Wednesday, 3rd June 2026

Hon. Members, we have Quorum. I must congratulate you for that. We will proceed as follows: We are entering the Second Allotted Day on the consideration of the Budget Estimates. As you know, under our Standing Orders, there are three Allotted Days. An Allotted Day under your Standing Orders is three hours. So, you did an hour this morning. We are going to take an hour from now, to deal with the Ebola issue that has brought the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Hon. Duale.

When we finish with Hon. Duale, we will go to the Second Allotted Day. It will run for three hours. There will be a seamless transition to the Third Allotted Day that will run up to around 10.30 p.m. tonight. That will be the end of the Allotted Days, so that tomorrow, you go straight into the Committee of the whole House, for thorough examination of the Budget Estimates.

So, we will start. Hon. Leader of the Majority Party, look for the Cabinet Secretary and bring him to the chamber.

Members, as we wait for Hon. Duale, we will save time by proceeding with the Motion at Order No.8. But before that, allow me to acknowledge students seated in the Speaker’s Gallery. They are from: St. Mary’s Girls Comprehensive School, Narok North Constituency, Narok County and Kihumbu-Ini Girls’ Secondary School, Gatanga Constituency, Murang’a County.

Members, please, acknowledge your children.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I have diligently looked for the Cabinet Secretary and I finally found him. He is now in the House. I would like to cordially present him to you, so that he can start the business of the day.

Cabinet Secretary for Health, Hon. Duale, you are here at the direction of the Speaker to speak to the House and the country on the issue of Ebola and the raging debate around it. This Session will last for exactly an hour. This is an Allotted Day for the consideration of the Budget Estimates. It is now 2.46 p.m. At exactly 3.46 p.m., we will stop

discussion on this issue. We will allow the Cabinet Secretary to deliver his Statement to the House. Thereafter, I will allow comments and questions. At 3.46 p.m., we will discharge him and return to our Allotted Business.

Welcome, Cabinet Secretary.

What are the early signs and symptoms? The average incubation period of the Ebola Virus is between two and 21 days. Infected people are not contagious until they develop symptoms. The initial signs and symptoms are non-specific and mimic those of many common infections such as malaria, typhoid and meningitis. However, the symptoms usually have a sudden onset. They include fever, chills, headache, joint pain, muscle pain, backache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, fatigue, weakness and skin rashes among others. Bleeding is less frequent and generally occurs in the later stages of the disease.

Who is at risk of infection? Travellers to affected countries such as DRC and Uganda, contacts of travellers from affected regions, family members of Ebola patients, healthcare workers caring for Ebola patients, and people handling the bodies of Ebola victims.

How do we prevent Ebola? Through early identification, prompt referral and isolation of suspected cases; adherence to basic universal precautions such as hand hygiene and appropriate protective clothing in health facilities; wearing full personal protective equipment when handling suspected or confirmed Ebola cases, and avoiding contact with the bodily fluids of suspected cases.

Allow me to address the questions contained in the letter you addressed to me. The first question concerns the measures being undertaken by the Government to manage and contain the threat of Ebola. The Government has activated a Whole-of-Government preparedness and response framework, led by the Ministry of Health through the Kenya National Public Health Institute. The National Ebola Incident Management System was activated on 20th May 2026 to provide a unified central command structure for coordination and decision-making. This structure is supported by both national and county Public Health Emergency Operations Centres, which remain on high alert.

Secondly, under this arrangement, we have strengthened surveillance in health facilities, communities and points of entry. We have issued advisories to all the 47 counties covering Ebola case definitions, infection prevention and control measures, reporting protocols, guidance on isolation, sample referral procedures, contact tracing among other measures. Rapid response teams have been placed on standby for deployment where alerts are reported.

The Government has also enhanced screening at 26 official points of entry, including international airports and land border crossings. As at yesterday, 2nd June 2026, a cumulative 71,243 travellers had been screened. They include 2,509 travellers screened in the last 24 hours. Screening focuses particularly on travellers from affected countries and high-risk travel routes. To date, the national surveillance system has captured and investigated 22 suspected alerts from across the country and all have tested negative. These alerts were reported from Nairobi, Kiambu, Uasin Gishu, Nyeri, Nakuru, Nyamira, West Pokot, Kisumu and Bungoma. Three alerts from Nairobi, Uasin Gishu and Bungoma were investigated and confirmed negative in the last 24 hours.

The Ministry has also operationalised public communication mechanisms. They include the national public health hotline toll number 719 to facilitate community reporting, public inquiry and health advisories. Public messaging to educate the public on risk factors is being disseminated through national and county channels.

Hon. Speaker, the preparedness of public health facilities, isolation units, medical facilities and trained personnel is the second area you told me to address through the letter from Parliament. The House, specifically, requested for a report on the level of preparedness of public health facilities that include isolation units, medical facilities and trained personnel. I confirm that the Ministry has undertaken facility readiness assessments and it continues to strengthen capacity at the national referral facilities and in counties considered to be at the highest risk.

At the national level, Kenyatta National Hospital has prepared an eight-bed isolation and treatment unit. It has completed a try of how the index case will be handled. The facility has a separate waste management system to support safe handling of infectious waste. The National Police Service Hospital has been assessed. It has 49 beds ready for activation as part of a surge isolation capacity.

At the county level, 29 counties have identified designated isolation and treatment sites. The Ministry, the Kenya National Public Health Institute and the relevant regulatory agencies are undertaking onsite verification and quality assurance spot-checks to confirm that these facilities meet the required standards of infection prevention and control, patient flow, waste management, staff protection and emergency referral.

Hon. Speaker and Members, these facilities are part of Kenya’s national public health preparedness architecture. They are not established for the exclusive benefit of foreign nationals, foreign governments or any special category of persons. They are intended to protect all persons within the territory of Kenya, including Kenyan citizens, residents, refugees, visitors, diplomats, expatriates and any other person who may require isolation, testing or treatment based on medical need and public health risk.

This position is consistent with the Constitution, the Health Act of 2017, the Public Health Act and the International Health Regulations of 2005. If any person is identified within Kenya as a suspected or confirmed Ebola case, the correct public health response is to safely isolate, test, treat and trace contacts within the jurisdiction where the risk is detected. On personnel readiness, Kenya has mapped a surge capacity of 241 expert responders comprising 51 Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme alumni, 118 African Volunteer Health Corps’ professionals and 72 Basic Public Health Emergency Management specialists. These teams are on standby for deployment to support surveillance, contact tracing, case investigation, laboratory diagnosis and field response.

Additionally, 1,069 national and county healthcare workers have been sensitised on Ebola preparedness and response through structured virtual sessions. On-site training and simulation drills have been undertaken in Busia where 60 health workers have been trained. Additional exercises are ongoing or planned for Turkana and Trans Nzoia. A national tabletop exercise is scheduled for 15th to 18th June 2026 to test coordination, referral, laboratory and response systems.

Hon. Speaker, I have already enumerated the measures activated by the Ministry. They include surveillance. Health facility and community-based surveillance have been intensified. Ebola kits have been distributed to all counties. Rapid response teams remain on 24-hour standby. Counties have also been directed to identify and operationalise isolation facilities, holding areas and quarantine facilities.

Screening has been strengthened at the points of entry through health declaration requirements, temperature screening, symptom assessment and referral protocols. Thermo- scanners, holding rooms and ambulance systems are being reviewed and activated in priority ports that include major airports and high-volume land border points.

There is something on laboratory preparedness. With the virus being an extreme biohazard, four laboratories have been designated for Ebola testing, namely, the National Public Health Laboratory, the Kenya Medical Research Institutes in Nairobi and Kisumu, and a mobile laboratory deployed to Busia. These laboratories are equipped for molecular diagnosis with the mobile laboratory positioned to reduce turnaround time in border regions.

However, I wish to be candid with the House. While laboratory capacity is strong, current stocks of specialised test kits, reagents and personal protective equipment are estimated to support only approximately the first 200 suspected cases. This is why additional emergency financing and partner support are required to build adequate testing capacity.

In infection prevention and control, the World Health Organisation has provided 1,000 Ebola PPE kits. They are available in the country and are being prepositioned to support preparedness activities. Initial pre-positioning is focused on strategic sites that include Kenyatta National Hospital; Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital in Mombasa; Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret; facilities in Turkana and other high- risk points of entry.

The fourth item was on regional cooperation, coordination with our neighbours, foreign governments and international health agencies. The House requested for a report on how Kenya is working closely with all the affected neighbouring countries, regional institutions and international partners. Ebola is not a national problem; it is a regional and global public health security threat. The Ministry is engaging in cross border coordination with our sister country, Uganda, with a particular focus on sharing surveillance information, travellers screening, case notification, contact tracing, laboratory referral and rapid response readiness.

Kenya is coordinating and we have held meetings at the highest level with the World Health Organisation, Africa Centre for Control and Prevention (CDC), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and United States of America Centre for Disease Control (CDC). All this was done at ministerial level and with other development partners. This cooperation is focused on surveillance, laboratory support, simulation exercise, technical guidance, training, risk communication, logistics and partner resource mobilisation.

I wish to emphasise that international cooperation does not mean surrender of our national authority and sovereignty. All public health decisions within Kenya remain under the authority of the Government of Kenya. International partners provide technical assistance, commodities financing, training and logistical support.

Regarding the recent media reports alleging that Kenya has entered into an agreement with the United States of America Government to establish a quarantine facility for USA citizens or foreign nationals, I wish to state clearly that Kenya and the USA Government signed an Agreement on cooperation in Threat Reduction, Biological and Infectious diseases Engagement Program on the 24th July 2015 during the State visit of former President Uhuru and former President Barack Obama.

The Agreements were approved by the Cabinet in April 2016 and subsequently, introduced in this House of Parliament and laid on the table of the House on 19th July 2016. Upon undergoing parliamentary procedures, public participation and the House processes, the House approved the ratification of the Agreement on 9th February 2017. This Agreement subsequently entered into force on 6th April 2017 and has a validity of five years.

The renewing of this cooperation was signed and came into force on 5th April

Hon. Speaker, I want to repeat, for emphasis, that Kenya has no confirmed case of the Ebola Virus Disease. Our surveillance systems are active. Our laboratories are functional and our points of entry are screening travellers. Our rapid response teams are on standby; our health workers are being trained and our isolation facilities are being verified and strengthened. The Government of Kenya remains fully in control of the preparedness and response architecture.

Our approach is guided by science, law, national interest, public health protection and the international obligations that we have as a country. We will continue to act transparently, decisively and responsibly in order to protect Kenyans and all persons within our borders.

I thank you, Hon. Speaker. I am ready to respond to any questions from the Members.

Thank you, Hon. Duale. I give this opportunity to Hon. Sarah Korere.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. We have heard a very elaborate explanation from the Cabinet Secretary. Coming from Laikipia, we have a lot of reservations and concerns from the people we lead because we are their representatives. It is clear that Ebola is a rare and fatal disease. Common sense dictates that if this disease starts in a particular place, it should naturally be contained where it has started.

The Cabinet Secretary has stated that the Government of Kenya and the Government of the United States signed an Agreement way back in 2015. In 2019, when COVID-19 became a global problem, we did not see the United States come forward, as they have now, to construct an isolation centre in Laikipia or anywhere else in this country to assist people infected with COVID-19. If they did, perhaps the Cabinet Secretary can tell us.

You have made your point. There are many interests, Hon. Sarah. I cannot allow you to continue.

Hon. Speaker, I am concluding. The other concern is that we have a significant tourism industry in Laikipia. As I speak, there are many cancellations by tourists who had planned to visit lodges in Laikipia. Could the Cabinet Secretary tell us how the Government intends to communicate with citizens? Perhaps, much of this anxiety has arisen from misinformation. Whose failure is it that citizens are receiving information from people who are not authorised to communicate on these matters? Why did those in authority not provide accurate information to the people of Kenya and, in particular, the people of Laikipia?

Thank you, Hon. Sarah Korere. Next is Hon. Mary Emaase. Avoid the temptation to make speeches. Ask questions.

Hon. Speaker, I thank you for giving me this opportunity because I come from a Constituency that borders Uganda and my people are at greater risk.

I have listened to the Cabinet Secretary and I have a concern. Officials from the Ministry visited Busia County, specifically Teso South, with a proposal to convert Alupe Sub-County Hospital into an isolation centre for managing Ebola. I do not have any other hospital that serves the people of Teso South. It is the only hospital. Therefore, I want to tell the Cabinet Secretary that we shall resist any attempt to convert that hospital into an Ebola isolation centre.

While I support the Government's preparedness initiatives to protect the people of Busia because we are at the border, another site should be identified for the construction of an isolation centre. Alupe will not be converted.

Thank you. Next is Hon. Robert Mbui. Cabinet Secretary, I hope you are taking note of the Members’ concerns and their questions.

The Cabinet Secretary for Health

: Yes, I am.

Proceed, Hon. Mbui.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. Having listened to the Cabinet Secretary, he was very clear when he stated that Kenya has no case of Ebola. The Ministry should endeavour to ensure that Kenyan citizens are safe because that is its primary responsibility.

We know that Ebola is highly contagious. There is an Agreement that the Cabinet Secretary referred to, but he says he cannot table before us due to sub judice restrictions. I would like him to clarify something regarding that Agreement between Kenya and the United States.

He did not say he could not table it. In fact, the Agreement has been tabled.

Hon. Speaker, he has not tabled.

The Agreement is here.

Oh, we have it? Okay.

He only stated that he would not delve into matters that are sub judice.

Hon. Speaker, I would like him to clarify where in that Agreement it says that Kenyan citizens can be exposed to risk in order to save citizens of the United States of America. It is important that he points that out because, in my opinion, I do not believe that this House would have approved such a provision.

Finally, I would like him to also clarify whether it is true that the centre proposed to be built in the Mount Kenya region is intended solely for United States citizens and not for Kenyans. He needs to clarify that. I, thank you, Hon. Speaker.

Hon. Ndindi Nyoro.

Thank you very much, Hon. Speaker for giving me this chance. I have listened to the Cabinet Secretary, and there is no space in his Statement about the views of Kenyans. I am yet to meet a single Kenyan who supports having this quarantine facility in Kenya. The Government needs to know that it exists for the welfare of Kenyans, and Kenyans know when their space is being encroached upon. The United States' health budget is 860 times larger than ours. Their technology is superior in all respects, including biotechnology. They have a better capacity to handle these kinds of issues than Kenya. While the Cabinet Secretary is here, I would request him to note that Kenyans have spoken in one voice. We do not want that Ebola facility in Kenya. Please, listen to the voices

of Kenyans. Since the Cabinet Secretary is here, he should bind himself to the obligations and expectations that Kenyans are looking forward to. Lastly, considering the fragility of our health sector, and having listened to some officials from the USA clearly proclaim that they do not want any Ebola cases in their country, how reckless would the Government be, to do exactly what the USA does not want on its own soil? As Kenyans, we reject it. The Government must listen to Kenyans and desist from establishing this quarantine facility in Kenya.

Yes, Mama Zamzam.

Asante, Mhe. Spika kwa

Hon. Ichung’wah.

Hon. Speaker, first, I do not know whether Hon. Zamzam knows this, but the Deputy Speaker tells me Hon. Zamzam is actually right because the Cabinet Secretary spoke about…

But that is what the Cabinet Secretary said.

Bodily fluids could be transmitted in many ways.

She simply said what the Cabinet Secretary said.

Hon. Speaker, let me first begin by thanking the Cabinet Secretary for this Statement because, as Hon. Sarah Korere has said, it is very elaborate. I also wish to note that, at the time this Agreement was tabled in this House, I highly suspect that Hon. Aden Duale, the Leader of the Majority Party then, was the one who tabled the Report in 2015. The subsequent one was tabled in 2022 by Hon. Kimunya, my predecessor as the Leader of the Majority Party. Indeed, the Agreement between the Republic of Kenya and the United States of America was tabled, debated and ratified by this House. Even as we speak, I know there is a temptation to speak to the gallery. I wanted to start by asking the Cabinet Secretary to clarify just one thing, that he has already said in this Statement, but probably which many of us probably did not hear, or we have blocked our ears from hearing. I have the privilege of having a copy of this Statement here. The Cabinet Secretary stated that the proposed Ebola

treatment and isolation unit at the Laikipia Air Base is part of 23 similar units to be established in the country as part of our preparedness and response. I would first want the Cabinet Secretary to clarify to us and to the country that we are not establishing one isolation centre at the Laikipia Air Base. The one at Laikipia Air Base is one among 23. The Cabinet Secretary named a few, including one in Busia. Was it Alupe or somewhere?

Order. Go on.

Secondly, Hon. Speaker, I want the Cabinet Secretary to clarify to us and to the country something else that he has said in this Statement, that this isolation centre is not being established for foreigners exclusively. The Cabinet Secretary has said that we have two Kenyan banks with our sons and daughters working in the DRC, and others in Uganda. We also have 450 of our armed officers who have given their lives to protect our country and regional peace. Should any of those 450 officers, our sons and daughters in the DRC, God forbid, contract the Ebola Virus, where shall we take them? Do we take them to America? Do we leave them to die in the Congo forest? Or do we establish isolation centres, as any responsible Government and administration would do? Hon. Speaker, this weekend I travelled to Rwanda as a Kenyan. Any other Kenyan could have travelled to the DRC.

On a point of order, Hon. Speaker.

Yes, Hon. Millie.

Sorry, Hon. Speaker. I hate to interrupt the Leader of the Majority Party, especially now that I am in the leadership of the Broad-Based Government. But I am just wondering, is the Member in order to imply that USA is irresponsible by not setting up its own facilities in America, while Kenya is responsible for setting up one here? Is he in order to imply that America is irresponsible by not setting up such facilities in its own country when it is a superpower and we are a minion power? Even Hon. Oburu is still looking for power. Are you suggesting that America is irresponsible by any chance?

Hon. Millie, are you saying that America is incapable of being irresponsible?

Hon. Speaker, I am actually asking for clarification. I plead the Fifth Amendment. I am not saying so; I just want to know.

Yes, Hon. Ichung’wah.

Hon. Speaker, in direct response to my sister, Hon. Millie, I am very well versed with our Standing Orders. I will never allude to the irresponsibility of a friendly nation on the Floor of this House. My point was that, as a responsible country, should we or should we not have isolation centres? We cannot run away from the fact that this disease exists and that it is present in our neighbourhood and region. Therefore, the question I wanted the Cabinet Secretary to clarify, and I am saying this deliberately in a leading manner so that he clarifies it for us and for the nation is this, from what I read in his Statement…

You know, Hon. Speaker, the problem is that Members do not listen. For instance, the Member for Aldai, who is making noise and distracting me. That is why we may have missed some of the issues that the Cabinet Secretary said. My understanding, and that is the clarification I sought, was that this isolation centre is for preparedness, even to cater for Kenyans who may contract the disease, whether they are staff of the banks, armed officers or any other Kenyans who may get infected with the disease.

If a staffer of KCB, Equity Bank or one of our armed officers working in the Democratic Republic of Congo gets infected with the disease, for instance, in the military camp, the natural thing would be to airlift him in an isolated manner to the isolation centre to be treated there, if it is the Chief of the Defence Forces. However, for a truck driver who catches the disease in Goma, DRC, and is probably detected at the Busia border, is there an isolation facility at the Busia border to address that? I have read about a laboratory testing there. Among the 23 centres, the Cabinet Secretary should also clarify where they will be established. Will we have them at the Uganda border where trucks pass at the legal crossings? In his Statement, he has spoken about the legal crossings. There are also illegal border points. What are we doing about them?

On our preparedness, he has spoken about contact tracing at about 10 per cent, laboratory readiness at 87 per cent, rapid response teams at 90 per cent and infection prevention and control at 56 per cent. He has also told us that we have kits for the first 200 suspected cases. That is where preparedness comes in. I hope the Cabinet Secretary can tell us how we are prepared.

I have seen his request and he is saying that the first 100 cases will cost about Ksh2.686 billion. Is that money already provided for in the budget or should we factor in additional resources for Ebola preparedness as we handle the budget process? If there is anything that we learnt from the COVID-19 Pandemic is that, to get from 0 to 1,000 cases of infections, it would take less than three to four weeks. I seek those clarifications.

Let me close by saying that Ebola is a dangerous disease from what we have seen. As a country, we must be prepared. Those isolation centres ought to be there, but they cannot be exclusively used by others, but Kenyans. That is a critical clarification that I am seeking.

As Michael Joseph once told us, as a country, we have peculiar habits. As politicians, we have become very good experts in Ebola. Many Kenyans - almost all of them - are now experts in Ebola. Let us hear from the experts, including the doctors who are here.

Order! Let him respond to those. However, before that Minister, allow me to acknowledge students who are seated in the Speaker's Gallery. We have Githunguri Girls School, Kandara Constituency, Muranga County and Musingu High School, Ikolomani Constituency, Kakamega County. Students, when your school is mentioned, you stand up to be acknowledged.

For the record, it is called Kocholia Sub-County Hospital and not Kocholie Sub-County Hospital.

The Cabinet Secretary for Health

: That is the epicentre of the crossing movement of tracks from the DRC. However, we are doing assessment of these sites in the following counties… Under the Public Health Act, we do not need public participation. We are not going to consult citizens. When Members of Parliament fall sick, they rush to their doctors to make sure that they get the best treatment. So, this epidemic does not require any consultation. If Ebola is found in this country, this House will call me back here to ask me why Kenyans are dying. So, before Kenyans die or are infected, we as a Government have a moral and constitutional responsibility to protect both Kenyans and non-Kenyans living within our borders or who are transiting our country.

Laikipia Airbase is one of the 23 quarantine isolation centres that we are building. We will not stop it. Why are we building it? We are building it there because that airbase is far from… The runway in Laikipia is one of the longest runways. That is where we have the KDF medical team, 450 Kenyans who serve under the UN special forces and the quick response unit. I was the Minister for Defence. I went to Ituri Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and I know all those areas.

