Sergeants-at-Arms, I direct that you ring the Quorum Bell for 10 minutes.

We now have a quorum. We may proceed to the first Order. Hon. Chepkonga, before you lay Papers, I would like to recognise a group of students from Starehe Boys Centre and School, Alliance High School, and Loreto Convent Valley Road School present in the Speaker's Gallery. I wish to introduce you to a group of 10 students from Starehe Boys Centre and School, Alliance High School, and Loreto Convent Valley Road Schools, who are seated in the Speaker’s Gallery. They are accompanied by one of their teachers. The students are in Parliament for two weeks as part of a voluntary service scheme. This gives them an opportunity to give back to the community by volunteering with various organisations during their school holidays.

On my behalf and that of the National Assembly, I welcome the students to Parliament and wish them a positive experience in their service to the nation.

Thank you.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. Let me take this opportunity to welcome the students from Alliance High School, Starehe Boys Centre and School, and the other two institutions.

As is known in this House, I also attended Alliance High School. I urge the young men and women to take this opportunity to gain as many skills as possible and understand how Parliament works. In the next few years, you will take up the positions we currently hold. You are welcome to Parliament. Ensure that you get the most out of your visit.

Hon. Chepkonga, you may proceed.

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

Next is the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Health.

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

Reports of the Departmental Committee on Health on its consideration of:

Next is the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Broadcasting and Library Committee.

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

Report of the Parliamentary Broadcasting and Library Committee on its participation in the 9th World Telecommunications Development Conference (WTDC) meeting held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 17th to 21st November 2025.

Next Order.

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

THAT, this House adopts the Report of the Departmental Committee on Health on its consideration of Public Petition No. 21 of 2025 regarding access to healthcare by cancer patients in the country, laid on the Table of the House on Wednesday, 8th April 2026.

Is that all on the departmental committees? Parliamentary Broadcasting and Library Committee, do you have a notice of Motion or were you just laying a Paper?

It is okay. Let us move to the next Order.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. It is a Request for Statement.

Oh, it is a Request.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 44 (2) (c) , I rise to request for a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations regarding the circumstances surrounding the death and burial of the late Jesca Kashutu Ziro, a Kenyan citizen who passed away in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The late Jesca Kashutu Ziro, a resident of Sosodemu Village, Madamani Sub-Location in Ganze Constituency, was working in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia, as a domestic worker when she tragically passed away on 30th June 2025. Following her death, the Integrated Centre for Peace and Security (ICPS) , a registered non-governmental organisation that assists Kenyans in distress abroad, wrote to the Principal Secretary of the State Department for Diaspora Affairs on 7th August 2025, seeking assistance to facilitate the repatriation of her remains. However, while follow-ups were being made with the Diaspora Affairs Office, the organisation and the family were informed that the late Jesca Kashutu Ziro had been buried in Saudi Arabia, together with five other Kenyans, without the knowledge or consent of their families and apparently without notification to the Government of Kenya.

The families of the deceased are therefore seeking justice, transparency and closure. They wish for the exhumation and repatriation of the remains of their loved ones for burial in Kenya. This revelation has caused deep anguish and confusion among the affected families, who have since appealed to the government for intervention and for communication with Saudi authorities to establish how such burials could have occurred without their knowledge and consent.

It is against this background that I seek a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations on the following:

The Request is marked to the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations.

Hon. Raso. No, he is the Vice-Chair of the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security. Who is in the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations? If nobody is willing to volunteer, I will nominate. Hon. Yusuf. Please, give an undertaking on behalf of your Committee. How many weeks do you need to respond to it?

We need two weeks, Hon. Deputy Speaker.

Okay. Thank you. Next is a Statement Request by Hon. Gideon Ochanda. Is he here?

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. Pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 44 (2) (c) , I rise to seek a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Tourism and Wildlife regarding the persistent and escalating crocodile menace along the Lower Yala River, particularly in Yimbo North and Yimbo East locations.

It is a matter of grave concern that for over three years, residents of Yimbo North and Yimbo East Locations have been subjected to recurrent attacks and threats posed by crocodiles inhabiting the Lower Yala River. These incidents have resulted in loss of lives, injuries, and disruption of livelihoods, especially among communities that depend on the river for domestic use, livestock and farming activities. Among several fatalities are two underage pupils, Suleiman Oduor and Pascal Okoth. Ms Lucy Adhiambo Oumo, John Otieno Okeyo and Mr Ezekiel Nyamuasi also lost their lives in this unfortunate series of attacks.

Despite numerous reports and appeals to the relevant authorities, including the Kenya Wildlife Service and local administrative offices, there has been no adequate intervention to address this existing danger. The continued inaction has exposed residents to untold suffering and heightened insecurity within the area.

It is against this background that I seek a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Tourism and Wildlife on the following:

Thank you. The Request is marked to the Departmental Committee on Tourism and Wildlife. Is there a Member of that Committee here? Yes, proceed.

Thank you so much, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I will give a comprehensive response within the next two weeks.

On a point of order, Hon. Deputy Speaker.

Hon. Didmus Barasa, what is your point of order?

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I just want to inform Hon. Ochanda that, first, I am sorry that the crocodiles are wreaking havoc along Lower River Yala. Can he consider taking a group of fishermen from that area to go and benchmark with Tana River County, where people eat crocodiles, so that they know how to trap them? Crocodiles are food. They just need to know how to fish crocodiles as well. The last time I was in Tana River County, I ate a quarter kilogram of crocodile meat, and I added five kilograms to my weight.

Thank you for the advice. I am sure Hon. Ochanda has noted your advice.

Thank you very much, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to respond to the Request for Statement by Hon. Walter Owino, the Member for Awendo, regarding the delayed settlement of dues owed by Sony Sugar Company.

Pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 44(2)(c), Hon. Walter Owino requested a

Statement on 19th February, 2026, regarding the delayed settlement of dues owed by Sony

the Ministry has requested the National Treasury to allocate funds for the settlement of all pending arrears. Payment will be made as and when the funds are received.

I submit, Hon. Deputy Speaker.

Member for Awendo, are you satisfied, or do you have a comment?

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I want to appreciate the response. However, I am not satisfied because the Cabinet Secretary has not given a specific date for the payment of the arrears. Secondly, the KSh1 billion they are allocating is inadequate, given that we are talking about four factories. This money is supposed to be divided among the four government-owned factories, which are facing a similar challenge. KSh1 billion will not adequately address the issue. Again, we need to consider the fact that not all the beneficiaries we are talking about here are still working for those companies. Some of them stopped working when these leases came into effect and restructuring began, affecting them. We are talking about people who are now jobless and are supposed to rely on the money owed to them for survival. Again, in my statement, I requested payment of arrears for farmers and suppliers who also worked for Sony Sugar. This has not been mentioned by the Cabinet Secretary. I am not satisfied. I would want a specific date given, number one. Number two, the amount is small, considering the beneficiaries. Again, I would want the Ministry to address the issue of suppliers and farmers who are also waiting for their money.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker.

Thank you. I know. Hon. Wangwe, do you want to comment?

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. Allow me to suggest that the Hon. Chair has tried to respond, but there is more we would want him to add, especially remembering the report of the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning, which we passed in this House, which addressed the issue of privatisation of the four mills together, leaving out Mumias Sugar Company saying that Mumias Sugar Company would be treated on its own. The Chair of the Committee was present, together with me, during the Committee meeting. We suggested that Mumias Sugar would be dealt with at the Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock. I also want him to state what the Committee or the Ministry is doing regarding Mumias Sugar Company's employees.

Thank you.

I hope the Chairperson has noted the issues raised and can consider them. Would you like to say something?

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. The Cabinet Secretary's response is in accordance with the MOU. The Cabinet Secretary has specifically stated what was in the MOU and what the government has done. If we may be fair to the government, the Cabinet Secretary has indicated that Ksh2.5 billion has been paid and that, as per the MOU, this is what was captured. What remains is Ksh1.17 billion, but an audit is underway to establish the actual figure.

During the presentation by the Ministry on the Supplementary Budget, we noted that the arrears are growing exponentially. They have been multiplied by a big factor, and that is why the audit was commissioned. It is only the audit that can tell us how much arrears there are going to be. We are looking at a situation where we might be calling for the scheduling of the arrears.

I will take the comments and sentiments of Hon. Members to the Ministry so that they can respond as appropriate.

Thank you.

Yes, Hon. Caroli.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I did raise a question about the leasing of the sugar mills, but no response was ever given. I asked it a second time. Since I now have an opportunity, please allow me to ask one or two supplementary questions or make some comments. We are dealing with liabilities that have already accrued. But this House was not informed whether there was notice of the transfer of business when the sugar mills were leased. There should have been a notice of transfer of business so that those to whom the sugar mills owe money, whether they be lawyers, transporters, cane farmers, and the rest, would come out to claim.

We need to see the lease agreements for the sugar mills in this House. We have not seen that. We also need to see the investment plans. Are the guys who leased the mills going to install new machinery? What are the timelines? Are they going to introduce new lines of business? But most importantly, we want to be advised how the nucleus estate, like spare parts, inventories, and receivables, of these sugar mills have been treated.

On a point of order, Hon. Deputy Speaker.

Hold on, Hon. Caroli. There is a point of order. What is your point of order?

Hon. Deputy Speaker, you may have noted that Hon. Caroli Omondi is discussing issues of great gravity and of great concern to Kenyans. Is he in order to be riding on a Statement to make such ground-breaking comments that are of great concern to Kenyans? Does what Hon. Caroli is presenting belong in a substantive Motion or in a comment? This House would better benefit from his wisdom on critical issues of great importance to this country.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, kindly provide guidance so that his Question is not lost as mere comments in these proceedings. Thank you very much.

