, located near City Hall within the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD), were being used to conduct medical examinations for potential recruits. The recruitment of Kenyans to fight in the ongoing Russia- Ukraine war is exposing Kenya to various risks, endangering the lives of innocent young people. It has the potential to cause diplomatic tiffs between Kenya and the two warring countries.

The NIS will continue to share actionable intelligence to mitigate risks associated with Kenyans seeking overseas jobs. As indicated, they have already shared that intelligence with the National Police Service (NPS) through the DCI. The DCI report indicates that they have corroborated the NIS allegation that they received intelligence in September last year. The DCI, through the Transnational Organised Crimes Unit (TOCU), received intelligence that Kenyans suspected to be victims of human trafficking were being held at Great Wall Gardens in Mavoko Sub-County. They arrested the people named. During the raid, they also recovered 39 unsigned employment contracts, 16 passports belonging to the victims, two mobile phones belonging to the suspect and a cook, two laptops, one HP printer, and a motor vehicle believed to have been used to transport the victims.

Court orders were subsequently obtained to analyse the mobile phones and laptops, acquire M-Pesa and Airtel Money statements, which have since been received, and acquire bank statements from Equity Bank and the Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), which the DCI has received. Investigations established that recruitment was conducted through an agency called Global Face Human Resources Limited, as corroborated by the NIS.

The other agency found to be conducting similar recruitment is the Talent Shepherd Agency, which is not registered under the NEA. Several brokers and agents have been identified and are under active investigation. In financial investigations, 17 victims confirmed payments totalling Ksh975,800 via M-Pesa and bank transfers. Additionally, three returnees confirmed to have paid Ksh640,000. Total confirmed payments so far are Ksh1,615,800. Bank accounts belonging to Edward Kamau Gituku and Festus Arasa Omwamba have since been frozen.

Investigations established the role of Festus Arasa Omwamba, the gentleman whose house the Member for Kilgoris furnished last week. Investigations established that Festus Arasa Omwamba is believed to be the Kenyan-based mastermind associated with other agents in Moscow. Festus organised accommodation, Russian bank accounts, and coordination with employers in Russia. Victims were promised bonuses ranging from Ksh910,000 to Ksh1.2 million. Victims were required to open Russian bank accounts upon arrival. A stop order has been placed through NIS against Festus Arasa Omwamba. However, he has filed an anticipatory bail under High Court Case No. HCCR Miscellaneous Case E110/2025 at the

Milimani High Courts. The matter is scheduled for directions on 30th March 2026. The Office of the Attorney-General is handling the case.

Among the returnees, three victims were rescued to Kenya, namely, Mr Vincent Odhiambo Awiti, Mr Duncan Moogi and Stanley Mungai Kamau. From their statements, Russian bank accounts were opened in Moscow. They underwent nine days of weapons and explosives training. They were deployed to active warfront areas. One Kenyan, Eric Korinko, was shot and unfortunately lost his life. Others remain injured or missing in Russia. The pending actions are:

Thank you, Leader of the Majority Party. Hon. Haika.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. While appreciating the report of the Leader of the Majority Party, these are issues that come to our Committee every day. I have had the chance to sit with NEA several times on the same matter of rogue recruitment agencies that continue to exploit our Kenyans every day. The answer they give us is that they have blocked most of them and that most have already been black-listed. Somehow, you still find so many other rogue agencies out there who continue to exploit Kenyans each day.

NEA is a bit overwhelmed, and this needs a collective Government approach from different State Departments to come and assist. This is one of the most serious cases we have before the Departmental Committee on Labour. We have received many complaints. There are many more Kenyans who are suffering out there because they have been allowed to travel by these rogue agencies and are unable to get the services they sought. Some of them have been taken to work only to realise that there are no jobs. They get there and become stranded. Some of them pay and never get there. Some get to various countries, are mistreated, and never receive help.

I am happy that we are discussing this matter. All of us are taking a keen interest in this because Kenyans really need hope. I know it is the Kazi Majuu programme. Many Kenyans who have travelled through the right channels have been assisted. We are not saying it is a bad programme, but those Kenyans travelling through rogue recruitment agencies are the ones who are suffering. That is the issue we need to look at.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker.

Thank you. Next is Hon. Makilap.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I am extremely shocked by the manner in which Kenyans can be taken all the way to Moscow to fight another sovereign country called Ukraine. This is a chilling matter. We are so vulnerable to an extent that we are unable to manage the Kazi Majuu programme. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the National Intelligence Service (NIS) need to move swiftly to interrogate all these agencies that pretend to be taking labour out of this country. It is now upon our government to persuade the Kenyans who went to fight the Ukrainians to return and work at Galana-Kulalu and Turkwel farms. The government should create other opportunities for them so that they can work in their home country.

They have gone to the extent of travelling to those countries via Uganda and South Africa because of desperation for jobs that are not known. It is a serious matter. I also take this opportunity to call out parents and community leaders, especially the Nyumba Kumi elders. If a parent does not see their son for two or three weeks at home, or a child says he wants to go to Kazi Majuu, ask yourself where your son is going. This is a serious matter. We must begin from parents to the government to agencies that do investigations so that we can protect the sovereignty of this country and the people of Kenya being butchered in places they do not even know. They receive only three weeks of military training and are deployed to the frontline. Even bandits receive training for more than two years. Our children who are dying in Ukraine received training for only three weeks, and it is assumed that they know how to throw bombs.

Is that from your experience?

Hon. Speaker, there are things you do not say on national TV. How did the Hon. Member for Baringo North know how long it takes to train a bandit? He needs to substantiate his claim and explain how he knew the time it takes to train a bandit. Has he ever trained one?

Hon. Makilap.

Hon. Speaker, I have never trained a bandit. If anything, we have seen people doing banditry for many years, and today I report to you that there are no more bandits. They have been finished, and the people of North Rift are

peaceful. I am now the bishop of everybody around that area. So, there is no one training bandits, as alleged by…

Hon. Zamzam.

Ahsante, Mhe. Spika. Nami

Let us hear Hon. Wamuchomba. Give Hon. Wamuchomba the mic.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I take this opportunity to congratulate the Leader of the Majority Party on the Report he has tabled. It is indeed very clear that our people have become vulnerable, even though we understand the need and desire to improve their livelihoods by seeking jobs abroad.

A week ago, we saw the same kind of exploitation. Today, the Leader of the Majority Party is telling us about labour exploitation. A week ago, we witnessed the sexual exploitation of women by a Russian character. It is very embarrassing that, as we speak right now, those women can hardly walk with pride and dignity in Kenya because their images are all over social media. Our sisters and daughters are being exposed by a character who is purportedly coming to exploit women sexually. This thing is becoming very serious. We have been told that the DCI and NIS have done extensive research. I urge them to uncover this Russian character, who claims to have a serious sexual prowess than the men of Kenya. He came here to exploit our women sexually and record himself with them. He trapped them and lured them into performing nice dances and whatever else he was offering. The government must protect the women of Kenya from such characters. We must ensure we protect the dignity of our women, as that is our duty.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker.

Next is Hon. Oundo.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. Let me also join my colleagues in lauding the Leader of the Majority Party for expeditiously bringing a Report to the House to expound on this vexatious issue of our young men and women going to fight wars they have no interest in and getting killed. Labour mobility is an acceptable form of economic empowerment that should not be discouraged. Whichever way, when someone chooses to go for labour outside the country, he is duty-bound to go and do a job that is safe and has the dignity of his family and himself.

Hon. Speaker, many people who go out to take up manual jobs do so out of desperation. Speakers at the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops on the Lenten Campaign Programme have detailed very desperate situations that are literally driving families into depression. Hence, people are ready to do anything that can save their lives. As a country, the only way we can save ourselves from this situation is to continuously build this economy so that every Kenyan can have a job, so that those who leave this country do so out of luxury or to improve their skills. I want to ask the Executive to get to the root of this matter and put a stop to this mess, as it will be costly and embarrassing.

Hon. Speaker, as I conclude, let me pick up from where Hon. Wamuchomba left and what Hon. Jared told me as he was leaving. It is a double tragedy for Kenyans. Kenyans are dying in Russia while a Russian is embarrassing Kenyan women in this country. It is a double tragedy. We appreciate and apologise to the people of Kenya.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker.

Hon. Bedzimba.

Asante sana, Mhe. Spika, kwa kunipa fursa na mimi nipenyeze sauti yangu kwenye hili suala la Wakenya kwenda kuuawa ugenini. Kwanza natatoa lawama yangu kwa Idara mbili, Idara ya Uhamiaji, na Idara ya Ujasusi. Hii ni kwa sababu wangepeleleza ni kwa nini Wakenya wanapelekwa Urusi, ilhali hivi sasa Urusi iko vitani. Je, Wakenya wanaenda Urusi kufanya nini? Na hata Idara ya Uhamiaji, ambayo inawakubalia kupita, wangekuwa wanataka kujua haswa wana makubaliano gani na kazi gani.

Mhe. Spika, ni kweli kwamba nchini Kenya kuna shida ya ajira, lakini ukosefu wa ajira haujaathiri Kenya peke yake. Hali hii imeathiri ulimwengu mzima. Tatizo kubwa ni kwmba nchini Kenya, watu wamekata matumaini. Tuwape matumaini ndiyo wajue kwamba watapata ajira ili waendeleze maisha yao. Nalaumu idara za ujasusi na uhamiaji. Nasikitika kwa sababu watu wakienda nchi za kigeni, wanapoteza maisha yao. Lakini kesho, Mungu akiwasaidia kule, sio lazima wakienda wapoteze maisha yao. Unaweza kwenda, umalize kazi, na urudi. Watu wakirudi kama wamepata ujuzi wa aina tofauti, na wakae hapa bila kazi, hili taifa litakuwa namna gani? Ndio nasema kama watu wa kufanya ujasusi ni wachache, ni lazima waongezwe ili wachunguze mienendo yote inayoendelea kwa usalama wa taifa letu. Tuwe makini ili watoto wetu wasipoteze maisha yao katika nchi za kigeni.

Asante sana, Mhe. Spika.

We will stop here on this matter. Leader of the Majority Party, those were all positive comments which do not require your rejoinder.

Hon. Speaker, I rise pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 44 (2) (c) to request a Statement from the Chairperson of the

Departmental Committee on Health regarding the delay in the provision of emergency treatment under the Social Health Authority (SHA).

In January 2026, three teachers, namely, Ms Faith Ndunge Nguma, Mr Jacob Mwathi Kingóo and Mr Nicholas Omondi Arema, tragically succumbed to injuries sustained following an accident that occurred outside City Primary School in Nairobi City County. The deceased passed away due to delayed access to medical treatment occasioned by a lack of funds required for admission. Notably, teachers across the country contribute towards SHA funds. Therefore, they are entitled to timely and adequate medical care under the scheme. This unfortunate incident has raised grave concerns among teachers regarding the efficiency, responsiveness and operational preparedness of SHA in handling emergency medical cases involving active contributors.

Hon. Speaker, it is against this background that I request a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Health on the following:

Thank you. Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Health. Is there any Member from the Committee? Leader of the Majority Party, relay to them that they should bring a response in two weeks.

Okay.

Next Order. Hold it. Yes, Hon. Gisairo.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I want to bring to the attention of the House that there is so much communication that comes to this House from the Cabinet Secretaries and Chairpersons of Committees that end up being messages of ensuring time passes.

Last year, we had the Cabinet Secretary here to address issues of the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) . There was an agreement that all funds allocated to the constituencies would remain untouched. However, I would like to notify the House that the regional engineers have communicated a deduction of up to Ksh13 million per constituency. The 22 per cent that was allocated to the constituencies will be reduced from Ksh42 million to Ksh35 million. Ten per cent of the funds will be reduced from Ksh21 million to Ksh5 million.

Hon. Speaker, I request your indulgence to ensure that these monies are delivered as promised by the Cabinet Secretary, as we are in the rainy season. We are struggling to construct roads in our constituencies.

Indeed, Hon. Gisairo, that matter came to the House Business Committee yesterday. We tasked the Leader of the Majority Party with liaising with the Executive and providing a response. We can give him time. He will bring the response either tomorrow or next week. Leader of the Majority Party, when can you bring a response? Is it next week?

Yes, Tuesday next week.

He will bring a response on that issue on Tuesday next week. The matter was raised by Hon. Mwalyo and Hon. Keynan in the House Business Committee. I also have copies of the letters you are referring to. The Leader of the Majority Party will respond.

Next Order.

Members on your feet, take your seats.

Next Order.