Those who have gone to Lubumbashi know that the biggest hospitals in DRC are run and owned by Kenyans. We must protect our people. Laikipia isolation centre will protect both Kenyans and Americans. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, some of us were Members of Parliament here. The United Nations, USA and many other international bodies built a UN specialised hospital within Nairobi Hospital to deal with COVID-19. There was no noise at that time. We have a responsibility to protect the residents.

Hon. Kiamba, let him respond first. The Cabinet Secretary for Health

: Hon. Speaker, if what the United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, said was said by the Secretary for Health, I would respond. But I think that is an area for diplomats. The best person to respond to this House is the Prime Cabinet Secretary. Regarding Alupe, I have answered very well. We will build an isolation centre in Laikipia.

Hon. Ndindi Nyoro is very unfair. If all counties refuse to host isolation centres, as you are suggesting, God forbid, where will the infected Kenyans go? As leaders, we cannot be that irresponsible. I agree with Hon. Zamzam that semen is part of the fluids. You are right. I saw people laughing at her. There are different types of body fluids. Semen is one of them.

I urge my very good friend, Hon. Ndindi Nyoro. If all counties refuse to host isolation centres, where will we treat Kenyans? Will we do it up in the air? As a Government, we have a responsibility. We can still create another isolation centre in one of our barracks in any part of the country. If it is in Modika in Garissa or Isiolo, it will treat both Kenyans and foreigners. Please, let us not politicise it. The Cabinet approved the document that we signed. I do not want to name the Mover, Seconder, how the House put it and the day it was done. It was for the good of our country.

Kenya is second in healthcare delivery. South Africa is ahead of us. We are praising the USA for having very good healthcare system. I can assure you that in 10 years, under the good leadership of President Ruto, we will become first in healthcare delivery. Hon. Kimani, I have listed and will table all the 23 isolation centres. Let us not politicise the health of our citizens. Hon. Speaker, I want to ask a question: If a Kenyan who is in DRC crosses the border and passes through the scanners in Busia…

Cabinet Secretary, you are not here to ask questions. Give a hypothesis. The Cabinet Secretary for Health

: Hon. Speaker, I want to compare us with the USA. If a Kenyan crosses the border and the scanners do not detect the Ebola Virus, the incubation period for this disease is three weeks. He comes and joins his family and the community. After two weeks, he is found to be infected with the Ebola Virus. What damage can that Kenyan cause? We must look at how to save the nation. We are more concerned about Americans coming, but we are not concerned about the thousands of Kenyans and truck drivers who pass DRC every day. We are just focused. Let us not make this disease a Kenya Kwanza administration issue. The health of the citizens of our country is a collective responsibility of those in Government and opposition. We can play around with anything else.

Hon. Sarah Korere, there have been 16 other previous Ebola outbreaks in our country. This is the 17th one. They did not come with this Government. The COVID-19 disease was not there during this Government’s tenure. Ebola and all infectious diseases do not know borders. They can cross from anywhere. We must make sure the isolation and treatment centres, including the one in Laikipia, are securely controlled. Because it is a military camp, it is even more secure than the ones we are putting up in the counties. Any of us can be infected with Ebola, God forbid. Healthcare workers will be trained and waste management will be done.

I have answered Hon. Mary Emaase, Hon. Ndindi Nyoro and Hon. Zamzam. Under the International Health Regulations Act of 2005, which this House adopted, we are obligated. We are part of the global community and health security. Kenya is celebrated as one of the key leaders in global health security. We are obligated not only to take care of our own, but also to treat, detect and make sure that even non-Kenyans, who are within our border, are taken care of. We are not safe until all of us are safe.

My old colleague, Deputy Leader of the Minority Party, the facility is receiving patients. What we passed in the House was on infectious, biosafety and biological aspects

which were all stipulated in the Agreement. I have gathered all the documents for this House. It was there before. You can refer to the Hansard to see how it was passed, but I still have copies at the Ministry of Health. Quarantine is not only for Americans. Even Kenyans will be isolated at the facility. As I have highlighted, the huge Kenyan population in DRC and Uganda need our support. I have answered most of the questions.

Lastly, let our preparedness and response be dictated by science and not politics. How we respond and protect our citizens from Ebola, which has no vaccine, should be guided by science, but not politics. We will go back to politics when we know the country and its citizens are safe.

Nairobi is a centre of the diplomatic community. In the past three months, the only UN in the global south located in Gigiri received 8,000 extra staff. This is where we have the multilateral institutions. This is where Jomo Kenyatta International Airport received nine million visitors and about three million tourists last year. We must be cognisant of their health and that of our citizens.

Hon. Korere, regarding the land taken, this House passed the Agreement between our United Kingdom (UK) partners and us. Therefore, there is nothing illegal the Government has done. Let us all be the voices and help us communicate in our constituencies that Ebola, particularly this variant, is dangerous. It has no cure and all of us must be vigilant and alert. We, in the Ministry of Health, will protect our citizens.

Order, Hon. Mary Emaase. What is it? He has responded to your question.

I want him to clarify something. I do not want to be misunderstood.

What do you want him to clarify?

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I do not want to be misunderstood. I have two sub-counties. Alupe is the only hospital which offers the normal medical services to the community. My position and that of the people I represent is that there is enough land in Alupe. Let the ministry build an isolation centre for quarantine purposes away from the hospital. They should not use the hospital for that purpose. We are against that.

You have made your point, Hon. Mary. You and the Cabinet Secretary are saying the same thing.

Thank you very much, Hon. Speaker. Having noticed that there is a ratified document by this House, Hon. Members will take very seriously when the Speaker is putting a question, "As many are of that opinion, say aye." Sometimes they just say “aye” without knowing that they are ratifying something that is going to bring a disease. So, be careful next time. However, my question is that I have condensed this matter into two aspects, and I want the Cabinet Secretary to clarify. What Kenyans are grappling with is how the Government intends to safeguard Kenyan sovereignty and decision-making authority. Could you, please, explain to the House how you have safeguarded this sovereignty and your decision-making? Lastly, will foreign governments decide who gets admitted to those facilities? Have you conducted a public and security assessment, and have you made that report public? If you answer those four questions, then Kenyans will be safe.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. My first point was a point of order.

There is no first one. I have given you a chance to ask a question. A point of order arises when a Member is on the Floor. There is no Member on the Floor. Ask the question; if you do not, you yield the Floor.

Thank you. Now that Kenyans have spoken loudly and clearly that the context has changed and we no longer want this centre, what is his recommendation? Do the wishes of Kenyans become irrelevant or they can dynamically change? Or once something is passed in this Parliament, is it passed in heaven?

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. Who will be admitted to this facility, and what will be the criteria for admission? Secondly, will individuals who are already sick be transferred to this facility? Thirdly, will people other than Americans be admitted to these institutions? Conversely, will Americans be admitted to the other 23 institutions that were established?

Hon. Nyikal, I gave you an opportunity to ask one question. Those are four now.

I have asked three questions. I will leave it there. However, I would like to comment on the Agreement, as I am familiar with its contents and have had time to review it. The Agreement is a general one. It pertains not only to Ebola, but also to other diseases and nuclear materials. At every point in the Agreement, it states, “with mutual agreement.” I merely wanted to emphasise those two points. Hon. Speaker: What is the point of order, Hon. Caroli Omondi?

Hon. Speaker, is it in order for the Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Health to mislead the House and the nation by stating that in these two Agreements, which I have here and which I have read, there is a clause that provides for the establishment of an isolation and treatment centre in case of an outbreak of Ebola or any other disease? There is none. I can read them out for you.

He never said that. Hon. Caroli Omondi

: If it is, show us; tell us the Article.

Order, Hon. Caroli Omondi.

Hon. Speaker, I said… Hon. Speaker: Dr Nyikal, I heard you clearly. Take your seat. Hon. Caroli Omondi just wanted an entry to make an inflammatory statement. You never said that.

Hon. Jaldesa.

Order, Hon. Caroli Omondi! Hon. Nyikal never said what you are claiming. I am closer to him and I listen to all of you.

The COVID-19 presented a considerable challenge; we faced a daunting task of finding beds for patients. People resorted to all sorts of makeshift solutions, including some hospitals in Kibera, and this effort saved lives. However, the contributions of Nairobi Hospital to these efforts should not be overlooked.

On a point of order.

What is the point of order, Hon. Orero?

Hon. Speaker, is it in order for my colleague to refer to Kibra as having "funny hospitals". This is demeaning to my constituency. Is Kibra not a constituency?

Kibra is, indeed, a constituency that has the highest population density in this country. It deserves better services.

Hon. Speaker, I would like the Cabinet Secretary to confirm to the Members who have objected to having quarantine centres in their own counties that, in our case, Uasin Gishu County is one of the quarantine centres. Due to our close proximity to the Malaba Border, we can be at risk, and our people may be at risk as well. That is why we are not politicising this matter. We welcome the quarantine centre, as we know they will take the necessary steps to ensure our safety.

I would also like the Cabinet Secretary to confirm to the Members that our health will not be endangered because of politics. This is a highly infectious disease. It can warrant the declaration of a state of emergency in the country. It is not a matter of choice for people to make, nor is it a court process. The moment people’s health is endangered, and livelihoods are at risk, we are not even supposed to question.

I think it is important to understand that it is not within our prerogative to say that we want or we do not want that hospital. For Hon. Caroli Omondi, if you look at Page Five, you will see the participants intend to collaborate in the following areas: surveillance and outbreak response. What is exactly happening now is surveillance and outbreak response. All the steps that the Cabinet Secretary has read here are exactly those.

Hon. Mathenge.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I want to draw the Cabinet Secretary’s attention to the first Agreement that was tabled in this House for ratification. On Page Six, Article 3, Executive Agents and Implementing Agreements, for the United States, the agent responsible is the United States Department of Defence. Therefore, the Cabinet Secretary cannot fail to respond to the words of the Secretary of the United States in saying that the United States will not allow Ebola-infected patients into their borders. That is

the issue Kenyans want answered. In Kenya, it is the Ministry of Health. So, Cabinet Secretary, you cannot abdicate responsibility.

My second concern, on the Agreement, is Page 11, “that these agreements are remaining in force subject to Article 13(2) for a period of five years from the date of entry into force and the ratification by this House.” There was no express provision, although Clause 3 states that this Agreement may be renewed for an agreed period upon mutual consultation and consent. In granting its approval, did this House envisage that when...

It was renewed.

I am referring to the approval granted by the House. Did that approval, therefore, mean, automatically, that when the Cabinet Secretary renewed the Agreement, the approval granted by this House was also extended?

Lastly…

I allowed you to ask one question, Hon. Mathenge.

Hon. Speaker, allow me just one more point. On Recommendation No.5 on the Committee Report, it was proposed that an Implementation Review Committee be constituted and that it should develop a mechanism for reporting back to Parliament on the status of the implementation of this Agreement. How many reports have been brought before this House regarding the implementation of that Agreement?

Cabinet Secretary, before you answer, let me give the Whip of the Minority Party, Hon. Millie.

Thank you.

Ask one question only. Do not make a speech.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I was actually not going to give a speech. You are the one prompting me to. I am not asking…

If you try, I will stop you. Go ahead, Hon. Millie. I am giving Hon. Millie on account of being your leader.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. You can see that the “Subarians” are interrupting each other. Mine is very simple. If you listen to the concerns, Kenyans are not really too worried about the setting up of centres that are meant to protect Kenyans; they are worried about the statement that was made by Mr Rubio from the United States, which seems to imply that this facility is for Americans to protect Americans, so that infected Americans do not touch American soil.

If you want my opinion, it was a very irresponsible statement.

Yes, it was a very irresponsible statement. All I want to ask Hon. Duale, even though he is referring this matter back to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, what is he doing to address this issue squarely with the United States? We have seen our counterparts in West Africa, when they are being bullied by the French, take a firm position and say no. So, what is being done to communicate to the United States that they are a friendly nation and we are friends, but we cannot allow a situation that compromises our own nationals in the name of maintaining that friendship?

We cannot allow such things in Kenya.

Thank you. Lastly, let us have Hon. Pukose.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I want to confirm that when the Report was tabled in 2016 by the Departmental Committee on Health, I seconded it. The Chair was Hon. Nyamai. What I wanted to ask the Cabinet Secretary…

If it is a statement of fact, it remains a statement of fact.

It is a statement of fact. Hon. Nyikal was a Member of the Committee. One interesting thing about that Report is that when we placed it in the dailies for public participation, there was no single memorandum from the public. Nobody wrote anything. I think Kenyans also need to be responsible. They must be able to respond when Parliament publishes documents for public opinion or memoranda in the dailies; they should also give input. Therefore, Hon. Members who were not Members of Parliament cannot claim that they were not members of the public at that time. They needed to have submitted their input. I want to ask the Cabinet Secretary…

On a point of order, Hon. Speaker.

What is your point of order, Member for Kajiado South, Hon. Parashina?

Is the Member in order to relate public participation at that time to what is happening now, which is Ebola? We are talking about Ebola, a foreign issue. The question is about Ebola, not the Agreement at that time.

I think you are wasting my time. This is the problem. You do not understand that this is about the matter we were ratifying. Hon. Speaker, what I wanted to ask…

Hon. Junet, what is it? Hon. Pukose, hold your horses.

Dr Pukose should have given us more information that Dr Nyamai was the Chair, and he was the Vice-Chair.

Yes.

He put it as though he was just a Member of that Committee.

He said he seconded.

He was the Vice-Chair of that Committee. The fact of the matter that is emerging here today is that Parliament ratified this treaty. Let us be open to Kenyans. We gave them an opportunity to make submissions through public participation, and we went ahead and ratified it. We told the Americans to do whatever they want, and when the Speaker put the Question, as many of the other Members said “Aye” na umekula ugali mingi,

We said “Aye”.

Do not lie to Kenyans.

What the Leader of the Minority Party is saying is true. We ratified the Agreement as the National Assembly and it became the law of Kenya, because ratification means it becomes part of the law of the country.

Ask the question.

My question to the Cabinet Secretary is this: When people raise concerns about isolation centres being set up in certain areas, does it mean the entire hospital becomes an isolation centre, or are there specific designated areas within the hospital that are set aside as isolation centres? I think that is what Kenyans need to understand, so that, like my colleague mentioned, when we talk about Alupe, it does not appear as though the whole of Alupe is an isolation centre. The Cabinet Secretary needs to clarify this. Even as we speak about Kenyatta National Hospital having an isolation centre, what exactly does it mean?

Cabinet Secretary, please, respond to all those within five minutes. The Cabinet Secretary for Health

: Yes, Hon. Speaker. Let me start where Hon. Pukose left. Isolation centres are not part and parcel of the hospital where citizens access other services. It is not only meant for Ebola. It is the standard operating procedure during the outbreak of an infectious disease, whether it is the Marburg Virus or

Mpox. Laikipia is very far. Those who come from Laikipia know how expansive the Laikipia Air Base is. The centre is far from the base and all its facilities.

Hon. Junet raised the issue of our sovereignty. I want to emphasise that international cooperation does not mean surrender of our national authority and sovereignty. All public health decisions within Kenya remain under the authority of the Government of Kenya. International partners and governments including the United States of America, provide technical assistance, health commodities, and financing. I thank the Government of the USA, which has donated Ksh1.7 billion for the management and containment of Ebola. It is the only government, apart from the World Health Organisation, to have done so. They will also provide training and logistical support within the frameworks approved by the Kenyan authorities consistent with Kenyan law. I assure you that all the facilities being established, including the one in Laikipia, are for the protection of Kenyans and all persons within Kenyan borders. They are not foreign or exclusive facilities reserved for any nationality. They are public health assets established and coordinated under the authority of the Government of Kenya.

Hon. Gladys Boss made it clear that we have a moral responsibility. We are setting up isolation, quarantine and treatment centres in every county based on science and the law. All that is being done by Kenyan experts.

Hon. Mathenge is a Member of the Departmental Committee on Health. You know that I have never shied away or abdicated my role as the Cabinet Secretary for Health, and I will never do so. However, this Agreement was first signed by Cabinet Secretary, Macharia. It was then extended by my very good colleague, the current Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Hon. Kagwe. An extension only requires one ratification by the House. The House passed it as it has passed many other Agreements to protect our people.

Regarding Hon. Nyikal’s question, Kenyans will have priority in admission to any of the centres, including the one in Laikipia. We should not be preoccupied with just one centre. I do not understand the fuss about Laikipia. We have 23 centres, including one in my own Garissa backyard. We can even set it up tomorrow if we agree to save the people of Garissa. We have 23 centres in Kenya. Let us promote one Kenya, one health, and protect Kenyans, regardless of the counties they come from.

The isolation quarantine centres are necessary because we are morally and constitutionally obligated to protect our citizens. We should also protect others who live in our country or transit through it. Our partners who are signatories to the Agreement can access these centres. Americans can access any of the centres. The American Government has worked jointly with the Kenya Defence Forces to establish the Laikipia Centre.

Hon. Susan talked about matters being loud and clear. I am unable to answer what matters are loud and clear because Kenyans make their choices through referendums or public participation, not demonstrations. Our citizens’ health cannot and will not be decided by three, four or 10 people demonstrating outside the offices of the Ministry of Health. God forbid, if Ebola makes its way into our country tomorrow, the current Government will be held responsible. We will do whatever it takes to protect the citizens of our country.

Hon. Jaldesa said we have the best capital…

Hon. Jaldesa did not ask a question. He made a statement. The Cabinet Secretary for Health

: Hon. Millie and I joined this House together. Do not compare Kenya with other places. We are ahead. We are first in health care. We have a very good relationship with the USA and they have spent US$8 billion on us. We are proud of our gains in the management of HIV/AIDS and malaria, and the capacity of the laboratories in Kisumu like the Kenya Medical Research Institute. The Centre for Disease Control

(CDC)

and the Walter Reed Project in Kericho were all built because of our partnership with the American Government.

The Speaker has spoken about Senator Marco Rubio. The Speaker is a former, long-serving Minister for Foreign Affairs and he understands diplomacy better than I do. I have never been a diplomat.

We will end there.

Yes, Hon. Nyikal. Which one?

Hon. Speaker, will people who are already sick be transferred to this unit from wherever they are? I asked that question because science and international practice stipulate that infected persons in a pandemic or epidemic should be treated wherever they are. You do not move sick people to a place where there is no disease. I want an answer to that. This Agreement does not oblige the Government to set up an Ebola unit. This was a general Agreement.

Hon. Duale The Cabinet Secretary for Health

: Hon. Nyikal, we usually transfer patients from one hospital to another because we want them to get better care. I do not want to be misquoted, but the health care system in the DRC cannot be compared to ours. I am sure that if your next of kin gets Ebola in the DRC, the first thing you will do is transfer them to Kenya, which has a better health care system. I do not want to talk about hypothetical situations. There is currently no Ebola outbreak in our country. I do not want to talk about hypothetical people who are infected with Ebola. If and when that happens, the House can call me and inquire whether I have brought Ebola patients into the country. There is no Ebola patient in Kenya.

Hon. Members, we will end there. We will now go back to Order No.8. It is now 4.23 p.m. This Second Allotted Day will end at 7.23 p.m. The Third Allotted Day will end at 10.23 p.m. Call out the next Order.

Cabinet Secretary, you are released to go back to your office.

My records show that Hon. David Ndakwa, Member for Malava, had six minutes to go. Hon. Ndakwa, you have the Floor.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to continue with the debate on the consideration of the Budget Estimates for the Financial Year 2026/2027.

As I had done in my first point, I would like to emphasise on the youth funding which are empowerment programmes for the youthful Kenyan population. This is a potential that remains underutilised. To the little economic and employment opportunities, we must allocate more resources towards vocational training, enterprise development, innovation hubs, sports and digital skills. We need to offer youths affordable credit facilities, so that they can empower themselves where employment is scarce in our country. Empowering our youth is not just about expenditure. It is about this country investing in the youth for the future and prosperity of this country and the stability of the economy.

I will also comment on education. An educated society is empowered. We empower society by strongly advocating and enhancing the funding of this education sector. Education remains an equaliser to our standard of life and most effectively, it is a tool in fighting poverty and creating job opportunities. This Budget has allocated a substantial amount of Ksh789 billion towards education. This is a good gesture on infrastructural development and the recruitment of teachers. We need to have Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers confirmed because they are serving on contract. On the allocation of bursary, the needy students will be helped to advance in their academics. Bursary is also a conduit for getting to understand the measure of academics in our lower society. The money given to education should be given a latitude in bursaries. Bursaries in our constituencies are giving lifeline to the low earners in our society. We need digital learning to be enhanced. We also need some improvement in the learning environments, not just in local areas, but also in urban areas. A child denied access to education is a disservice. For equity purposes and in understanding what education is all about, we need quality education. For this to happen, we need to tackle the financial constraints.

In this Budget, healthcare has been given an allocation that I find okay in relation to the primary healthcare. This will help improve access to healthcare and have well-equipped hospitals. For example, in health centres like Kamchisu Dispensary where I come from, to have their allocation to ensure that we are accessing healthcare and health facilities with no difficulties, and employment given to our medical practitioners is good. Currently, our medical practitioners are not motivated. Their working conditions are very poor. This has led to demoralisation. We need to strengthen universal healthcare because most of our vulnerable in society are under pressure to dip into their pockets to get treatment.

Hon. Speaker, we have been talking about Ebola…

Hon. Martin Owino, did you speak to this?

Thank you, Hon. Speaker for the opportunity to contribute to the Motion that is before this House on the Consideration of the Budget Estimates for the Financial Year 2026/2027. I will constrain myself to most of the basic needs. I say so because where I come from and where we Members of the rural and single constituencies come from, there are basic needs that require proper budgetary consideration.

On matters education, we are happy with what the Department of Education is doing and how they are planning to appropriate good money to infrastructural development. However, it is very paramount for this House to also consider the constituencies that are believed to be underdeveloped in the future. A constituency like Chepalungu Constituency that has 187 registered primary schools, 97 registered day secondary schools, and has five wards, is getting an allocation of Ksh192 million in NG-CDF. It is paramount and reasonable that the Chairman of the Budget and Appropriations Committee is here. I am happy that he visited Bomet County. The first ever Chairman of that Committee to visit Bomet County. He was there in person, he listened, and went through the proposals that we gave him. I believe he understood where we are coming from, that Chepalungu Constituency and other rural constituencies require affirmative action so that our students can compete fairly. They say that education is an opener and an equaliser. Rural constituencies fail to have basic infrastructure like laboratories, libraries, tuition block and classrooms. That is why we call upon the Departmental Committee on Education together with the Chairman of the Budget and Appropriations Committee to be considering such constituencies like Chepalungu.