I will allow him to ventilate the issue, provided, of course, that, as a responsible Member, he will follow up with the Committee when they consider it.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. That was the spirit in which I was speaking because it is a matter of public interest. Actually, under Article 35, the entire investment package for the leases should have been presented to this House for Members to interrogate.

The final question I would like to raise is: how has the nucleus estate of the leased sugar mills been treated? Was there a valuation report? What about the inventories and spare parts that were there? What about the investments that these companies have made? These are public interest issues.

Thank you very much, Hon. Deputy Speaker.

Hon. Caroli, I advise that you may seek an independent Statement on that information.

I have submitted two Questions regarding this, but they have never been brought to the Floor of the House.

Usually, if they are taken to the office of the Speaker to request a Statement and are approved, they are brought here. Hon. Mutunga, I hope you have noted that.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, with a lot of respect, I listened to Hon. Caroli Omondi, and he is usurping the Committee’s responsibility. He says the Committee should stop doing their work and bring audited accounts,

agreements and investment plans here. He should ask the Question or request a Statement, and thereafter, work will be done, rather than this House being engaged in this level of detail.

Hon. Caroli, you are properly guided. We can now move to the next Statement.

Hon. Members, we have a General Statement by the Member for Lamu East, Hon. Captain Ruweida. But before that, I wish to recognise, in the Public Gallery, the presence of Kopala Mixed Secondary School, Nyatike Constituency, Migori County.

On my behalf and that of the National Assembly, we welcome them to the precincts of Parliament. You may proceed, Hon. Ruweida.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 43, I rise to make a general Statement regarding the first birth certificate issued in Lamu East Constituency.

On Wednesday, 8th April 2026, Lamu East Constituency recorded a significant milestone with the issuance of its first birth certificate within the Constituency. The achievement is particularly noteworthy given that, previously, residents would travel long distances to Mokowe, in Lamu West Constituency, to access birth registration services.

The decentralisation of civil registration services to Lamu East Constituency marks a remarkable step towards enhancing access to essential government services, promoting inclusivity and safeguarding the rights of citizens. It will significantly reduce the burden on residents while improving service delivery efficiency. It will also ease access to government services and enable registration and access to school capitation.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, this development underscores the importance of continual investment in administrative infrastructure and service delivery at the grassroots level in the country. I therefore wish to commend all government agencies that facilitated this historical milestone, ensuring that residents of Lamu East Constituency are accorded the same services as the rest of Kenyans.

Mhe. Naibu Spika, naomba kidogo nizungumze kwa Kiswahili, kwa sababu jambo hili ni muhimu sana, lakini halionekani muhimu kwa watu wengine. Vyeti vya kuzaliwa vimetolewa kwa mara ya kwanza kwetu, na imewashangaza watu. Tangu Kenya ipate Uhuru, watu wa Lamu Mashariki wamekuwa wakienda Lamu Magharibi kuchukua vyeti vya kuzaliwa.

Inakuwa gharama kubwa kwa mtu wa Kiunga kutoa Ksh8,400 ili apate cheti cha kuzaliwa. Lakini, kwa watu wengine, jambo hili si muhimu. Ndio maana nasema kuwa wale wanaokosea Rais wetu heshima, wangekaziwa wakae kwa baridi kwa miaka iliyosalia ili wampe heshima. Rais amepeleka maendeleo kwao, lakini wanapiga domo kwa sababu wameshiba. Ingekuwa vizuri Rais asiwabembeleze tena. Wale wanaopiga domo wakaziwe ili wasipate maendeleo, lakini yaletwe kwetu sisi tulio na heshima. Kama watu hawana heshima, wakae vilevile wasipate maendeleo. Wao wanaendelea kupata maendeleo ilhali sisi tunaanza kuyapata sasa. Tuletewe maendeleo kwetu. Viongozi watu wazima lakini hawana heshima kwa Rais, asiende kwao tena, tunamkaribisha aje kwetu.

Asante sana, Mheshimiwa Naibu Spika.

Give him the microphone.

Thank you, Mhe. Twalib. Mhe. Zamzam. Hon. Zamzam Mohammed

: Asante sana, Mheshimiwa Naibu Spika. Nami pia nampongeza dadangu, Mheshimiwa Ruweida. Lakini kwanza kabisa, nampongeza Mheshimiwa Rais kwa kuwaona Wapwani kama Wakenya. Tumetengwa kwa miaka mingi sana. Hata kupata vitambulisho imekuwa ni shida. Mtu anaweza kuwa ameolewa, amezaa watoto, na hata ana vijukuu, lakini hana kitambulisho kwa sababu hana cheti cha kuzaliwa. Kwa hivyo, leo hii tunaona fahari kubwa. Wengine wanaweza kuona cheti cha kuzaliwa ni cheti cha kawaida tu. Hii ni kwa sababu kuna maendeleo mengine makubwa. Lakini hiki ndicho chanzo cha mtu kujulikana kuwa ni Mkenya halisi, ahesabike, na aweze kupata maendeleo mengine. Mheshimiwa Rais, watu watapiga kelele sana, lakini kaza buti na ushike kasi. Tuko nyuma yako na tunakusukuma uende mbele, nasi hatutarudi nyuma.

Nikirejelea jambo ambalo Mheshimiwa Bady amelitaja, tunatoa rambirambi zetu kwa mkurugenzi mtendaji wa KPA. Mwenyezi Mungu amuweke na wema peponi mtoto wetu Jelimo. Ndio, ni amri ya Mungu, lakini yeye pamoja na familia yake waweze kupoa. Nitaenda msibani pamoja na Mheshimiwa Bady.

Asante sana, Mheshimiwa Naibu Spika.

Mheshimiwa Raso.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I wish to thank Hon. Ruweida for her Statement. For those of us who are minorities, come from distant places, and do not belong to the mainstream communities in Kenya, this is the time to identify ourselves properly as true Kenyans.

As the patron of the Pastoralists Parliamentary Group, I can affirm that this is the only Government that has declared that all Kenyans, irrespective of where they come from, must obtain identification cards and birth certificates.

One cannot transact in Kenya without a birth certificate. Opening a bank account and attending college require these certificates; without them, one is essentially a stateless citizen. Hon. Ruweida mentions that there are small things we tend to take for granted, but for others, they are like an earthquake. Sixty-something years after independence, people from Lamu can now obtain birth certificates. It has taken sixty-something years after independence for a young Borana boy from Marsabit to visit the registration office and obtain an identification card without being asked to provide his grandparents’ identification cards or death certificates. Kenya is transforming under the leadership of William Samoei Arap Ruto. We must appreciate this.

Those who claim that Ruto is a one-term President or that he is not doing enough should consider this. If there is a President who has worked tirelessly for this country since independence, it must be His Excellency William Ruto. As Kenyans, we must appreciate this. Some of us, without fear of contradiction, are proud to state that we elected the right man to lead this country in the 21st century.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker.

Next is the Member for Dagoretti, Hon. KJ. Mhe. John Kiarie

: Asante sana, Mheshimiwa Naibu Spika. Ningependa kumpongeza Mbunge wa Lamu East, Mheshimiwa Ruweida, kwa sababu jambo aliloliangazia linawahusu Wakenya wote. Kwamba kuna maeneo ya nchi hii ambayo yamefanikiwa kupata rais wa kwanza, wa tatu, na wa nne. Lakini kelele hiyo ambayo Mheshimiwa anasema ni kelele ya chura tu, ambayo haiwezi kumzuia ng'ombe kunywa maji.

Wananchi wa maeneo aliyoyataja wanaona maendeleo ambayo hawajawahi kuyaona tangu nchi yetu ipate uhuru, na tangu kuumbwa kwa dunia. Hata waliotajwa na Mheshimiwa Ruweida wanashangaa kuona barabara kama zile za wakati wa Mau Mau, ambazo zilikuwa zimekwama, zimekwamuliwa. Kwamba nchi iliyokuwa imeshindwa kulipa madeni yake imeanza kulipa madeni. Hata maeneo ambayo baadhi yetu tunatoka, kuna mambo ambayo tumekuwa tukidai tangu nchi ilipoanzishwa, lakini hayajatimizwa hadi leo. Naunga Mheshimiwa mkono, kwa sababu vile ambavyo angependa Lamu iendelee mbele, hata sisi Wakenya wengine tungependa maeneo yetu yaendelee mbele hivyo. Mheshimiwa Rais, kelele hii ya chura isikuzuie kunywa maji.

Nikimalizia, viongozi wa nchi hii wanafaa kuheshimu itikadi na mila zetu. Kwa mfano, inapofika maswala ya mazishi, huu ni wakati wetu kuomboleza pamoja na jamii zilizofiwa. Sisi kama wanasiasa hatuwezi kubadilisha mazishi kuwa majukwaa ya kisiasa. Ni aibu kubwa tuliyoiona leo huko Ol Kalou, kwa sababu tulikuwa tunamuaga mmoja wetu, na tuliyoyaona si mazuri. Nakemea matukio ya leo kwa sababu mazishi ni ya familia na jamii, wengine ni waombolezaji. Siasa na vita vya ubabe havina nafasi katika mazishi.

Nampongeza Mheshimiwa Ruweida kwa maendeleo haya ya Lamu. Tunadai maendeleo kama haya Kenya nzima.

Member for Dagoretti North, Hon. Beatrice Elachi.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. Allow me to thank Hon. Ruweida of Lamu East for bringing this issue to our attention. This matter of identification cards is one in which the women of this country have suffered the most.

A young girl who married at 16 struggles to obtain an identification card. She struggles to get birth certificates for their children, especially if she marries and later decides that this

was not the right decision and leaves. Consequently, one finds women in the slums today still grappling to convince the officers to understand why, at the age of 20, 21, or 25, they do not possess a national identification card.