Who was on the Floor?

I will go by the names on the screen. I see Hon. Gitonga Murugara. Are you queuing to contribute to this Motion?

No.

No, he is not. Hon. Wilberforce Oundo, are you queuing to contribute to this Motion?

No.

Hon. Adan Haji, Member for Mandera West, are you queuing to contribute to this Motion?

No.

Hon. Mangale Chiforomodo and Hon. Rindikiri Mugambi, are you in the queue to contribute to this Motion? No, they are not.

Hon. Beatrice Elachi, go ahead.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I rise to support the Motion. I know many of our young people think that this House wants to gag them on TikTok. I tell many of our young people to look at the Report of the Catholic Church Bishops. They request that we should have TikTok, but it should not be used for pornography, sexual offences, or to mislead the country. We need to come to the table and agree that we have laws in this country which protect our young people.

Hon. Elachi, just a minute before you proceed. Leader of the Majority Party, if you recall, the House Business Committee observed very clearly that the Motion before the House is not for banning TikTok but for regulating it. We clearly observed that the issue lies with the content. This country and Parliament have a legal and moral duty to protect our children, families and country from moral perversion and corruption.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. All of us will agree that it is important to look at our national security and public safety. What we are asking as Parliament is, how do we strengthen the legal and regulatory framework to ensure that there is data protection? You will find every manner of TikTok in this country. While we embrace social media and fight left and right, in Europe, they are regulating and making sure that minors who are below 18 years can be safeguarded. Therefore, for us to stand firm, it is important to ensure that the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) also looks at it.

It is also required to register major social media operators, so that we agree because it is a country. We are not just in a world where we do our own things. If we do not have order, we will find ourselves with many challenges. I want to urge young people to appreciate what we are doing. What is safe for your young sibling who is in the house? What would you love them to see that is good for them? Because you might be an adult who can see.

Looking at all the TikTok content that we have allowed, has TikTok become an advertisement platform? Yes, it can be used very well to do many good things for the country. At the same time, it cannot be an advertisement platform where, at night, one puts it on and decides to upload all the pornography that they want, yet they know very well that, tomorrow, in the same space, any person can still find it. What we are just saying is that we should regulate and make it workable for our young people and the minors. Let us protect our country. That is why this Russian man decided to land on us. He found a place in Kenya, where we have democracy beyond democracy, where you can do anything. That is why he is using the same TikTok to spread all the women’s videos.

I do not know what we are still doing with this Russian man. This is one example of the issue at hand. If our law in Kenya is strict on pornography, how did his videos end up on TikTok? How? Those are things we need to deal with. The other thing is that TikTok is also a space where someone commits a crime and feels it is okay to share it on the platform. One can just use TikTok to share the same crime.

We also need the TikTok owners to take responsibility. If you have a digital space you have allowed people to use, then also allow a space to report. It is so difficult to report a TikTok. It is not like Facebook, where I will report a video until they pull it down. It is so difficult. The Communications Authority must also ensure that the people given these digital spaces are questioned and remanded when things go wrong. I support and plead with young people to allow us to create a safe digital space for you and your siblings at home, as well as for minors in school.

I beg to support.

Next is Hon. KJ.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I thank you. I stand here cognisant of the direction that the Chair has given on this debate. This debate does not hinge on a ban. We are talking as a country about the regulation of a platform that is in the hands not only of adults but also of very vulnerable young children. The conversation ought to start with the understanding that regulations and laws can only do so much. Even families, parents, teachers, brothers and sisters have a place in this debate. The ongoing debate on the Floor of this House today must be seen as a policy debate, not a moral panic. Kenya is not in any moral panic.

We must have a conversation about the policies that address the technology taking us into the fourth industrial revolution and beyond. We must also remind ourselves that some of these applications are not engineered or made in this country. So, when you get onto a platform and start working with algorithms set by someone out there, those algorithms could be set to push marketing and business. At the same time, they are not conscious of the African traditional values that we respond to. My point is that regulation must protect without strangling innovation. These innovations are useful for a time such as this.

When we talk about the fourth industrial revolution, we are cognizant of the fact that it is driven by innovation. Even as we debate about these emerging technologies, we ought to remind ourselves that they are here to support enterprise, human development and education. However, they must also be sensitive to the human component. It is important that even as we move towards regulation, we understand what the riverbanks are for this Regulation in this new space, in what we are calling the fourth industrial revolution.

As Chair of the Departmental Committee on Communication, Information and Innovation, my recommendations on the riverbank are so clear that we are focusing on a number of issues. Number one, we need very clear community standards aligned with all Kenyan laws. Secondly, we must have transparent content moderation processes. The parameters that have been set are set in capitals, far away from Nairobi. Even the average user can tell you that these parameters behave differently for each post they put out. We should be working as a Parliament towards transparent content moderation processes.

Thirdly, there is a need for local accountability and representation in the country. Every entity doing business in this country must follow the old company laws that allow them to be registered locally, so that what they do is also answerable to the laws of the land. We must also have a right of appeal for content takedowns, so that it is not just a non-algorithmic or a computer somewhere deciding on what stays up and what comes down. This also needs to be very transparent as we go forward.

Fourthly, I would like to say that there is a key need in this country for child safety and mental health, which should be non-negotiable. We all know how trends on social media work on a human brain. As it is, we know the effect it can have on an adult. We are yet to fully understand what this dependence on social media will do to the little children whose minds are still at a formative stage. We were told that the mind forms from birth to around 18. From 18 to 21, there is a moderation in the mental growth of a human being. So, we must be able to protect our children from explicit content, gambling and financial scams, extremism and propaganda and harmful body image narratives so that we can speak towards that.

Finally, we ought to consider this Petition very seriously in terms of data sovereignty and national security...

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I plead for just one more minute so that I may prosecute my last point.

Give him a minute, please.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me that one minute. We need to come out very strongly on the issue of data sovereignty and national security. The Departmental Committee on Communication, Information and Innovation, which I chair, started its first order of business in this Parliament by interrogating an individual who had landed in this country with an orb-shaped piece of equipment, collecting human data from Kenyans by incentivising them with a few thousand Kenya shillings, which was not even fiat money. They were being induced with money they were to redeem in crypto. That case alone opened a Pandora’s Box on what was happening in terms of the exploitation and violation of data sovereignty, contrary to laws passed by this Parliament. Kenya leads in data protection. What we are looking for is compliance, adherence and policing.

I conclude by stating that any regulatory framework must require compliance with Kenyan data protection standards. There must be clear disclosure of cross-border data transfers, and it must also cooperate with Kenyan authorities in lawful investigations. I thank Mr Bob Ndolo profusely for bringing this matter to the House, so that we can have a conversation befitting a time such as this. Even as Kenya walks into the digital age, we must protect our people, our children, our women and the entire populace.

I thank you, Hon. Temporary Mr Speaker. I support, with those very pointed points that can be fed into this Petition, so that as we prosecute it as Parliament, we remain sensitive to what we have already done.

Let us hear Hon. Raso.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I beg to support this particular Report.

This is a law-making House. If we fail to make laws for this land, we will not only destroy the current generation, but we will also destroy future generations. The intention of this particular Report is to regulate. By regulating, we protect both sides. It is a double-edged sword. I protect you, but at the same time, I give you a leeway to do what you are supposed to do within the confines and limits set by law.

There are TikTok content creators who make a lot of money and earn a good living. However, that should not come at the expense of the social regulation this country needs. We are Africans. We are not Europeans, and we do not live in the West. We still have traditions that we want to protect. Future generations may decide otherwise, but for us today, living in Kenya and being leaders in this country, we must guide our teenagers. We must tell them what is good and the effect of going beyond set limits.

TikTok is accessible to everyone: the young and old, men and women. Because of that accessibility, we must look at its content. Is it suitable for a youngster? Is it suitable for an adult? Sometimes, even within Parliament, someone’s phone flashes unexpectedly, and inappropriate content appears. So, we have a moral duty as lawmakers to say what is not right for this country and should not be allowed, and what is not good for any generation.

I agree with Hon. Kiarie when he says that many TikTok algorithms are controlled by people in Europe, China, and America, while we are merely consumers. It is given to us in coded language, and we assume it is a simple thing. When the Departmental Committee on Communication, Information and Innovation sits, it must not sit on its hands. They must be brave men and women and draw the red line.

The Communications Authority of Kenya must act. In the last Motion, the Leader of the Majority Party tabled a report about young Kenyans recruited as mercenaries to fight in Ukraine. That is indicative of people sleeping on the job. These are not two or three Kenyans being taken abroad. There are hundreds, perhaps even 500. What is the reason? Why has no one picked up the matter? Why has no one been brought before a court of law? Many of them are innocent young people seeking greener pastures, but someone is preying on them and sending them to foreign wars to be cannon fodder. For that reason, the country’s watchdog organisations must not sit idle but must be ready to press the button and say, “No, you have crossed the red line.”

With those remarks, I thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Next is Hon. Zamzam.

Asante sana, Mhe. Spika wa Muda kwa kunipa nafasi hii nichangie masuala ya TikTok.

Vijana wengi kwenye mtandao wamepeleka habari zisizo za ukweli, kwamba, Bunge linataka kupiga marufukuTikTok. Nataka ifahamike kuwa huo ni uongo. Jumba hili linataka kuweka mikakati ya kuhakikisha kwamba TikTok inatumika vizuri.

Vijana wengi wanapata ajira kupitia TikTok. Wanapata senti, na wanaweka content ambazo ni nzuri sana. Tumeona vijana wengi wanafanya biashara za bidhaa zao. Sisi Wabunge tumekua tukinunua bidhaa hizo, ambayo ni kitu kizuri. Lakini pia kuna wengine wanaitumia TikTok vibaya. Utapata mama wa mtu amewekwa uchi anachekwa, mtu anapigwa picha bila kujua, bila idhini yake na inatumika kutengeneza content ambayo si nzuri. Na watoto wadogo wakifika pale wanakutana na picha na video ambazo ni za kutamausha sana, ambazo zinawaharibu akili zao.

Kwa hivyo nataka kuwambia vijana wa Kenya kwamba hatuwakatazi kutumia TikTok. Tunataka kuweka mikakati ambayo itahakikisha kwamba wanaitumia vizuri ili waweze kufaidika na kuendeleza maisha yao. Ikumbukwe kwamba China, hadi wa leo, wamepiga marufuku matumizi ya TikTok nchini mwao kwa sababu wanajua madhara yake. Tungekua tumeweka mikakati katika Taifa hili kabla ya kuanza kutumia TikTok. Vijana wameanza kubabaika kwa sababu wanaona kama ajira zao zitapotea, lakini sio hivyo. Tunaweka mikakati

ya sheria ya kutumia TikTok vizuri. Tumeona video za watu fulani wakiwa kwenye jeneza, zikiambatana na madai kwamba watu hao wamekufa. Mtu mwingine ambaye hana ufahamu anasambaza hiyo information kuwa fulani amekufa wakati ni urongo.

Mimi, kama mama, nimeona mengi kwenye TikTok. Nimeona watu wanatukanana matusi. Wengine wanaweka live na wanatukanana matusi mabaya. Watoto wakipatikana na simu wakiangalia wanaona vitu ambavyo visivyo. Lakini pia nimeona wengi ambao wanafunza masuala ya herbal medicine, na mambo mazuri katika jamii. Tunaangazia wale ambao wanatoa content mbovu, na wale ambao wanatumia TikTok vibaya. Hii nchi inaongozwa na sheria ambayo ilipigiwa kura na Wakenya wote.

Ni lazima sheria ifuatwe hata mitandaoni. Mtandao wa TikTok umewasaidia wengi kwa kuwapatia ajira. Kama alivyosema ndugu yangu, Mhe. Kiarie, TikTok imekuwa na msisimuko mkubwa katika jamii, na imewasaidia vijana wengi, watu wazima, akina mama na Wabunge kufikisha information kwa jamii inayotutazama kwenye social media. Lakini ni lazima tujue ni message gani inayotoka kwenye TikTok na kuwafikia wananchi. Ni lazima tujue ni nani anayetumia TikTok vibaya.

Hata kazi za uwanajeshi, ambazo watu wanaendea kule Russia, zimepatikana kupitia TikTok. Mtu anatumiwa message kisha anavukishwa Uganda. Akianza kulia kuwa anateseka kule, masuala hayo yanarejeshwa kwenye Jumba hili na sisi, kama Wabunge na Serikali, tunalaumiwa. Kwa hivyo, ni lazima tuweke mikakati na sheria za kueneza heshima na nidhamu kwenye TikTok ili vijana wetu wafaulu katika yale wanayofanya kwenye TikTok.