On TVETs, we know the steps and efforts that they have put in place in enhancing and disseminating knowledge; the basic skills. There are other constituencies like my constituency, Chepalungu, that have incomplete labs. That is why we always run to the Budget and Appropriations Committee to ask if we can, at least, get some few shillings to complete such infrastructure. But there is something that has been crossing my mind for so long. We give free registration and free examinations courtesy of the Government to Grade 12, Form 4 students, and previously under the 8-4-4 system, Class 8 pupils. In the tertiary level specifically the TVETs, a learner who wishes to sit for exams is asked to pay up to a tune of Ksh12,600. These are amounts that we have been discussing and encouraging that if it is possible, the Ministry of Education can also give free registration through TVETs to these learners. This will ensure that they do not fall out of school because of lack of examination fees.

I now come to electricity. We have had various debates on how we appropriate money. Any rural constituency in Turkana, Kisumu and Bomet competes for the same limited resources like an urban constituency that has a better electricity connectivity. We have always called upon anyone who is relevant, at least, to consider affirmative action for constituencies that are still below 20 per cent in electricity connectivity.

Hon. Speaker, when some of us were elected, we were below 15 per cent. The much that we have tried, no one is able to appreciate simply because the demand versus the supply is too huge. That is why all the time we find ourselves in the ministries, looking for budget, trying to, at least, argue our points that these rural constituencies have to be given proper support in terms of affirmative action. I am happy with this Government when it comes to other basic needs such water and health. The House is appropriating proper finances so that health care and SHA get proper consideration for our people to access free, cheaper and affordable health services.

Hon. Speaker, I want to end there by saying that this particular financial year we are able to, when we sit here and you put a question like you do of “as of the same opinion say aye”, we normally say “aye”, whereas we appropriate money to go and develop other

constituencies. At least for this financial year, when we were saying “aye”, Kapkwen - Shiongiroi Road that is going up to Ndanai is in the Budget. When I am saying “aye” as a Member of Parliament, a road that is linking from Chebole that has been a problem going to Chebunyo, going to Emurua Dikirr is considered for rehabilitation. At least, today, when I am saying “aye”, water that is from Posta has been given proper consideration. At least, today when I am saying “aye”, there is proper money that is being appropriated to education to go to support and confirm our interns who have been serving there for so long. Hon. Speaker, allow me to end there and I support.

Hon. Robert Mbui.

Thank you for the opportunity to make my contribution on the Budget of this financial year. First, I just want to demystify this issue of the Budget because many times Kenyans will be glued on their screens looking at what is happening here and looking at the Budget as if it is a major issue. Budgets are very basic because they just deal with expenditures the same way personal expenditures are budgeted. You know expenditures of families, organisations and businesses are also budgeted. The Government does the same thing and there are certain basic things or principles that all budgets must adhere to and have. I want to talk about those things and point out where I feel this Budget has succeeded and maybe failed.

Hon. Speaker, the first thing is that we are spending much of our money dealing with public debt. It is quite unfortunate because leaders have spoken about public debt many times. It is not just during this regime, even the previous one. It is unfortunate because I remember a while back before the last election when certain leaders were telling us that you stop digging when you are in a hole. Unfortunately, we are digging even faster and deeper than the hole was. In fact, right now, we have submerged ourselves. We are invisible because we are completely in the hole. I do not even know how we are going to get out of this hole. The percentage of this country’s money that goes into paying debt is just too much. It is astronomical. We must find a way to reduce this.

We also we have an issue with pending bills. Many Kenyans have invested in doing business with the Government and it is not just even at the national level, even at the county level and they are owed so much money, in excess of Ksh60 billion. I ask myself, if that money was released to go back into circulation, obviously that is how the economy grows because then we have money that is being spent and, therefore, we can grow our economy even faster, but the money is tight. People have done business, they have not been paid, and people have committed suicide. It is so unfortunate and what surprises me is that almost every year we always insist that we set aside some money and make sure that we sort out the issue of pending bills.

How many times are we going to have our grandchildren come to this House and continue that discussion? You know, we must reach a point and bite the bullet and say we must sort out this thing once and for all. We also have to find out what we do with those Government officers that have spent beyond what they are supposed to spend. What cause pending bills? Maybe some people give contracts or jobs where there is no money to pay. We have to be careful as a country so that we do not continue endangering our people. It is a song that we have sung, we must stop the singing now and make sure that we take action.

Hon. Speaker, there is also prioritisation. How do we prioritise our expenditure? Sometimes I look at the budget and I am worried. There are certain areas even in your own personal budget that you will prioritise. You look at those expenditures that you must incur, like you must pay rent, children's fees, and buy food. Those are a must. You must do those recurrent expenditures, and then you can endeavour doing some development with whatever remains.

You cannot start building a house when you do not even have money to pay for children's food. Prioritisation is strange here. For example, look at the kind of budget allowed to State House and the Office of the President. Then you will ask yourself how we spend that kind of money when we have teachers and intern teachers that are being paid peanuts, and then we expect them to perform. You know they say you get monkeys if you pay peanuts. How do you expect teachers paid so badly to go to those classrooms and teach our JSS children? Again, look at the number of teachers. There is a shortfall or shortage of the number of teachers.

Why are we spending so much money in luxury? Any money going into public offices is basically for luxury, it is for tea, mandazi, you know for any entertainment money. We can do away with that money so that we provide funds that can move the country forward. Hon. Speaker, even when it comes to issues to do with development, we know because development has to be done, but we also have to be careful. How do we develop the country? Are we developing across the country or are we segregating and developing certain areas and leaving others? I have looked at that Budget and I am a Member of Parliament representing a constituency called Kathiani in Machakos County and I must say that the only project that has been in this Budget over the years that directly touches on my constituency is just one road. That one road which was worth Ksh1.6 billion started in 2017. Every year, you get peanuts, peanuts, peanuts.

Hon. Speaker, even the allocation that we will get will not take this road anywhere. It is only one road, but there are Members who have stood on the Floor and I do not want to name them because that would be unfair and they have talked about projects in their constituencies. I want to understand, does it mean that these areas...

There is a point of order from the Chair of the Budget and Appropriations Committee.

Hon. Speaker, thank you very much. I respect my leader here, but I wanted him to give me the details of the road he is talking about. The reason I am asking is because we have a comprehensive programme for road network in the country where all roads are being improved and there is no contractor who is outside as we talk. So, I am keen to see that also so that I can see whether he is being factual or not because, from the resources we have in the Budget and even from the securitisation, we have ensured that all road contracts are going on smoothly. I hope the leader will share with me the details. Are we able to respond to that concern? The principle of this Government is not to segregate any part of the country.

Thank you. I am happy the Chair of the Budget and Appropriations Committee has indicated that he would be in a position to help. It is a road from Kenol, through Mitaboni and Kathiani all the way to a place called Kani. The contract was given in 2017, but right now, there is no contractor on site. These are facts because even not just in my place, there are many roads that have stalled all over the country. The reason I raise this is that certain Members are celebrating their areas, and they are very happy about the projects they have got, the dams, roads and all that, at the expense of others.

That is why I am saying that as a House, we also have to take control. The biggest mistake we make as a House is to allow influence from outside to make decisions on our behalf. If we sat and shared out equitably and fairly, then we would develop the country across, and all of us would get one or two projects. My concern is that the distribution of resources across the country has been unfair, and that is something we need to address as a nation so that, going forward, this House can take the power that it has been given by the Constitution, make the Budget, and ensure that we take care of the interests of the people that we represent.

I have noted, and I am sorry to say this, that a lot of times we have been coerced to visit other offices so that we can get development in our constituencies. I am speaking about this because this House needs to take charge. I want to ask and plead that, as we go into the future,

when it comes to matters of the Budget, even if the National Treasury proposes, let us listen to one another, come up with a Budget that touches on all corners. When it comes to development, just like personal budgets, you must develop an area because there is an economic benefit that is coming out of it. Some far-flung parts of the country will get more allocation than areas that are even more deserving, places where money will be invested, and you can see absolutely no return for the investment.

I want to talk about the issue of equitable distribution of resources. Let us be fair, let us ensure that it is not just the Kenya Kwanza regions that are being supported. Even Lower Eastern is part of Kenya, and every part of Kenya deserves a big or fair share of the Budget.

Hon. John Makali.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker, for the opportunity to also weigh in on these Budget Estimates for the Financial Year 2026/2027. At the outset, I will thank the Budget and Appropriations Committee for spending hours working on this particular Report. In the interest of time, I have four critical issues I want to address, which are critical to our national development.

The first one is on the State Department for Roads. In this particular Budget, we have allocated a sum of Ksh228 billion towards maintaining roads for the 2026/2027 Financial Year. Roads play a very, very, very critical role in our national development. They facilitate access to markets, they attract investment, and they provide employment opportunities. How I wish we would have allocated more money to roads because, all over the country, we are having a very, very big problem with our roads. In my constituency, we have problems with the common C41, the Navakholo - Musikoma - Dorofu Road, which is a big, big problem.

I am aware we passed the National Infrastructure Fund. We are hoping that during this financial year, we will operationalise that Fund so that it can assist in the maintenance of our roads. As I commend the allocation on these roads, I want to state four things to the Committee and this House at large. First, we need to prioritise the completion of stalled road projects that are giving us a really bad name. Secondly, we need to enhance the maintenance of existing road networks to protect previous investments. That is very critical. Finally, ensure equitable distribution of road projects across the country.

You will hear that, in some places, they have an allocation of Ksh20 billion on account of roads, then you find an area like western, where you only have maybe an allocation on account of roads of around Ksh10 billion or Ksh12 billion only. We want equity in the distribution of sums of money set aside towards the construction of roads. I also support the operation of the National Infrastructure Fund because it will be critical in removing the pressure on the Budget with respect to these particular roads.

The second item, which is critical to our national development, is agriculture. In this particular Budget, we have allocated a sum of Ksh79 billion towards agriculture. Agriculture is very critical to our economy because 20 per cent of our Gross Domestic Product is on account of agriculture. Forty per cent of employment in this particular country is from the agricultural value chain. We will want to point out three things while appreciating the steps we have made. I know we have made very serious strides in the fertiliser subsidy. We have also made a provision for seed subsidy. Those are very, very good strides. We have also made very serious strides in agricultural research. But I will want to propose three things.

First, we started up with the sugar reforms. All the public sugar mills were leased out. But we have not yet completed that part of the sugar reforms. I am happy that, in this particular Budget, we have allocated Ksh2.47 billion towards the settlement of employees’ arrears. I will be urging the Committee, as it retreats back, that some employees were sacked, specifically from Nzoia Sugar Company and the other public sugar mills. For us to ensure that all these employees have a good time, we need to allocate more money to ensure that we clear those arrears that were due to employees and farmers, so that they can also have a livelihood.

On that, we will want to insist that the Government needs to do several other things. It should ensure the timely provision of subsidised fertiliser. We find many, many times you go to the National Cereals and Produce Board, you find farmers are queuing, and there are long queues. At times, the fertiliser is not available and if it is available, it is available after the season. We need to ensure the timely provision of subsidised fertiliser. It should strengthen agricultural extension services.

going to have something to take home, however little. A Ksh3,000 allowance has been proposed for our village managers. That is a good start that we need to support and eventually bring it up.

Secondly, we are moving towards the elections. The IEBC has always been complaining of not being funded adequately to ensure that there is adequate preparedness for the elections. If you move around over the weekends, you can see the heightened political activity. We hope the funds that have been allocated to the IEBC will be sufficient for them to engage in serious electoral preparedness because this is the most crucial Budget before the 2027 elections. The IEBC does civic education, voter registration and ensures that the polling stations are clearly marked out.

Equally, from this, we would wish to thank the Committee also for looking at the confirmation of the Junior Secondary School teachers. The Committee has made a recommendation to have 20,000 teachers confirmed. How I wish they would confirm the entire 44,000 teachers who are on internship in JSS. However, moving forward, we can have a very nice budget, but as a House, we need to also pull ourselves up to ensure that we monitor the usage of these particular funds. If we do not, then we will just have sums of money distributed on paper, but we are not monitoring the usage of these particular funds. Every time we move out in our constituencies, we find people saying funds have not been used and programs that were budgeted have not been executed. We hope that this time round, we are going to do our oversight role as much as we can, so that we can ensure that public funds are put to good use.

I support, Hon. Deputy Speaker.

Hon. Member for Tinderet.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I also want to weigh in and contribute to the Budget Estimates for the Financial Year 2026-2027. First and foremost, I laud the Chair and the Committee for a job well done, more importantly, in the education sub-sector, which encompasses four main departments. It encompasses the Vocational and Technical Training, Basic Education, Higher Education and Research, and Key Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies (SAGAs) .

This Budget has allocated to the education sector Ksh781 billion, accounting for 26 per cent of the entire Budget. This speaks to the intention of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) . More importantly, Kenya has stood for the last almost 10 years, having allocated the largest chunk of resources to education. This money has gone into making sure that the sector grows and that we are still moving on with the implementation of the new education policy that was started way back at the tail end of President Mwai Kibaki’s administration and the beginning of President Uhuru’s time. Now it is going towards the end, that is, to senior school and university.

In technical education, there is provision for resources, especially for capitation. This is an area where the largest group of young and strong Kenyans are - the TVET institutions across the country. The Government has a very clear policy and program to construct TVET institutions in almost every constituency. Resources have been provided and we have TVET institutions whose construction is ongoing. We have TVET institutions that are offering different programmes across the country.

However, the main thing that is taking the junk of this money is the capitation to learners. I laud the Committee because the Government has allocated up to Ksh9.5 billion for capitation. This is going to allow majority of these students this year to be retained in school. Last time, the capitation allocated to TVET institutions was Ksh3.5 billion. This is an increase of almost three times. That reflects the Kenya-Kwanza’s policy of trying to make sure that learners are retained in colleges and institutions.

On the same note, there is a counterpart funding on the issue of equipping TVET institutions. In this House, Members of Parliament have raised issues of completed TVET institutions without equipment. You know very well that skilling requires staff and equipment to be used in those particular facilities. So, there is a provision for equipping those facilities that are completed such as labs, worKshops and the rest.

On the same note, TVET encompasses the polytechnics, the TVET institutions and the employment of trainers. One of the things that this Budget failed to capture, and I think the Chair is listening, is to ensure that we provide resources for the recruitment of more trainers. As much as we are constructing TVET institutions across the country, there is a need to employ at least 5,000 trainers so that the institutions do not use the limited resources to employ the Board of Management (BOM) trainees across the country.

On basic education, the resources that have been allocated are quite a lot. There is a provision to support junior and senior school learners in terms of capitation, which amounts to Ksh81 billion. This money looks a lot, but in terms of the student population and catering for each learner at the required level, there is a deficit of over Ksh40 billion. One of the good things that the Government has done this year - and I think it is very important for the country and for all of us to know - is that the capitation for primary schools has been increased from Ksh1,420 to Ksh2,020. This is an increase that in real terms is going to make a difference in terms of support in running the operations of many of our primary schools. A number of people have been saying it is not enough, but we have a serious constraint in this Budget. That is going to assist because most of the primary schools have been joined with the JSS, which has a capitation of 15,000 per learner. The head teachers of those schools can juggle or use both resources to ensure that those two sections of our school system run amicably.

The other area which I think is very important in basic education is the issue of quality assurance and standards. This is a sector that I implore this House and the State Department to make sure that there are serious quality assurance officers across the country. The country allocates huge resources for the construction of laboratories, the construction of infrastructure at about Ksh2 billion and Ksh3 billion for the school feeding programme, but there is little inspection to find out how these resources are utilised. That is why, as a Committee, the days of the famous Situma and inspectors of schools are very important.

I know we are in a mourning period after we lost students in the Utumishi Girls Academy and the unrest in many other schools in the country. However, what is very serious is that quality assurance and standards officers need to come out big time to make sure that they are the pulse of our schools. They are the people who make sure that what is set as a standard is followed. However, every time we allocate a budget here, quality assurance is given almost nil. In fact, I was asking the Cabinet Secretary and the Principal Secretary why it is taking a back stage yet these are the people who keep schools running and who make sure that teaching and learning are going on and who make sure that facilities that we have allocated resources are being constructed and the rest. They also ensure the projects we have allocated resources for are being constructed while giving feedback and telling us the issues on the ground.

The Committee gave a very clear policy on the School Feeding Program especially on the issue of the extent and spread in marginalised areas across the country.

The other issue is about the Teacher’s Service Commission (TSC). It has been allocated over Ksh400 billion. This money will cater for salaries and remuneration of staff and conversion of 20,000 interns to permanent and pensionable staff. There has been hue and cry because of that policy, but the 24,000 teachers remaining will be converted when they clear their contract period.

Secondly, there is Ksh2 billion allocated for promotion of teachers. This is important because over the years, teachers have stagnated in job groups for a while. To have a motivated

workforce, these teachers must be promoted. This is a policy that will promote thousands of teachers. Last year 14,000 teachers were promoted. In 2024, 36,000 teachers were promoted. This year, they will promote over 30,000 teachers thanks to the retirement savings and this allocation.

On the same note, another important issue which teachers have been calling for is Work Injury Benefits Act (WIBA) policy and accident cover. This is an area the Government has not covered for the last 10 years I have been in this sector. The TSC always makes a plea on this issue whenever they appear before our Committee.

Another issue which this money covers is the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for teachers that was signed between them and the Government for the years 2022 to 2027.

Lastly, university sector has grown over the years to be the largest subsector in the education sector. The State Department for Higher Education and Research has been allocated resources for construction and completion of stalled projects within various universities. I laud the State Department this time because they have a fair distribution of development projects across the 30 universities. This will ensure that projects that are between 80 to 90 per cent to completion are completed and brought to use. This is as a result of the oversight visits by the Departmental Committee on Education across all public universities. We found some universities had projects that were 80 to 90 per cent complete and asked the State Department to allocate them resources so that the projects are completed and become of use.

Another allocation that has been done at the State Department for Higher Education and Research is funding the universities’ CBA. This has been allocated the much-needed resources and the lecturers and staff will feel good and laugh all the way to the bank immediately we pass the Budget Estimates. The allocation will ensure the Government honours the CBA signed in 2017/2022 and the subsequent years to come by.

Another allocation to the universities is capitation which has been given to the State Department. The capitation has only been given to six universities which have the former Differentiated Unit Cost (DUC) funding model. Most of the students will be catered for in the new funding model. Most of the funds are channelled to the Higher Educations Loan Board (HELB) and the Universities Funding Board (UFB). However, there has been a plea from the vice chancellors and the State Department that the resources be channelled and decapitated as it has been over the years to ease the implementation of that particular programme.

I also thank the Chairman of the Budget and Appropriations Committee on the issues he has captured on university education. One of the issues is to ensure the lecturers in the universities get paid. I also thank him for allocating a lot of resource for fertiliser subsidy in agriculture as well. Many of us, including myself, come from the rural constituencies where most people are tea, coffee and sugar farmers. This subsidy will go a long way in putting money in the pockets of our farmers.

There is substantive resource allocation to the IEBC, so that we can promote democracy in this country. As we near the election period, the resources will entrench the people’s democratic principles and institutions and ensure the next general election is done well.

Lastly, this Government has done very well in ensuring contractors in road projects resume to the sites. One of the biggest flagship projects of this administration is the Rironi - Mau Summit Road which is being constructed day and night. That programme is running well thanks to the Chairman of the Budget and Appropriations Committee though it is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) and within the requirements he sought for.

I support.

Member for Funyula.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. Pursuant to provisions of Article 221 of the Constitution of Kenya, it is trite to stand here and comment on the Report tabled by the Budget and Appropriations Committee on the

consideration of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure and the Medium Term for the Financial Year 2026/2027.

For the many years I have been here, at times the national Budget becomes a ritual that we have to go through and hardly ever addresses the pertinent and contemporary issues of the day. Unfortunately, and due to the prevailing circumstances, the Budget Estimates we have here today no way attempt to address the pertinent issues that we have. They are simply meeting the requirements of the law and get the Government to run as required.

From the very basics of microeconomics, a budget at any given time must dissect what is ailing the country. The Budget Policy Statement was explicitly clear. It picked out what were our challenges and problems. The economics survey, 2026, picked out what our challenges are and what needs to be done to kickstart this economy. Truth be told, the economy is not doing well and we cannot keep on burying our heads in the sand. That is the plain truth. Anybody who deludes himself that the economy is doing well probably is with certain people who have taken the money hostage as they put it in my village. The economic survey is very clear on the issue of reducing per capita income, stagnant jobs, low salaries or income vis a vis the increasing costs of living.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, with inflation, which is at the core, standing at 12 per cent, anybody would have expected the Budget for 2026/2027 to be extremely innovative to make sure that we pull Kenyans out of the hardship, high cost of living and endemic poverty that pervades many parts of the country. A country that is supposed to be middle-income, yet with a poverty index in some areas close to 80 per cent, cannot surely continue with business as usual instead of attempting to address these issues.

I have looked at the policy considerations that have been presented by the Committee and were moved by my good friend and neighbour. Indeed, I really expected that the policy direction would stem directly from the Budget Policy Statement and borrow heavily from country reports by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) and craft a budget that will kick start it. Unfortunately, I understand, having been in this political space and I do not want to blame the Committee. I also know how things work. The letter and the spirit of the Constitution says that the National Assembly makes the budget and appropriates funds. However, as many who have held that position will tell you, the reality is different and the exigencies of the day might force you to go elsewhere.

If we dissect the structure of this economy and how it is being structured now, we have no room. There is no headroom for us to change the economic status. The only headroom we have is to completely change the structure of this economy. Continuously relying on agriculture, and I can see my colleagues are gloating about fertiliser subsidy… If a middle-income economy is still preoccupied with subsistence food production, then we would rather accept where we belong and remain there forever. The profit margins from agriculture are very low and any invested shilling, the marginal income and utility actually tend to be negative sometimes.