Therefore, as we reflect on the Statement by Hon. Ruweida, we must urge the Government to ensure that any woman who married underage and is without a national identification card must be permitted to obtain one. Not with the husband’s ID, but she can go back home and ask for her father's ID and use that to register as a Kenyan.

Secondly, Hon. Deputy Speaker, I find many children from the Busia border in Dagoretti North. They also struggle with the issue of ID because they come from the borders. It is not just them but even the children of women who have given birth in the borders of Taita Taveta. They go through the same challenge. Anywhere along the border where we have Kenyans, they are really struggling.

I thank His Excellency, the President, on this matter. It is not a joke. Let us agree that one of the mistakes we made in this country is that when you are not aligned with the government, you are denied everything you need. This happened even during election time. If you are not aligned with the President that you want, there will be no issuance of IDs in that region.

For the first time, IEBC is in the estates. Can people register and not just say they will remove a certain person from office without a plan? You must plan and strategise. If that person knows how to plan and organise, they will win. It is not about the numbers you see everywhere at rallies. It is one week to an election that tells you whether that person is winning or losing. The rest of the days, we can play drama and do all these things,

There is one thing I like about the President. How I wish one day I could stand firm, because one of our weaknesses is not standing firm. We must learn one thing from the President, Dr William Samoei Ruto, that you must stand firm when you have been given the responsibility to build a nation. It is not a joke. Those who like talking on talk shows, prepare to come to the ground and be elected, so that you can do better than I did. That should be the agenda and the best way, not just abusing people.

Every day, you know how Kenya can move. Please come and show it as an example. Implement what you are telling us, but do not just tell us and then run away when the ball is now in your court. Compete with the others and tell Kenyans what you want. That should be the agenda.

I am pleading with leaders, and I pray to God to help us. The burial of Hon. Kiaraho will change the way we see things. Mhe. Kiaraho was an actionable person. He was not a loud person. I pray that his soul will rest in peace. More importantly, help us to be leaders who focus beyond what we believe in, what we think is right as our tribe, but Kenya should be our tribe. Kenya should be where we focus. I appreciate the President because he does not care whether you abuse him, but he will bring maendeleo. He is supposed to develop the nation, not follow what we say.

I beg to support, Hon. Deputy Speaker.

The last person I will give a chance to ride on this is Hon. Maungu.

Thank you very much, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for the opportunity to also ride on this statement. What Hon. (Capt.) Ruweida has articulated issues that are quite common in this country. There are sections of this country that were forgotten and designed not to belong to it. To get good reports, as we have heard today, is something to be applauded. She has talked about a birth registration centre. I know the pain our mamas go

through in trying to acquire a basic requirement like a birth certificate. The fact that the great people of Lamu can access a birth certificate in a nearby area is something that we should all applaud. On the same note, Luanda Constituency is one such constituency that never had a birth registration centre. My people would travel all the way from Luanda Town, known as Ochore village or Munungo village, to Mbale to obtain a basic right, such as a birth certificate.

This afternoon, I want to declare in this House that two weeks ago, we were accredited to have a birth registration centre in Luanda. That, to me, is a move that should be applauded because never again will my great people travel that far to acquire a basic document like a birth registration certificate. We are aware that nowadays to register a child in a school, you need to have this document. Long before, people would walk into a school, put their hand over their head and enter a class. Nowadays, you need a document that also ensures you receive a NEMIS registration number. Therefore, I join in celebrating the government today for having given Luanda a birth registration centre that it never had.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, apart from that, we have also seen significant developments, not only in Lamu but also in my place and in many other parts of this country. Swahili people say that Mgala muue na haki yake mpe. Let us appreciate the same.

I come from Western Kenya. For many years, our people have perished and slept on the road from Nairobi on their way to Western Kenya. Right now, people are celebrating the opening of the greatest corridor from Rironi to Mau Summit, which will ease the transport of people and goods from Nairobi or Mombasa to Western Kenya. These are great developments that no one should ignore.

Talk about the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR). Right now, our people can see the great investment. Someone once said that it is not economically viable to take it to Western Kenya. I therefore join in appreciating the great things happening, and we should applaud them. Thank you.

I must commend Hon. Ruweida because oversight is not just criticising. It is also acknowledging when something good has been done.

Next Order. Hon. Chepkonga.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I beg to move the following Motion:

THAT, this House adopts the Report of the Committee on Delegated Legislation on its consideration of the Draft Charter for the Establishment of the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, laid on the Table of the House on Tuesday, 7th April 2026, and pursuant to the provisions of section 24 (1) of the Universities Act (Cap. 210) , this House approves the Award of Charter for the Establishment of the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. Hon. Deputy Speaker, this is one of the most important developments that has ever taken place in this country. We have established many universities that offer first degrees and diplomas. I am just hoping that the Departmental Committee on Education will finalise the Bill

amending the Basic Education Act, 2013, so that universities do not offer diploma programs but start with degree programs going forward.

When this government took office in 2022, we had 218,000 students enrolled in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Institutions. As we speak, and as at the end of last year, we have over 787,000 TVET students across the country. The majority of Members of Parliament have established Technical Training Institutes (TTIs) in their constituencies, thereby contributing to the development of middle-level management in institutions.

The Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (Kenya-AIST) will be established at Konza City. This is the equivalent of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the USA or the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in South Korea. This is a significant feat for the country's development.

The university will only offer postgraduate degrees. Students will be admitted to this university in Konza City. We are not speaking about a university that is intended to be established. As we speak, this university has already been constructed. It is fully in place for Members of Parliament who want to visit. In fact, the Committee on Delegated Legislation will visit the university next Wednesday.

We are reliably informed, including the Chair of the Departmental Committee on Communication, Information and Innovation, that the university was established on 14 acres of land. The Government of South Korea has already seconded seven professors to the seven thematic areas this university will offer to prospective students, not only from Kenya but from across the world. We already have seven professors in residence at Konza from Korea-AIST. This will be the only university in Africa that will offer postgraduate degrees in this region.

The establishment of this Institute is a major milestone towards the development of innovation and research in line with the National Research Fund Strategic Plan 2023 to 2027, Vision 2030 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The proposed university is anchored on a postgraduate academic model designed to position Kenya and the broader African region as a competitive hub for advanced learning in research and innovation. The Institute is set to commence with seven flagship postgraduate programmes, that is, master's and PhD degrees in the following disciplines:

Hon. Deputy Speaker, in seconding this important Motion, I wish to first state that, as the Committee on Delegated Legislation, our primary responsibility was to look at the Charter to see if it complied with the law and the Constitution. We confirm that we had a toothcomb analysis of this Charter. We looked at it, and it is fully compliant with the law and the Constitution.

As far as the substance of the Charter is concerned, there are two things about the Kenya-AIST. First, this university will only offer graduate studies, not undergraduate studies. One will only go there to get a postgraduate degree, either a master’s or a PhD. That is a unique part of this university. Second, it is a specialised university. Our able Chairman has just stated that it covers areas that have not been emphasised before, like nuclear studies and more advanced postgraduate studies in mechanisation. This special university is intended to serve Kenya's interests as we advance our journey towards Vision 2030 and beyond.

The industry will also back this new university. One of the most important things in any industry is research and development. If we emphasise research and development in our studies, we will get better products in Kenya. We will be more easily industrialised if we continue doing things the way we are today. The mere fact that South Korea heavily backs it

in terms of its approach and personnel shows that Kenya is borrowing from the best. We want to benchmark with universities like MIT and Korea-AIST.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, this institute will also ensure that our universities get teachers and professors. Where are we training our people if we do not have this kind of institute? We emphasise its establishment so that we can train them. This is not a run-of-the-mill university. In our country today, we are merely establishing universities for the sake of having universities. Every Member of Parliament nowadays is asked by their constituents to have a university in their backyard, yet it will not do anything different from the one which is already next door. Why do you want a university next to your house? Who wants to go to Kilgoris University, if it is not a specialised one? You should go to a university that will make a difference in your life. This idea of asking the government to establish a university in my village is not the way to go. The way to go is to establish a university that will make a difference like this one. It will emphasise innovation, research and development. Let universities be different.

Lastly, let us do as much as possible to keep our diploma holders and artisans within their specialised areas, not necessarily in universities. Let the Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology (RVIST) be the best in producing artisans and specialists at a certain level. Let those who go to the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (Kenya-AIST) be those who have already completed undergraduate degrees and are now prepared to pursue a specialised university education.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I beg to second the Motion.

Hon. KJ can contribute first. Members who wish to contribute can press the intervention button.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I must first start by thanking this Committee and its Chairman for bringing this Motion on the Floor of the House in such a timely manner. The Report on the Consideration of the Draft Charter for the Establishment of the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, which we fondly call Kenya-AIST—which we are prosecuting this afternoon—is very timely. The Institute has already been established and built, and it sits as an icon of advanced training in engineering, science and technology.

While we have Kenya-AIST, the idea is not new. We have borrowed it from South Korea, where there is the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) . We only need to look at what has happened in Korea to appreciate what has been set up in Konza. This institution shall train Kenyans and Africans in advanced science and technology in the fields already enumerated, including mechanical engineering, nuclear engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, civil and environmental engineering, ICT engineering, chemical engineering, and even agricultural biotechnology engineering, not only for Kenya or the East African region, but also for the entire continent.

This becomes important because today we read the news and watch what is happening in the United States of America and the Western world. We see what is happening on the drive that goes against the development that leads us towards a united world. Each country has to start thinking independently about how to develop its talent. On this one, Kenya is getting it right. We shall produce people who shall be the proponents of development in future, not only in our country but also in Africa.