Kijana mmoja kutoka Jomvu aliniuliza ni kwa nini Bunge linataka kufunga TikTok. Ningependa kumwambia kuwa TikTok iko sawa, aitumie vyema, na asilete matatizo kwa wengine. Tunaweka tu regulations ili mikakati iwe sawa.

Leader of the Majority Party.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I rise to support this Motion on the adoption of the Report by the Public Petitions Committee. To re-emphasise, the Motion seeks to regulate content on TikTok and other social media platforms. TikTok is just one social media platform, but there are many others. I would also like to point out what the Temporary Speaker alluded to. I must thank Bob Ndolo, who was the Petitioner in this matter. He is a very spirited Kenyan who values our country and its youth. It took courage for him to petition the House to put measures in place to regulate social media platforms, including TikTok. I do not know him, but I believe he is a parent. Any parent or person who cares about Kenyan children, and any religious leader or believer in God, knows that there is a lot of perversion being spread on social media platforms.

Many countries in the world have regulated their social media platforms. I have always cited Australia as an example because it regulates the age at which one can access some of these social media platforms, including WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, and TikTok. In this Information Age, misinformation and disinformation are a daily occurrence. Very few people can distinguish what is real from what is fake, especially AI-generated stuff. Many things spreading through TikTok are AI-generated. I was amazed the other day when my aunt, who is about 88 or 89 years old, showed me a video of a plane that crashed, but nobody died. She was very keen as she watched the video in her spectacles with thick lenses. I told her that the video was AI-generated. She said, “Ndege inaanguka na unaona ikianguka”. That is the age we are in. Many people around the world are unable to distinguish between what is real and what is not.

That is the danger of unregulated social media platforms. Young and vulnerable Kenyan children will not be able to tell what is true, what is untrue, what is immoral and what is not. They imagine that other people are doing the things that they are watching on those platforms. So, they copy them. They think that those who do those things are their heroes. Look at the young Kenyans who were following the young man from the United States of America (USA) ,

called IShowSpeed, who was recently in the country. How many of you knew who IShowSpeed was? I must confess that I did not know who he was until he came to Kenya, but my daughters, including my eight-year-old, knew who he was on social media. Thank God that the person who is followed by millions of people does not engage in immorality. What if they were following the Russian who was in Nairobi the other day, recording Kenyan women and sharing videos on social media? We only came to know about it because he shared the videos on his Instagram page. That is the danger we face if we do not regulate social media platforms.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, please, give me an additional two minutes. People out there are misinforming Kenyans that the National Assembly wants to ban TikTok. We are not banning TikTok. We just want to institute regulatory measures. This is just a Motion. It is not a law. Those out there who do not know should understand that Motions are not laws. Until the Ministry comes up with a Bill or regulations that state how social media platforms will be regulated, and which will be gazetted, nothing will change.

One of the resolutions of the Committee states that within four months upon the adoption of this Report, mechanisms for the enhancement of age verification on social media platforms should be enforced, and localisation of Kenyan user data should be retained within the country. Today, data is a gold mine. The most valuable asset that anyone can hold onto in the world today is data. We must protect our data from being mined through social media platforms, including TikTok. You may have noticed that if you were watching a video on private jets, your mobile phone can profile you and tomorrow, you will keep seeing many videos of various jets. If you were looking for a car online, your mobile phone would keep sending you reels of the kind of car you are looking for. That means that your data has been mined. How do you protect yourself and your children from that? That is what we are dealing with. People are earning money from our data. Therefore, we must protect ourselves.

We should also ensure that four months upon adoption of this Report, we establish digital literacy programmes to create awareness on data privacy, processing, storage and community guidelines by social media platforms, including TikTok. Let it be clear that we have no intention of banning TikTok. Still, we have a moral obligation and a national duty to ourselves and to God, who has bestowed us with the ability to raise and protect our children. We have a national duty to regulate the content on all social media platforms, including TikTok. If we do not do so, we will have failed our nation and our children. We will raise a nation without morals and ethics. If we want to move towards becoming a First World nation, we should regulate the content on social media platforms, just as First World nations do.

I thank the Committee for the immense work they have put in this petition. I also thank Mr Bob Ndolo, who petitioned the House. Indeed, his petition was a call to action, as we are a bit late. Many other countries have done it, and we must do it too. We must also regulate age limits for content access, as the Committee suggests in this Report. It is not fair that our eight- year-olds and four-year-olds can view everything on social media platforms. We must protect our children. I urge everybody in the country to support this endeavour to regulate content on TikTok and other social media platforms without banning them. I insist that TikTok and other social media platforms are not being banned and will never be banned in this country, but we must protect the country and our children.

With those remarks, I support.

Next is Hon. Gladys Shollei.

On a point of order, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

What is out of order, Hon. Nzengu?

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I rise under Order No. 97. This debate started yesterday, and Members are more or less saying the same things. The message is the same. I beg the House to terminate the debate, considering the

fact that there are other items on the Order Paper, and we have allowed the Motion to interfere with today’s substantive business.

Hon. Nzengu, the mover is supposed to reply shortly. The Chair also has a duty to protect the minority who want to be heard.

Proceed, Hon. Shollei.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for clarifying that point of order. This is the single most important Motion that we can debate during this Parliament session. This is not a debate to be shortened. It not only affects our current children. It affects generations to come as well. There is no way we can take this matter lightly. Even if we have to debate it until tomorrow, we should do so.

Are you on a point of order or a point of information? Yes, what is your point of order?

Hon. Temporary Speaker, the debate on this issue is timed. There is no reason for cutting it short ahead of its time. In fact, Members are keen to debate it because, understandably, more than anything else, it has a bearing on how we bring up our children, how we run our businesses and how we interact with each other. This debate is right for a time such as this. Let it run its due course so that this House may pronounce itself.

Order, Hon. KJ. You are taking valuable time from the Deputy Speaker. The Chair has pronounced himself on the same. Thank you.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. What Hon. KJ has said is still important. It cannot be emphasised enough. It may look like something we are taking lightly. However, if you look at how AI and other applications, including TikTok, are being employed, you will realise they have the potential to endanger our national security and data privacy. We must regulate them, not ban them, to protect our children and other vulnerable users. We can only do this if we take charge. We cannot allow algorithms, trolls, or bots to control the psyche and thinking of our people, or even create biases in our population. That would be akin to allowing the extinction of future generations.

Regulation must include strict oversight, data localisation and blocking access to sensitive information. There is potential misuse, including espionage against a country. These platforms can also track the location of our population, including those with sensitive information such as the army, the police, the intelligence service, and even the movement of our military. If uncontrolled, they can also spread propaganda in the country. They can also be used to suppress dissent. Human and civil rights activists know that protecting democracy is also important. They can sway public opinion and allow foreign agencies to mislead and control the minds of our population. That would be more dangerous than a full-fledged war against a state.

When we talk about regulation, we mean regulating content to stop misuse and abuse through disinformation and misinformation. We will regulate, even through fines, so that if a country is involved in deep fakes and misinformation, we can fine it. We have seen debate in the United States of America about fining organisations up to 20 per cent of their turnover to deter misuse.

Regulation of TikTok and other applications also protects the mental health of our children and future generations. Science confirms that they can cause attention deficiencies in our children, disrupting sleep and leading to eating disorders. Some children have harmed themselves because they have been influenced to look or behave in a certain way or go to

certain places. This has caused children to have self-doubt and low self-esteem. Some suicide cases were related to some social media applications.

This debate is not just happening in Kenya. It is happening in Denmark, Australia, and other countries. Not so long ago, the United States of America Supreme Court upheld the country's regulation of these applications. The court ruled that the nation had a constitutional right to protect its citizens from being controlled by such applications. However, we are not saying that some of these applications are not good. They are good and can be used for good purposes, such as promoting better farming practices, teaching, and spreading certain national values, among others. However, the beneficial use can only be realised if we regulate its application to discourage its misuse and abuse.

In conclusion, anybody can look at what happened in Romania last year. Two people who were the winners and runner-up of the presidential elections, and who declared that they spent no money on their campaigns, had thousands and millions of TikTok accounts controlled from a foreign country. In fact, because the algorithm they had could manipulate people's minds, they were elected against a political party that had existed for over 40 years. It just shows the power these applications have over our people. When people were interviewed and asked whether they knew the presidential candidates and if they had met them or heard them speak, they said no. They were just seeing them on TikTok, which was flooding. So, if people are in a….

Allow her two more minutes.

People in farming regions received messages skewed to catch their attention. People in the city received messages skewed to that. It was so bad that the election had to be nullified. The entire European Union (EU) rallied behind Romania, thanks to its supreme court, which nullified it. They went to the European Court of Justice, where it was declared that the election was null and void. It was won through misinformation and disinformation campaigns and not by telling people the truth. As Kenyans, we must be very afraid.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Hon. Bowen.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to join my colleagues and support the Motion. The country's social media platforms have become sources of misinformation and disinformation. Therefore, there is a need to regulate them. Kenya is not a lawless country.

As a legislative House, we need to come up with laws, policies and regulations that guide our society on the use of social media, which is good. We have many young people who earn their living through it in terms of marketing and many other positive things. The negative effects of social media, especially TikTok, are immense. As a country, we need to come up with regulations on how to use it. We cannot run away from technology. We need to move as the world moves with technology. We should not be left behind. These are the technological issues which we need to deal with through regulations. A lot of content on TikTok exposes our young people, including schoolchildren, to very bad things.

I appreciate the Committee and the petitioner who brought this Petition to this House. We will not only deal with TikTok, but also all other social media platforms, including Facebook and YouTube. We will not ban them, but we will regulate them so that we can use them prudently. We saw recent photos on TikTok from the Russian man. If we had the regulations in place through our laws and the Communications Authority of Kenya, the content would have been blocked.

Social media is now a security concern in our country, and we cannot allow it to run freely without regulations. We want to clear the air for our young people out there. We will not ban these social media platforms, but we will regulate them. This will enable them to be

beneficial to them rather than harmful to the community and the future young generation. Through the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, there is also a need for a cybersecurity centre. We need to up our game in the cybersecurity space to ensure that what comes in or is consumed by our people in our country is filtered and secure for them. This is because TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and all the other social media platforms are not owned by Kenyans. They are beyond our borders and control. They are controlled elsewhere. We need to enact laws to regulate what comes into our country and what is consumed. Content that threatens our national security, social justice, and normal behaviours will be filtered out or blocked.

I join my colleagues to support this Motion. I urge the Public Petitions Committee ….

I will give you half a minute.

After we pass this Motion, I ask the Chair of the Public Petitions Committee to enhance it to a Bill. This will ensure that our debate here will not be an exercise in futility. We should translate it into an Act of Parliament, which will manage all the social media platforms.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Hon. Wamuchomba, followed by the Member for Yatta Constituency.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I am very excited to get this opportunity to support this Report. I have listened to the submissions and read them. I am happy because the Member for Runyenjes and his Committee have done a fantastic job of recommending regulations for social media, including TikTok.

I participated in the making of the law that oversees the dissemination, design and development of communication messages in this country. As a Member of Parliament in the previous Parliament, I am proud of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act, having participated in the making of the Data Protection Act.

TikTok is one of the social media platforms that has built personalities, celebrities and musicians. However, on the same measure, it has demolished homes, crumbled down people's businesses, broken marriages, forced people to commit suicide and many other adverse effects of negative publicity. If this House cannot provide a solution on how we will move forward with TikTok and other social media platforms, we will crumble churches and mosques, and then finish and tear down the social fabric of this country.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I do not know whether you know how many women have lost their families, husbands and children out of social media publicity. In my community, in the mountains, people call it ‘chai’, which is tea. This is where people publish fake news. They use every available social media platform to defame Members of Parliament, musicians and bishops. Right now, in my county, there is a bishop who is under attack because of fake news. He started his work humbly. God has blessed him. He has risen to the level of a Bishop. People are now getting even into his bedroom.

You can imagine when your children are watching their father being torn down on social media platforms without control. We cannot continue this way. I am a victim of the same social media bullying. People bully me. They draw me in funny dresses, which I do not wear. They call and brand me names. They have occupied my private space. But I thank God because I am a strong girl, and I am sure you know that.

Hon. Temporary Speaker knows that Hon. Wamuchomba is a strong girl. There is no question about that.