We must focus the economy where we need to make sure that things move in the right direction, and where does that lie? That lies with making sure that we focus on the productive sectors like manufacturing, mining, value addition and the service sector in order to realise better returns. What have we done? Kenyans need to understand this. Out of the National Government Budget of about Ksh2.3 trillion, we have allocated close to Ksh30 billion towards the Executive Office of the Presidency, that includes the Office of the President, Office of the Deputy President, Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary, Cabinet Affairs, Parliamentary Affairs and State House. Kenyans need to understand that it has gobbled up a whooping Ksh13 billion.

Lastly, in this financial year that is ending due to the abuse of Session 223, they actually ended up close to Ksh19 billion yet when you look at what we have allocated towards enablers of industries, it is zero; it is negligible. It is then based on what we can do.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, it is, indeed, telling, and we raised this issue. This regime has told us that they have invested in the manufacturing sector and it has only been pumped into brick and mortar building the County Aggregation and Industrial Parks (CAIPS) and Export Processing Zones (EPZs) that are literally white elephants. Nobody has expressed any investment. Even the investments that they pumped into them since they took office in 2022, the return on it is negative and yet you expect Kenya to achieve the Vision 2030 of being the most industrialised country in the next four or so years to come.

When you go through this, there are some wasteful expenditures. In a country where we are grappling with so many challenges, setting aside Ksh800 million to buy police helicopters and airwings... Honestly speaking, if I did not have food in my house, I would not afford the Prado that many of us are using.

Let me also mention a matter that that has been continuously mentioned here. That is the question of fair distribution of development and investment. I do not want to cast any aspersions on my colleagues who sit in the various committees, but if you pick this document and go through it with a toothcomb, you can see manifest bias towards certain regions of this country. You can also see deliberate exclusion of certain sections of this country. We have talked about this matter continuously, non-stop. Unfortunately, it seems to be falling on deaf ears.

There is so much to be talked about, but allow me to raise a very fundamental issue. We are talking about Universal Health Care yet in this proposal we are reducing by Ksh1.1 billion funds allocated to Primary Healthcare Fund. We were told that every person who falls sick will go to any hospital and get treatment. How will this person go to hospital and get treatment and yet the funds that are supposed to do that have once again been reduced? We are being unfair to the people of Kenya and Kenyans will judge us harshly, very harshly.

Member for Kiharu.

Thank you very much, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for this chance. From the outset, it is good that I make it very clear having served in the same capacity as those whose work we are debating today that most of my views will go towards the owner of the fiscal policy in Kenya, which is the Executive because it will not be very polite for one then to start casting aspersions on the same people one served with. Therefore, most of my comments are on what the Executive can do better basically because I have been there and I know as Hon. Oundo put it.

On the Budget of the country, the relevant Committee actually makes less than 1 per cent of it and, therefore, the entirety of it and where the meat is, is not out of the minimal changes that are made in Parliament, but out of our fiscal policy. We are currently debating a Budget of around Ksh4.89 trillion, meaning we are almost going to Ksh5 trillion. Probably, by the time we are debating the Appropriations Bill, we may be cruising around Ksh5 trillion. This is unprecedented, but of note is that we are making an ordinary budget for extra-ordinary times. I have gone through the Report and I have even gone through what was tabled by the National Treasury and I see they fall short in realising that the global economy which the Kenyan economy sits in, is in some difficult waters and which we actually need to do something in the Budget, in terms of reprieve for Kenyans in the oil sector, especially with regard to fuel prices. I had an opportunity to appear before both the Budget and Appropriations Committee and the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning. I will pursue these matters through the relevant processes of the House, especially during the debate on the Finance Bill.

The country does several interventions to grow the economy. One is through monetary policy which focuses on stability in employment, inflation and exchange rates. However, the

more far-reaching intervention that is done by any government is fiscal policy. It relates to budget, revenue-raising measures, debt management and related matters.

Let me begin with the issue of debt. I have seen the current fiscal deficit which was proposed by the National Treasury. It is mind-boggling that the current fiscal deficit is the highest we have ever had at the beginning of a financial year. I say this because as Kenyans now know, this is a moving target. Where we start is not where we end. We are starting at

On a point of information, Hon. Deputy Speaker.

Hon. Zamzam, you do not debate by yelling. Press the intervention button and Hon. Deputy Speaker will see you.

Hon. Zamzam, what is your point of information?

Mhe. Naibu Spika, haiwezekani aliyekuwa Mwenyekiti wa Kamati ya Bajeti tangu mwaka 2022 hadi hivi karibuni ndiye anayekuja leo kuona makosa ambayo angerekebisha akiwa hapo.

Amesema siku hizi Serikali inakopa Ksh4 bilioni kila siku. Wakati yeye alikuwa madarakani, bilioni nne zilikuwa zinapotea kila siku. Atuambie ni hatua gani alichukua akiwa Mwenyekiti kuzuia tusiombe hii pesa kila siku na kwa nini hakuzuia kuibiwa bilioni za pesa kila siku na wakaachia Rais Ruto hii nchi kama haina chochote. Walitaka nchi yetu ianguke kiuchumi, lakini naye Mwenyezi Mungu ni nani? Walishindwa. Tulia umeacha hiki kiti cha Mwenyekiti wa Kamati ya Bajeti.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, this is why Members should sit and listen carefully. If the Member had listened, she would not have interjected. Instead of informing the House, you paraded your ignorance before the House.

As I proceed to the development budget, it has been coming down. Please, relax, Hon. Zamzam. You need to check the records. The kind of borrowing which is taking place is unprecedented. It was not done in the previous years. These are facts on record.

On the issue of education, it is important that we take it very seriously. I will highlight three scenarios in education. Our brothers and sisters volunteering as Junior Secondary School interns are keenly following this debate. They expect nothing short of us passing a Budget that will confirm all 44,000 of them into permanent and pensionable terms. This confirmation should not take effect from January next year, but from July this year at the beginning of the new financial year. I call upon this House to ensure that, as we process this Budget, the Teachers Service Commission must confirm all 44,000 JSS interns. We will deal with any budgetary shortfall in the First Supplementary Budget. We cannot continue to subject our brothers and sisters to these kinds of working conditions.

Secondly, there is the issue of remuneration of examination markers under Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC). They have not received their remuneration. Currently, we are budgeting for another deficit, in terms of that budget. It is important that we know that these are Kenyans who deserve to be remunerated on time.

Thirdly, there is the issue of capitation. I talked about the fiscal deficit which is 5.5 per cent. We are debating here knowing that the capitation budget in Kenya, as we are proposing today, is short of Ksh50 billion. We are basically saying “take this amount of money, we know there is hole of Ksh50 billion, but we will deal with it”. The same way we will deal with it is the same way we will deal with JSS interns, in terms of their confirmation.

There is something about village elders. They deserve more than Ksh3,000. This is an issue we have debated ever since. It was not done then because there was no framework. It came about last year. Out of the public participation that we had done, we expect the village elders to get at least Ksh8,000 per month to reward them for the good work they do in our security.

As we talk about these specifics, it is important that we know our fiscal policy has a direct ramification on what Kenya becomes. As we talk about this Budget today, the worst economic giant of the region is now sliding. Kenya has slid from number six to number seven largest economy in Africa. In this current year, the projection is that Kenya will grow slower, but let us deal with what is already there. In the year 2025, of all our regional neighbours, the Kenyan economy grew the slowest. Even with the elections in Tanzania, it grew by around 6 per cent. Uganda had elections, but they grew by around 6.5 per cent. Ethiopia grew at a faster rate than Kenya. Rwanda grew by double digits in the last quarter of the last financial year, cumulatively growing by 9.4 per cent last year. Whatever we say in political rallies as leaders, painting a picture that does not exist, the figures betray us many times. This is why I face this Government and request the National Treasury that it is now time that we allocate money where Kenyans are, so that we grow our economy.

Let him finish his sentence before you stop him.

Hon. Member, please, relax.

Give him a chance to wind up and then I will come to you.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, part of what Kenyans are not buying is the kind of mechanisms we see the Government talking about, fiscal consolidation and asking Kenyans to tighten their belts. Kenyans have no belts left to tighten. The belts that are available to tighten are in the kind of budgets we have seen in these big offices and in these Estimates. An office that used to have Ksh4 billion now has a budget cruising towards Ksh20 billion by the end of the last financial year. Currently, they are asking for Ksh13 billion

and for sure, they are going to overshoot it. It is time to cut the fat, starting from the top, so that we stop this profligacy at the expense of Kenyans.

Hon. Zamzam, what did you have to say?

Ahsante sana, Mhe. Spika,

Hon. Zamzam, he is allowed to respond since you mentioned him.

Thank you very much, Hon. Speaker. Hon. Zamzam, I would not have interrupted you. I just wanted to remind you that we are debating the Report of the Committee, not Ndindi Nyoro.

Secondly, you should stop misleading Kenyans. I agree that all public primary schools in Kiharu look like academies and are tiled. Our learners in day secondary schools pay Ksh500 per term. That is a National Government Constituencies Development Fund project. It is not my duty to teach you how to execute your National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) or the NG-CDF allocation. All the things you have done in the education sector are due to the NG-CDF. I did not come up with the formula for allocating funds. You should be factual and stop misleading Kenyans. When you talk too fast, you may not be able to coherently transmit your thoughts. Please, be stable.

Hon. Ndindi, you are now being derogatory. Proceed, Hon. Zamzam.

Ahsante sana, Mhe. Naibu

nimepata kijana aliyenielezea vizuri ya kwamba walikuwa wanazifuata taratibu. Hizi pesa zilikuwa zinaenda kwa sehemu moja ya nchi.

Lakini leo nashukuru Nyota Programme ambayo imeelekeza hela kila mahali na kuchukua vijana kwa kila constituency. Kuna kitu nataka kifuatiliwe kwa hii Nyota Programme. Vijana wafuatiliwe wakipewa mapeni. Waangaliwe kama wamefungua hizo biashara ama wameduwaa. Juzi tumeenda Kwale tukapata wachache wamefanya na wengine hawakutumia pesa vizuri. Lakini napongeza wengine ambao walionyesha maendeleo yao ambayo tuliona kipindi tukitembea na kamati ya Social Protection. Kwa hivyo, pesa zinazotumika Kenya ni nyingi hasa ukiangalia ile Women Enterprise Fund ambayo inanishangaza.

Mbona mimi napewa nafasi ndogo jamani? Huyu amechukua nafasi yangu. Niongezee muda, Mhe. Spika. Nimewacha Women Enterprise Fund ambayo nitazungumzia kwa Kamati yangu. Naona wameongezea milioni mia tano katika Child Welfare Fund kwa watoto yatima katika shule wanakosaidiwa na Serikali. Cancer centres pia zimeongezwa pesa. Tunaona walimu elfu ishirini wamewekwa kuwa katika pensionable scheme na hii ni vizuri sana.

National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) yako Mhe. Ndindi Nyoro imeongezewa billioni sitini na moja kutoka bilioni hamsini na saba. Hii inaonyesha mambo yanaenda vizuri. Bandari yetu ya Maritime kule Pwani imewekewa milioni mia moja na arobaini ya kufunza vijana kuingia kazi za ubaharia. Naona pia Baba yetu aliyetangulia ambaye ni Baba wa Taifa, Raila Amollo Odinga, katika ile monument ya kumkumbuka. Wamemwekea bajeti ya milioni thelathini kumtengenezea vizuri ili watu watoto wetu na vizazi vijavyo vijue Baba Raila Amollo Odinga alikuwa nani.

Mhe. Atandi na wenzako, naona pia tuweke pending bills kwa bajeti ili tuweze kulipa madeni na Kenya isonge mbele. Mpaka kule Kwale kulikuwa na shida kwa upande wa mining. Mhe. Oundo amezungumza lakini haelezi kuwa Wakenya wenyewe ndio huleta shida wakati mambo yanaanza kuwa mazuri ili tupate faida. Sisi huanza makelele. Hayo pia yatatatuliwa. Mining itakuwa tapped vizuri na pesa hizo zitasaidia uchumi wa taifa. Kwa hayo machache, ahsante sana.

Vile vile, ninasema bajeti ya polisi isikatwe. Mtu amesema polisi wasipewe helikopta. Mtu akikwama baharini huambia polisi wamtoe. watamtoa namna gani? Lazima waende na helikopta na kumtoa mtu ndani ya maji. Juzi nimeona mtu amekwama katikati ya maji na nchi kavu kule Central. Walienda wakamtoa na helikopta. Kwa hivyo, nataka mambo ya polisi, afya na mengine yaangaliwe vizuri. Naunga mkono.

Member of Magarini Constituency.

Asante Mhe. Naibu Spika kwa kunipa nafasi hii niweke sauti yangu katika Makadirio ya Fedha ya 2026/2027.

Kwanza, napongeza Kamati kwa kazi yao nzuri katika kuhakikisha kwamba kila pembe ya nchi inapata mgao sawa na sehemu nyingine. Kwanza napongeza upande wa elimu. Safari ya kwenda Mombasa inaanza na hatua ya kwanza. Tuko na walimu 44,000 wa Junior Secondary School. Sasa bajeti imewawekea pesa ili waajiriwe kikamilifu. Hiyo ni hatua ya kwanza. Tunapokuja kukadiria sehemu ya pili ya bajeti, nina imani kwamba tutachukua hao elfu ishirini na nne ambao wamebaki.

Ningependekeza, iwapo itawezekana, wakati mwingine tuweze kufanya kama vile wakati tunafikiria kuajiri wanajeshi, kuna wakati mmoja mafunzo ya wanajeshi yalisitishwa. Vile vile kwa upande wa walimu, tumeweza kusomesha wengi lakini kuwaajiri imekuwa changamoto. Hivyo basi, ningependekeza kwamba wakati mwingine iwe tunaweza kusitisha ili wale ambao tumeshawafunza waweze kuingia katika kuajiriwa kwanza ndipo baadaye tufikirie maswala mengine ya kuendeleza.

Pia nipongeze kwa upande wa vyuo vya kiufundi. Hela ambayo imetengwa ni ya kuhakikisha kwamba wanaweza kupata masomo kwa njia ya urahisi na pia kuweza kupata

fedha za kujikimu wakiwa pale chuoni. Hiyo mimi kwangu nipongeze kwa sababu inaendeleza ile ndoto ya Serikali hii ambayo ni kuhakikisha kwamba kila kijana anapata ujuzi na anajitegemea mwenyewe.

Katika hazina ya nyumba, tumeona pia vyuo hivi vya kiufundi vimetengewa fedha za kujenga mabweni. Imefika hata katika sehemu yangu ya Magarini. Hivi ninavyozungumza, Magarini Technical and Vocational College inajengewa bweni la kisasa la ghorofa nne pamoja na soko ndani la bweni hilo. Hiyo nikupongeza.

Nikifikia kwa upande wa afya, Wizara ya Afya pia imepangiwa vizuri. Hapa pia nitazungumzia swala la Social Health Authority (SHA). SHA kwa uhakika inafanya vizuri lakini kwa wakati mwingine, tunapata ya kwamba wale maafisa ambao wanashugulikia hii kwa upande wa malipo, kuko na utepetevu kiasi na hivyo ndivyo inachangia kwamba lawama zinakuwa nyingi. Vile vile, ukimulika nyoka usimumulike mbali, mulika kwa mguu kwanza ndivyo umulike sehemu nyingine. Tukizungumzia swala hili la SHA kwamba inafanya kazi, ni masikitiko makubwa kwangu kwamba hii SHA kwa uhakikia haiwafanyii kazi kikamilifu baadhi ya wafanyakazi wa ofisi za maeneobunge. Wanatozwa fedha za kupimwa peke yake lakini hakuna pesa za matibabu. Hapo ningeomba wizara husika ikaweze kuangalia na kuhakikisha kwamba hata hawa wafanyakazi wetu katika ofisi zetu za maeneobunge pia nao wanapata mgao wao kisawasawa na sio pesa za X-ray na mambo mengine. Wawe pia hata kwa matibabu wanajumuishwa maana wao nao pia wanatoa changizo zao katika SHA.

Nikirudia maswala ya wazee wa vijiji, ni swala nyeti ambalo tumejadiliana kwa miongo mitatu sasa. Tumepitisha kwamba wakaweze kulipwa lakini haikuwezekana katika serikali nyingine yoyote ila serikali hii ya Mhe. Ruto kupitia Kamati ya Bajeti ambayo inaongozwa na Mhe. Atandi kwa wakati huu. Ni pongezi Kenya nzima. Nimesema safari ya kwenda Mombasa inaanza na hatua ya kwanza. Wazee wa vijiji ni chanzo wamepata angalau pesa ya kuweza kupiga simu maanake tatizo lolote likitokea kijijini, mtu wa kwanza ni mzee wa kijiji. Vile vile tunaposonga hapo mbele, nafikiri kutakuwa na wakati ambapo hata wale mabalozi wa Nyumba Kumi watafikiriwa. Kiwango hichi kilichoko ni kidogo kwa sasa lakini ni imani yangu kwamba kadri tunavyosonga mbele, itafika wakati ambapo hata mzee wa kijiji ataweza kupokezwa elfu 10 au 20 kulingana na vile ambavyo tutakuwa tumejizatiti kiuchumi. Itafika wakati ambapo mzee wa Kijiji ataweza kupokezwa Ksh10,000 au Ksh20,000 kulingana na vile ambavyo tutakuwa tumejizatiti kiuchumi. Mhe. Naibu Spika vile vile ningependa kuguzia masuala ya barabara. Tumejionea wenyewe jinsi ambavyo Rais anashughulikia barabara za Jamhuri ya Kenya na jinsi ambavyo hachoki na halali. Kila kukicha anafikiria jinsi ya kuimarisha sehemu ya nchi ambayo ilikuwa imeachwa nyuma kwa muda mrefu. Ninapongeza zaidi Kamati kwa sababu imezingatia miradi yote ya barabara ambayo ilikuwa imekwama. Imeweza kuitengea fedha na kwa wakati huu hata mimi pia nimepata mgao wa kuona ile barabara yangu ya kutoka Sabaki kuelekea Marafa hadi Baricho imeweza kukamilika. Imetengewa Ksh248 milioni ya kuikamirisha. Ni katika Serikali hii ndio tumeona vitu vikitendeka na tukipata kufurahia. Masuala ya uchumi ni mazito. Lakini pamoja na hayo Bajeti hii inazingatia hata masuala ya kilimo. Masuala ya kilimo ni muhimu sana kwa upande wa wananchi wa mapato ya chini. Iwapo nchi inaweza kulima na inaweza kupata mbolea kwa bei nafuu, hapo ndipo wananchi wanaweza kuzalisha na kujitegemea. Na hilo tumeone zimezingatia katika hii Bajeti. Ni mujibu wa kila Mkenya kwa sasa hivi kuona anashiriki kikamilifu katika nyanja hiyo ya kilimo. Kuna mengi ya kunena lakini tutaweza kuendeleza wakati tutakapokuwa katika ile Kamati ya Nyumba Mzima. Kwa hayo machache, ninasema ahsante Mhe. Naibu wa Spika, naunga mkono.

I will come to you and Hon. Justice Kemei.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. Allow me to rise in support of this Motion for the consideration of the Budget Estimates for the Financial Year 2026/2027. As usual, allow me to begin by thanking the Chair, Vice-Chair and Members of the Budget and Appropriations Committee as well as all Members who sit in various departmental committees. While the rest of us proceeded on a three-week recess, many Members serving in the departmental committees and the Budget and Appropriations Committee did not have the luxury of a recess. We had a working recess to consider the Budget Estimates after they were tabled towards the tail end of the last part of the Session, just before the recess. Therefore, a lot of work has gone into the consideration of these Estimates. I take this opportunity to thank all Members who dedicated their time and resources to ensure that we have a report ready for debate. I have listened keenly to many of the speakers who have contributed to this debate this afternoon. I commend the detailed analysis they have given to these estimates. When I listened to the Member for Magarini speak about specific projects in his constituency and the Member for Mombasa County, Hon. Zamzam, address issues that directly affect the people, then we know that we have Budget Estimates that are people-centred and responsive to the needs and aspirations of the people of Kenya. It is quite commendable.

We are considering these Budget Estimates at a time that the entire global economy is faced with a lot of uncertainties. Six months ago, nobody knew that there will be a war in the Gulf region. Today, we are living through that war. As I said the last time we were speaking about the fuel crisis in the country and in the world, we are living in wartime and wartime economies can never be similar to peacetime economies. This uncertainty, in my estimation, is likely to go into the next financial year. We are yet to see any indications of respite in the war in the Middle East, unlocking of the global trade routes, opening up of the logistical movement of goods and services and opening up of trade around the world. With that kind of uncertainty, it will be difficult for us to budget with certainty that what we budget for today will see us through to the end of the next financial year. I am saying so to caution us that in the next financial year, we are likely - I know the Chair of the Budget and Appropriations Committee will bear me witness - to have an early Supplementary Budget than we normally have because we will have to realign our Budget Estimates with the realities that will obtain when we begin the next financial year in July. We remain hopeful that this war will come to an end. However, because it is not within our control, I want to caution us that as we plan today, we must plan with that in mind. We are dealing in a very uncertain world.

We are not isolated from the global economic challenges that obtain around the world; we have to live through them. We were just speaking this afternoon about the crisis in the Great Lakes region and the East African region of the Ebola Virus. That is also a threat to our economy and the regional economy. It will have an implication on our normal trade routes with other East African countries and amongst us and thus will impact on our revenues. Therefore, we must all be alive to these challenges as we plan and think through how we will roll out in the next financial year. We must be aware that these global challenges will be here with us.

We must be thankful to God that the Kenyan economy has remained very resilient. Amidst all these uncertainties and the global challenges that have been there, the Kenyan economy has supported a very stable macroeconomic environment and sustained investments in key sectors of the economy that have ensured that our economy remains resilient and continues to make steady and certain strides in growth.