I speak authoritatively about what is happening in South Korea. KAIST University in Korea is responsible for these amazing developments we talk about in the context of the rising Asian Tigers. What Korea does in mechanics, engineering, automobile development, technology and computing has to be celebrated, but it can also be fully credited to KAIST.

[The Deputy Speaker (Hon. Gladys Boss) left the Chair] [The Temporary Speaker (Hon. David Ochieng’) in the Chair] Hon. Temporary Speaker, I acknowledge the change of guard on the Chair. This Motion, brought here for Consideration of the draft Charter for the establishment of the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, is very important. As a House, we shall be remembering that the 13th Parliament approved the Establishment of the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. 30 years from today, its products will define the future not only of our country but also of the continent.

At the inception, Kenya must also look at countries that have succeeded in science and technology training. We ought to learn from what is happening with the rising tigers of Asia. We must ask ourselves what is happening in China. We must ask ourselves what European countries are doing when they change their long-existing laws to be true to the time and space we are living in today, knowing that the world is a completely new one that is calling for completely new skills. That is why I stand to support this Report on the Consideration of the Draft Charter for the Establishment of the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. It is an institution that we, in the sector, celebrate because we know the revolution that is about to happen in technological training in this country.

Even as we train the youth in science and technology, we have to remind them that Africa led in these fields long before the world learned to read. It is always forgotten that Africa was a leader in science and technology. We always imagine what we borrowed from the greats like Plato and all other Greek geniuses, and attribute all education to the Europeans, but we forget that even the greats came to Africa to learn. It is from what they learned after raiding our universities in North Africa, West Africa, our area, and Zimbabwe that they were able to develop what we are taught today, which is attributed to Plato and others who put it in their textbooks. But, the truth be told, the establishment of the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology brings science back home where it belongs. When man learnt how to walk upright and manage the environment in Africa, it was only then that he developed into science and technology. Some of the most advanced technological achievements are in this continent.

The pyramids of Egypt bear me witness that up to date, even with Western technology and education, the white man is still at pains to explain how we were able to build a pyramid. A pyramid that is in perfect alignment with not only other pyramids that have been set up around the world, but also with the arrangement of stars and other heavenly bodies. At a time when people want to tell us that Africa was primitive, Africans were already in a great communion, not only with their environment and their globe, but also with the universe. Therefore, this is a great day for me as we debate this draft charter for the Kenya-AIST, knowing fully well that today we are starting Africa on a great scientific exploration that will lead to great scientific discoveries born right here in the motherland, Africa. Education developed in Africa in a place called Konza.

I support this Report. I ask Members to recognise the great advancement in this Kenya- AIST and support this draft charter. Then we can have it acknowledged by the President, so that training in science and technology can start at Kenya-AIST. Thank you so much.

Very well said, Hon. K.J. This chance goes to Member for Dagoretti North, Hon. Beatrice Elachi.

Hon. Mutunga, you know I do not like being bullied. When the Hon. Deputy Speaker left the chair, she said that those who want to contribute to the press intervention button. The first person on that intervention today is Hon. Beatrice Elachi, followed by Hon. Mutunga, Hon. Oundo, and then Hon. Wandeto. It will go that way.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I really appreciate and thank the Committee on Delegated Legislation for bringing this Report to the House. The vision of Kenya-AIST was mooted as far back as 2008. I thank the late His Excellency Mwai Kibaki and the late Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga for mooting this vision. It was their vision. We delayed it. In 2019, the plan to build was publicly announced, and we moved on. But we thank His Excellency the President, because in 2022, he formally established this idea. He shared the dream with Kenyans to help them understand why we need a Kenya-AIST University. From 2023 to 2025, they constructed and finished. In 2026, we are waiting for operationalisation and have university students coming in.

More importantly, we are now partnering with KAIST. They are very strong globally. It is always ranked among the best universities in the world in nuclear and robotics research. If our students join this university, we will have the best in the proposed flagship Master's in Mechanical Engineering and Robotics in Electrical/Electronics. Many people always wonder what electric is, and what electronics are. Electric deals with generators, transformers and issues of power generation. But electronics will have our students learning to deal with smartphones, microchips, embedded systems, and more. Therefore, all of us in this House should really be proud if we can have this launched in 2026. This is among the many things we have done in this House. We have passed many things and have unlocked a lot for the country, as much as people will say we are jokers. One thing I know is that since 2013, when I joined the Senate, and this 13th Parliament, we shall be remembered for unlocking Kenya in many sectors.

I now urge the young people to focus. Those who are engineers, go and do your master’s degree in Electromagnetism, Telecommunications or Nuclear Power. We are looking for people who can help us within the medical sector. When we talk of radiation and safety, we really need to have our people trained in these fields. I hope we will take advantage of this opportunity. If there is a university that is good in Artificial Intelligence (AI) , it is the KAIST. It is among the best. This is the university where you can learn how to deal with the safety of radiation and the radiology of cancer.

I am therefore supporting the Report because I know it will change the way we look at science and the world at large. We have been very low in research. You realise most universities have really gone down. We also need to amend the Basic Education Act to reorganise the

structures of our education system. Take them back to the way they used to be, those days. I hope we shall never change a university based on its charter, just to make it a university. That is where we went wrong on the higher education system. Even in our Competency-Based Education (CBE), let us try to reorganise the system. If it is a diploma, let them go to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). For certificates, let them start at the right level. Let the university be the university. People will say, ‘Oh, it will be unique. It will be special. It is supposed to be special because that is where the minds and the brains must go for this country. We cannot run away from that. However, the most important thing is that all these are our children. If a child wants to advance and get to university, let them start at the right level and then move forward. We will find ourselves going back to the days when you would enter university and feel you had come to learn.

Today, even when we return to the universities for our parallel programmes, we wonder whether these are the same universities we went to. I hope we can also reorganise university infrastructure. That they can have what we had and enjoy it the way we did. We used to have a good meal. We have just left our children on their own. That is why they wonder how we are driving this world to take care of Kenyans. Yet when they go out and see the other universities across the world, there is a huge difference. We must reorganise. It is an unfortunate state of affairs even in their hostels. When I pass through Chiromo Campus of the University of Nairobi, I look at where our children sleep and wonder. In those days, when you entered this hostel, you respected it. Today, the curtain is the bed cover, the window is gone, and there is no paint. The university looks worse than the high school where the child came from. NG-CDF has helped high schools, and they are looking better. The way these universities look, you even wonder whether the children have gone there for knowledge or torture.

Even as the universities cry for lecturers, it is time we cry for the infrastructure to be redone. We are doing affordable housing. Let those involved in affordable housing go and engage in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to reorganise the universities. It is important. It is so that our own children can understand that there is a difference when they come to the university from places like Turkana. Not the way we see things today.

I know this will be a very unique university, but let us not turn it into a profit-making university where the poor cannot afford to pursue master’s degrees. Let us not attempt to do that. Instead, let us make it a merit-based university. As an Engineer who has come from Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology (JKUAT), I can pursue my master’s degree there. We should not make it a profit-making university.

As I finalise, I plead with the university management teams: since they have land and property, they can also consider how to use them to help reorganise the universities back to stability. It is unfortunate and very sad to see us bailing out universities every time.

With those remarks, I beg to support.

Well said. Hon. Mutunga, it is now your chance to contribute.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute to this Motion. I wish to thank the Committee for this great idea of starting the Kenya-AIST.

From the outset, I would like us to consider the title. The title reads, “Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.” From my understanding, it is the form, not the function, that needs to be advanced. We could rename this as a House. It will read better, “Kenya Institute of Advanced Science and Technology.” This is because what is advanced is not the institution's infrastructure but its content, or what goes on in the institution. I propose that as we wind up

this debate, we should consider the title. Let us not just adopt any title from anywhere because we are also thinking.

The second issue…

Where is Hon. Chepkonga?

I had spoken with Hon. Chepkonga on the sidelines, and he concurred with my sentiments.

Okay.

Let me say two things about this issue. We would like to consider many things about this institution. One of them is the qualifying characteristics to the institution. How do we do the vetting? In my opinion, we should look at what one plans to advance in, not the degree they want to attain. What evidence do we have that they can now proceed with genetic engineering, medical engineering, and so on? The qualification needs to be thoroughly investigated, as every university has its own character. The character I am thinking of in this university is that it will advance technological development and innovation. It will be an innovation centre. This is where people will be thinking about innovation and the future of science worldwide. Unless we challenge the brain, we cannot come up with innovation. A good innovator looks at what is new and different. In that respect, we need a very thorough vetting process to give merit the chance to allow students or learners to join this university. It should be an all-around university. We have listed several examples. There is absolutely nothing wrong with advancing even in social sciences so that we can innovate the social science of the future. This being an innovation centre, we can look at how we can mandate those who will be charged with the responsibility of running this institution to look at how advancement can be interpreted in the context of this institution.

We should also desist from the multiplier effect that Kenyans normally think about. When a business appears successful, or an innovation appears to work, it is multiplied in this country. People multiply it very quickly. Right now, we have close to 100 universities in the country. Everybody wants to set up a university to offer degrees. The quality should be the overriding factor. Here, we are not looking at the quality of the degree but the quality of innovation. There must be some standards to measure the quality of innovation. Therefore, we should have only this, and protect it as the only institution in the country that vets highly skilled personnel and extremely good ideas, so that we can allow innovation to take centre stage.