She is a very strong daughter of the mountain. However, not every woman who is attacked, like Hon. Wamuchomba, overcomes it. It is not every Bishop or family man who is attacked like Hon. Wamuchomba, who overcomes it. This molestation on social media platforms must end. I have allowed them to

molest me because I am strong, but I am not going to allow them to molest bishops who are doing very good work.

The Bishop I am talking about just the other day paid school fees for over 500 children who were going to Grade 10. This is someone doing something every Sunday, feeding thousands of families in his church. He gives them unga every Sunday, but because there are people who want to use social media to bring him down, they create fake news around his family, wife, and children, and it trends all over.

This House is the only solution that will provide sobriety on social media. As one of those who made the Data Protection Act in the previous Parliament and participated in the making of the Cybercrimes Act with Hon. KJ here, we are now supporting this Report that is mandating the relevant committee to come up with proposals on how we are going to regulate social media. We are not banning it; we are regulating it.

Do you know how many carpenters have lost jobs because of social media? I have a case of someone who went to TikTok, ordered a table from a certain carpenter, and paid a deposit to that fake carpenter. The TikTok page was actually branded the real carpenter but this was a broker, a thief! So, this guy was walking down the street when a customer accosted him. He was being asked to refund money he had not received. How many businesses are coming down because of these fake brokers who use your company and its image on TikTok or Instagram, yet you are not the person who is actually marketing that? People have been conned online, even with deliveries, where people create delivery pages. I order a blouse, and somebody tells me to pay, then they will deliver it. You think you are trading with a real outlet or shop, only to realise that you are being conned on social media.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, to sustain a sober business community online, social media must be regulated. To protect our families and marriages, for those of us who are married, social media must be regulated. For us to continue having a sober Parliament like this one, where we report only what is being handled here as the business of the House, we must regulate social media. We must make sure that this House is the house of solutions and intervention, and that it can defend and protect the voiceless woman.

You can imagine how those women who were showcased having some affairs with some Russian character are feeling. Those are women with dignity.

Rest assured, you have the full and undivided support of the Chair, and 110 per cent support from the Speaker of the Kenya National Assembly and his deputy. The value system in this country and families must be protected. I assure you, anyone who sits in this Chair will be on your side through and through.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I also thank the petitioner who brought this particular Petition.

Yes, Hon. Basil. Continue.

I rise to support the Petition to regulate TikTok, and not only TikTok, but all social media platforms. Kenya is not the first to do this level of legislation and regulation of social media platforms. The United Kingdom started this. It was followed by the European Union, Ireland, Portugal, and many other countries globally, which have taken centre stage in regulating social media platforms. If you look at what is happening currently, we know for sure that we are in an exponential age, referred to as the technology age. The young people – Gen Z, Gen Alpha, Gen Beta – and many other generations to come will be glued to social media. As parents, we have a duty to regulate the content of the sites our children visit. It is very important to protect these young generations for the betterment of this country and many other countries globally.

If you look at TikTok, for instance, it has many benefits. It is used as a creative expression centre. We have dancers, artists, and so many others who are actually benefiting from and expressing their talents through TikTok. That is why, from the outset, we said we are not banning but regulating. We have people who are benefiting from employment. They are advertising whatever products they have. Many have even been showcasing so many forms of talent on TikTok and other social media platforms.

There is also an element of education. We have seen health tips and other educational activities on TikTok and other social media platforms. So, what we are doing as a House is regulating what appears on these social media platforms.

There are many benefits to this regulation. One is to enhance data protection. We have seen a situation of data transfer, but by regulating what happens within social media platforms, we can limit it and enhance the privacy of what is shared.

We have seen the potential of foreign influence through TikTok, Instagram and other social media platforms. Through regulation, we will minimise foreign interference on TikTok and other social media platforms that could pose a risk to the country's sovereignty and intelligence, which we have to protect as a House. Importantly, there is an element of misinformation – fake news circulating on TikTok and other social media platforms. Through regulation, we will reduce misinformation, fake news, and the abuse of information on TikTok and other social media platforms.

On consumer protection, we have seen influencers – people paying for promotions and taking advantage of the lack of legislation to regulate how TikTok and social media platforms operate. Through this petition, as a House, we will propose the proper laws to regulate this element and enhance consumer protection, because that is a duty we have as legislators.

In summary, this Petition will strengthen data privacy. We will be able to support or promote national security because, as I said, there is foreign interference that poses a potential risk to this country's intelligence. We are going to promote child protection because, as parents, we have a duty to protect our children for the benefit of current and future generations.

Finally, it is for transparency and accountability. By regulating TikTok and other social media platforms, we can achieve a high level of transparency and accountability, which is the ultimate goal we are all championing.

With those few remarks, I support and rest my case.

Where is the mover of this Motion?

Actually, we had allotted one hour, and I think we have already spent it.

Okay, you have two minutes and then the Mover will be called to reply.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I chair the African Parliamentarians Network against Corruption (APNAC) , and the biggest problems we face are AI and corruption. TikTok and corruption are the biggest problems. I also sit on the Departmental Committee on Communication, Information and Innovation. We have been working on the ICT Act for over 25 years, and we are trying to pick up the pace. My phone is only two years old, yet AI is moving very fast. I support the Motion on TikTok.

China blocked TikTok. We had put the Worldcoin people who were taking iris data to task. The other day, after two-and-a-half years, they deleted the false information that they had. TikTok likes to falsify information about everybody. Hon. Temporary Speaker, you and I went to a certain school and “change is freeze, change, refreeze”. The point is that all the countries that were working on TikTok have done that. First, they blocked it, then worked on the items that were working properly and released them over time. This is to prevent viruses from entering. I support this. We must work properly by blocking TikTok and other similar platforms.

The other day, I saw the whole of Nyayo Stadium shouting the name of our friend Sen. Sifuna. I was so excited when I saw this from the rugby fans, but later found out it was not true. TikTokers are going around in Kisumu, and people have told…

Give him a minute to conclude.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I was shocked when my wife told me that she had heard that we were divorced. I said, ‘What do you mean?’ This is what we are saying, that it is negative. As politicians, we will deal with this. We are here, and the only way to change is to “freeze, change and unfreeze”. There is no way to say that we will try to do this or that. Just like malaria, as you are trying to get its vaccination, it mutates. The only way to do it is to stop, as we did with COVID-19. We must move physically and fast. The Departmental Committee on Communication, Information and Innovation will look into these issues and report back. Those people who are saying it is a good thing should remember that the gun was a good thing, but we have had people killing children with it in the United States of America (USA) . We have had children here being violated. We have the dark web. These are the things that we have to attend to.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, thank you for the two minutes.

The mover to reply.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. If I am allowed, I wish to donate a minute to my Vice-Chair, then I will conclude.

Fair enough. Who is your Vice-Chair?

Hon. Janet Sitienei.

Proceed, Hon. Janet Sitienei.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I also wish to add my voice to this very important Motion. From the outset, I agree that TikTok should not be banned but regulated. The regulation is to safeguard Kenyans from the negative effects of using social media platforms and to protect our children from accessing content that pollutes their minds. Otherwise, it is a very good platform that can generate income through monetisation, thereby empowering our youth. We should also regulate this to enable age verification and content filtering.

Through the data protection office, the Ministry of Information, Communication and Digital Economy must compel TikTok administrators to localise their offices in our country so that we can access and report any issues that pertain to it. We need to compel them to put their offices within our locality to protect our data privacy and our national security. The Ministry should also look into the content moderators and ensure they receive adequate psychosocial support. TikTok content moderators who are used to working for many hours should be provided with psychosocial support. That is, after being in that system for a long time, they also need counselling. There should be psychosocial support for them.

We should also have provisions for information and reporting options to flag off illegal or inappropriate content in time before it goes out to the public, which could affect them. Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me that opportunity.

Mover.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Allow me to thank Members who have contributed to this very important Motion. I am also shocked by the level of misinformation, distortion, propaganda and fake news that spreads very fast in this country. To reemphasise the issue that is being discussed here, there is no Bill that we are discussing. This is a Motion brought by a Kenyan named Bob Ndolo, who petitioned for TikTok to be regulated. The contributions of the Members who added their voices to this Motion support this idea. We have a duty and responsibility as leaders to protect even the very young ones in our care from accessing information that is not good for them.

No one is going to ban TikTok. No one has indicated that TikTok should be banned. What the petitioner has prayed this House to push for is its regulation. This is so that only good information is shared on those platforms. No one is disputing that TikTok is a good platform. Most of us in those platforms consume, learn and get entertained. We are witnesses that TikTok has indirectly employed so many young people. The idea of having it banned is neither here nor there. The issue is in its regulations, as well as in other social media spaces. This will provide the Kenyan public with accurate and insightful information.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, also allow me to call out Members of this House who have misinformed the people. Only two hours ago, I saw the Member for Manyatta, who was here for only a minute before going out. I saw him while in the village misinforming people that TikTok is being banned. He has promised the people that he will come here and oppose the Motion. Surprisingly, he has come, listened to the contributions, heard that there is nothing to do with banning, and he has left quietly. I ask myself: is it not irresponsible for a leader to mislead the people by saying he will come here and oppose a Motion, then get here and chicken out without a word? It is irresponsible. We leaders must take a front seat in providing the right information.

I want to thank all Members who have contributed to this Motion and also Members of the Public Petitions Committee. I have also noted that many Members have praised the Committee, and I thank the Members of that Committee for their renewed energy. They are very committed. Hardly do I lack a quorum. I have seen them support the Committee's work diligently. I beg to reply.

Thank you.

Hon. Members, we are now moving to the Motion of Adjournment. I now call upon the Member for Wajir West, Hon. Yussuf Farah, to move the Motion on a definite matter of urgent national importance to discuss the drought situation in northern Kenya.

Proceed.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Pursuant to provisions of Standing Order 33 (1) , I seek leave of adjournment of the House for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent national importance regarding the drought situation in Northern Kenya.

Drought in Kenya is no longer an occasional natural occurrence. It has become a recurring national emergency that continues to erode livelihoods, undermine food security and threaten the dignity of millions of citizens. What we are witnessing today is not merely a weather event; it is a humanitarian, economic and environmental crisis. According to reports from the National Drought Management Authority, several counties are in the emergency phase, particularly in our arid and semi-arid lands. Counties such as Turkana, Marsabit, Wajir, Mandera, Garissa, Isiolo and Samburu continue to experience acute water shortage and pasture depletion. In these regions, livestock, which form the backbone of household economies, are dying in alarming numbers. For pastoralist communities, livestock is not just wealth, it is food, school fees, health care and dignity.

Women and children are walking up to 80 kilometres to find water. Water pans have dried up, boreholes are overstretched, and schools are reporting increased absenteeism as families migrate in search of pasture and water. Health facilities are witnessing rising cases of malnutrition, especially among children under five and pregnant mothers. This House must appreciate that drought has far-reaching consequences. First, on food security, reduced crop yields and livestock losses have significantly diminished household food supplies. Food prices in many local markets have increased beyond the reach of ordinary Kenyans. Hunger is not just a statistic; it is a daily reality for millions in northern Kenya and semi-arid areas.

Second, on the economy, the livestock sector contributes subsequently to our GDP. Repeated drought cycles are wiping out years of investment. Pastoralists who lose entire herds are pushed into chronic poverty.

Third, regarding social stability, competition over scarce water and pasture resources has increased conflict between communities. Displacement, insecurity, and school dropouts are becoming common features in drought-affected areas. While the Government has made some efforts through relief food distribution, cash transfer programs and coordination with county governments, serious gaps remain. Relief efforts are sometimes delayed and even scarce. Logistics challenges limit equitable distribution. Most importantly, we continue to treat drought as an emergency response issue rather than a long-term structural challenge.

Kenya is highly vulnerable to climate variability. Climate change has made drought cycles more frequent and severe, yet our agricultural system remains heavily dependent on rain-fed farming. Our water harvesting capacity remains inadequate.

Hon. KJ and the Member for Manyatta, we have a Motion of adjournment to deliberate on the effects of drought in the country. The livelihoods of millions of Kenyans are affected. The least I expect from the House is to listen in silence and participate well.

Proceed.

Degradation of forest and water catchment areas has further compounded the crisis.

Drought should not surprise us. It is predictable. Early warning systems exist under the National Drought Management Authority. What is often lacking is timely action and sufficient resource allocation. I, therefore, propose the following urgent measures. The Government should:

Order, Members! Order, Member of Parliament for Runyenjes! Hon. Dekow, I thought you also come from an area where the effects of drought are devastating to some of your constituents.