Come to think of it, when we began this Session, we never knew that we will have to reduce our VAT from 16 per cent to 8 per cent on fuel. That reduction of 8 per cent had an implication on the revenue projections which were factored in when we were preparing the Budget Estimates. Although that has since been rectified, I am only bringing it up to help us to

be alive to the fact that there are many things that will come which may affect how we roll out this Budget. So, we must be prepared. We must be ready to change as things change.

The Budget Estimates before this House today demonstrate in a very clear manner the interventions that the Government has made in terms of having targeted interventions that strengthen our food security. If you look at some of the interventions that are in the Budget Estimates, you will see a budget of Ksh18 billion that is meant to support our food security going to fertiliser subsidy program. That will ensure that we improve access to affordable farm inputs for many of our agricultural neighbourhoods. Ksh2 billion is going to the seed subsidy program. Again, this is targeted to ensure that we have increased crop production to guarantee food security in our country. A country that cannot feed itself cannot grow its economy. Many of the interventions in the Budget Estimates are targeted to ensure that we have food security.

Other interventions are supporting vulnerable segments of our population like the cash transfer programme. I have heard Hon. Zamzam and other Members speak to the NYOTA programme and other programmes that the Government is implementing to ensure that we have targeted solutions supporting our vulnerable segments of the population.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, many of the other targeted interventions that you find in these Budget Estimates speak to enhancing the domestic revenue mobilisation while preserving our fiscal sustainability in a big way. I must take this opportunity at this point to speak to the new Commissioner General of KRA. Since we have all these challenges, the only way to ensure we do not significantly disrupt our budget implementation programme is to ensure, one, that we stick to our revenue targets. That is done very well through harnessing technology.

To the new Commissioner General of KRA and former Cabinet Secretary, Adan Mohammed, please, do not fall prey to the cartels that have pervaded and taken charge at KRA over the years. Do what you must to ensure that we leverage on technology to ensure that we mobilise as much domestic resources as we can. If you look at the resources that we target to mobilise this year, we estimate to collect about Ksh3.629 trillion. That is equivalent to only

On a point of information, Hon. Deputy Speaker.

Hon. Melly, what is your point of information?

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. With all due respect to the Leader of the Majority Party, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) is in charge of the curriculum. We have senior schools. This is a curriculum implementation process on Competency-Based Education (CBE) . These county dialogues are about engaging parents, institutions, and all stakeholders on the new education systems. This is KICD money that was meant for the construction of a stalled project, which we allocated Ksh400 million for every time. However, we removed it from that particular sector because they were asking us for money for senior school CBE.

Leader of the Majority Party, this is a new curriculum. Thank you.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, this increase of Ksh200 million in KICD recurrent expenditure to support county dialogue and stakeholders’ engagement as part of the CBE sensitisation programme is what I have a serious problem with.

It is possible to engage parents from our schools. If you take Ksh500,000 from this money to NG-CDF, these Members of Parliament will convene forums for you at the lowest level, such as school annual general meetings.

Hon. Milemba.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. At the outset, I take this opportunity to thank the Budget and Appropriations Committee for doing a very good job. Over the years, the Committee has continuously targeted some of the very lowest people in society. We saw the introduction of fertiliser, which is still supported. It has really helped in the promotion of agriculture and the reduction of food prices.

We also have money budgeted for Community Health Promoters who are doing a good job. Hon. Atandi, I wish that you would not go. I want to speak on education. You should listen to what I want to say. Do not go away.

We also have the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme, among other things. Because I can see the Chairman of the Budget and Appropriations Committee wants to leave, let me go straight to the issue that I want to raise. This time, I will be very specific about the education sector. As a Government, we also need to include in the Budget things which the President may have mentioned, talked about, or committed himself to. This is because, as a broad-based Government, it is very important that we achieve the agenda of the Executive, and that Executive is led by the President. I thank the Budget and Appropriations Committee for having considered the issue of the CBA. I see you have included Ksh8 billion for the CBA, and I thank you for that. But remember, a promissory note was issued to more than 600 teachers in Kenya stating that the CBA will be paid in two phases. Therefore, it was very important that the onslaught… I will be asking Parliament to help me when we make such amendments, and for the Budget and Appropriations Committee to consider increasing this to Ksh16 billion. This will enable us to do exactly what the promissory note was to do for the 600 teachers of Kenya. This will be very good because that is what even the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) expected in order to make that sector calm. We were looking forward to this Budget to achieve this.

The next issue is the promotion of teachers. The Executive gave a promissory note stating that at least 50,000 teachers would be promoted. I thank you for the Ksh2 billion. I have already seen that the Budget has Ksh2 billion for promotion of teachers. But if we use this amount for promotions, we shall only promote about 25,000 teachers only. This is a sector that

needs calm given its importance. We therefore plead for an additional Ksh3 billion, bringing the total to Ksh5 billion, to promote the 50,000 teachers. That way, that sector will be very calm. That will include the Special Needs Education (SNE) teachers who had a promissory note, as well as the other teachers in that sector.

When we talk about the Budget, we have to be very calm and very objective. Hon. Members, you realise that the intern teachers will always be knocking on your doors. They will continuously knock. This is the House that can actually make the big change by simply asking the Budget and Appropriations Committee, together with ourselves, to see where we can chop the flesh, so that we actualise making them permanent and pensionable. There are 44,000 of them. I thank the Budget and Appropriations Committee because you have budgeted an amount that can deal with 20,000 of them, although that means 24,000 of them will be left out. Remember, in a court ruling in the Court of Appeal, the act of having these teachers as interns was made unconstitutional. In Article 237 of the Constitution on the Teacher Service Commission, you will realise that it is actually unconstitutional. This is, therefore, another area we need to make adjustments to.

There is something called group life cover. Hon. Geoffrey, allow the Chairman of the Budget and Appropriations Committee to hear what I have to say about group life cover. That all the civil servants get group life cover. What is group life cover? When a civil servant dies, the spouses are paid a certain amounts equivalent to a salary of seven years. It is in law. We thank the Government for this work on behalf of the civil servants. The civil servants are paying for five years. The police are paying for seven years. Teachers are paying nothing. This is discrimination, which can only lead us to unnecessary industrial action! We need to budget for group life cover for teachers. Where do you get the money, Hon. Chairman? Through the Deputy Speaker, remember, we presided over the transition of teachers from the AON Minet Medical Scheme to the SHA.

That is a story for another day, because we are fighting with SHA and want it to work, as it is cheaper. It is Government-run. It is not privately owned. We cannot collect all the money from taxpayers and give it to a private enterprise. We want the government to run that thing, and we are supporting that area. The rest we shall talk about another day. But now, when we transitioned to the Social Health Authority (SHA), we saved Ksh4.8 billion. What we require to have group life cover for teachers is Ksh5 billion. Because we transited ourselves, then we should get the Ksh5 billion, which is required for group life cover for teachers! It is so that teachers are not discriminated against.

Capitation. We are doing very well with capitation, but are you aware that... This one can shame us because, you know, I am part and parcel of the broad-based Government. I am right inside there. The President talked about capitation. Today, I am from Utumishi Academy because part of my work is there. Schools have received Ksh5,000 as capitation. I am reporting to this House, and we have done that research. What is happening in the Ministry of Education? Some schools have received Ksh9,000. Others have received Ksh20,000. I am talking here, Hon. Members of Parliament, because you will hear it back in your constituencies. That is the capitation that was released.

There must be a real problem in the Ministry of Education. When we declare that capitation has been released to schools, then a school should show you a receipt of Ksh6,000. How will you deal with it? In fact, what is actually running the schools is the little capitation coming from the Junior Secondary School (JSS). Our primary schools would be in dire need if the JSS money were not released. Therefore, this is something that we need to address through this Budget, so that capitation is actually released to schools in good time. This can be done through an investigation by any one of us because it is affecting our constituencies moving forward.

Now, the Chairman of the Budget and Appropriations Committee should listen to this. Let the Chairman hear this: we do not budget money for the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) to pay examiners, invigilators, and all the staff in that space. This House can make a difference. The examiners have not been paid to date because the funds were not budgeted for. It was hoped that it would be found along the way, but when we intervened by visiting Hon. Mbadi, he said this money is not budgeted for. So, we may have to ask the President to use Article 223 to obtain such money. This is a very important task in this country. Could we be sure that the Chairman of the Budget and Appropriations Committee will ensure that funding for the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), examiners, invigilators, the police, and people in that space is budgeted for?

It is shameful that today, as I speak, those who supervised exams last year in March have not been paid! The Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Education is seated in front of me here. He should help me to make sure that we change things. We can do that together with the Budget and Appropriations Committee so that we actually mainstream the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) monies moving forward.

I can see my time is over. I would wish to indicate that those are important issues. Yes, the Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Education wants to inform me. I do not know which information.

Yes, Hon. Chairperson.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I do agree with the Member for Emuhaya. Actually, the Departmental Committee on Education took action because it is very shameful that these teachers have not been paid. We reallocated Ksh1.5 billion for the examiners in this particular Budget. It was the decision of the Committee that there was no way we could do another examination before the teachers and the invigilators were paid.

Thank you.

I just hope that, again, we shall not fail to budget for the KNEC money for the coming examinations. We should not be in a situation where we have to come back here to say we have redone it, while the teachers who did this work are out there suffering.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I support.

Member for Sigowet/Soin.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for the opportunity you have given me to also express my support for these Budget Estimates before us today. At the outset, I wish to express my satisfaction with how the Budget has been done this time around, but there is still a lot we need to do in the budget-making process.

President's pronouncement. There must be something that is not happening somewhere. If it continues like this, we will probably have to ask the Cabinet Secretary to come to this House and explain to us how the money has been distributed. He should tell us the specific schools that have received the money and how much.

I want to go to the Department of Agriculture, where I have dedicated a lot of my time and energy to improving issues in the Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock. My disappointment is that, when you look at this critical sector, the allocated budget is only Ksh67 billion, which is about 2.3 per cent of the country's overall budget. It is a productive sector. We normally speak very rosy about the agriculture sector. We talk of it employing the greatest majority of our people. We talk of it earning us foreign exchange. We talk of it being the basis for industrialisation in this country, but an allocation of 2.3 per cent of the national Budget is not sufficient at all! The declarations and treaties Kenya has signed with the rest of the world require us to allocate up to 10 per cent of the national budget to agriculture. This

Let us have the Member for Kibwezi West.

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

I am going by the list.

I now know it pays to log in early and to be patient.

You are on the list.

There is no opportunity to rig the list. You must log in, be patient and wait.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I am a member of the Budget and Appropriations Committee.

Hon. Samuel Atandi, who is my good friend, chairs the Budget and Appropriations Committee. I sat through the budget-making process, from the budget review and outlook paper through the Budget Policy Statements and the consideration of the Estimates as tabled by the National Treasury. The Estimates are now here for approval.

As we consider the Budget for the 2026/2027 Financial Year, it is important to realise there are always two kinds of people. There are pessimists and optimists. There are those who choose to see the glass half full and those who choose to see the glass half empty. I am an optimist, and I choose to see the glass half full. I say this because we are listening to the debate that has been going on very enthusiastically. Every Member has the right to air their opinions in the way they feel they are best appreciated.

Sitting through the budget-making process, as a representative of the people of Kibwezi and a Member of the National Assembly, I am looking at the entire country. I was interested in a Budget that provides equity. We have 290 Constituencies, we have 47 counties, and we wanted a Budget that touches every corner of this country in a manner that is equitable. I was looking at a Budget that makes life easier for Kenyans, a Budget that cushions Kenyans against the high cost of living by providing appropriate interventions on some of the economies of the people at the grassroots level; what you may call the kadogo economy. I was also looking at a Budget that spurs growth, because through growth we will create jobs and provide the extra impetus for our country to develop and grow.

I was also looking at a Budget that provides continuity for the many flagship projects that have been started, as well as for stalled projects that were started by previous governments and were not providing value for money. This is because it is not wise to invest, for example, Ksh1 billion in the construction of a road, which you abandon because the Exchequer is not able to fund, say, Ksh300 million to complete. You are therefore unable to enjoy the full

benefits of that project, and it is important that we provide resources, especially as we enter a campaign year, to complete stalled projects. We need resources to continue with the economic transformation under the BETA.

I am happy to report to Parliament that the overarching issues I was looking at in the Budget as an individual representative of the people of Kibwezi West have been addressed, and I am satisfied that the Budget presented by the Hon. Chairman today addresses the five critical areas I was interested in.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, you are aware that we listened to the Chairpersons of Committees and the National Treasury during the budget-making process. Something important happened as we were looking at this Budget. The Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury, Hon. Mbadi, a former Member of this House, appeared before our Committee. He made a revelation that is important for Kenyans to hear.

Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Members of Parliament sat immediately after the elections. The former President, Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta, was the chief guest in that meeting. According to Hon. Mbadi, he told them that he was so confident the current Government would not survive for three months due to where he had left this country. A meeting was held for the Azimio One Coalition, and according to Hon. Mbadi, the former President, Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta, told them that, where he had left this country, the current Government was not going to survive beyond three months after it came into office. You wonder what Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta knew about our economy or what he had done to it. However, this Government has survived through innovation, creativity, hard work and goodwill. This Government is delivering beyond expectations, and it has not collapsed.

Turning to specific State Departments, allow me to begin with the Ministry of Interior and National Administration. My claim to fame was joining Parliament in September 2022. In October, I brought before this House a Motion on the recognition and remuneration of village elders. This House agreed with me and approved the Motion.

I went through the Budget and Appropriations Committee to explore budgetary requirements necessary for its implementation. I am happy that, through the legislative and other processes of this House, the Ministry of Interior and National Administration and His Excellency the President, a directive was made in December last year. As a result, this Budget provides for the remuneration of over 150,000 village elders courtesy of the initiative of this House and the Motion I sponsored in the 13th Parliament. I know there may have been others before. All village elders in the Republic of Kenya, from Kwale to Garissa, from Turkana to Kisumu, and, importantly, in my constituency of Kibwezi West, will begin receiving a stipend.

It is important to understand that most of the village elders are past the employment age of 60 years. It is equally important to understand that most village elders rely on wisdom rather than on educational qualifications. Had we opted to put them under formal employment, the law would exclude many of them from these benefits because, under the Employment Act, if you are past 60 years, you cannot be employed. If we were also to employ them in formal employment, we would require them to have certain qualifications. Many of them, since they never went to school and rely on their wisdom, would have been cut off. That would have been unfair because they are the ones who have been doing this job. So, there is wisdom in providing an allowance and not a salary. This is just the beginning. There is more to come.

I know all of us represent constituencies, and this is a matter of concern. As we make the Budget for this year, every Member will have something to tell the village managers in their constituency—that they are going to get money to cater for transport and airtime.

There is an important initiative this Government started in the health sector: the health reforms under the Social Health Authority (SHA) and the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF). What we heard from the Departmental Committee on Health is that there are three categories of funding for our health system. The first is primary health care, which is funded

by the Exchequer. The second is the emergency, chronic, and critical illness care, which is also funded by the Exchequer. The Third is the SHIF, which is contributory in nature.

We have been having problems because primary health care has not been funded optimally. We are happy that this year we have increased funding for primary health care, freeing resources for other medical services provided at higher levels of our healthcare system.

As I conclude, as I see my time is coming to an end, I urge Kenyans to recognise that the benefits of this regime's initiatives are beginning to be felt and will be felt even more in the coming days. Therefore, there is a need for continuity so that we can steer this economy to the levels that will create enough jobs.

Member for Lugari.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for affording me the opportunity to contribute to this noble budget-making process. Whereas I rise to support the Budget, I have a number of issues to raise. I start by raising my concerns.

A whopping Ksh1.4 billion will be spent on developing dispensaries, health centres, and Level 4 hospitals. I am very much aware that under the Fourth Schedule, resources follow activities and functions. To that end, I am wondering whether, by appropriating this money to county governments, we are not creating room for it to be plundered. The same dispensaries will be reflected as having been developed by the respective county governments. That is my first concern. We do not seem to be living up to the spirit of the Constitution of 2010. I also want to raise a second concern regarding this Budget. There has been a very good attempt at what my brother, Hon. Mutuse, refers to as equity. However, even when you go into the dispensaries I am talking about, they tell a different story. My third concern, as I look at this Budget, is that there has been an attempt, and we can see it from various votes, to entrench the overbearing nature of the National Treasury. We see money being reduced here and increased there through National Treasury amendments. I do not think that should be the direction to go. Therefore, I call upon this House to rethink our budget- making process because once the National Treasury has provided the ceilings, it should leave Parliament to make the Budget. Allow me to look at various departmental budgets. I have argued on the Floor of this House that we must stop viewing education merely as a social enabler and instead as an economic one. If we were to look at it that way, then we should not be talking about a Ksh50 billion capitation shortfall. There is something about this capitation, especially for university funding and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVETs) , that I want to place before this House. Because of the shortage of capitation funds, when this money is given to the Universities Funding Board, the first thing they do is send upkeep funds to students. Consequently, universities hardly receive 40 per cent of the money they require for tuition because the available funds are inadequate. What are we seeing as a result? The problem we had attempted to solve, and which appeared to be improving in the 2024/2025 financial year, is returning. We are going back to where we were in 2023, when universities were struggling to meet their operational costs.

Therefore, I am calling upon this Parliament to allocate more money for capitation because that is where our lives are. We cannot be talking about going to Singapore if we cannot have our Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions performing. We cannot be talking about going to Singapore if our universities are struggling. If you look at the money going to the security sector, much of it is directed towards development. I was just running through the 14 sub-counties of Kakamega County to see whether there has been any development on a new police station. There is none. So, where does this development happen? I have seven police stations: Matete, Lumakanda, Chekalini, Pan Paper, Lugari, Chimoi and Lumani. It hurts that four of those police stations do not even have a vehicle. When I look at

developments in the police sector, you will find that the police station with very good offices, which is the one where they are taking on housing projects again. What about these other police stations? How can an Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPD) share the same vehicle with the Officer Commanding Station (OCS), the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers, and the operational staff, yet we have provided the resources? I call upon the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration to show some equity.

I appreciate two things about this Budget. One, in the roads sector, you can see an effort of some equalisation. For many years, in the western part of Kenya, from Nakuru towards Malaba and Kisumu, you would hardly find a tarmac road under construction. I appreciate that we can see it. For many years, the coastal region looked as if it were not part of this country. In this Budget, we can see something. Even if it is not enough, there is effort. I propose a policy shift in the last-mile electrification sector. Those of us who come from the western part of the country will agree that the projects that have been placed under Kenya Power are misplaced. The African Development Bank (AfDB) programme and the European Investment Bank (EIB) programme are unable to run the programme when, indeed, we have an institution called the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) with the capacity and capability to run that programme. Programmes that were launched on 4th November 2020 have not been completed to date, and yet money has been released by the banks to the contractors.

Finally, Hon. Temporary Speaker, I agree with the Leader of the Majority Party that

the Ksh400 million for public engagement is a waste, a total waste. We engage the public even on Fridays!

Hon. Member for Yatta.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me an opportunity to contribute to the Budget Estimates for the Financial Year 2026/2027. At the outset, this is a fairly decent Budget. I have many reasons for saying so. I will also state some of the flaws in the Budget.

I will start with the merits that I see in the Budget. It has prioritised key sectors of the economy. I am talking about agriculture, which has been the backbone of our economy since independence. If you look at irrigation, for example, there is an increase of Ksh4 billion in the amount appropriated in this Budget Estimates for the Financial Year 2026/2027 compared to the previous Financial Year 2025/2026. It is essential to support irrigated agriculture because, through food production, our country will take the next step in the right direction to achieve food security and align with Sustainable Development Goal number one: zero hunger.

Additionally, this Budget has appropriated funds for fisheries and the blue economy, with an increase of about Ksh500 million, which is half a billion, compared to the previous year. The blue economy is a key sector or department which generates employment for so many of our fishermen and fisherwomen across the country. This increment contributes significantly to the economic growth, particularly in different sectors of agriculture.

When I look at livestock development, there is also an increase of about Ksh301 million in these Budget Estimates compared to the previous year. This supports the State Department for Livestock Development. These are good or desirable results, particularly to the pastoralists across the country.

Another key sector that is prioritised is energy. There is an increment of about Ksh4.2 billion in this Financial Year compared to the previous year. There are so many areas in our country that are not connected to the electricity grid, especially in Yatta Constituency. Since 1963, when Kenya became an independent State, electricity connectivity in Yatta Constituency has been below 15 per cent. That is worrying. It explains the simple reason why we talk all the time about equity in the distribution of energy resources and electricity funds to support areas that have been marginalised in electricity connection. Yatta Constituency is one

of those constituencies that have been marginalised or excluded from electricity connection over the years.

Another sector that has been appropriated desirably is health. It has an increment of about Ksh1.68 billion in these Budget Estimates compared to the previous year. This is a good sign and remarkable progress because it will support Universal Health Coverage. It will also help Kenya to join other nations that are working strongly to attain or promote the well-being of citizens of all ages, according to Sustainable Development Goal number three. Therefore, when you look at those sectors, we have good reasons to support or say this is a decent Budget. Therefore, when you look at those sectors, we have good reason to support this Budget and to say that it is a decent one.

Another sector is education. In this Budget, provision has been made for the employment of 20,000 Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers. You can imagine that we still have many JSS teachers who have not been employed. We also continue to talk about capitation, which remains a key issue.

However, we have some shortcomings. One of them is roads. If you look at this year's allocation, there is a reduction of about Ksh6 billion in the roads sector. What are we saying about this? Our roads are in a poor state, largely because of the heavy rains we have experienced.

Therefore, reducing the allocation by Ksh6 billion in this year's Estimates is not a good sign. We need to re-examine this matter to ensure that our roads are maintained to motorable and acceptable standards, including bitumen standards where necessary.

Let me now turn to social protection. If you look at social protection, there is a reduction of about Ksh240 million compared to the previous financial year. Social protection programmes include initiatives such as cash transfers and cash-for-work programmes. The majority of beneficiaries are elderly citizens. That is why I say that this reduction is not desirable, particularly when we consider the many senior citizens who depend on these stipends. A reduction of Ksh240 million means that the number of beneficiaries under social protection programmes is likely to decrease.