We are considering this institution as a clearinghouse. We should also look at it as a clearing house. There is a lot that is not clear in the world today. As a country, we may want to clear certain things. This House has belaboured on certain issues, but we do not have a backup plan, nor do we have an institution for which we can say, “when this intuition has spoken, the idea has been fully and competitively verified”. We should therefore view this institution as the clearing house for the many issues we face. I am calling it so because we have had two incidents in this House in the biological sciences sector. One of them had something to do with genetic engineering and biotechnology. We should regard this institution highly. We should develop it to the point that a statement from the institution is the law, because it would have been thoroughly verified, examined, and properly judged. Therefore, we should be able to believe it. We waste a lot of time going to and from over things that have worked elsewhere. We could also consider it a verification centre for what we think ought to be verified or looked into, to see whether it is working or not.

Looking at the centrality of this institution on the map of Kenya, I find it is placed in a central enough location. If we take care of the software properly, we can create an institution that meets the expectations and standards of those institutions.

It is with those few remarks that I propose the adoption of this Draft Charter.

Since you are an academician, before you go, having listened to the debate this afternoon, we had institutions called Kenya Science and Kenya Polytechnic. How do you guard against what happened to those two institutions, because they also specialised in their respective fields?

Hon. Temporary Speaker, what we have done to our institutions is allow them to do anything, like Kenya Science, which started offering other courses. I do not want to mention the specific courses because some Kenyans will feel offended. Kenya Science was not a pure science institution. It became all-rounded. I think it is because of wanting numbers and a lack of capacity to run, for lack of enough money to sustain their budgets, that institutions open up too much.

We are saying this one should be preserved and properly funded…

Hon. Mutunga, Kenya Science did not have that problem. They just made it a university.

Yes. They made it a university.

They elevated Kenya Science and Kenya Polytechnic to university status. How can you protect this from also being inflated by all these things you are talking about?

I am saying that Kenya Science was a middle-level institution. It did not offer degrees. It offered technical training. The other one also offered technical-level training. This is an advanced, postgraduate level. If somebody wants to do a master’s degree in this institution, they should come up with an idea that leads to innovation. You should convince the admissions board that you will deliver an innovation, not just a degree.

That is the level which we should look at. Thank you very much.

It is now the chance for… Is it Mr, Dr, or Professor Oundo?

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Through my good work and the prayers of the people of Funyula before I came here, I had already acquired a PhD from the University of Nairobi and not just anywhere else. Let me also join my colleagues in supporting the Report of the Committee on Delegated Legislation on the Establishment of the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in this Country. This idea was mooted many years back as part of the Vision 2030 under the able hands of none other than His Excellency, the late President Emilio Mwai Kibaki.

It has taken a long time to actualise it, as with many other brilliant projects and ideas he had. Now we have a physical campus at Konza Technopolis. The very idea of advanced institutes leads to extreme-level specialisation. Probably, because of the nature of standard universities, they might not reach that point due to other challenges here and there. Before coming here, we in the academics noted that there has always been one challenge all over. That many times, the general degrees are too broad to equip students with the diverse skills and knowledge needed to survive in a multifaceted environment.

At the master’s level, you start to hone your idea and level of specialisation. At the PhD level, you have taken one particular path, but you are mostly trained in research and innovation to enable you to change society. We have had a challenge in this country, and there has been a rush. I have nothing against anybody, even those who could not pass exams in Form Four. There are those exceptional cases that somehow find their way through the line, and that is why

it gets to a certain point when they become paper academicians, if at all, and make no innovations in this country.

I want to echo the sentiments of

This institute being created should not be for every Tom, Dick and Harry. Progression to that institute must be subjected to thorough vetting. This is so we can take in people who are interested in research, invention, and innovation. We are not just taking people there who want to become lecturers or paper academicians. In this country, you would find somebody with a master’s degree who is highly incompetent. Why? It is alleged that they buy papers.

Thank you. Hon. Wandeto.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute to this very important Motion.

At the outset, let me say that I fully support the accreditation of the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. I was a Member of the ICT Committee before I was

unceremoniously hounded out for not supporting the impeachment of the then Deputy President. But that is not important. What is important is that I have some history with this institution, because it was under the ambit of the CII Committee, and I have indeed even visited the premises of this upcoming institution. This is how nations re-flog.

As a Country, if we hope to reach some of these fancy destinations we have heard about recently, we cannot go through empty promises. We need to follow a practical path. The establishment of KAIST is one of those practical steps that can enable this country to move forward. This university, as my predecessors have said, is modelled after the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. And the history of KAIST in Korea is that it is one of the institutions that has made that tiny Asian country into a global technology icon today. Korea, as you know, is a leader in semiconductors, electronics, robotics, and advanced engineering, and Korean culture now encompasses not just technology but even music and food, a result of what the country has achieved.

Let me thank the foresight, as Hon. Beatrice Elachi has said here, concerning the late President Mwai Kibaki, who established KONZA Technopolis and championed the idea of the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. I thank the retired President, Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, who played a very instrumental role in the establishment of this institution. We need this institution because this country has 80 or 85 public universities, yet we don't see much in terms of practical innovations or solutions to the problems facing this country coming from those universities. Most innovations in this country have been private-sector-led, unlike in the West, where many innovations are led by research institutions, which begs the question: What has been happening to our universities?

The more important thing about KAIST is not what it should be, but what it should not be. I would like to spend a little bit of time on what we do not wish this institution to be. We do not want this to be the 86th, 73rd or 100th university in Kenya. If we are just adding another university, then we do not need this institution. We want a university with a difference, one that can provide practical solutions to the problems bedevilling this country. We have seen in the past a lot of infighting about who should lead which institution. The example of Moi University is still fresh in my mind, where they say a member of our community must lead the institution. That is backward. We hope that, as we select the administrators of this institution, they will be men and women who can deliver on the institution's mandate, and that the process should not be guided by tribalism.

I hope my friend, Hon. Kimilu, will not start insisting that the Vice-Chancellor must be a Kamba, since the University is near his home. That would be backward. The Vice-Chancellor should come from anywhere in this country or anywhere in the world, provided they can deliver the mandate of the university.

The second thing is funding. Universities in this country are facing an acute funding problem. Egerton University cannot even pay statutory deductions, and some have salaries which are now five or six months in arrears. We hope we are not establishing an institution that will then fall into those same problems. I hope that, as we give the charter to this university, we shall carefully consider how it will be funded. Furthermore, we want a university that will not just churn out papers but also solutions.

I would like to draw your attention to what some Chinese universities have started doing. In China, they are now offering PhDs, not because you have written a 200-page dissertation but because you have come up with a practical innovation. For example, the people who invented M-PESA deserve PhDs more than many people who have them, where the only thing they have to show for it is a piece of paper in a cabinet somewhere. I am not challenging

the current model; I am just saying that innovation must also be rewarded. As this college starts offering postgraduate degrees, we want them to reward the real innovations coming out of this country. Kenya is a powerhouse of financial innovation and IT, such as FinTech, and we hope KAIST will focus there.

We do not want an institution that is trying to boil the ocean. Let them focus on a few areas of strength. We may not build robots to go to the moon or build space shuttles right now. Currently, our problems are around climate change, sanitation, agriculture and urban issues. We want a university that will narrow down to what can really move this country forward, not programmes in anthropology, advanced robotics, or everything and nothing, where you finally end up delivering nothing. We are really hopeful that this university will become one that reduces our dependence…

Order. I do not mind giving you information. However, when a Member is on a roll, and you can clearly see it, and then you interrupt, it is not fair. Do you want to be informed by him?

He can inform me later. I do not wish to be informed by Hon. KJ. First, I am a senior in a lot of things other than being…

Order! It is not about him and how you relate to him. It is about information. If you do not want to be informed, that is okay.

Okay. We want this institution to anchor higher education and innovation. We hope it will reduce our dependence on imported technologies, as we import many things, including toothpicks. We hope their first innovation would be toothpicks and matchboxes, so we can stop importing them. We hope that it can support industrialisation as envisioned by the late Mwai Kibaki in the Vision 2030 strategy. We hope that this institution can help us attract global partnerships, capital, and talent that can blend with our own.

That is why I support Hon. KJ saying that the Vice-Chancellor can come from anywhere in the world. This is not an ordinary university to be led by a Kamba because it is in Ukambani. It is a global institution that will change this country. I wish to support. If Hon. KJ wishes to inform me now, he is free to do so.

Hon. Wandeto, next time someone has a point of information, it is courteous to allow them to inform you. Hon. Kimaiyo.

Order. There is a Member in this House called Hon. Kimaiyo, and this chance belongs to him.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Kimilu and Kimaiyo are somehow similar, but this is Hon. Kimaiyo. I know he also comes from the Rift Valley. Anyway, thank you for the opportunity. I rise to support this Motion to establish the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. I serve on the Departmental Committee on Communication, Information and Innovation and the Committee on Delegated Legislation. In the Departmental Committee, this is where KAIST is anchored, and I was also among the Members who passed this regulation. This is a proud moment for Kenya.

This university is not just any other university. Section 24 of the Universities Act gives the President, on the recommendation of the Commission for University Education, the power to establish specialised universities. Earlier last year, His Excellency, the President, granted a Charter for the establishment of the Open University of Kenya, which is different from what we are establishing. This Motion establishes the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, which will admit only PhD and master’s students and is a specialised university.

(Hon. Millie Odhiambo-Mabona spoke off the record) Mhe. Millie, if you qualify to do a PhD at the top cream, Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, you will be given admission. This will not admit students in all subjects, but will admit students to science and innovation courses and to courses on ICT and technology, even though we are late.

When His Excellency the late President Mwai Kibaki and his Cabinet came up with Vision 2030, they established Konza City, where the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) would be established. Some people think we are talking about something that will come in the future; however, KAIST already exists, with existing buildings. As soon as His Excellency, the President, awards its charter, even as early as tomorrow, he will go and commission that university.