Cash transfer programs should protect vulnerable households. However, emergency measures alone are not enough. We must adopt long-term sustainable solutions. First, we must invest heavily in water infrastructure, such as dams, water pumps, irrigation schemes, and water-harvesting technologies. Second, we must expand irrigation-based agriculture to reduce our reliance on rainfall. Third, we must promote climate-smart agriculture and drought-resistant crops. Fourth, we must protect and restore our water towers and forest ecosystems to enhance environmental resilience.

Drought management requires a coordinated, multisectoral approach. National Government, county government, development partners, humanitarian agencies, the private sector and civil society must work in sync. Agencies such as the Kenya Red Cross Society and the World Food Program have continued to support affected communities, but humanitarian assistance should not substitute sustainable policy solutions.

As Parliament, we must also strengthen oversight to ensure that funds allocated for drought response are used prudently, transparently and reach the intended beneficiaries. Accountability is critical if public trust is to be maintained.

Drought is not just an environmental issue. It is a matter of human rights, economic justice and national stability. The lives of our people, especially those in ASAL counties, matter just as much as those in urban centres. Equity demands that we invest proportionately in regions most vulnerable. Let us move from active crisis management to proactive resilience building. Let us shift from relief dependency to sustainable development. Let us ensure that no Kenyan dies of hunger in a country with vast potential. I urge this House to treat the matter of drought with the seriousness it deserves and to push for comprehensive, well-funded and long-term solutions. I beg to move.

I thank you.

Member for Garissa Township. Please give Hon. Dekow the microphone.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I rise in support of the Motion raised by my colleague from Wajir West. Many people do not appreciate the drought situation we are facing in the northern part of this country. We had a similar discussion earlier in this term of Parliament, around 2023, and the same problem

persists today. The drought cycle is no longer an emergency issue. It is predictable. Sufficient research and data indicate when droughts are likely to occur. However, we continue to witness a limited response from both the national and county governments in addressing this recurring situation.

In 2024 and 2025, our region experienced floods that devastated roads and farms. We were unable to harvest and store that water. If the Government had been serious about addressing this issue, steps would have been taken between then and now to establish water infrastructure in the affected areas. We urgently require immediate interventions, particularly during this month of Ramadan, when there is a severe water shortage. There is an urgent need for water trucking, food for human consumption, and animal feed. These are short-term measures that must be implemented without delay. The drought has disrupted economic activities in the region and destabilised social life. People are moving from one area to another in search of pasture and water, leading to conflict. Such conflicts can escalate into violence and loss of life. We therefore urge the Government to declare this situation a national disaster.

Secondly, such a declaration would enable donors and development partners to intervene effectively. It is already too late for support to arrive. If assistance continues to be delayed, more lives will be lost. Livestock are already dying, and waiting until the last minute will only worsen the crisis. We have engaged with several Non-Governmental Organisations and humanitarian agencies. They have informed us that unless the Government formally declares this situation a disaster, they cannot intervene at scale.

With those few remarks, I support the Motion. Thank you.

Hon. Guyo Jaldesa, followed by Hon. Saney. Every Member has five minutes.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to contribute to this critical and life-threatening matter. Those of us from the northern part of the country are currently exposed to extreme weather conditions. Our livelihoods, which depend largely on livestock, are at risk. If our livestock are at risk, then our lives are also in danger. To avert this, we need reliable water sources, adequate pasture, and food for our people and schoolchildren.

In our regions, whenever there is even a small water source or limited pasture, people converge there from across the wider region. At present, there are people from Mandera in Moyale, which risks unnecessary conflict. People are not moving from Mandera to Moyale out of choice. They are compelled by circumstances to survive.

The lives, property and wealth of pastoralists must be treated as matters of national importance. The Government must take this intervention seriously and protect us from preventable deaths resulting from these harsh weather conditions. In some parts of the country, people may not fully understand the severity of what we are describing. However, our people’s lives are genuinely in danger, and we must prevent avoidable losses.

In 2023, millions of livestock were lost, translating into billions of Kenyan shillings in economic losses. By now, we should have been in a position to confront and manage this recurring drought effectively. As one Member said, the Government needs to take this matter seriously. If crops such as coffee were threatened, decisive action would be taken. Yet when our livestock is at risk, the response appears slow and inadequate. If one examines the budget allocations within the relevant ministries – whether the Ministry of East African Community, Arid and Semi-Arid Lands and Regional Development, the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation, or the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development – one finds that allocations for the northern part of the country are minimal. This suggests that our situation has not been treated with the seriousness it deserves.

We therefore plead that our lives be safeguarded. The Government must declare this drought a national disaster.

On a point of information.

Do you wish to be informed?

He will inform me in private.

Okay, proceed and inform him.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I wish to inform Daktari Guyo that the livestock issue he mentioned is not unique to northern Kenya. Where I come from, in Kajiado and Narok, we have been hit by the worst drought and lost the largest number of livestock. It is not just a northern Kenya issue.

Order! You will have your moment. This is not a moment for you to debate. If it is a point of information, it is a lapse on the part of the Member who was on the Floor, and you help him. Proceed, Prof. Guyo.

Thank you. It is good that the drought is not confined to northern Kenya. Other people are also having it. It is not a pleasant experience for any community. Our wealth lies in our livestock, and we cannot afford to lose it. We are appealing to the Government to declare this a national disaster to unlock support from donors and partners. It is regrettable that we must seek assistance from Non-Governmental Organisations while the Government appears slow to respond.

Give the microphone to Hon. Saney.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Drought has existed for generations. It is not a sudden disaster like an earthquake. It is cyclical and predictable. Its trends can be established scientifically, and early warning systems exist to anticipate its occurrence. For that reason, the issue is not merely about declaring an emergency. It is about governance and effective drought management. What matters is not a political declaration, but structured, long-term governance of drought.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, we do not need knee-jerk, ad hoc, impulsive actions to manage droughts. We are in a season of drought right now, and for sure, I can predict that in less than two years from now, there will be a similar drought. This habit of always requesting and trying to beg for a declaration of an emergency that shall emancipate the people who keep livestock is neither here nor there. It is a governance issue. We need serious preparedness. Before a drought hits, there are ordinarily vulnerability and risk assessments, which are normal for any government. There must be plans put in place for mitigation. This should have happened so that no lives are lost or livelihoods are put at risk. It is about preparedness, pre-planning and putting contingency measures in place, which is all about governance. We need to, at least, build the resilience of those who are affected, the livestock keepers, so that their vulnerability is felt. The accretion from this shock has been normalised.

Drought is a normal thing. It is no longer new. It is not an emergency. It is not an earthquake that hits without warning. Droughts are known, and they will be with us now and in the future. Even as we look forward to the long rains, early warning signs indicate they will be below normal. That should prepare any institution tasked with the responsibility of managing drought.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, pasture management is a serious matter that should be undertaken through grazing management and the provision of supplementary feeds. If natural feed is unavailable due to drought, a government must ensure that supplementary feeding measures are put in place to save lives and livestock.

Regarding water harvesting, we are talking about a drought now, but what if it rains in March? What will happen in all other counties? There will be another disaster, an emergency in the name of flooding, which will wipe away animals that have already lost their weight and

the vulnerable people. All will be lost to the rains. We are talking of a disaster while we have in mind that it will beget another disaster. A drought begets flooding. What shall we do about flooding, which is a curse and a blessing in equal measure? We need to harvest this water. Our water flows to the Indian Ocean. The same water can be useful to human life, livestock, and wildlife, and can also turn turbines to generate electricity. This is a country endowed with resources, but their use is what is in question.

Are we talking about a natural drought or an artificial one in essence?

Give him a minute.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I beg for more.

Hon. Naomi Waqo.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to this debate.

At the outset, I support this Motion because the situation in ASAL areas is quite bad. It is threatening the lives of human beings, animals are already dying, and school-going children are no longer able to attend their classes and concentrate on their education, simply because of the challenges. The majority of pastoralists are migrating, which is affecting the education system in that part of the country. Yet, they will unfortunately sit for the national exams when the time comes.

We know very well that the drought situation in Kenya is not something new. Even the leaders who preceded us have debated this. The government has previously declared it a national disaster but we have never found a lasting solution. Sixty-three years after independence, we are still handling a drought situation in ASALs as if it were a new thing that is coming up. Climate change has worsened this situation. Many people living in ASALs are not sure whether they will survive the following day or the following year. They do not fear dying of sicknesses and other causes, but because they have no food or water. They wonder whether they will survive the following day.

Imagine an expectant mother who has five children but has no water or food and cannot help her children, and maybe her husband died in clashes two or three years ago. That is the situation many women go through. What can this government do to end the suffering of the people? It is not our wish, as leaders, to keep crying and pleading for support. In fact, we are not happy doing that, but the situation has forced us. The situation in these areas today is so bad that you wonder how you can even visit your county over the weekend. There is a need for us to declare this drought a national disaster. But as we declare it a national disaster, we should encourage other partners to come on board and support Kenya. As we also plead with the

special programme to continue giving food, what can the government do to ensure that two years from now, we will not be in the same situation?

I support. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Member for Wajir South.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I would like to contribute to the Motion and declare that the current drought has laid bare Kenya’s soft underbelly in disaster preparedness. We all know that drought is cyclical, occurring every two to three years, and is becoming more frequent due to climate change. Yet, we have been caught flat-footed, unprepared for what the people in most parts of northern Kenya are facing today. What has been exposed is a deep structural weakness, a troubling pattern of delayed response that has left our citizens at the mercy of the elements. We have witnessed people facing severe shortages of water and food, with no authorities stepping in to assist them.

County governments were established to bring services closer to the people, but they, too, have been caught flat-footed in their response to the current drought. In some counties, there has been little to no action in delivering water and the much-needed aid to those in need. This is unfair. They are supposed to be the first line of response to disasters and crises such as the current drought we are experiencing. We must call a spade a spade, and not mince our words when our people are not receiving the vital services they require from the people that they have put their trust in.

We have seen county emergency response teams, including veterinary officers, arriving without necessary drugs, expecting those in the midst of the drought to purchase the required medicines while also expecting them to cover their allowances. This is happening in Kenya. We have also seen county water mechanics and maintenance workers arriving at broken-down boreholes, demanding that residents buy the parts needed for repairs. This is unfair, especially when they also expect these people to pay their allowances. We can do better than this.

Another significant concern is the plight of our livestock keepers. Policies surrounding livestock are abundant but exist primarily on paper. One cannot help but wonder: if the current drought were impacting other regions of the country, such as those of tea, coffee, and sugarcane farmers, would we witness the same lacklustre response that we see in northern Kenya? Why are livestock and those who keep them not given the importance they deserve in this nation? They can also contribute to foreign exchange. Is it merely due to their geographical location or the communities that rear them? It is high time we start looking at this differently. It is time we enhance our disaster management services and reconsider how we regard the lives of individuals in certain parts of our country.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Member for Kajiado North. Give Hon. Ngogoyo the microphone. He will then be followed by the Member for Tarbaj, the Member for Dagoretti and the Member for Manyatta.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I wish to add my voice to this Adjournment Motion and thank the Member who raised it.

First and foremost, northern Kenya and other regions of our country are facing a serious drought. It is particularly disturbing that a government cannot adequately plan for what is obvious. The weather forecasts have predicted this situation, and, most importantly, when the Kenya Kwanza government assumed power, it proposed measures to avert such recurring crises.

Let us not forget that the feeding programme in northern Kenya was halted due to various accountability issues. As we speak today, the situation continues to deteriorate in northern Kenya. Someone must speak for this region, as it is indeed part of Kenya. We are

discussing dams and agriculture – potential areas where we could achieve significant productivity with proper planning.

Even before we talk of Singapore, we should prioritise addressing the needs of Mandera, Wajir, and Marsabit. In my estimation, these counties must be intentionally targeted not only for their livestock but also for agricultural development and the provision of drinking water. Projects on dams should be directed here.

This is not about visiting northern Kenya and saying, “You are part of my government.” No. It requires actual planning. We should see this in the current Budget Estimates and the Supplementary Budget. We should see an emphasis on strategies aimed at averting the current crisis. Yes, this situation should be declared a disaster. There is no shame in acknowledging that Kenya is experiencing this crisis. If we do not admit there is a problem, we will not have the means or ways to sort it out.

[The Temporary Speaker (Hon. Farah Maalim left the Chair] [The Deputy Speaker (Hon. Gladys Boss) in the Chair] I thank Members from northern Kenya for continuously raising this issue. Unfortunately, the Executive has chosen to ignore a problem they are well aware of. There are regions in our country that were not traditionally considered suitable for agriculture, such as the lower parts of Kajiado and Narok. However, over time, there have been strategies implemented to address these challenges. I want to emphasise that if this situation persists, it will affect all of us. As the saying goes, whatever affects one directly affects us all.