Another reduction is in the cooperatives sector. There is a reduction of approximately Ksh899 million compared to the previous financial year, almost Ksh1 billion. We are talking about agricultural cooperatives and farmers who have organised themselves into cooperative societies and have benefited from Government support. If we reduce the allocation by Ksh899 million, we are likely to significantly affect the growth of our cooperative movement. That is not something any of us would want to see.

There is also a reduction in the petroleum sector of about Ksh350 million compared to what was appropriated in the previous financial year. This is a matter that requires careful consideration, particularly given the challenges facing the global petroleum market. If we reduce the allocation by Ksh350 million, we risk affecting economic growth at a time when we want to see the economy expand.

More importantly, having achieved about five per cent growth in the previous year, we would like to see projected growth exceed that level in the current year.

I also want to place emphasis on the remuneration of village elders. One of the notable achievements of the 13th Parliament has been securing some form of remuneration for village elders. We know that village elders play a critical role in the security sector because much of the grassroots intelligence in this country originates from them. Yet since 1963, when Kenya attained independence, most of them have served without any remuneration. These are people who have worked for the country voluntarily for decades. Many of them are elderly and depend heavily on medication.

As one advances in age, particularly after 60, various health challenges emerge, and healthcare becomes a necessity rather than a choice. That is why I say that, as a House, we can

take pride in having appropriated Ksh3,000 per village elder. It may appear to be a small amount, but it is better to have something than nothing, as they say, “better half a loaf than none”.

This is the first time that Parliament (the 13th Parliament) has recognised the contribution of village elders through a budgetary allocation. For that reason, it is a significant step forward.

I thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Let us have the Member for Vihiga County.

Order, Hon. Mishi Mboko. You know how I chair the House. You will get a chance to speak. Let her have her time. You will get an opportunity to contribute after she has finished.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the Budget Estimates for the Financial Year 2026/2027. I commend the Budget and Appropriations Committee, chaired by Hon. Atandi Samuel, for the good work it has done. They have touched on various departments.

I want to start with an issue that has been bothering me for a long time, namely, the stipend for village elders. As women, we rely heavily on village elders, especially in handling cases of gender-based violence (GBV) . They are the first leaders at the village level. We passed this proposal a long time ago. It should have been implemented by previous governments, but it was not. Therefore, this is a milestone. Village elders or managers are doing a great job. I congratulate the Committee for ensuring that funds have been allocated in the Budget for their stipend.

I also wish to comment on the amount of money set aside for infrastructure development. During the heavy rains, most roads in our region are washed away even after being murramed. More resources should be allocated in future budgets to upgrade these roads to bitumen standards. That will prevent the roads from being swept away during the heavy rains. Murram is expensive. I also noticed that funds have been set aside for the completion of the Jebrok-Hamisi Road, which I have consistently highlighted. I also noted the allocations towards maternity facilities, marketplaces and other projects that directly benefit women. The Committee has done commendable work in those respects.

Most roads have bridges. It is sad to see school-going children crossing rivers on makeshift structures consisting of only two poles placed across a river. The children have to balance themselves as they cross, which is not easy. I can see that funds have been set aside to upgrade some of those footbridges.

I am also pleased with the allocations to the agriculture sector. The agriculture sector is the backbone of our economy. It provides food for our people. Our nation thrives when our agriculture sector thrives. A well-fed population is gratifying to the citizens. A well-fed nation makes its citizens feel good. If you can remember, the last time we had a food shortage, people were moving all over, demonstrating with sufurias on their heads. A good amount of money has been set aside in the budget for fertiliser. If you look at our farms at the moment, crops are doing very well due to subsidised fertiliser. The Committee has done a good job. It has allocated enough funds to subsidise fertiliser. That is a plus for them.

On rural electrification, if you go to my village, which is quite remote, there is no electricity. A place like Musunguti sounds like it's in Congo, where there is an Ebola outbreak affecting us.

The Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) should bring electricity to all villages in Kenya, as all Kenyans deserve access to electricity. All Kenyans pay taxes, including those in Musunguti village that I am talking about. When people die in that village, they buy coffins. Payment for those coffins includes tax. When they buy bread, they pay tax. So, the people of Musunguti should be treated like Kenyans and not people from Congo, where there is Ebola.

REREC should ensure that all our villages have continuous power using the funds allocated for rural electrification. We should not just see poles being dropped all over and nothing happening, or having power for just two minutes, then going without it for four hours. I commend the Committee for allocating money for rural electrification. That will ensure that most of our villages are connected to the electricity grid.

Food security is very important. I feel encouraged to see the Secretary General of ODM sitting comfortably without a sufuria on her head. Hon. Catherine used to carry a big sufuria that could even break her neck. I can now see that she is comfortable because of the fertiliser that the Government gave out.

Education is also a very important sector. My colleagues have talked about teachers. We want to appreciate the current Government for employing more teachers, unlike the previous governments. Many of our people are trained as teachers, and the demand for employment with the TSC is very high at the moment. We need more teachers to be employed. We should not just talk about absorbing the 20,000 JSS teachers. There is a significant staffing shortage in our schools, yet we have so many unemployed, trained teachers. So, in the next budget or supplementary budget, the Budget and Appropriations Committee should allocate more funds to hire more teachers to be absorbed by TSC.

It should also allocate funds for paying examiners so that when teachers go to invigilate and mark examinations, they do not look like beggars at those centres. There should be enough money for them, and they should be paid up front for marking exams to motivate them. We should ensure that all agreements signed regarding teachers' salaries and other remuneration are addressed. If that is addressed, we shall have a country where students attend school without teaching challenges and where teachers are comfortable doing their work. We need more money for the Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF), National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Fund, and so forth.

Proceed,

Asante sana Mhe. Spika wa Muda. Napongeza Kamati ya Bajeti na Uidhinishaji wa Matumizi. Ningependa kuongea kuhusu makadirio ya Bajeti ya 2026/2027. Kwanza, ningependa kuzungumzia swala la ukanda maalum wa kiuchumi, kwa Kingereza Special Economic Zones, ambalo halijazungumziwa na Wabunge wenzangu. Kamati imeweka Ksh 690 milioni ambayo itaangalia mambo ya ukanda maalum wa kiuchumi. Nikiangalia jambo hili, litaboresha uchumi wa taifa letu, na pia litajenga ajira ya vijana wetu.

Naona kanda hizi zipo sehemu ya Naivasha, Kilifi, Pwani na hata Mombasa, katika Eneo Bunge la Likoni, ambalo nawakilisha. Tutakapokuwa na Bajeti ya Ziada, au kwa Kingereza Supplementary Budget, ningeomba Mwenyekiti tuweze kuongeza fedha. Hii ni kwa sababu hiki ni kitengo ambacho kitapanua uchumi wetu na kuweza kujenga ajira ya vijana wetu wengi. Ili kupunguza uhalifu na madawa ya kulevya baadhi ya vijana.

Jambo la elimu pia limeangaziwa kwa kipaumbele. Kwa vile tuna mfumo mpya wa elimu, lazima tutakuwa na mambo ya mpito, kwa kingereza transition. Hivyo basi, lazima tuwe na miundo misingi ya kuweza kupata madarasa, vifaa na waalimu zaidi ili kuhakikisha kwamba mfumo huu utawezekana kwa njia inayofaa. Nashukuru kwamba serikali hii imeajiri waalimu wengi, lakini bado hawatoshi. Makadirio yaliyowekwa yaangalie sehemu hii ya kuajiri waalimu sana.

Jambo lingine ni la afya. Kamati imezungumzia kuangalia mambo ya afya ya dharura, na maradhi sugu. Nikiangalia maradhi kama saratani, hapo awali, mfuko wa walioathitika ulikuwa umepunguzwa. Kwa sasa, tumeweza kupata Ksh134.6 bilioni. Tutaweza kuongeza mfuko wa waathiriwa wa saratani na kuongeza vituo katika kaunti zetu. Juzi na jana kule Mombasa, Waziri alifungua kituo maalum cha kisasa cha kukabiliana na saratani. Tunajua kuwa kina mama ndio tumeathirika sana na saratani.

Kamati pia imengazia kilimo samawati. Utawala uliopita ulisahau sana mambo ya kilimo samawati. Hapa ndipo ambapo tutaongeza uchumi wa taifa letu na ajira, haswa kwa wavuvi wetu na kina mama wanaofanya biashara za samaki. Pia itawezesha nchi yetu kuuza bidhaa zetu za baharini na katika ziwa zetu sehemu zingine, hivyo basi kujenga uchumi. Lakini, nimesikitika kwa sababu Bajeti ya awali ilikuwa Ksh8.2 bilioni, na sasa Bajeti imeweka Ksh7.39 bilioni. Wakati wa Bajeti ya Ziada, ningeomba Mwenyekiti na wajumbe wa Kamati waongeze Bajeti hii, kwa sababu ni sehemu ambayo ilikuwa imesahaulika. Ni sehemu ya rasilimali kubwa sana kwa taifa letu la Kenya.

Vilevile, nataka nizungumzie kituo cha teknolojoa ya Habari na mawasiliano, yaani ICT hub. Tumeona kuwa Wajumbe wengi wameshirikiana na Serikali Kuu na kuanzisha vituo hivi. Hivyo basi, fedha hizi zitumike kununua vifaa vitakavyowekwa katika vituo hivi ndio vijana wetu wajisaidie kutafuta ajira, kufanya biashara na pia kuwasiliana mitandaoni.

Vile vile namshukuru Rais wetu kwa kuweka historia kwa kuwapatia wazee riziki. Japo kuwa pesa hizi si nyingi, lakini ni mwanzo; na mwanzo wa ngoma ni lele. Tunajua huko mbeleni watapata fedha zaidi ya hizi. Pia, tumeongezewa mfuko wa maswala ya ugatuzi. Tunajua kuwa ugatuzi ndio utaleta maendeleo katika kaunti zetu zote na mashinani kwa Wakenya wote.

Ningependa kuzungumzia pesa za usawazishaji, yaani Equalization Fund. Kamati ya Bunge ya Bajeti na Uidhinishaji wa Matumizi imetenga fedha hizi ambazo zitawezesha sehemu ambazo kwa njia moja au nyingine zimeachwa nyuma kimaendeleo katika kilimo, elimu na mambo ya miundo misingi ya barabara. Wataweza kutumia pesa kama hizo ili kusawazishwa na wengine.

Tukizingatia kilimo, ambacho ni uti wa mgongo wa Taifa letu la Kenya, tumewekewa Ksh67.4 bilioni katika mambo ya kilimo, na Ksh13.2 bilioni katika mambo ya kilimo cha unyunyizaji wa maji. Fedha hizi zinapaswa kuzingatia sehemu kame kama zile za Kaskazini Mashariki, Pwani, Kinango na Kilifi Magarini, ambako ukulima umekuwa na shida sana. Tutumie fedha hizi kuweka usalama wa chakula katika Taifa letu la Kenya.

Nikiangalia mambo ya miundo misingi ya barabara, naona tumeekewa Ksh228.6 bilioni, na Ksh66.4 bilioni katika mambo ya uchukuzi. Serikali hii ya Wiliam Ruto imeanzisha barabara mpya na inataka kumaliza ujenzi wa barabara ambazo ziliachwa na utawala uliopita. Nakushukuru sana kwa sababu hata kule Pwani, tumeona barabara kubwa kubwa kama ile ya kutoka Mtwapa mpaka Malindi, barabara za Ganze, Magarini, Kwale, Tana River na hata Lamu, ambako kulikuwa hakuna hata lami. Sasa hivi wameanza kuona lami, na

pia barabara zingine zimetengewa fedha. Tunapotengeneza miundo misingi, basi uchumi wetu utapanuka, na miji yetu itaendelea na tutaishi maisha ya kustawisha kama Wakenya.

Tunapozingatia maswala ya kuboresha biashara, wafanyabiashara wakubwa na wale wadogo wametiliwa maanani. Serikali hii imeangazia vijana, walemavu na kina mama na kuwawezesha kuchukua tender katika makampuni tofauti tofauti na kujimudu. Tumeona ratiba ya NYOTA imeingaziwa pamoja na fedha za vijana. Maendeleo haya yatawafanya vijana kutoka kuwa waombakazi na kuwa waajiri.

Bajeti hii pia imezungumzia mambo ya usalama wa kitaifa, na usalama katika vitengo vya polisi, wanajeshi na ujasusi. Hivyo basi, tunapaswa kuwapatia polisi wetu na wanajeshi wetu mafunzo zaidi ili wakati wanahitajika kulinda usalama, waweze kujikimu. Vile vile pia, tuweze kuwaongezea nyongeza ya pesa za ziada, kwa wanaofanya kazi katika sehemu ngumu na zile za hatari sana. Bado zile pesa za nyongeza wanazolipwa ni chache sana. Hivyo basi, motisha yao huwa chini sana.

Mhe. Spika wa Muda, Bajeti hii imeangazia vitu vingi sana kama pensheni ya waalimu. Waalimu wengi waliostaafu wameishi katika maisha ya uchochole. Wengi wamefuatilia kupata pesa zao za pensheni, lakini wanambiwa wangoje kwani mfumo umekuwa hivi ama kumeenda vile. Sasa hivi, nashukuru sana. Nasema pia katika ile Bajeti, waweze kuongeza ili waalimu wetu ambao wameweza kustaafu waweze kuishi maisha ya kuheshimika.

Pia Kamati imenifurahisha sana. State House waliomba Ksh20 bilioni, lakini wakawapa Ksh13 bilioni. Inamaanisha kuwa Kamati ya Bajeti inatoa mgao kulingana na makadirio ambayo tunafikiria kama taifa. Hatuwezi kuweka makadirio makubwa ilhali tunaona pesa ambazo tutakusanya zitakuwa chache, na hatizafikia kiwango ambacho tunazungumzia.

Pia, naomba nizungumzie makaazi ya bei nafuu na ya kisasa, ile ambayo tunayoita affordable housing. Hii ni sehemu muhimu sana ya kuhakikisha kuwa Mkenya anapata makaazi na aweze kutumia pesa chache…

Member for Marakwet West. Hon. Timothy Kipchumba

: Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for granting me the opportunity to comment on the Budget Estimates for the Financial Year 2026/2027. From the outset, I thank the Committee for the report they have tabled. In my opinion, it is progressive.

I will comment on various areas. Firstly, there is the energy sector. I support increasing the funds allocated to the last-mile connectivity. We have significant challenges in this country, especially in certain constituencies. For example, in Marakwet West, we still have a connectivity rate below 30 per cent. However, REREC does not allocate these funds equally across constituencies. These resources should be allocated equitably so that constituencies with 80 per cent or 90 per cent connectivity are not given the same allocation as those with 20 per cent, 30 per cent, or less. Therefore, we need affirmative action in electricity connectivity.

I also support the budget allocation increment towards security matters. I wish to thank His Excellency, the President and the current Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, Hon. Onesmus Murkomen. Since this Government took office, we have seen improvements in security, especially in the Kerio Valley region. I therefore support increased funding for the security sector.

Over time in this House, Members have raised concerns regarding the operationalisation of gazetted administrative units. An increase in the security budget will ensure that the Ministry of Interior and National Administration can operationalise these gazetted units. In my constituency, I have been requesting that Kapcherop Sub-County be gazetted. With the budget increment, it will be gazetted and operationalised.

On the issue of village elders, which falls under the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, I sincerely thank this Government for considering the provision of stipends for village elders in this country. We have approximately 150,000 village elders nationally. To

start with, a stipend of Ksh3,000 is quite commendable. I believe we can increase it to Ksh10,000 or more in subsequent budgets.

I also support increasing funding for the education sector. This Government has given priority to education, having employed approximately 100,000 teachers. I also support the proposed increment to confirm 20,000 teachers on permanent and pensionable terms.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I propose that we still need to review the budget to confirm the remaining 24,000 teachers on internship to permanent and pensionable terms. I also equally support the promotion of teachers. Most teachers in this country have stagnated. In my opinion, the increment geared towards promoting these teachers is extremely progressive.

I sit in the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) requested an increase in the commission’s funding. We need to promote democracy in this country. I support the increment, but I also call on the IEBC to ensure that it conducts free, fair, transparent, and credible elections to justify the funding increment as per this year’s budget.

In agriculture, this Government has moved away from consumption subsidies to production subsidies. Therefore, I fully support the fertiliser subsidy because it will increase production, whether of maize or any other crop, and we shall be a food-sufficient country. In the road sector, I will be a happy man when the road from Rironi to Mau Summit is completed. Previous regimes did not allocate those road resources. I am extremely happy that, under the current Government, the President and this House have done their best to allocate resources so that the particular road could be completed. In future, we hope to see that road going to Eldoret and Malaba.

Be that as it may, we have allocated funds to the Ministry of Health for the construction of dispensaries and other health facilities. Under the Fourth Schedule of our Constitution, resources follow functions. If we allocate money to dispensaries, county governments may also allocate funds to those facilities, leading to duplication.

As a House, since we do these colourful allocations, we must ensure that we oversee the Executive. There is a reason why Montesquieu talked about the separation of powers; that for a proper, functional democracy, there must be the Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary. We must be firm as a House to oversee this budget. So that if there are excesses by the Executive or other Arms of Government, we must be firm to call out those excesses. As a House, we must also be firm in defending our budget and oversight to ensure that the money is used for and on behalf of our people, and for the benefit of our current generation and posterity.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Thank you. Hon. Members, if you did what he just did, we would save a few minutes and give all of us a chance to contribute. You do not have to go the whole 10 minutes. Next is the Member for Teso South.

Hon. Mwalyo, you are next; you do not have to approach the Chair.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute to this Motion. From the outset, I want to appreciate my colleagues, Members of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, for burning the midnight oil to ensure that the figures balance so we can discuss this budget.

I have looked at the Estimates and will summarise them in four points. The Budget and Appropriations Committee has attempted to address some of the concerns we, as Members, have had over time. We have discussed issues of equity and inclusivity in resource distribution. The Budget and Appropriations Committee has attempted to address that challenge. As I speak,

I am proud to say that Busia County, which has few tarmac roads, now has three. We have a road from Matayos to Mumbaka via Sio Port. There is another one from Matayos through Sio Port to Nakwanga. We also have another road from Butula to Nambale, Amukura, Kocholia, and Machakos, among other projects. Thank you for attempting to address equity, fairness, and inclusivity.

Number two, the Budget and Appropriations Committee has also focused on ensuring it has captured the Government's priorities. I must applaud them for that. Creating opportunities for young people is the biggest challenge that we have in this country. So, the Budget and Appropriations Committee has allocated funds to all parastatals addressing issues affecting young people through the NYOTA programme, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and all programs within that sector.

I look at the creative sector of this country today and see stadia everywhere, including in Wajir, where we celebrated Madaraka Day. We have our stadium being done in Busia. We have sports academies. In the next five to ten years, Kenya will be producing some of the world's best professional players, runners, and athletes across all categories.

In the agricultural sector, the issue of fertiliser subsidy has been allocated a budget of Ksh18 billion. That means that there is guaranteed food security in the country. The Budget and Appropriations Committee has tried to balance all sectors. Health and education have the lion’s share, and security. They have ensured that every sector has received some resources. I have also looked at other sectors.

In the energy sector, Ksh16.3 billion has been allocated to rural connectivity. That is an area of concern for all of us. We were with you in this House in the 11th Parliament. There was a policy on resource distribution for rural connectivity. Every Member automatically received a letter from REREC listing the number of regions we expected to present. You did not need to lobby as a Member for your constituency to get power. You did not need to make several trips to REREC or Kenya Power to get connectivity within your region. I do not know where the rain started beating us. We need to revisit and find out where the problem is. This will ensure that each constituency receives a guaranteed number of connections and that we can continue to ensure fairness and equity.

I have also looked at the security sector, especially the interior. There is an allocation of Ksh55.51 billion, with an increase of Ksh12.37 billion for the village elders' stipend. I think this is an honour to our departed colleague, Hon. Malulu, because he moved a Bill in this House to allocate certain resources to the village elders to appreciate the work they do. Today I am very proud that we have honoured him. I thank the President for this.

Village elders play a critical role in general administration and in supporting all Government functions at the grassroots level. This is a plus. But I want to say that, with this kind of allocation, I urge the Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Interior and National Administration to increase funding for operations at regional offices. Sometimes, these offices do not even have fuel. The National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) has to chip in to support them by buying tyres for their vehicles. Some of our police stations do not have vehicles. Therefore, vehicles and enhanced operational allocation for regional offices would be my plea in that sector.

In health, I am proud that there is a Ksh19.1 billion allocation for primary healthcare. But there is a problem there. The problem I see is the lack of civic education to create awareness. Most of the public resistance to registering with the Social Health Authority (SHA) stems from a lack of information. The information they have is propaganda on the ground. More money should be allocated towards civic education so that we can increase the number.

On dispensaries, I think this money should be reallocated and used to employ doctors and nurses. This is because most of the existing dispensaries across the country are understaffed. Therefore, it would be pointless to establish more when the existing ones cannot

operate. We need technicians to operate the equipment in those hospitals. This money, if you ask me, should be used to reinforce staffing at existing dispensaries. Establishing new ones can be done from the equitable share of funds allocated to county governments.

As I conclude, I also want to thank the President. For the first time in this term, we have employed more teachers than in any other Government. Now that confirmation has been received for the 20,000 interns who have been allocated Ksh4.9 billion, most of our schools will have enough teachers. Thereby reducing the burden on teachers and on parents who are required to employ additional teachers through Boards of Management. Therefore, I support this budget, but we look forward to improving further, especially in fairness and inclusivity.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Thank you. Member for Masinga.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for this opportunity so that I can contribute on the subject, on consideration of the Budget Estimates for the 2026/2027 Financial Year.

I want to start by stating that this Government has done fairly well. Although people might not see it, they keep on criticising. If you go to every constituency, because I have been on the NG-CDF Committee for 9 years, you will see the kind of development we have witnessed while inspecting the infrastructure built by the NG-CDF. It is significant. Therefore, let us give credit where it is due: the Kenya Kwanza Administration is doing well. Although the economy is very difficult and we have a lot of debt to pay, we are trying, and the Government is doing very well.