We must also be thankful to the South Korean Government, which has been gracious enough to support this university by giving us professors to train the top cream of students. Whatever we are establishing in Konza City through KAIST is not unique or new; we are just late. California has done the same in Silicon Valley. India did the same. Half of Samsung’s employees in South Korea have graduated from the Korea National University of Science and Technology, a leading, specialised university.

I am also happy that this university will not just admit students from Kenya. The charter has considered students from outside Kenya because we want to serve the whole of Africa. This will allow us to tap into the top talent across the continent. There will be quotas for the same. There will be space for Kenya, East Africa and the entire continent.

Once this university receives its charter, as early as next week, Kenyan youths will no longer need to attend the best universities abroad, because our top talent will be at KAIST. I must thank the late President, His Excellency, Mwai Kibaki, for coming up with Vision 2030, which was the foundation for KAIST. I also extend my gratitude to the sitting President, who has been working tirelessly to ensure that we have the charter. I must also mention the Principal Secretary for the State Department for ICT and the Digital Economy, Mr Tanui, who was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Konza City when this baby was born.

With those few remarks, I support the Motion.

Let us have Hon. Joshua Kimilu.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to contribute to a very important Motion today.

Hon. Shakeel, please take your seat. You will contribute after Hon. Kimilu. You came to me because you did not have your card, and he had already put in his card. That is how it works.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I congratulate the Committee. I fully support the Motion. Having a science and technology university in Kenya is a plus for our country. In the last Parliament, I was in the Departmental Committee on Communication, Information and Innovation. I was the only Member of Parliament who joined the delegation that went to negotiate with the South Korean Government about this university. So, as you congratulate Hon. Mwai Kibaki, you also need to remember Hon. Kimilu because I was part of the delegation. It was fantastic to be taken around the science and technology institutions in South Korea. I met some Kenyans who were doing their research in South Korean institutions. I was impressed by what I saw in that part of the country. We should all support this institution. It is not about Ukambani or Konza; it is about Kenya. This institution will change our country.

Last year in my constituency, I wanted to sponsor some students to further their studies in the United States of America. It took me six months to get visas for them to further their studies. I wish KAIST had been established by then because I would not have struggled as I did. I am proud to say that this year, I toured the Konza Technopolis under the chairmanship of Professor Mutisya. I toured the institution and want to assure Kenyans that a good job is being done at Konza City.

Hon. KJ and I served together in the Departmental Committee on Communication, Information, and Innovation in the last Parliament. I want to remind him that this institution was established in line with the dream of His Excellency, President Mwai Kibaki, and Hon. Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka, who conceived the idea. We should also congratulate them because this idea will improve technology in our country. Many students who want to further their studies will have something to smile about, as the institution will admit students from our country and attract students globally. People will be coming from outside our country to further their studies in this institution.

The institution will also improve our economy. It expects to admit thousands of students, which will boost Konza City’s economy and make people happy. People have set up businesses around the Konza Technopolis, which is very important. It will improve the economy and create jobs for youths in the area and others from outside the region. This research institution will promote innovation in our country. Our youth need to be innovative because of unemployment, which is a big problem in our country. If our youth use technology and are innovative, they will create their own jobs to make money. We cannot all fit into the institutions in our country.

The realisation of this institution will be a big boost to our country. I do not think any Member will fail to support this Motion. We are thinking of the coming generations, and if we wish well for our children, we will support this project. In fact, it is late. The Committee should move with speed so that we can actualise this institution. It will benefit many students, both inside and outside our country, who wish to further their studies.

Before I conclude, I take this opportunity to strongly condemn the attack on Vihiga Senator, Hon. Godfrey Osotsi, which occurred today in Kisumu. Political intolerance has no place in modern Kenya. While we may hold different views, resorting to violence and the use of goons against those with opposing opinions is unacceptable and undermines democracy. I wish Hon. Osotsi a swift recovery. As members of Linda Mwananchi, we are the youth of this country, and we will ensure that no one silences us by sending goons to attack us. I want to tell the Government that it is its work to protect Kenyans.

Order. You know, I allowed you to say what you said, even though it was irrelevant. But when you veer off course, you know I

will not allow you. I allowed you because you started the process. But please do not go beyond what you have already said. Be relevant to the Motion.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I can see some Members here who support the Broad-Based Government. I am warning them because this has been a trend happening in this country. We want to condemn…

Order. You know none of the Members here is in Kisumu, and none of them attacked Senator Osotsi. Why can you not be relevant to this matter? I sympathise with Hon. Osotsi like you, but if you want to discuss that, you can bring a Motion, please.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I conclude by supporting the Motion. But it is very painful to see our colleague attacked for having a different opinion. That is not good. I want to say in this Parliament that some of these people doing this nonsense should know that today it is us, but tomorrow, it will haunt them. It is painful to have people who order the police to throw teargas at us when we are doing our duties. It is too painful.

Let me support the Motion. We need the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) to be established as soon as possible. Thank you.

Hon. Shabbir.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. From the outset, I stand to support this very important Motion. I beg the House to approve the award of the charter. We have lost our way in the education sector. We established many universities that awarded degrees in theology and other fields, but we forgot that the industries of this country and the world depend on science and technology.

When the rising Germany was defeated, Americans and others brought all their engineers back to their countries. As a result, they built many things, including the Concorde and other such aeroplanes. I remember when I was in high school, at the Nairobi School or Prince of Wales, we used to go to science fairs somewhere in Dagoretti. Hon. Temporary Speaker, perhaps you also remember that.

I was not born yet. I would not remember.

Okay, Hon. Temporary Speaker. It used to be very exciting for Form 4 and Form 6 students. They would come up with very innovative projects. Even M-PESA was conceived here. It was derived from our intelligence and built on our flexibility, and it is used worldwide. The disaster report system, which collects all the information, was designed in Dagoretti by a Kenyan. It is used by the United Nations and everybody else. There is a time when the internet came up, and perhaps, Hon. Temporary Speaker, you were born by then. That was about 20 to 30 years ago. People had problems getting internet. A brick was formed, which was a power bank, and it provided people with internet and other facilities. Brick was formed somewhere in Dagoretti Corner again by a few individuals and a European gentleman. Their research was on identifying animals in the Maasai Mara.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology was formed on the same basis. As we are doing this, there are many other institutes of science and technology. I was in Korea, and we saw some of these things. I remember one gentleman showed us how he started making pencils. In this country, even toothpicks are imported. When we go to the State House, we are given little towels on which water is poured. Those are also imported from abroad. We play golf, and those small tees that can be made by any child here are brought from abroad.

This Advanced Institute of Science and Technology is an integral part of Konza City. Konza City was conceived to develop certain initiatives and strengths in this country and take them to the world. Prof. Obel had some sort of treatment on what he claimed, although we ran him down. I remember we used to go to Tanzania for some medicine. During COVID-19…

Did you go to Loliondo?

I know very much about it.

Did you go to Loliondo?

Yes, I did, but not for what you think. We passed by there on our way to pay our last respects to Mzee Julius Nyerere. I went with Baba at that time, and others did too.

In this era of rare-earth elements, Americans and Chinese are coming to Africa. There is a hill somewhere in Ukambani that has minerals worth a trillion dollars. Silicon also comes from this country. There are many things we can do in this country because 70 per cent of our population is youth. We need an advanced institute of science and technology. It will add to other institutes such as polytechnic-type universities, technical colleges, and technical schools. Soon, we will have robotics in this country.

I was in Switzerland when I met a young Kenyan man from the slums of Kibra who collects old computer parts and refurbishes them to build other things. That gentleman was honoured in Switzerland. He was given a scholarship to study in the United States of America. These are the sort of things that we need to generate.

An advanced institute of science and technology does not have to be there just for Master’s degree and PhD holders. It is to develop innovation. I see no reason why we have not built our own car. It was there, but we did not do it right. There is no reason we cannot build a car from the beginning to the end at this point in time. This country will become a consumer society. We really need to renovate.

When you go to South Korea, China and other places, a lot of money is being spent. Even President Xi is going around the country and developing innovation centres. So, we as Kenyans, and especially Africans, must take advantage of Artificial Intelligence (AI) . We must not be left behind, but we want practical solutions to some of these issues. Issues like climate change and all these are very nice ideas, but can you imagine for a minute if we could develop that silicon chip here in this country, where much of our silicon comes from here and the Congo? Some of the minerals come from here. If we could develop technology to draw that water from beneath Turkana, which is larger than Lake Victoria's reservoir, get oil from Tullow, and address some of the issues that are hounding us, we would be far. Most of Tullow's workers were Kenyans. So, it was taken away. If we could get the Nairobi River sorted out, generate power from it, reuse our plastics and generate other products from them, then we would be far.

I stand to support the establishment of the Kenya-AIST. Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Hon. Leo Wa Muthende Njeru.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for this opportunity to contribute to this Motion. As a student of science and a biochemistry graduate, I say this is long overdue. I remember the university challenging lecturers on some of the practicals we used to do in biochemistry, while our counterparts in Europe, the United States of America and some parts of Asia were doing advanced research. They were doing advanced tests at that time. We were still extracting cholesterol from mice. As a good student of science, I asked what we aimed to achieve. Therefore, the establishment of the Kenya-AIST is a breather for any scientist who has been complaining that we focus so much on importing rather than innovating our own. We have very unique circumstances here in Kenya.

My only concern is that we are so focused on engineering, especially electrical and electronics, while in medicine, we have left out genetic engineering and medical biotechnology. I see there is agrobiotechnology, which is very good. We also have medical biotechnology and genetic engineering, which are the current frontiers in treatment, especially for diseases like cancer. Therefore, we can also add such, so we can develop our own initiatives here, and we have brains and people who always end up working and lecturing at other institutions. Most of my classmates actually lecture in the U.S., and we now need them to come back to Kenya so we can stop importing and start innovating.