Today, I wish to assert that northern Kenya is part of Kenya, and we must develop plans that demonstrate to the Executive our commitment to ensuring that northern Kenya is included in government initiatives. They must not merely share stories about wanting to include northern Kenya; they need to take tangible actions, such as budgeting and formulating strategies.

Furthermore, Kajiado and Narok have also been significantly impacted, particularly regarding our livestock. The meat consumed in Nairobi, which is largely sourced from northern Kenya, Kajiado, and Narok, is at risk due to the current circumstances. As we speak, our livestock is suffering greatly. We must all advocate for those living in drought-stricken regions, especially in northern Kenya. I commend the good individuals, such as His Excellency Rigathi Gachagua, who speak on behalf of northern Kenya. He must continue with the good work.

Thank you very much.

Member for Mwingi North.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this Motion.

First, I would like to thank the Mover of the Motion, Hon. Farah, for highlighting the situation affecting many parts of the country, including Kitui County. Kitui County shares borders with Tana River County and the northern frontier, and we typically experience the same environmental conditions. Thus, the situation currently faced in North-Eastern Kenya mirrors what we are experiencing in Kitui County, particularly in my constituency of Mwingi North.

I wish to express my solidarity with the people of northern Kenya because, as previous speakers have noted, drought is a phenomenon that can be predicted. It is not a natural disaster that occurs without prediction. I also agree with the Members that the government needs to declare drought a natural disaster, so that in the coming Budget it appropriates funds to provide food for animals and human beings, so that we can manage the drought.

We hope that the anticipated rains in March will ease the situation. At the moment, animals such as goats, sheep, and cattle are dying in Mwingi North. Therefore, I agree with the Members from the North Eastern region that this is indeed a natural disaster that requires the government's attention.

The same is happening for human food. For instance, very soon children will not be able to go to school because there is no food at home in my Constituency. I ask the Government of Kenya, through the School Feeding Programme, to provide food to primary and secondary schools so that, even when there is no food at home, children are guaranteed a meal at school. If they were to take a meal a day, they would continue their education. Otherwise, they will be at a disadvantage compared to the rest of Kenya.

I agree and support the proposal by the Hon. Member. Thank you.

Hon. Member for Tarbaj. Has he spoken?

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. At the outset, I support this Motion by my colleague from Wajir West. The situation in these drought-hit areas, especially in Northern Kenya, is quite dire and devastating. Additionally, responses from all levels of government are quite discouraging and slow. At times, the national government and county governments toss around this responsibility. The county government claims it does not have the ability to attend to this matter, yet the National Government insists that it is the county government's responsibility. This is a matter of life and death. It is not something that will affect that region or the country for just a month or two; it will leave an economic, social and political footprint for quite a while. The response we get can be likened to a doctor treating sick people for quite some time, so that when an ordinary person brings someone who has been hit by a car, the doctor tells them to just drop the person there and will attend to them after a while. Similarly, this is what happens when we present our issues to the Executive as Members of Parliament affected by drought, and they tell us they will attend to it, but they never do.

Firstly, I request that this House resolve to have an ad hoc committee visit those areas to obtain a clear picture of what is happening.

Secondly, at the disposal of the constituencies is the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) . I request that the National Treasury or this House resolve that, apart from bursaries, Members of Parliament from these hard-hit areas be allowed to use NG-CDF to address the drought situation in their constituencies.

Thank you.

Leader of the Majority Party.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. First, let me thank the Member for raising this issue. It is indeed a matter of great concern, not just to the people of his Constituency but to all Kenyans. As the Speaker said, when one part of Kenya is afflicted by drought, we all are. This is a natural phenomenon, and we must use every concerted effort we can to alleviate human suffering among the people affected in one way or another by this drought.

When we speak about climate change, people think it is just ‘a lot of English’. Climate change is real and the effects are with us. It is probably a challenge for us as policy makers and lawmakers in the Budget-making House to ensure that, as we prepare the Budget, we appropriate for occurrences such as drought and floods.

Today, in some parts of the country, like Nairobi and its environs, we are starting to see some rain, and you never know how it will turn out. Unlike in the past, when it was predictable that this was a rainy season, it is impossible to do that now. In the past, February would never have been a rainy month, but now it is raining in Nairobi and parts of our highlands. In the same spirit, you never know that, probably when we expect the rains and farmers have planted, we do not get the rain.

I want to agree with the Hon. Ngogoyo, the Member of Parliament for Kajiado North, when he says that as we budget, we must ensure that we plan in a way that we do not continue to depend on rain-fed agriculture— that we have dams in the Northern parts of Kenya. That is why I want to invite the Hon. Member for Kajiado North and others in this House to participate in the ongoing public participation process on the National Infrastructure Fund (NIF). Hon. Ngogoyo, that is a fund that will transform how you budget for such capital-intensive projects in a big way.

Building the dams needed to ensure we are food-secure in this country is not something we can fund with our tax revenue or borrow for without harming future generations. That is why I want to plead with all of us, and I am not just addressing the Member for Kajiado North, politics aside, let us focus on doing what is right and good for this country.

Just let him finish, please.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, you need to advise Hon. Ngogoyo, Member for Kajiado North. He is saying time is up, yet he is not the Speaker. If that is how you used to behave in Kajiado County Assembly, you are in the National Assembly now and therefore, you should behave like one.

Hon. Ngogoyo, you are out of order.

Secondly, some of the people you hear pontificating out there about NIF were with us during the campaign. I know some of them did not have the temerity to read and conceptualise what we were selling to the people of Kenya during the campaign. They claimed it was too complicated for them.

On page 10 of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Kenya Kwanza manifesto, we stated that we shall establish a National Infrastructure Fund and a Sovereign Wealth Fund to mobilise resources from the privatisation of State-owned corporations to invest in capital-intensive projects such as the construction of dams in Kajiado, as the Member for Kajiado North has mentioned, as well as in Mandera, Garissa, Ndeiya in Kikuyu, Gatuanyaga in Thika, Kieni or even in parts of Mukurweini, where there are semi-arid areas.

Therefore, we must put politics aside and appreciate where we are, as well as think about the future. I invite all of us to put politics aside and focus on the good of the country. You may engage in politics in the short term and imagine that you are exciting people by telling them all manner of nonsense and pitting one community against the other, but it will end in premium tears. Just like the debate on who holds the most shares in the government ended up in super premium tears, this will also end up in super premium tears and regret if we continue along that trajectory. I invite all of us to engage in meaningful debate on how we can transform this country. Previously, we used to count dead bodies across the northern parts of Kenya, but over the last three years, I thank God that we have not counted a single death due to drought in this country.

Hon. Farah Maalim, you may proceed. I am giving him a chance to contribute because he has been waiting for me to take the Chair so that he can speak. We will then come to the Member for Dagoretti. Hon. Mwenje and Hon. Eve, I know you have shown interest in speaking to the Motion. Try to contribute for two minutes so that everybody can get a chance to speak. We have enough time for all of you to contribute, including Hon. Oundo and Hon. Makali.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I thank the Mover of this Motion very much and all the Members who have contributed, the Member for Kajiado North included. We have a problem. It is not for lack of the...

I want the Leader of the Majority Party to listen to this. Hon. Deputy Speaker, protect me from Hon. KJ, the Leader of the Majority Party and Hon. Gitonga.

The Leader of the Majority Party is required to pay attention.

I want you to listen, Leader of the Majority Party.

Yes.

The Member for Manyatta should not keep you busy. It is not for lack of...

On a point of information, Hon. Deputy Speaker.

Yes, inform me.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. My apologies. I was interrupted by the Member for Manyatta on drought-related issues. I want to inform Hon. Farah that I was informing the Member for Manyatta that before he was born, there was a District Officer who stole relief food.

Thank you for the information.

Member for Manyatta, you will have your moment. Let me take my moment.

We will give you a chance, Member for Manyatta.

Leader of the Majority Party, it is not for lack of goodwill from the government to try to put in resources for this drought. It is the issue of how those resources are used. For example, you talk about special programmes. Special programmes are there and are for saving human lives. When dealing with livestock, there is the State Department for Livestock Development. That money was allocated to the State Department for Livestock Development, and within 24 hours, it was changed and brought to special programmes. At that time, the State Department for Livestock Development had already begun procuring 1 million bales of hay in Makueni, and the trucks were on the way. The trucks were ready to move in order to save the livestock. You know what? When that was changed and returned to special programmes, all they did was send four trucks and trailers to Mandera. The million bales of hay are sitting in Makueni. The KSh1 billion that was set aside will not be used.

I want the Cabinet Secretary, Deputy President and our President to hear this. It is not because of the lack of goodwill; it is the intention. By now, livestock would have been saved

everywhere. Within 24 hours, we would have had a million bales all over the country where livestock is affected. We would have had money available for boreholes so that water could be tapped from them into the interior, where the animals go in search of hay. Animals die because they go for or in search of hay for half a day or two days, then come back for water, and hence would most likely die on the track. But if you take the water to where the animals get their hay, grass or vegetation, they will not die.

To deal with this, there is an expert department called the State Department for Livestock Development. Why are we not using them? I will tell you why. Something has got to be done about corruption in this country. I do not think we have even used Ksh100 million of the budgeted allocations. Yet no less than 20 per cent of the livestock is already dead. To save the livestock, you must rush in with water and hay. Transport, hay and animal feeds are available. I am purchasing 150 tonnes from producers of animal feed in Mathira. You cannot believe that two kilogrammes of that can make a difference in whether the animal dies or not. One hundred and fifty tonnes are 150,000 kilogrammes. Imagine how many animals you can save as a result of that. We are asking for a declaration of a state of emergency so that the military and all government vehicles, such as tankers and water boozers, can be put on the road. All of them could be put on the road in an effort to save our livestock.

Intentions alone are not good enough. Action must be seen. We are not seeing action. Through the offtake programme, I remember the Kenya Livestock Marketing Council (KLDC) used to go to these places to buy all the animals that were about to die, move them to the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) farms, fatten them, and make hundreds of millions from them. They saved the livestock owners and gave them something to enable them keep on taking care of their remaining livestock. We do not have that anymore.

Nobody is doing any offtake right now. Nobody is trying to save livestock. We have a problem. It is an emergency, and I want this Parliament to see. Somebody said that Members of Parliament should travel around to see what is happening. I agree with that. Our Members of the National Assembly care about the four corners of this country. I see everybody, including the Leader of the Majority Party, talking about it from the heart. I see Hon. John Kiarie and even the Member of Parliament for Kajiado North, who people think is playing politics. For once, I have seen him talk from his heart.

We belong to one country. If your finger is sick and painful, the head and eyes will be painful too. We cannot have one part of the country dying and the other part living. We cannot have a half-dead and half-living nation. We need to move with speed. I want the Leader of the Majority Party to convey this to His Excellency, the Deputy President, Hon. Kindiki, because he is the one who put together the donor community and all government departments. I attended the breakfast meeting at his house.

For God’s sake, make sure that hay goes to the livestock so that we do not lose any more livestock. Make sure you list all the companies that make animal feed on a full scale, so we can take that fortified animal feed that can even revive emaciated cows, camels, goats, and sheep. Once they are given two or three kilograms of that, it makes all the difference. It will not cost us much. I am 100 per cent sure it will cost us less than the billion shillings set aside. It is just a question of prudently using this and the resources going to where our mouth is. Save the livestock and the owners.

We have sufficient relief food to save Kenyans. Nobody is going to die of hunger, but livestock is going to perish. We do not want the livestock to perish, as that would lead to poverty across the board. We do not want that to happen.

Therefore, I am depending on my able Leader of the Majority Party, Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah. With all the respect we have for you, please make sure this reaches the powerful office this evening.

Hon. KJ.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I must thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this very important Motion. We must thank Hon. Farah Yusuf Mohamed for bringing to the Floor of the House such a matter of great national concern. From the outset, it must be said that this conversation cannot be confined to the plains and deserts of Northern Kenya. When we have a national emergency, like the one we are talking about, it affects even city dwellers.

We ought to remind ourselves that when food comes from the farms in the rural areas, it ends up in places where it feeds people who do not even have shambas. When we speak of a crisis situation in the country, it affects all Kenyans, including those living in the city. Therefore, I must thank Hon. Farah Yusuf Mohamed for bringing this to the Floor of the House so that we may discuss the situation as it is, not only in Northern Kenya but across the entire country. It is clear, and it has been observed, that reduced yields and livestock losses have significantly diminished household food supplies.