This budget has come at a time when we need all that is written in it implemented so that we can take this country forward as we approach the 2027 elections. I want to start with water and sanitation. I have checked and noted that the water and sanitation sector has been given Ksh4.3 billion. That money will be used to construct water dams and pans from Kisumu to Mombasa. Money has also been allocated to schools and colleges in water-scarce areas to drill boreholes. We are not left out. I have not been left out.

So, I am very grateful that we can equalise this country going forward, so that no one is left saying this administration left them out because they did not vote for it. This administration is so fair that even those who did not vote for it get a larger share than those who did. As far as I can see, money is distributed equally.

Also, there is a water-harvesting programme. I brought a proposal here that the water from the Masinga Dam, which spills over, should be channelled into a canal. So that we can do some irrigation, that is the kind of water programme we need to be food sufficient by irrigating our farms. Therefore, in the future, let us continue constructing large and small dams and water pans and operationalising water programmes. I have seen that some of the projects will be automated for irrigation purposes. I need such a programme in my constituency.

The enhanced crop and livestock development budget should focus on strengthening research to ensure that seeds are well researched and produced, enabling us to compete in the international market. We import a lot of seeds. Many international farms have their companies here. We import seeds for flowers, for horticulture and even French beans. So, if our research can equip us to produce some of the seeds used in horticultural products, it will help this country avoid spending money on seed imports.

Another point I want to discuss is the increment in the NG-CDF. It is 2.5 per cent of the 85 per cent which remains in the national Government. This Budget has increased the allocation for NG-CDF to Ksh61.2 billion and for the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) to Ksh4 billion. That means that every constituency will get an increment. Some constituencies are still lagging. We visited a constituency where two grades of pupils sit in the same classroom. One teacher faces one side, and the other faces the opposite side. Since

money has increased, we will be able to construct more classrooms so that there are enough students and teachers. This Budget has done well for constituencies.

The other issue, which Hon. Catherine has already talked about, is internal security. There are so many gazetted administrative units. Some of the sub-counties have been actualised, like the one in my constituency, but that administrative unit has nothing. It does not have a car or even a building. We had to renovate a building there so that the Deputy County Commissioner (DCC), the administration police, and other Ministry personnel who had been deployed there could have an office to sit in. Therefore, NG-CDF has come in handy in constructing these offices for them. So, the Ksh8.1 billion should do a lot for our actualised units.

Internal security should not depend on allocations from the NG-CDF, as such allocations are insufficient. The building design for the Sub-County Headquarters Office is so massive that the NG-CDF cannot fund it unless the project is implemented over five years. Thus, we need assistance from the Ministry of Interior and National Administration to allocate funds for the construction of these administrative units and staff offices.

Lastly, the Committee on NG-CDF visited digital hubs in every constituency and found them without computers. The Ministry should be given the money that I have seen in the budget. So that they can equip the digital hubs to enable young people to apply for digital jobs and do their homework, while others learn online.

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

Thank you. We will have Hon. Peter Orero, followed by Hon. Catherine Omanyo from this side. Then, from this other side, after Hon. Omanyo, we will move to Hon. Marianne Kitany, followed by Hon. Adams, then Hon. Sigei.

Go ahead, Member for Kibra.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to make my humble contribution towards these Budget Estimates. From the beginning, I wish to convey my gratitude to the Budget and Appropriations Committee.

The budget-making process is now very detailed. We started from the Budget Policy Statement, where we engaged and also put the aspirations of our people. We now have the opportunity to review the Estimates and allocate the required funds, although these are from the National Government. However, the Departmental Committees now have the power to put forward the Estimates. I was happy to hear the Chairman of the Budget and Appropriations Committee say that 99 per cent of the departmental budgets included in these Estimates have not been changed. This reflects the people's budget.

We have a budget for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) . We have transitioned from the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) to the Social Health Authority (SHA) , and I have seen money allocated for UHC. My constituency is one of those where we have only one Level 4 Hospital. For the most part, this hospital lacks medicine and is not properly equipped. When I see that we have a budget for the development of hospitals and health centres, I believe that this will be done equitably.

We will ensure equal allocation of this funding. In some of our constituencies with informal settlements, we have deserving people who need UHC. I wish to see a time when our people walk into hospitals to be treated and leave without paying a single cent for the rest of their lives. A country with healthy personnel will bring greater development. We cannot have a sick society and then expect to improve our economy. This is one of the areas that led me to support this Budget, as it focuses on UHC for Kenyans.

The Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, through REREC, has done a commendable job in the past. For example, in my constituency, they have installed lighting on all the roads, covering over four kilometres. If you walk through my constituency now, you will see a lot of

lighting. That is not the reason I support this Report. I have seen an increase in REREC’s connectivity allocation. This means that those areas which have not been connected in our constituencies will be considered. This will reduce criminal activity in informal settlements. When this Budget is equitably distributed, we will have allocations in our constituencies.

Basically, I would like to talk about education. For the first time, the budget in our education sector has increased to Ksh781.5 billion. Although it is not enough for the sector, 20,000 intern teachers will be employed permanently in our schools. This will motivate those who have not been employed. In the future, we will have more teachers caring for our children.

In recent years, we have seen a lot of restlessness within our institutions. One area we need to look at is capitation in these institutions. Sometimes schools do not receive capitation on time. Therefore, the administrators in some of these schools do not have enough funding to sustain students. Therefore, as these funds increase to Ksh781.5 billion, we expect the national Government to release capitation funds to schools so they can sustain our students within our institutions and deter some of these riots.

Last year, our schools that participated in co-curricular activities were not paid for a whole year. It took the intervention of our Departmental Committee on Education three months ago to ensure that these teachers were paid their money from the zonal, regional, national, and East African levels.

Therefore, with this Budget, we expect the Ministry of Education to have its own budget and not rely on the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, so that our teachers can be paid on time. Competency-Based Education (CBE) is now about pathways.

Hon. Orero, please wind up.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I was saying that our teachers, who take care of our children and accompany them during co-curricular activities, should be paid on time. This will encourage them to continue giving their best in the three pathways under the CBC, including the Sports and Arts pathway.

With that contribution, I support the Budget Estimates.

Thank you. Member for Busia County.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I fully support this Budget. In fact, we now have the most qualified Chairperson who has ensured that marginalised areas have not been forgotten. In his leadership of this Committee, he has made a greater effort to ensure a fair allocation of resources across the Republic of Kenya. I have perused the Budget Estimates and noted that, while recognising the Government's need to raise revenue, the Committee has also taken into account the prevailing economic realities and juggled well.

Infrastructure is one area that has particularly caught my attention. Most places in Kenya that did not receive fair allocations, including my county, Busia, have received significant allocations. I have seen funding earmarked for the construction of a modern stadium. When we invest in infrastructure, we nurture and develop the talents of our young people. This will create opportunities for those whose strengths lie outside academics, enabling them to succeed and become productive members of society. I know infrastructure will be well invested, and this will stimulate economic growth. Areas that have previously lagged or have been poor at development will become more accessible and attractive to tourists.

As I reflected on the northern and eastern parts of Kenya, I thought about countries such as Dubai and Qatar. Those areas have changed. There was a time when these areas were considered unattractive due to their desert environment. But with such investment, we can transform our own arid and semi-arid regions. Young people everywhere, whether in arid or semi-arid areas or in good places, get frustrated when there are no jobs. Insecurity is also part of the problem that the country is facing.

I am equally happy with the allocations to the health and education sectors. Additional resources have been provided for classrooms and other facilities to support the implementation of the CBC. I have also noted allocations for teacher promotion. As a teacher myself, I can confidently say that teachers invest in children. They invest their time, might, knowledge and anything else they have to ensure that children succeed. Teachers spend a lot of time raising children from homes where parents are hardly ever there, like me here. I left at 5.00 am, and I am still here. Teachers take care of our children, yet what they earn or how long they wait for a promotion is unfathomable. So, I am happy that about 25,000 teachers will get this promotion. We still need more teachers to be promoted. There was a promise of about 50,000 teachers, but half a loaf is better than none.

I have also noted the allocation of approximately Ksh500 million towards child welfare programmes. I own a school, and many students that I handle are either orphaned or come from homes of irresponsible adults. Sometimes we have extended families in our villages. If somebody's aunt or uncle is sure that a child who lacks school fees can benefit from Government support, funds are allocated to cater for such children. Then it becomes easier for family members to take them in and provide shelter. School fees and other related costs can be borne by the Government, especially in emergencies.

We do not have decent facilities at police stations to cater for children who may be lost or have run away from torture or mistreatment by their caregivers. Such funding for institutions that care for children is a big relief. There is also the issue of village elders. When I was new to this Parliament, I strongly argued that village elders are our grassroots administrators, yet their salaries or wages had been effectively neglected.

I am very happy because they will now be more motivated and will provide proper information to the chiefs. That will help a lot in the villages because security is paramount. Village elders know and understand each household very well, including children who may be engaging in harmful activities to the community. There is much I can say, but because of time, I will stop there.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity you have given me.

Let us have the Member for Aldai.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I rise to support the 2026/2027 Budget Estimates fully. From the outset, this is the last Budget to be fully implemented during the term of the 13th Parliament.

The Budget has tried to balance all sectors of our economy, with the education sector receiving the lion's share. Since education is the great equaliser in our country, it is receiving a budget of about Ksh781 billion, up from Ksh755 billion. Regarding revenue projections, we are targeting a 6 per cent increase in revenue collection, from the current Ksh3.4 trillion to about Ksh3.6 trillion. We are also seeing a decline in the fiscal deficit, which has been weighing heavily on the economy, from 6.4 per cent to about 5.4 per cent.

I want to highlight a few issues. One is the matter of village elders, which many Members have mentioned. I remember that after the 13th Parliament was sworn in, one of the first issues we considered was the remuneration of village elders, whom some Members now refer to as village managers. This initiative has come a long way. Today, we are proudly providing them with a stipend of Ksh3,000. Even though it is a modest sum, it marks the beginning of a journey that, for many years, has not been given due consideration, despite the immense amount of work that village elders do in our communities.

The confirmation of the 20,000 junior secondary school intern teachers will go a long way in increasing the number of teachers employed under this administration. As I have said, education is the great equaliser. So far, the employment of 100,000 teachers, the confirmation of an additional 20,000 intern teachers, and the promotion of another 30,000 teachers are significant steps to support the education sector. This is a major achievement for both the sector

and the Government, which has demonstrated a commitment to learners' welfare and the education system.

Our agriculture sector has not been left behind. The allocation to our fertiliser subsidy programme is set to increase to about Ksh18 billion. This is a commendable increase, given that we are an agricultural economy. Therefore, allocating Ksh18 billion to this sector is a positive initiative by the Government. Substantial resources have been allocated to coffee seedlings. We know that coffee is the second-most-traded commodity in the world, after oil. Most parts of this country, and almost all 47 counties, are very good areas for coffee growing. Then, increasing the number of coffee seedlings will increase the amount of coffee this country can produce. We will regain our lost glory as one of the major coffee exporters, the glory we once had in the old days.

I like what this budget says about election preparedness. We are going into a General Election next year. In terms of election preparedness, I think the IEBC and the security sector have been adequately funded to ensure a free and fair election. Many of our competitors are trying to cast aspersions on the question of whether elections will be free and fair. The first sign of a free and fair election is the allocation of resources to the security sector, because it is very important, and to election preparedness through the IEBC, which is already receiving funds.

Specifically, again, what touches on places like my constituency is the issue of roads. For the first time, this Government has brought equity in infrastructure development in this country. For many years, infrastructure development was concentrated in one area. This particular time, the roads that are being constructed, especially in this coming budget, include specific roads that, for a long time, our people have cried for. In my constituency, for example, the roads between Enengo, Savani, and Nandi Hills, and another from Potopoto to Kobujoi, have been added to the infrastructure projects to be implemented in this regime by this Government and the 13th Parliament. I want to say thank you so much to the Government, and, more importantly, to note that these projects are in this budget. We can see that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

As I talk about roads and last-mile connectivity, we see our villages being lit. From 22 per cent in my constituency, we are now moving to close to 70 per cent by the end of this term. Given that more money is being invested in last-mile connectivity, we are seeing many of these projects removed from the budget and placed under the National Infrastructure Fund to enable them to run. Finally, on the production sectors of our economy, that is trade, investment and industrialisation, the only issue I have there is that the budget ceilings for those sectors are still low, yet they are the production sectors. We need to consider increasing the budget ceilings for those sectors in the future if we want to grow our economy's GDP. That will help increase revenue in this country and, therefore, promote our GDP.

Finally, I would like to talk about the issue of County Aggregation and Industrial Parks (CAIPs). As the Departmental Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, we have travelled across the country to examine the implementation of CAIPs. A few counties have really achieved their CAIPs. I am happy that this particular budget now goes into equipping those CAIPs. So that they become a reality for this country, and our youth can be employed, and others can do business.

I thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Very well said. The Member for Keiyo North.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for this opportunity. I rise to support the Report by the Budget and Appropriations Committee. I will go directly to the specifics. First, I will start with the agricultural sector.

It is said that a country that does not plan for its food security is not a progressive nation. Ksh18 billion, meant to cover the fertiliser subsidy, will cushion farmers against delays during the planting season, as is currently happening. I wish this programme would be expanded, maybe even to cover some of the waivers we are seeing in other sectors, like coffee. This is because most farmers have loans with the Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC). Maybe next time, when we consider this matter, we can adjust it as a House. It should be remembered that this is the only Government that has made prior arrangements to the extent that we are not importing maize from other countries due to such important measures.

Another crucial sector is rural electrification. The Ksh16.3 billion allocated to the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) will somehow cure the problems we are facing as a nation. What remains is for us to see equitable distribution of these projects, because for many years we have seen some areas with a high percentage of electricity connectivity still being given priority. If REREC can now assess the distribution of electrification on a need basis, it will cure the imbalances that we have faced for many years.

The education sector is very important. Education has received the biggest allocation in this year’s Budget because it is a very important sector. The sum of Ksh4.9 billion allocated to this sector will support the confirmation of intern teachers to permanent and pensionable status. This will ensure that, in the long run, we have enough human capital to support our learners. A sum of Ksh9.9 billion will support the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) to carry out its mandate. As we approve this allocation, we must call upon KNEC to ensure that they administer national examinations devoid of cheating. We are facing that problem as a country. Lately, there have been many instances of examination leakages. If not curbed, this menace will eventually affect the authenticity of our academic certification.

The road sector is amongst the other important sectors. I thank His Excellency the President for personally ensuring equitable distribution of the road network across Kenya. Yesterday, we saw a picture of the President in the North-Eastern Region. Many areas of this region have not had a single kilometre of tarmac road since independence. The construction of the Rironi-Mau Summit Road will open up Western Kenya. That is a sector which has been left out for a very long time. In Keiyo North Constituency, some of the spare roads have been left out, but I am lucky because at least the Kapkoi - Kapteren - Chepkinoy - Kipsoen Road has finally been taken on board.

Another critical sector is security. A secure nation ensures that its citizens live in peace. Security provides an ideal environment for economic activities to take place. What remains is the timely disbursement of the allocated resources to support the implementation of the various programs. If we delay the disbursement of capitation funds for our schools, we are likely to face challenges. The National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) bursaries are not enough to run our institutions.

Sectors such as the leather industry and affordable housing are drivers of economic growth. They will help us to grow as a nation. There is only one sector I would ask Hon. Members to consider going forward. There is some funding to finance the Locally-Led Climate Action Programme, which is implemented by the county governments. As we allocate these funds,we must enhance the oversight mechanism. Most county governments do not implement this programme, even though they receive the funds. It is a blanket budgetary allocation intended to restore degraded ecosystems, increase forest cover, and strengthen community resilience. We have to enhance oversight in this area to ensure that people do not siphon out public funds.

Lastly, I would like to call upon other people, including the former President, to play the role of statesmanship instead of lamenting about how we are making progress. This is because the problems we are currently facing as a country are mostly the ones that he caused as an individual when he was in power. He must be reminded that since he left the government,

we have not imported sugar or maize. Neither are we facing the level of insecurity that we experienced before.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

On a point of order, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

What is your point of order, Hon. Kaguchia?

Hon. Speaker, is it in order for the Honourable Member to negatively discuss a former Head of State in this House without moving a substantive Motion?

Which Standing Order has been infringed?

Which Standing Order?

Order.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, the former Head of State that the Honourable Member has alluded to is His Excellency, Uhuru Kenyatta. He has clearly indicated…

Which Standing Order has been flouted? That is why I am giving you a chance.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, you are aware that we are not supposed to discuss or debate…

Which Standing Order has been breached, Hon. Kaguchia? You have been a speaker before. Which Standing Order?

Hon. Temporary Speaker, our Standing Orders prohibit us from debating any Head of State or any Excellencies in this Assembly without moving a substantive Motion.

My question is very simple. Which Standing Order has been breached?

Hon. Speaker, even though I have not stated the exact Standing Order, you know very well that we are not supposed to do what the Honourable Member has done. You ought to have established that the Honourable Member had infringed a specific Standing Order.

Order! There is no Standing Order that has been flouted. Therefore, you are out of order.

We will have the Member for Sotik, followed by the Member for Kapenguria.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me this rare opportunity to also contribute my thoughts on this very important Report.

I thank the Chairperson and the Committee for the effort they have put into the budget-making process and for bringing these Budget Estimates to the House for adoption. I have been in Parliament for about four years now. What I have witnessed is a significant improvement in the Budget-making process. The process is becoming more progressive and responsive to people's needs.

I want to state that the Committee listened to Kenyans. The Committee undertook public participation. The architecture and design of the Budget process are informed by the views of Kenyans. Citizens continue to ask questions about how this Budget is formulated and implemented. I am satisfied that the Committee took those concerns into account. I thank the Committee for listening to the people of Kenya.

One very important thing that has happened, which I am particularly passionate about, is the consideration of the welfare of village elders. As you may know, I worked in the Provincial Administration. During the five years that I served there, I worked very closely with

village elders. For me, this is an emotional moment because village elders have toiled for this country for decades, rendering invaluable service. For 63 years, they remained unrecognised. Today, they are finally being recognised by the government.

Hon. Adams Korir, kindly take your seat. Hon. Members, this debate will ultimately be put to a vote. Going forward, I will not allow any Member to speak and then leave the Chamber. Who will decide on the fate of the Motion once we conclude the debate? It is out of order for a Member to speak, have other Members listen to them and then walk out immediately. It is just out of order. Please, remain in the Chamber.

Proceed, Hon. Sigei.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I want this House to recognise the late Hon. Malulu Injendi because he was, in many ways, the architect of this very important proposal that we are discussing today. I wish to thank him posthumously for his commendable work in championing the welfare of village elders. The Ksh3,000 stipend may not be much, but it is a significant start. It is a work in progress. I believe that, as a country and as a House, we should increase this allocation in the next financial year so that village elders receive better support and recognition for the important role they continue to play in our society. I sit in the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security. I am happy that most of the issues we proposed, as Members of the Committee, have been captured.

On a point of order, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Order. Take your seat, Hon. Sigei. Go ahead, Hon. Makali Mulu.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I do not intend to disrupt my good friend, the ambassador, but since this is a House of record, it would be proper for me to state for the record that motions considering giving a stipend to the village elders were brought to this House by quite a number of Honourable Members at different times. Is it in order for the Hon. Sigei to single out just one Member and leave out the others? We need to appreciate the efforts of all the other Members who brought the matter to this House. There is even a Bill by Hon. Mutuse, which is yet to become law.

If I remember very well, the late Hon. Malulu Injendi’s Motion was passed by the House. The Bill has not been passed.

Order. Hon. Makali Mulu, I will give you a chance to contribute to this matter so that you appreciate the rest. The point you raised is very important, but when a Member remembers only one instance, we should allow them to do so. Hon. Sigei, you are reminded that, apart from the late Hon. Malulu Injendi, two other Members have brought similar Motions to the House. I do not think anything is out of order by singling out one person.

Go ahead.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I respect my friend, wakili, but I think he should have informed me. He should have raised a point of information. He should have informed me that other Members had brought similar Motions before. Nevertheless, I accept what he has said.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, the security sector has been given a lot of attention, and rightly so. I wish to point out the issue of the Police Air Wing. You may recall that the only

airworthy aircraft that belonged to the National Police Service (NPS) had been taken over by the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), but it has since been returned to the NPS. We recommended that a sum of Ksh800 million be allocated to the Kenya Police Service for the purchase of a fixed-wing aircraft and a helicopter, and an additional Ksh200 million be allocated for the overhaul of existing aircraft. I want to say that we are very happy. We thank the Budget and Appropriations Committee for considering the matter. I thank the Chairperson of the Committee, now that he has come in. He talks less. I thought he was listening to me. I thank the Chairperson. He is very good and has done a commendable job.

I also want to mention the issue of the National Government Administrative Officers (NGAO), who work diligently in this country, together with the police. We have enhanced the allocation for the purchase of motor vehicles, but they need more support, including more fuel.

There is also the issue of teachers. We thank the President of this country for employing 100,000 teachers within a span of three years. We are also pleased that the intern teachers, who are about 24,000, are going to be confirmed to permanent and pensionable terms of service. It is, however, disheartening that a cohort of teachers who graduated as far back as 2010 have not yet been employed. I would like to see the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) employ all the teachers who graduated from teacher training colleges a long time ago.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, on education, capitation is one of the most important things, but there is a major problem in this area. We have a lot of problems with the disbursement of capitation funds on time in both primary and secondary schools. Managing schools without capitation is a big challenge.

I commend the actors in the energy sector for the excellent job they are doing. We have the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) and the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC), even though the funded electrification schemes have not commenced operations. I want to ask KPLC to pull up their socks. I commend the government for its effort.

With those few remarks, I support.