Another field is phytochemistry. I believe our forefathers were very good at identifying plants effective for certain ailments. We still have some of them, and with an advanced lab which can extract and even profile some of these chemicals, we can actually develop our own medicine, patent it and sell it out there. This is a very important time in our history as scientists, when we have a lab or an institute that promotes innovation and reduces the brain drain that we see, with most of our brilliant scientists only finding themselves useful outside Kenya.

I come from Mbeere North, where coltan has been discovered. It will be very sad to start exporting raw coltan instead of having the Kenya-AIST have a course on refining coltan to its elements. We can then start making resistors, capacitors, and some components for mobile phones, so that Samsung and Apple can import some of these parts to assemble in other places or here. It is a very important component even in electric vehicles. So, I look at this as one of the most important things that will pass. I support this Motion fully. Let us support the establishment. Those developing the curriculum should look at medical biotechnology, phytochemistry, and genetic engineering, because that is where medicine is headed.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I fully support this Motion. Thank you again for this opportunity.

Member for Yatta.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for allowing me to add my voice to support the establishment of the Kenya-AIST. If I look at the global space, we have the Korea Institute of Advanced Technology in Korea and many other countries that recognise the importance of technology and have established similar universities.

The reason I support this particular Motion is that it will make Kenya the regional leader in science, technology, and innovation. This will put us on par with countries like Germany, the United Kingdom, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and many others that have advanced in technology. Kenya is a net importer of processed products, including very minute items like toothpicks. It is a shame that 61 years after we attained internal self-rule, we are still importing most of the items consumed in this country and losing significant foreign exchange in the process. So, with this particular institution anchored in the country, we will mitigate the importation of essential items and promote manufacturing and industrialisation. In our country,

many of our youth are still unemployed. With this institution established in Kenya, we will create employment opportunities, particularly in technology, manufacturing, and industrialisation. For many years, we have been waiting for this.

I have lived in many countries where technology is a key ingredient in terms of development. As patriots, it is important that we think of the current and future generations. That is why I support this particular Motion: I mean well for Kenya and would like to see it become an advanced country and, for that matter, a progressive nation. Importantly, if we want to grow Gross Domestic Product (GDP), we should embed technology into our economic growth plans. The moment we start manufacturing and exporting within the East Africa Community (EAC) and beyond, our GDP will grow.

Again, through manufacturing and industrialisation, we will have a healthy balance of trade, that is, import and export. This is what will boost our economy in terms of growth. Additionally, when we talk about infrastructure, we cannot talk about growth or meaningful development without technology.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, we talk of bridges, proper roads, smart agriculture, and climate adaptation technologies, all anchored in science and technology. Russia has integrated technology into agriculture, just as Israel has. These countries progress, feed their people and export. That is why we need this level of institutions to teach and build human capital capable of competing with the rest of the world and aligned with global needs.

We talk of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Where can they be offered, if we do not have such an institution? To advance in STEM, we need institutions like the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology to develop a skilled labour force that can be relied on in Kenya and other countries. Additionally, the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology will enable us to solve current problems and address future challenges. Recently, we had COVID-19, which was a big problem. We depended on foreign countries to get vaccines. If we had institutions for research and innovation, we would have been the leaders in providing temporary and permanent solutions to emerging challenges. Pathological studies require science and technology institutions, both in health and many other fields, which are needed for the advancement of this country.

On security, there are conflicts in Iran, Ukraine, Russia, Israel and the United States of America. They are using technology. I pity Kenya if we engage in a similar level of war. They are using drones and air defence systems such as David's Sling and Iron Dome in Israel. What do we have in Kenya? That is a grey area. If we do not prepare for the future, we will be a colony of other nations. If we want to remain competitive in security matters, we need institutes of advanced science and technology where our labour force can be trained. We can start manufacturing products to build a security platform to defend our country and place us on par with advanced nations.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is another area which is coming up. Robotics and modern aeroplanes depend on AI. All this is happening in countries that have invested in research and innovation departments. This Motion is timely. We need to move with speed to establish a functional Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.

Lastly, to move from talk to action, this House appropriates funds to various institutions. We can only talk of a functional, advanced institute of science and technology if we plan well and allocate sufficient funds for research and innovation. This will enable us to be self-reliant and support neighbouring nations. Kenya is the economic powerhouse of East Africa. This glory can only be solidified and enhanced through science and technology. That is why I urge all Members to support this Motion.

I rest my case. I support the Motion.

Member for Suba North, followed by the Member for Seme and then Hon. Mayaka in that order.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to contribute. I join other Members who have spoken before me in supporting the award of a Charter for the establishment of the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.

From what we have heard from Members, technology is both today and tomorrow. With the direction the world is taking, unless we move with it, we will be left behind. It is a new technological revolution, like the industrial revolution. For those of us who travel frequently, if you are unable to keep up with technology, you are unable to keep up with the rest of the world. Members have given diverse reasons for keeping up with technology. Some of them include daily convenience and efficiency.

There are tasks that we used to do, but they would take us one month or even two months to be completed. However, you can do them in 10 minutes now. I remember you challenged Hon. Shakeel, who referred to some time, and you said you were not yet born. I do not want to say when I was at the university. I might discover you were not born on the date I want to talk about.

Which class?

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) class, Hon. Temporary Speaker. We are serious people. We might go to the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology for an advanced PhD in innovation and technology.

Hon. KJ and other Members asked me how I was researching. I was still relying on my physical documentation and reading methods. They gave me all the engines for researching everything. I can do the research I used to do for four months in 20 or 30 minutes. It comes with many challenges. That is why you need an advanced university of technology and innovation. We also do not understand these changes in technology, and we do not keep up with them.

Yesterday, I was doing one of my assignments, which coincidentally was on the challenges in the fisheries sector. We were also working on the Fisheries Act. I faced one challenge. I have become technologically savvy. After I completed my paper, I ran a plagiarism check. The score was 2 per cent. When I ran an AI first attempt, the result was 67 per cent. I revised my document and used my language as much as I could. It reduced the score to 57 per cent. The challenge is that even when I use my language like in-situ and ex-situ, it appears as AI-generated work, but not plagiarised. Because I am a technical person, when I feed things, I appear as AI. I am that serious, but do I say?

Hon. Irene Mayaka told me I have machine-motivated language. I speak in Parliament, and I use the same language. It is online. When I use the same language I use here in Parliament,

it appears to be AI-generated. How can we address this situation from an academic perspective so that they do not consider me to be using AI?

How then do you deal with this from an academic perspective? How do you deal with such a situation? How do you consider me as using AI? I am just a walking AI, Hon. Temporary Speaker. This is one of the things I am going to ask my university to look at. There is a proposed

Bill on AI, and I intend to raise these concerns so that they can be addressed either through

He is called…

Wa Muthende.

Yes, that is his name.

Why are you telling me Wa Muthende? I am the one who even escorted him here. It is just that, you know, Hon. Wa Muthende is very different from Otieno or Onyango, so sometimes it takes a while to recall. Plus, menopause is also catching up, but with science and technology, you can also find ways of dealing with the menopausal symptoms, like disappearing names and all that. In terms of the medical field, as a person who has done a lot of research in the past on plant genetic resources and their medicinal values, if we actually get into the field of innovation, science and technology, we will be getting cures for things that hitherto are a challenge for us in the world.

For instance, one of the greatest challenges I faced growing up as a young girl was a problem with fibroids. For me to deal with it, I had to undergo very serious surgery. It is a major surgery, but now I am told there are less invasive ways of dealing with it because of science and technology. Hon. Nyikal, I think he wanted to inform me of this, but he cannot do so while talking to someone else. He is advanced in those areas. Because of science and technology, things that used to be very problematic are changing very fast. You would be surprised that, thanks to technology, I am now able to perform multiple roles. Within a period of three months, I have been to my constituency, I think, six times. I have been to Mexico, Australia, South Africa, and I have been to God knows where. If it were the days when technology was not there, I would still be on my way to Mexico, just one direction. But, because of technology…

Yes, I am doing very well. I have always done well, and I am a global leader. That is why I am a bad girl, but do I say. Hon. Temporary Speaker, because of interconnectedness, as I was travelling back from South Africa two days ago, a lady just stopped me at the airport and said, “I know you from somewhere.” I told her, “Well, probably from TikTok,” and it turned out she knew me from there. I get that all the time. Technology, in a very strange way, also forces us as leaders to lead correct lives. I cannot go around doing anything in Nigeria, Uganda, or Tanzania in any manner because technology exposes me everywhere.

I can see my time is up, but I had a lot to say. It enhances trade. Look at M-PESA, and Kenya is actually a leader in this.

Again, I talked about many challenges, including gender inclusion. Women are still left behind, and we must learn to adapt, otherwise we will be left behind.

Otherwise, I fully support, it is a timely idea. Thank you.

Thank you. Hon. Lekakeny, do you want to speak on this? I have not seen your card.

Okay, great. Then this is your chance, Hon. Nyikal.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Something must be wrong. I have been here…

What is wrong is that Hon. Sunkuli is also called Hon. Lekakeny.

Okay.

of them will leave the country, and other countries will take them. So, when we reach this level, we must be prepared to invest more not only in the institute but also in utilising its products.