These repeated drought cycles have been wiping out years of investment, so what is hit is not only the current stock on the farms. It must be noted that these cycles are wiping out entire years of investment. Most importantly, it also speaks to the topic of social stability. When we have competition over scarce water and even food resources, it leads to conflicts between communities, because, as it has been said, a hungry man is an angry man.

This Parliament is rightly in its place to address the issues raised by Hon. Farah Yusuf Mohamed and to take the conversation further, even beyond the emergency. That is why it must be said that this year, even as we are meeting and facing such a crisis, we should also count what is accruing from the good decisions made in the recent past. It is this government that, on its own motion, decided to revolutionise agriculture, farming and food production, and the results are showing. What we are seeing in places like Galana Kulalu explains why, this time around, the situation has not reached a point of loss of life.

It is important to look forward and see what needs to happen. To my mind, and in aid of the Member who brought this matter to the Floor of the House, there is a solution. Scale up and fast-track emergency food and water interventions to those affected. This is a national emergency and should be attended to promptly.

Secondly, there should be accelerated drilling, rehabilitation, and solarisation of boreholes in these affected areas so that water is available not only for humans but also for animals. The expansion of cash transfer programmes that protect vulnerable households needs to be stepped up in these areas to assist those affected.

Finally, as a solution, it is important for this House to start conversing about the school feeding program in our schools. The plans that were previously in place for school feeding were totally out of date. We emulate constituencies like Dagoretti South across the country rather than giving these funds to charlatan agencies that take the money, disappear with it, and leave nothing to show on the ground.

Every Member of Parliament in this House can put up a school-feeding programme that is not only affordable but also offers nutritious food to learners, as we have done in Dagoretti South. It has now been two years since the programme running.

You have had your bite. Given that this Motion was actually given a timeframe, it was supposed to end at 6.10 p.m. and it is

already 6.14 p.m. I will therefore give two minutes to Hon. Eve Obara, after which we shall stop and move back to the Order Paper.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Let me add my voice to support the Motion by the Member from Wajir. Much as we empathise with the situation in North Eastern Kenya, we are aware that this is not the first time this has happened. This happens year in, year out, where we have drought and disasters of a similar nature. This is the time when we appreciate the role of social media, as it has enabled us to see, in real time, what is happening to our colleagues and our country in Northern Kenya.

There is an agency called the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) that was set up in this country. It is responsible for coordinating and implementing disaster management measures across the country. What has the Authority done since it was set up? We would like to know the strategies they have put in place to mitigate similar problems that we now have. Because this is a perennial problem, we need to summon the Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection and the CEO of this Authority to inform us of the problem and the measures they have put in place over the years.

This cannot be a talk show where we come and declare a disaster. We also declared a disaster in 2023, but nothing was done because the problem continues to be there. We must start holding CEOs and officers to account for the jobs they have been given.

I support the Motion. Thank you very much.

Very well, Hon. Members. I know the interests were overwhelming. If I were on the Floor of the House, I would have been interested. The time set out for the Motion is over. Therefore, we have to go back to the Order Paper. Allow me to call out the next Order.

The Chair of the Committee on Delegated Legislation had indicated to us that he would attend to another important matter concerning the House. Therefore, this Motion will be pended until the next Session. Next Order.

The Chairperson of the Select Committee on National Cohesion and Equal Opportunity. Is he in the House? Hon. Nzengu, will you move the Bill?

Yes.

Proceed.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I beg to move that the National Cohesion and Integration Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 74 of 2023) be now read a Second Time.

This Bill aims to repeal the National Cohesion and Integration Act (Cap. 7) , which was enacted as a direct response to the post-election violence that rocked the country in 2007 and early 2008. The violence heightened deep ethnic tensions and inequalities, as well as the failure of state institutions to manage diversity and enforce law and order. A reform agenda was initiated to address the root causes of the conflict. One of them was ethnic discrimination and incitement. As part of this, Parliament enacted the National Cohesion and Integration Act in September 2008. The Act is being repealed because it was introduced prior to the promulgation of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010. The primary objective of the Bill is to ensure alignment with the Constitution.

I now seek to highlight the provisions contained in the Bill. The Bill aims to align its provisions with the present constitutional dispensation and structure of Government by giving effect to Articles 10 and 27 of the Constitution on the promotion of national unity and non- discrimination. The Bill provides for the establishment of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission, comprising a chairperson and eight other members nominated by the President for appointment and approved by the National Assembly, who are to serve for a three-year term and are eligible for one additional three-year term.

The Bill makes provisions for the functions of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission to develop policies for the promotion of national values and principles of governance. The second function is to promote equal access and enjoyment by persons of different ethnic, racial or social origins to services and facilities provided by the Government and private entities. Additionally, the Bill stipulates that the Commission's headquarters be in Nairobi, but mandates the Commission to establish nine regional offices in the country. The importance of having various branches is to ensure that its services are accessible to all parts of the country.

The Bill also addresses ethnic discrimination. It gives instances when a person is considered to discriminate against another, whether directly or indirectly. Such instances include, for example, if on ethnic grounds, the person treats another person less favourably than they would treat another person. It also arises if a person applies to another person a requirement or condition which would apply to persons of another ethnic group, but the person cannot show to be justifiable, irrespective of the colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origins of the person to whom it is applied to the detriment of the person because that person cannot comply with it.

The Bill also highlights issues of discrimination in employment. It requires every public entity to ensure the representation of the diversity of Kenyans in the employment of staff and to afford adequate and equal opportunities for appointment, training, and promotion at all levels

of the public service to members of all ethnic groups. It bars public entities from recruiting or employing more than one-fifth of their staff from the same ethnic community. It further prohibits an employer, a potential employer, or their representatives from discriminating against another person in arrangements made to determine who should be offered the employment and in the terms the employer offers the employment.

In addition to the outlined expectations, the Bill further promotes affirmative action by encouraging employment of individuals from under-represented ethnic groups in sectors where their cultural identity, heritage or lived experience is essential to the authenticity and effectiveness of the work. This includes roles in cultural entertainment, artistic expression and the provision of culturally responsive personal services. The Bill affirms that such measures do not constitute discrimination, but are instead necessary steps towards achieving substantive equity and inclusion within the workforce.

Further, the Bill addresses the issues of discrimination in access to and distribution of resources. It mandates that, as far as practical, public resources should be distributed equitably and geographically, taking into account Kenya’s diversity, population distribution and poverty index.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, it is worth noting that the Bill also addresses hate speech. It highlights action that amounts to hate speech and makes it an offence if the person intends to stir up ethnic hatred or, having regard to all other circumstances, ethnic hatred is likely to be stirred up. Those actions are where a person uses threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour or displays any written material that publishes, posts or distributes material in print, electronic or social media, presents or directs the performance of a play to the public, distributes, shows or plays a recording of visual images or provides, produces or directs a program which is threatening, abusive or uses insulting words or behaviour.

Additionally, the Bill states persons who may make complaints to the Commission such as a person acting in their own interest, a person acting on behalf of another person who cannot act in their own name, a person acting as a member of a group or class of persons, a person acting in the public interest, an association acting in the interest of one or more of its members. Further, a complaint may be made by or against an individual, a body or persons, whether corporate or unincorporated, a public or private organisation, the Government or a specific body or officer of the Government. The Bill provides for the manner of lodging a complaint, which may be oral or in writing. Where a complaint is made orally, the Bill requires the Commission to cause it to be reduced to writing. The complaint is to be in such a form.

The Committee received submissions through oral presentation and written memoranda from the following institutions:

Hon. Eve Obara.

I second. Thank you.

We can see you very well, economist, that is, Hon. (Dr) Makali Mulu.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I rise to support the proposed amendments to the National Cohesion and Integration Act that have resulted in the Bill before the House. I have listened to the Mover, and a number of amendments have been proposed. The Chair of the Committee has said they would propose further amendments. I hope what I will say is what they will propose.

We have interacted with NCIC a number of times. We have also seen its work in this country. What is frustrating is that it seems to be a Commission which can talk but cannot act. Why have I said that? I remember, in one of their reports tabled in this House, the Commission pointed out clearly that, in the composition of the civil service, in terms of regional and ethnic balance, about three tribes occupied all the positions. My expectation was that this observation would have been followed by drastic measures to ensure that under-represented communities in the civil service are given opportunities. Over time, I do not think that position has changed. I hope the amendments proposed by the Committee will ensure the Commission can take action on its reports. There are many but their implementation is not effective.

At one point, the leadership of Kitui County met with this Commission on security matters in our area. We have conflicts between Tana River County and us. We agreed on a clear roadmap for what needed to be done. One of them was the clear demarcation of the two counties by putting beacons on their border. That was early last year. To date, the agreed roadmap has not been implemented. Only one issue was implemented: the hiring of National Police Reservists. The other issues have not been implemented.

For instance, our governor has constructed police stations along the border, but they cannot be occupied because Tana River County claims they are on their land. Because of this, our people continue to experience insecurity. Some have been killed. Others have left their homes and are now squatters in their county. The solution to this issue lies with the NCIC because it has been given that mandate.

Hon Temporary Speaker, we have seen politicians like you and me make various statements which are very divisive in this country. The Mover mentioned that people who seem to promote division in the country are their candidates. How many times have you seen politicians on platforms saying things which are very divisive in this country and walk

scot-free? Now we have a chance as a House to ensure that this Commission works as expected by Kenyans, so that when I take a mic and talk publicly, I know my limits. Otherwise, the Commission should immediately act if I go against this particular Bill we are amending.

At the Committee of the whole House stage, we want to see very robust amendments to this Act so that these amendments, once passed by this House, will have a Commission which can actually address the challenges Kenyans are facing. I will single out about three of them.

First is the issue of employment in the civil service. We want every Kenyan to feel a sense of belonging. Many times, I have said here that whenever we approve appointments by the Head of State, the names you see lack regional balance. Has anybody sat and looked at the totality of these issues and the proportion of each of the regions in these commissions? I do not think that has been done.

The second thing is that we have the marginalised groups in this country who also need their slots in this public service. We have just been discussing drought. You cannot have a united country when some people are dying of famine, and others have excess food. There is no clear strategy for moving food from one area to another. We have been talking about drought in this country even before I was born. I used to talk to my grandfather and ask him what year he was born. The only thing he could remember was, “I was born when there was this drought or famine,” since there were no records, which means this has been happening for a long time. It is self-defeating, with all the technology and knowledge we have, that we cannot plan well. We have early warning signs that indicate next year may be a drought year.

Despite all this information, we are not using it. So, this Commission has a lot of work to do. I wish this House could fast-track the amendments so that, very soon, we have an Act of Parliament that will enable this Commission to act.

I always sympathise with my friend Kobia. You know, being a religious person, anytime you interact with him, the heart is willing to do what you are telling him, but it looks like his hands are tied because of the law. We need to release his hands so he can combine his religion with what he believes to help this country achieve what we want. Otherwise, I will support these amendments and review the proposed amendments by the Committee. If they do not meet my expectations in ensuring the Commission has the force to act, we will make further amendments to make this Commission a commission that can bite. Currently, it has been assessed by Kenyans as a toothless Commission. We do not want it to remain in that state.

I submit and support. Thank you.

Very well. Hon. Members, I can see many Members here, but the list is very short. Do we have Hon. Beatrice Kemei in the House? Could we then have Hon. Timothy Toroitich? Is he in the House?

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me an opportunity to contribute to this very important Bill.

First of all, I am impressed because I was checking whether there was a clause on the repeal of the previous 2008 legislation. I have noted with great satisfaction that Clause 85 of this Bill provides that it repeals the National Cohesion and Integration Act.

Having looked at this Bill in its entirety, the Mover has not clearly highlighted the difference between the 2008 legislation and this current Bill. Under the current law, which this Bill seeks to repeal, the Commission established under the National Cohesion and Integration Act, 2008, lacks an enforcement mechanism. I have looked at this Bill and I have not seen that issue being addressed. The Commission has not been given teeth to bite. It still looks like a toothless bulldog. When we retire to consider the substance of this Bill, we must ensure it contains provisions on enforcement. As it stands, it does not provide such provisions.