Thank you. Next is the Member for Kapenguria.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I want to sincerely thank the Budget and Appropriations Committee, led by the Chairperson, who has just walked out, and the Vice-Chair, who is seated here. I want to caution my colleagues who are praising the Budget against becoming sycophants as they talk about the issue of teachers. I am a teacher by profession and a Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) unionist.

other day, we saw what happened to Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil. That school is not a private academy. It is a government school that is surrounded by several KDF installations, including the main Gilgil Barracks, Kenyatta Barracks (Western Command), and the National Youth Service Paramilitary Academy. As the girls were getting burned, nobody from the institutions I have mentioned went to rescue them. I have served in this House for a long time. When I say “No”, it is “No” and when I say “Yes”, it is “Yes”.

There are some counties, like mine, which were closed districts during the colonial period. The Kapenguria Six, comprising the late Jomo Kenyatta and the others, were taken to Kapenguria via Lodwar and Samburu. Most of the missionaries in Kapenguria came through Uganda. There is a place called Keringet in West Pokot, where there is a security barrier at the border of Tran Nzoia and West Pokot Counties.

The Constitution of Kenya 2010 talks of equitable distribution of resources across the country so that the regions that were left behind development-wise, as a result of the application of Sessional Paper No.10 of 1965 on African Socialism, can be considered for affirmative action to bring them in line with the rest of the country. That is the purpose for which the Constitution created the Equalisation Fund. Initially, 14 counties were identified to benefit from the Equalisation Fund. Subsequently, several other counties demanded a share of the Equalisation Fund. As we speak, there are no Equalisation Fund programs going on in the initial 14 counties. The Equalisation Fund, which was supposed to be handled by the National Government, is now being handled by the county governments. The governors are now enjoying. That is why I request this House to further scrutinise what the Equalisation Fund is doing. A governor has money for roads, water and hospitals. Why is the Equalisation Fund going into the governor's hands instead of supporting national government programs in the county?

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I sit in the Departmental Committee on Social Protection. We went to Kakamega and Kisumu Counties and found young children in primary and secondary school in prison. We went to Malindi and found the same issue. We were told that an 11-year-old child is in prison. Members of Parliament are also parents. Each of us has a child. Let us go and see what is happening there. There was a time we were in government and opposition. In the Financial Year 2022/2023, we were in the opposition in the Kenya African National Union (KANU) Party. The same chorus is being sung here. We have the Constitution of Kenya 2010. We are among the three Arms of the Government. As the Legislature, we are elected by the people. Let us protect them. Appointees of the Executive and the Judiciary are not elected by the people.

Thank you. Mungu awabariki.

Next is the Member for Nyatike, who will be followed by Hon. Kaguchia. Thereafter, we will come to this side.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me a chance to contribute to the Budget Estimates. I have tried to scan all the issues related to the proposed Budget. There are a number of issues that I want to raise. The most unfortunate thing is that I will repeat some of them. I will try to be very brief.

Regarding agriculture, I must say this is a very positive move. Reflecting on our country, when we talk about food security, and you compare it with Ksh106.8 billion allocated for agriculture, you will agree with me that it is a very positive trend. We must provide our people with enough ingredients for our country to sustain its own food-related issues. An area of concern which I want to raise here is the cost of seeds and fertilisers. At times, it hinders most of our people from quality farming and agriculture.

Additionally, the distribution of fertilisers is not equitable. When we provide an improved Budget to ensure food security through agriculture, we should ensure that all areas in the country that can produce through rain-fed agriculture or irrigation have sufficient support so that we get enough food from our inputs.

Regarding energy, I sit on the Departmental Committee on Energy. There is a need for equity in the distribution of electricity in our country. In the current allocation, we still consider every part of this country as equal. An examination of the current allocation to the energy sector shows that we continually consider every part of this country as equal. However, we are well aware that some areas are lagging behind in terms of electricity connectivity. It is high time we addressed this issue to ensure that areas that are behind are brought to a reasonable level of equity with those that have developed. If we continue to treat all regions the same, some regions will remain perpetually behind in electricity connections.

Regarding roads, I want to specifically address the low-volume seal roads we developed. A majority of these roads are in a deplorable condition as they cannot accommodate the traffic directed onto them. Therefore, I request that a portion of the money currently allocated for roads be directed towards maintaining those roads. Those roads penetrate our villages, farms and the neediest areas. If we allow them to deteriorate, our country will regress. There is no way we can take pride in our national development if we lack adequate roads. It is important that we allocate sufficient funds to ensure that the low-volume sealed roads remain motorable.

Concerning health, I would like to echo what my colleagues have mentioned. We understand that health services are devolved. However, we still encounter regions without hospitals. Even where hospitals exist, they often lack the necessary resources. If the national government intends to strengthen health services in our counties, we must be clear about how funds will be allocated. We cannot simply allocate money without a defined strategy for where it will be directed. There are areas which are in dire need of assistance, and if we allocate funds without proper guidance, we risk providing financial support that does not benefit Kenyans in terms of healthcare.

Regarding the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA), I thought the funds allocated to KEMSA were meant to be revolving. Before we provide additional funds for drug procurement, we need to know how much revenue they have generated from the supplies they have sold. We should not just allocate more money without understanding how their current stock has been utilised and how the new funds will benefit the country.

In terms of public administration, I concur that there is a need to provide motivation for our village elders. However, there must also be legislation to protect them. Simply providing financial incentives could lead to high turnover rates among those in charge, such as chiefs, sub-chiefs and other local administrators. These administrators will need a level of discipline and loyalty to sustain the money for the elders. A legal framework is necessary to protect these hardworking village elders from intimidation related to the funds.

On the topic of education, I wish to emphasise the need for action concerning pre-primary education. Last week, while in Kisumu, I interacted with parents who expressed concern about the rising costs of pre-primary education. It appears that fees for pre-primary education are now surpassing those for high school, which is a significant burden for many families. As a nation, we must re-examine pre-primary funding as we work towards improving our education budget, as many parents find it increasingly difficult to afford pre-primary education fees for their children.

Regarding employment, we also need a policy that automatically employs teachers who are aged 40 and above. Otherwise, we risk losing trained teachers who retire before being employed. The Departmental Committee on Education has indicated support for the proposed Budget increase. This increase is important for safeguarding our educational interests. It is not

a mistake for an individual to undergo primary school teacher training with the expectation of being employed.

Thank you. Next is Hon. Kaguchia.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I would like to raise my reservations on quite a number of issues in our Budget. Many Members have praised it, as I have listened to the debate. However, I hope they are also aware that this Budget carries the highest deficit in the history of this Republic. It has a deficit of Ksh1.1 trillion. This is going to set this country on a path of increased borrowing.

Order, Chairperson of the Budget and Appropriations Committee.

On a point of order, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

What is out of order? Hon. Kaguchia, take your seat.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, Hon. Kaguchia is my friend. I do not wish to disrupt him, but I would like to inform him that the fiscal deficit is measured as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) . In the Estimates we are discussing, the projected fiscal deficit is 5.4 per cent. During the regime of President Uhuru Kenyatta, the fiscal deficit stood at 8.9 per cent of GDP. Therefore, saying that this is the highest fiscal deficit in the history of this country’s budget-making is not correct. In fact, the projected fiscal deficit is among the lowest in recent history.

You have made your point. Hon. Kaguchia, proceed.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I would also like to inform the Chairperson of the Budget and Appropriations Committee that we have many cooked statistics in this Republic today. The statistics being presented are projections. They are not actual figures. We are operating under a deceptive system of moving targets every day.

Kenyans do not rely solely on statistics. What matters is the reality on the table. The fact that we have a Ksh1.1 trillion deficit means the Government of Kenya will inevitably have to borrow more. Reliance on borrowing is likely to expose many of the projects we are approving to jeopardy.

We also have pending bills that must be factored into this Budget.

Please protect me from the Chairperson of the Budget Committee.

Order, Hon. Atandi!

Thank you. I wish to make it clear that pending bills should also be considered as part of the Budget deficit we have here. These are goods and services that have already been supplied by Kenyans, yet those Kenyans have not been paid. At the same time, we continue to prioritise repayment of loans owed to foreign lenders and governments before paying our own citizens. If we properly catered for pending bills in this Budget, we would stimulate the economy. We would have money in our pockets. This is probably one of the reasons why money is not circulating in the economy.

At one of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) meetings I attended with the Chairperson of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, we made it clear that pending bills

and securitisation obligations should also be included in Kenya's loan book. That is what we want to see happening.

We are also looking for equity and fairness. This is mandatory. It is not debatable. It is not optional or negotiable. The Kenyan Budget must reflect equity and fairness. If you look at this Budget, you will notice that it is quite lopsided towards certain regions. In particular, the budget is committed to expenditures related to the comfort of the Executive. For instance, the allocations to State House and Government Coordination total approximately Ksh 30 billion. This is money that could be redirected towards health, school capitation and other critical areas, including the settlement of pending bills, which would be helpful to our economy.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I am happy that we have raised the issue of paying the village elders. We have debated the matter many times and decided to pay them. Based on the budget allocation of Ksh3.9 billion, my calculation shows that this amounts to a meagre Ksh3,000 stipend for each village elder. We could not have waited this long and debated this far only to give them Ksh3,000. These are people who do so much work on the ground. They require raincoats, airtime, transport, torches, gumboots, and shoes as they work on the ground. I propose that this category of people be remunerated at nothing less than Ksh7,500 per month.

In the same breath, I propose that the Community Health Workers and Volunteers should have an addition to what they are getting today, which is Ksh2,500 from the national Government and Ksh2,500 from the county government, which sometimes delays and sometimes does not come. I propose that we have this amount raised to Ksh7,500.

With regard to the issue of intern teachers, we must also factor in enough money to cater for them. In terms of the road sector, I am looking at roads in Mukurweini, which must also be catered for. We have the Kaheti - Mutuawathi - Gikondi - Githagara Road. Mukurweini Township roads, such as the one linking Mukurwe-Ini Boys High School with Mununu, Muote, and Karimuruli. I am looking at all these roads, which must be done.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, we have the coffee debt waiver of Ksh2 billion. We have had it in the Budget before, but the funds have never been released from the Exchequer, and this is a big problem. We also expect that the Cherry Fund, which has been dropped in favour of seedlings, will be reinstated because this will expose coffee farmers to high-interest commercial loans. I am also proposing that we have Exchequer releases for all the projects that have been budgeted for, because that is where we have had a very big problem before. We have had programs that have been budgeted for, but they are not funded because money is not released.

When we talk about intern teachers, school capitation...

Member for Moiben, our time is almost up. I will indulge you if you can take three minutes. The Member for Turbo will follow for another three minutes. Hon. Mogaka will also have three minutes.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to also add my voice to the debate on the Budget Estimates. I congratulate the Budget and Appropriations Committee, led by the able Chairperson, for spearheading the Ksh4.8 trillion budget for the Financial Year 2026/2027.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, one thing that I really appreciate in this Budget is the education sector, where money has been appropriated to complete the 57 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVETs) that have been pending, and for infrastructure development at several TVETs across the country.

As we embrace the Competency-Based Education (CBC) and the different pathways, it is very important to build and improve the infrastructure in the various TVETs so that students can get skills to avert the issue of unemployment in Kenya. Unfortunately, there is a decline in the budget provided for university education. Some universities, such as the University of Nairobi, Egerton University, and Moi University, received reduced budgets for infrastructure

development. How I wish we could improve funding for our universities. As long as we do not adequately resource our universities, they will be poorly ranked internationally and may not attract international students. That sector needs some improvement.

I am excited that intern teachers will be employed on permanent and pensionable terms. That is a positive indicator. I am sure most Members have been receiving messages from those teachers inquiring when they will be employed on permanent and pensionable terms. It is now clear that funds have been availed in the next financial year to employ them on permanent and pensionable terms.

Regarding the payment of stipends to village elders, including those in Moiben Constituency, I want to assure them that their journey to Parliament was not in vain. They will receive a stipend in the next financial year. Therefore, they should keep working because they are our grassroots mobilisers on all Government policies. I am excited that they have been included.

Another positive indicator is the increase in the Ministry of Education's budgetary allocation for quality assurance. This will enable Ministry staff to conduct inspections in our schools to prevent incidents like the fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil. They should install smoke and fire detectors in all school dormitories and conduct fire drills so that students know what to do when such emergencies arise.

The Kenya Kwanza Government endeavoured to capacitate farmers. I am happy that the allocation for the fertiliser subsidy programme has been increased. I hope that when the funds become available, the Ministry will ensure that fertilisers are available on time. Currently, we have...

Let us have the Member for Turbo.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to the 2026/2027 Budget Estimates.

I want to thank the Budget and Appropriation Committee. I picked out the 27 per cent increase in the budgetary allocation to the education sector, which is a positive indicator because education is an equaliser. I noted that the funding is geared towards supporting infrastructure, school capitation, confirmation of 20,000 interns to permanent and pensionable terms, and promotion of 30,000 teachers, which is good. This will reduce the teacher gap in our schools. We thank the President for fulfilling his promises. I hope we will not forget P1 teachers during the next budget cycle. Some graduated as far back as 2017, but they have not been employed. We should look into that area.

I also praise the Committee for the increased allocation to the health sector. There is a

Go on. Give her one minute to wind up.

To quickly wind up, on the agriculture sector, I am really happy about the increase. How I wish we could get to the 10 per cent Maputo Protocol, because the agriculture sector is actually the backbone of this country's economy. We would wish to achieve the 10 per cent Maputo Protocol target in the future. I thank the government

for the subsidised fertilisers, whose allocation the Committee has increased to reduce input costs and increase productivity. A food-secure nation is a stable nation.

Finally, I am concerned about the energy sector. It is a very critical area that needs an enhanced budget. I wish that, in the future, we increase the budget for electrification in the constituencies. I thank the President for many of his promises. We have stadiums all over. We have roads across the country. We thank this government for the good things that are happening. We know that the economy will grow.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me an opportunity to add my voice.

Hon. Mogaka, you have three minutes.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I support the Report of the Budget and Appropriations Committee. On behalf of the people of West Mugurango, I am extremely excited that all the sectors that will jumpstart and fast-track development in West Mugurango Constituency, Nyamira County and Kenya seem to have been captured. I thank the Committee for the allocation to the education sector. It will take our education to another level. I celebrate the budget allocation for the health sector. This is because Nyamira County and Referral Hospital will receive not less than Ksh1 billion to take it to another level. I celebrate the proposed allocation to the livestock sector. We are working with the Principal Secretary to install milk coolers and make sure that farmers lose no more produce.

I thank the Committee for proposing an enhanced roads and infrastructure budget that will actualise the bitumen roads that have been proposed for Nyamira County and West Mugurango. I am also celebrating the village elders. These are people who have given their all for nothing for this country. At least the national government, through the 13th Parliament, is approving a stipend that should be celebrated. I appeal to them to enhance their efforts towards ensuring that our security is enhanced. For the women of Kenya, this year's Budget will increase the water last-mile connectivity, particularly in my county and constituency. It is only this government that cares for women. There will be no more carrying of drums and jerricans on their heads. I want to thank the Chairperson of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, Hon. Atandi, for at least taking affirmative action in budgetary allocations. Unlike the contribution I heard earlier, which saw the Budget Estimates skewed in favour of marginalising people who voted in the manner they voted. This Budget is balanced. There is equity.

We want to congratulate the Chairperson and the Committee and encourage His Excellency, the President. This is the way Kenya needs to go. This is the way to Singapore. I cannot help but support this most progressive Budget and urge all of us to do the same, as it will take this country to another level.

Thank you.

Thank you. Hon. Members, that marks the end of the Third Allotted Day for debate on this particular Motion. I, therefore, call upon the Mover to reply.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Let me thank Members for the robust debate we have had on these Budget Estimates. This is the third Budget I have processed since I was made the Chairperson of the Budget and Appropriations Committee. This is also the very first time I have seen Members getting involved in incisive discussions of the Budget Estimates. I followed the contributions by Members keenly. I have received a lot of feedback from Members on what we need to do to improve our budget-making process and on areas requiring additional allocations.

Most Members were concerned about allocations to primary health care. Others were concerned about education sector allocations. You realise that the education sector takes up to about 30 per cent of our total Budget. Even with that, we are still facing deficits. These are

things we are all aware of. If revenues go up in subsequent years, we will always increase these allocations so that they satisfy the required needs.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I just want to respond to a few issues that were raised by Members. The first one is the issue of debt sustainability. Debt sustainability is not something that we should just discuss on the streets. Just the other day, the IMF and the World Bank gave a positive rating of our debt sustainability with respect to borrowings by the current government, vis-à-vis borrowings by previous governments. If you look at the difference between our expenditure and our revenues, we still have a positive primary balance. We are therefore saying that our debt sustainability is positive and that nobody should be worried about it.

We are also spending more money to service our debts. The debts we are servicing today were not created by this regime. These debts were created by previous regimes, and because they are responsibilities of the Government of Kenya, we cannot decline to service them.

Hon. Members should not be alarmists. We should not portray our fiscal deficit as unsustainable or something we cannot service. We are confirming that our records show that we are able to service our debt.

Another issue about our fiscal deficit is that we project it at 5.4 per cent as per the Report we tabled. Some people insist that this is the highest fiscal deficit in the history of this country, which is really not factual. As I said, in the previous regime, we had a fiscal deficit of up to 9 per cent of GDP. This has been a progressive fiscal consolidation, which has been happening since this regime took over. We have since moved that fiscal deficit from 9 per cent to 5.4 per cent. That is a great improvement.

I urge my brother here to appreciate the fact that lawyers have very limited knowledge of financial and economic matters.

Order. Who are you talking to?

I am addressing my brother here.

You cannot address him like that. Yours truly is not just a lawyer.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I withdraw. I withdraw because you are a Member of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, and I know you know a lot of economics. Turning back to my brother here, I want you to understand that the fiscal deficit is not measured by the size of the debt. So let us look at it in terms of percentages and established measurements. These measurements are clear. They are international measurements. They are not measurements we created. A deficit of 5.4 per cent of GDP is sustainable.

The other thing I want to add is that some Members have complained about the rationale for investing in County Aggregation and Industrial Parks (CAIPs) . As I said while moving this Motion, we are going to spend about Ksh2.5 billion in the next financial year to equip CAIPs. We have about 15 CAIPs completed across about 15 counties. Some Members say that the CAIPs are brick-and-mortar and therefore will not add value to the economy. You know very well that one of the problems we have with the agricultural sector is a lack of value-addition programs. Therefore, we need to create avenues to add value to our produce before we export it. Once the established CAIPs are equipped, they will have a significant impact in the regions where they are located.

In my county of Siaya, for instance, our CAIPs are stalled because the county government has not provided its counterpart funding. However, in areas where county governments have met their obligations, such as Busia and Migori, we will soon see significant value addition. These CAIPs will help us. They will help the economy to grow. Jobs will be created in areas where the CAIPs are based.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, the truth of the matter is that the global economic outlook is a bit negative. The world economy is not going to grow as projected. That will also impact us. We have also lowered our GDP growth outlook from 5.3 per cent to 5 per cent. That is a fact. Whoever says that other economies are projected to grow at a higher rate is not correct. The global and regional economy is not going to see much growth. So, our lower growth projections are in line with the global trend, as determined by the IMF and the World Bank.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, next is the issue of confirmation of JSS teachers. We have had a program where JSS teachers are hired. They sign an internship program for two years, after which they are confirmed automatically. So, most Members are urging us to confirm all 44,000 teachers. I think that is not how the program was designed. The program was designed such that you take two years, and then you get confirmed automatically. We are going to continue implementing that program. All JSS teachers who were employed this year will be confirmed next year. The ones who have served for two years will be confirmed within the financial year . We urge Members not to incite JSS teachers because those teachers know very well that their contract says they will serve for two years, and then they will get confirmed.

Lastly, we decided to reallocate about Ksh54 billion from the energy sector. We removed the resources so that the projects can be funded through the National Infrastructure Fund (NIF). We did this to avoid lumping so many resources into this sector in the Budget Estimates, when these programs can be actualised through another avenue. That action has also caused some problems, but we are saying those programs will be funded with NIF resources. Those programs qualify because they are profitable programs.

Lastly, on the village elders' remuneration of Ksh3000 per month, we must start somewhere. Since I joined Parliament, there has always been agitation to find a way to give village elders a stipend. We must thank the Budget and Appropriations Committee because, for the very first time, we are realising this long-term mission. I am sure that if revenues improve even in the next financial year, we will revise this stipend upwards to, maybe, double the current amount. I urge Members to support the Ksh3,000 monthly stipend for the village elders, who serve us in our constituencies, so they can sustain themselves.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, allow me to take this opportunity to thank Honourable Members, the Speaker’s Panel, and the various teams of parliamentary staff for their tireless work. This is one of the most progressive Budget Estimates. As you have heard, Members have been making their remarks. We have endeavoured to equitably distribute the resources across the country. Today, I am very proud that if you walk across Kenya, you will not miss national government resources, even in some areas abandoned by previous regimes. Today, we run a broad-based government. Indeed, this Budget is broad-based. This Budget does not look at whether you voted or not. It does not consider whether you support the current government. Even my friends from the United Opposition have many projects provided for through these Budget Estimates.

We must thank the President because. For the first time in the history of this country, we have a President who is not inward-looking. Some of the opposition leaders are inward-looking. In fact, they are still talking about when they get power, they will ensure that their people benefit more. Some of the opposition leaders here know that those people do not qualify to lead this country because of their views on how they plan to share resources. Therefore, I urge Kenyans to support the President and us. There will never be a President like William Ruto. I have been around for long enough to know that fact. I was around during President Kibaki’s time. I was around during President Uhuru Kenyatta’s time.

During President Uhuru Kenyatta’s time, we had something called ‘Handshake’ through which we blindly supported government policies. The government then was seeking support. Promising to give the people power and resources, which we have waited for until now.

Please proceed to wind up.

Currently, we have a President who will allow you to spend resources across the country, catering for even people he knows very well will not vote for him. For example, Kitui County, where my brother comes from, had the highest budgetary allocation for road projects in the last Budget. I asked the President why he was giving resources to people who were not supporting him. He said he was the President of the Republic of Kenya and his work was to serve the entire country.

Hon. Members, I proceed to put the question.

Hon. Members, the time being

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