Secondly, there has been a perception of selective prosecutions or accusations because of political patronage. This country must be a cohesive nation. From every corner, we must be

bound together, and the law must not apply selectively. This Bill must address that clearly. At Second Reading or during the Committee of the whole House, we should propose amendments to avoid the perception of selective prosecution in the enforcement of this Bill.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I have seen certain clauses that, if properly enforced, may realise the purpose of this Bill. Clause 7 speaks to the powers of the Commission. It provides that the Commission shall have the power to summon witnesses to give evidence or to produce books, plans, or other documents. This is similar to Article 125 of the Constitution, which gives this House powers to summon witnesses comparable to those of the High Court. But what happens if a witness summoned by NCIC under Clause 7 of the Bill does not appear? This Bill does not address that issue. When we get to the Committee of the whole House, we shall look substantively at the context of this Bill. In this House, if a witness fails to appear before a committee, the committee may issue a fine of up to 500,000. However, this Bill does not provide sanctions for a person who fails to appear before the NCIC in case of an alleged offence.

I have also looked at Clause 41, which is very progressive. It concerns employment discrimination and provides that a public entity shall not recruit more than one-fifth of its staff from the same ethnic community. This promotes national integration and equal opportunity in employment, irrespective of community or tribe. This also reinforces Article 27 of the Constitution on non-discrimination. The clause is progressive because it provides penalties for non-compliance.

Clause 41(5) states that a person who contravenes this section commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding Ksh5 million or imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to both. So, this will guide employers that, when recruiting, the institution must ensure that at least one-fifth of its staff is not from the same ethnic community.

Further, Clause 47 of the Bill covers ethnic or racial contempt. That provision is very progressive. It provides that a person who uses threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour or displays any written material, publishes, posts or distributes material in print, electronic or social media, presents or directs the performance of a play to the public, distributes, shows or plays a recording of visual images, that person commits an offence under this section and shall be liable to a fine not exceeding Ksh1 million or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to both.

This provision is also progressive because it provides for penalties. The only thing I wish to raise is that I hope this Bill has not been brought forward because we are going to an election. We have a very progressive Constitution in this country that, under Article 33, provides for freedom of expression. We must protect that freedom. We have a whole chapter in our Constitution on the Bill of Rights. Therefore, this Bill must also be overreaching to limit freedom of expression under the current Bill we are proposing.

This Bill should guard all Kenyans and must never protect powerful individuals in government. It must serve us as a nation. So, I support the Bill to protect Kenya as a nation and prevent situations where individuals are reckless. There are individuals who make volatile, prejudicial statements that are likely to divide the country. Such persons must be arrested, summoned to appear before tribunals or quasi-judicial bodies, and to appear in our courts to answer charges if their statements are likely to divide Kenyans along ethnic lines.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I support.

Perfect. Could we have

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I want to thank this House for introducing this amendment Bill. The Bill was born out of the 2007 and 2008 post-election violence. It was a noble idea that was started because it gives hope to many Kenyans that now we will be able to live peacefully with each other, not hurling insults

or using social media to provoke others. Eighteen years later, NCIC has very little to show for it. We still have hate speeches going on, and that continues to pollute and poison our airwaves. As my colleagues said, NCIC issues directives but they have no teeth to bite. So, I would love to see the amendments done if they actually address that.

A more important issue is that of cohesiveness. Marginalised people in Northern Kenya and other parts of this country feel disadvantaged now more than ever before. This Bill was their hope. It was going to save them from the discrimination they face from the Government and other people in this country. The irony of it all is that the very people this Commission was supposed to help are more excluded today than before the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) was born.

I will read a record of what the NCIC recently stated in its latest audit of ethnic representation in public universities. The NCIC found that, out of 27,596 employees, there was not a single individual from 10 Kenyan communities, including the Elmolo, Konso, Oromo, Rendille, Wakonde and many others. This was what the NCIC was made for – to ensure that people are not marginalised in this country. The NCIC has given us a list of ethnic groups that have not been employed, but it has made no effort to rectify its mistakes. The Commission did nothing about it apart from holding press conferences, publishing reports and then moving on to their next agenda. I hope that the amendments in this Bill will help save the situation across the country.

Public institutions are faring even worse. The same NCIC report revealed that about 70 per cent of all jobs in State corporations are held by five or six ethnic groups. NCIC never addressed that. As a matter of fact, it has become worse. Marginalised people in this country long to be included in the development of Kenya. If the NCIC can address that issue, we will have something to talk about, because at the moment, the NCIC has failed Kenyans.

I support the Bill.

Hon. Rozaah Buyu.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to support the Committee on the timely intervention to ensure that they uphold the Constitution of the country. The Kenyan Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Any law must align itself with the Constitution. I want to congratulate the Committee for seeing it fit to bring these amendments to ensure that the NCIC Act is aligned with our Constitution. Our Constitution states that all Kenyans are equal regardless of sex, age, colour or tribe. This Bill seeks to enhance what is in the Constitution.

The Bill recognises the fact that there is currently no equality in employment opportunities. That has created a lot of conflict and ill feelings among Kenyans who feel they are qualified for the opportunity. Still, they are sometimes discriminated against because they do not come from a particular tribe or section of this country. For that reason, I support this Bill because it does not matter where you come from or your gender. If you are qualified, you must be given equal opportunity in terms of consideration for employment.

The Bill also addresses resource distribution in the country. We know that many parts of the country feel alienated and discriminated against. There is sometimes drought in the northern part of the country, and you cannot imagine what you see on your television screens. Animals and people are dying of hunger, yet in other parts of the country, there is food in abundance. People seem to be prospering in one part, while in the other part, they are dying. This will ensure that the country puts effort into ensuring that whatever is plentiful in any part of this country is shared amongst all Kenyans so that we all indeed feel like Kenyans.

Affirmative action is one of the things that is well addressed in our current Constitution. We know of Article 27, which clearly states that in any opportunity or any appointive position, there must not be discrimination based on sex. For example, if you have an opportunity to

employ three people, you can have two men and one woman, or two women and one man. In that way, we ensure the inclusion of all sexes in any appointive or elective position.

Long after the Constitution was promulgated in 2010, that Article has still not been operationalised. The onus was placed on this Parliament to come up with a way, a manner, or a policy by which Article 27 could be operationalised, but Parliament has failed in that. If we have this amendment, the focus will be on Parliament to ensure that any discrimination against any sex, or any part of the Constitution that has not been operationalised to ensure equality for every Kenyan, will be addressed. For that reason, I support this amendment.

The amendment also talks about hate speech. We are now going into the election period, and we know what is happening in this country. Politicians have been reckless in their utterances, disregarding the fact that they could run down this country.

Hon. Rozaah, who are the politicians?

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I am one of the politicians.

Proceed.

Yes, that is including Hon. Rozaah Buyu. We have actually become irresponsible in our utterances. We forget that we have the responsibility to uphold the peace and unity of this country. Hon. Rozaah or any other politician will carelessly get up and use abusive language or say things that are discriminatory to a certain community.

I hope that with this amendment, that will be addressed. This is because if it is not addressed, we will not wait for 2027 to have elections. What is happening in the country now should not be encouraged. For that reason, I support this amendment. My only problem is that this amendment does not give the Commission the teeth it needs. The Commission has existed for a long time, but it has become a talk show. They meet communities and summon people who are charged with hate speech, but they do nothing after that. I hope that, when implementing this law, we will give this Commission the teeth it needs. If it has teeth, then politicians or anybody else who wants to speak ill or speak hatefully against one another will actually be brought to book. That will act as a deterrent so that we all align ourselves to being one unified and peaceful country. Without that, this Commission will remain a talk show and a toothless one.

So, I urge this Committee that when we move, we must give teeth to this Commission to ensure that it does what it is supposed to do. We have gone to many countries, but there is no country like home. Kenya remains the best place to be. I, for one, know that I have no other home. It is my duty, even as a politician and a leader of this country, to ensure that I uphold the peace and unity of this country. This is one Commission that can help Kenya remain united. I support the amendment. Thank you.

Hon. Janet Sitienei.

Thank you, Hon Temporary Speaker. I beg to move the following Motion, that this House adopts the Report of the Public...

Order, Hon. Janet. My

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I take this opportunity to thank Members who got an opportunity to contribute to the Motion. I appreciate the comments they have made. This is to clarify that, in

my moving notes, I indicated that we will give the Commission teeth through an amendment to be introduced by the Committee. Therefore, Members who were interested in bringing that amendment during the Committee of the whole House should know that the Committee has already taken care of it.

Most of the issues Members have raised…

Can you speak to it so that they also know the limits they will have, now that you have indicated that you have already done that?

Hon. Temporary Speaker, on my item number 18 – although I never numbered them – I read that the Committee will propose an amendment to empower the Commission with the authority to sanction and take appropriate action against witnesses who fail to comply with the summons. This is intended to enhance the Committee's effectiveness in executing its mandate. So, we have proposed a number of amendments that will be included during Committee of the whole House.

I beg to reply.

Very well. I will defer putting of the Question to the next session.

Next Order.

Is the Chairperson of Public Petitions Committee in the House? She is here. You may proceed.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I beg to move the following Motion:

THAT, this House adopts the Report of the Public Petitions Committee on Public Petition No. 76 of 2023 regarding discrimination by the Teachers Service Commission on career progression guidelines for special needs education teachers in Kenya. Public Petition No. 76 of 2023, presented by the Deputy Speaker on behalf of Mr Robert Wekesa and other teachers employed by the Teachers Service Commission to teach learners with disabilities, raises serious concerns about the misalignment of their career progression with the 2018 Career Progression Guidelines (CPGs). The petitioners prayed that the National Assembly, through the Public Petitions Committee, intervene and revert to the provisions of the Career Progression Guidelines of 2018 applicable to special needs education institutions, and backdate the implementation date.

The Committee undertook a comprehensive examination of the petition and received oral and written submissions from various stakeholders, including the petitioner, Mr Robert Wekesa, representatives of affected Special Needs Education (SNE) teachers, the Teachers Service Commission and the Ministry of Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management. Having considered all submissions and issues for determination, the Committee made several key observations and recommendations.

The Committee observed that the issue of career progression for SNE teachers is a matter of administrative inconsistency and delayed implementation, characterised by discrepancies in their job titles on the payroll. The job titles in the payroll differ from those in the Career Progression Guidelines. For instance, a teacher designated as Senior Teacher II in the payroll should correctly be titled Primary Teacher II (SNE) as per the CPGs.

This inconsistency has contributed to confusion and delayed teachers’ rightful recognition and progression within their designated roles. The Teachers Service Commission had not completed the alignment of the grading structure for SNE teachers with the 2018 Career Progression Guidelines. The alignment delay was caused by the Government’s integrated payroll system, managed by the State Department for Public Service, which has been undergoing reconfiguration to facilitate migration to a new payroll system.

Despite the lack of change in the job group titles for SNE teachers in the payroll system, the Commission ensured that teachers received salaries commensurate with their designations. The mismatch between the titles in the 2018 Career Progression Guidelines and those in the payroll did not adversely affect salaries or career advancement. However, it impacted other benefits, including allowances related to the respective scale.

In light of these observations, the Committee recommended that, within six months of the adoption of this Report by the House, the Teachers Service Commission, in collaboration with the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes, align the grades and job titles in the payroll to reflect those in the Career Progression Guidelines of 2018 specific to SNE teachers. The implementation should be backdated to 2017 to ensure that SNE teachers receive the rightful benefits accrued since the rollout of the new payroll system.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I wish to express the Committee’s gratitude to the petitioners and the Ministry for their invaluable input, which enabled the Committee to compile this Report. I also extend sincere appreciation to your office and the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly. I further thank the Hon. Members of the Public Petitions Committee for their diligent participation in the deliberations, as well as the Committee Secretariat for their professional support in preparing this Report.

I now call upon Hon. Phyllis Bartoo to second this Motion as I urge the House to adopt the Report.

Thank you.

Could you indicate that you move and call upon?

Hon. Bartoo.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I second this very important Motion, which will cure the discrimination faced by special needs education teachers. A teacher is a teacher at whatever time. They are trained and should be treated equally at all times because they play the same role in transmitting knowledge.

On a point of order, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Hon. Rozaah Buyu, what is out of order?

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I rise, pursuant to Standing Order 35, to raise a question on the required quorum to allow us to proceed.

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

Hon. Members, a Member rose in her place under Standing Order 35 regarding quorum. I confirmed that there was no quorum in the House and asked the Serjeant-at-Arms to ring the Quorum Bell for 10 minutes. I can still confirm that there is no quorum in the House.

Members, let us be upstanding. The time being 7.21 p.m., the House stands adjourned until tomorrow, Thursday, 19th February 2026 at 2.30 p.m.

Published by Clerk of the National Assembly