What we must guard against is this: when we start an institute like this, and you raised it earlier during the discussions, sometimes we begin with this intention, but in the end, it simply becomes another university, like what happened with the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). When we started JKUAT, I think it was supported by the Japanese in the same way we are now supported by the Koreans. Eventually, other courses were being offered, and it became another university. The cutting edge is so expensive that if you do not invest in it, it becomes easier to focus on general degrees. Once they grow in number, we get enough resources from them, and this will just die.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) started like that, but it has not remained the same. For the Technical University of Kenya (TUK), the idea was exactly the same. The university was to be a technical university, focusing on technical subjects only. What has happened now is that it is becoming just like any other university. When Egerton University started, it was also supposed to be leading. Therefore, what we must do…

Hon. (Dr) Nyikal, what is the issue?

The issue here is financing. That is the basic issue. We must accept that we will need to invest more. The returns are normally slow and low. If we are not patient, we will want quick returns. If the universities are not well funded, they start looking for money elsewhere. They introduce courses where you only need a blackboard and chalk, or nowadays a computer, and you can teach. A technical university is for high-level research. When you are doing research at the nuclear and phytochemistry level, that is high- level research, and we must put money into it. If we put money into it, then it will produce what we want.

This danger is very real. If we do not address it, it will be something we celebrate now, but in about five to ten years, it will become just another university that people are clamouring to get into. What other countries do is link such universities with an industry. In other countries, there are industrial research parks, which means a university like this is linked to an industry. The ideas they create are funded by the industry and immediately taken up and put into production so that businesses can run with them. It is a great idea. It is a beginning, but we must be willing and ready to finance it, support it, and protect it from the danger of becoming just another university. With that, I support.

Hon. Mayaka, followed by the Member for Malindi, then the Member for Marakwet West.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for this opportunity. Before I contribute to this Motion, I wanted to inform Hon. Millie before she left, but I did not want to interrupt her flow of thought. What she spoke about is what we call the Internet of Things. What she is experiencing is an integration between people, technology and the sensitivity of the devices we use. This is to the extent that, for example, if you are thinking about buying an outfit, you log into Instagram or Facebook, the first things that come up are examples of the outfit you want to buy. It is also influenced by the kind of language you use. Machine learning takes control of the kind of language you use, to the extent that you feel like Artificial Intelligence (AI) knows you better than people do. Sometimes, when you are doing an assignment, there is an indication that there is a lot of AI involved, but it is because of the nature of the Internet of Things. Hon. Millie has gone to class; we both do online classes. That is another advantage of technology.

To the Motion at hand, first of all, I thank the Chair of the Departmental Committee on Communication, Information and Innovation. I was a member of that committee, and I remember when this conversation was one of the key issues we deliberated on. I was also very lucky to be among the Members who had an opportunity to visit the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon. I was excited to see young Kenyans who had gone through KAIST speaking Korean. They served as our interpreters and helped us see how beneficial it would be to have a similar institute in our country. I also thank the Committee on Delegated Legislation for taking the baton from the Departmental Committee on Communication, Information and Innovation. They have ensured that we now have a draft charter, so we can realise the benefits of this institution.

I have looked at the seven main postgraduate programmes that will be offered. In the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) space, we do not have many young or older women participating. I hope that this institution will encourage and reach out to schools with young women interested in STEM, so that they can join and study some of the unique courses offered. These include Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Information and Communication

Technology (ICT) Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Agrobiotechnology. It is also important that, as Parliament, we help ensure that a very important charter is established. This is unique, and not many African countries have such an institution. It will open opportunities for young people from across Africa and other continents to study in Kenya.

In terms of technology, it is clear that we cannot run away from its importance. Once this charter and the legal aspects are completed, I would like to see the principal of this institution and others involved encouraging as many Kenyans as possible to enrol in these programmes. We should not only focus on the usual postgraduate courses but also encourage people into the technology space. Once again, I thank the Committee for bringing this forward. We fully support it and hope it begins working as soon as possible. I thank you. I submit.

Member for Malindi.

Ahsante, Mhe. Spika wa Muda, kwa kunipatia huu wakati ili niweze kutoa sauti na mawazo yangu kuhusu Hoja hii iliyo mbele yetu. Nachukua fursa hii kuunga mkono Hoja hii inayohusu kuanzishwa kwa chuo kikuu kitakacho jihusisha hususan na masomo ya sayansi na teknolojia. Wacha ieleweke kwamba katika dunia ya siku hizi, bila sayansi na teknolojia, nchi haiwezi kupiga hatua. Niko hapa kuunga mkono kuanzishwa kwa chuo hiki kwa sababu naelewa umuhimu wa sayansi na teknolojia katika dunia ya sasa.

Kama waheshimiwa Wabunge wengine walivyosema, sisi kama taifa la Kenya, tuko na maono na malengo yetu. Tuko na Vision 2030 ambayo imeambatana na kuwepo kwa chuo kikuu kitakachohusika na masuala ya sayansi na teknolojia ili kuwasaidia Wakenya kujiendeleza.

Kilichonivutia zaidi ni yale masomo yatakayofundishwa katika chuo hicho wakati Hoja hii itakapopitishwa hapa Bungeni, kwa nguvu za Mungu. Kwa wale ambao hawaelewi Kiingereza, ndiyo maana tunatumia Kiswahili kueleza masomo haya. Kutakuwa na baadhi ya masomo mazuri, na yatakayoweza kuleta manufaa katika taifa letu. Kuna uhandisi wa mitambo

(Mechanical Engineering)

, uhandisi wa umeme

(Electrical Engineering)

, uhandisi wa mawasiliano, ujumbe na teknolojia

, uhandisi wa kemikali,uhandisi wa ujenzipamoja na masuala ya kilimo.

Haya masomo yote katika hiki chuo kikuu yanaambatana unyo kwa unyo na maisha yetu ya kila siku, na yanaweza kutusaidia kwa masuala ya madawa, ukulima,na makaazi yetu, hapa na pale. Hii ndio maana nimeweza kusimama hapa na kuunga mkono, hii Hoja.

Pia, nachukua fursa hii kuishukuru Serikali ya South Korea. Nimesikia wazungumzaji wengine wakisema kwamba tumeambatana na kuungana nao kuhakikisha kwamba suala hili limesimama kidete.

Naelewa kwamba South Korea iko tayari kuungana na Kenya kuhakikisha masomo katika chuo kikuu hiki yanaendelea vizuri. Ni vizuri watu kujihusisha na nchi nyingine kubadilisha mawazo na elimu. Nchi kama iliyotajwa iko mbele na imejizatiti katika teknolojia. Ni vizuri kuwa na partners kama hawa ambao wako tayari kusimama kidete kushikana na sisi kuhakikisha tumebadilisha mambo ya sayansi na teknolojia ya Kenya yetu. Kwa hivyo, nazidi kuunga mkono wazo hili.

Masuala ya utafiti pia yasibaki nyuma. Sisi kama Wakenya tunajulikana kama wachapakazi. Pia tunajulikana kama wasomi wanaojisaidia na masomo yao. Kuna vitu kadha wa kadha ambavyo sisi Wakenya tayari tumeunda na vinaonekana vikitumika. Mfano ni maswala ya utumizi wa M-Pesa kutoka kwa nguvu au jasho la Wakenya walioketi na kuona hii ni idea nzuri. M-Pesa inatumika kila mahali saa hii. Niko na imani kwamba kuna Wakenya wengi kule nje walio na ideas nyingi za kusaidia katika utafiti, teknolojia na sayansi yetu hapa nchini.

Kuna masuala ya fedha katika shule nyingi hapa na pale. Tunapounda chuo kikuu hiki, hususan cha sayansi na teknolojia, maombi yangu ni kwamba sisi kama Wabunge na Serikali ya Kenya tujue kwamba hili si jambo la kuchezewa. Hili ni jambo la kutupeleka mbele. Kwa hivyo sisi, kama Wabunge na viongozi, tuangalie masuala ya pesa na funding ili chuo kikuu hiki kisimame sawa sawa. Masuala ya pesa lazima yaangaliwe. Tunapofanya bajeti yetu ya nchi, naomba wenzangu tuweke pesa nyingi pale. Matatizo sio kusoma peke yake. Masomo yaweza kupatikana kila mahali. Kinachotatiza ni utafiti. Najua utafiti siyo rahisi.

Lazima tuwe tayari. Sisi kama Wakenya tumesema tunaelekea upande huo. Basi lazima tuwe tayari kuweka kitita cha kueleweka cha pesa ili wale wanafunzi wanaofanya utafiti wa madawa, ukulima, ujenzi, na mambo mengine mengi wawe na rasilimali ya kutosha ya kuwasaidia kufanya kazi zao.

Nikimalizia, kawaida ni kila mwanafunzi apate kazi anapomaliza kusoma. Tunapoweka vyuo vikuu vingi, pia tunataka wanaoenda kusoma pale wasiwe watu tunaosomesha kisha waende nchi za ng’ambo. Tunataka ule ujuzi wao na yale waliyojifundisha yatumike hapa Kenya ili nasi tuwe na nafasi za kazi na wale wanaosoma pale watusaidie hapa Kenya.

Kwa hayo machache, asanteni sana. Naunga mkono.

From my records, honourable

Thank you. I will be very fast. I rise to support this very important Motion on the draft charter for the establishment of the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.

From the onset, I support the letter, spirit, and intent of this very, very important Motion. Section 24 of the Universities Act empowers the President to establish specialised degree-awarding institutions of strategic importance. Further, this law provides that this institution shall produce highly qualified scientists and engineers with theoretical and practical knowledge of future industries in Kenya. We must industrialise Kenya's economy to grow. To

industrialise, we, as a country, have to produce top-notch scientists who can conduct research, advise the country on advancing technology, and train the next generation of scientists.

This week we watched American astronauts travel more than 400,000 kilometres to the moon to study our planet and universe, whereas in Kenya we are busy discussing politics and the numbers of the next election. We should be ashamed as a country. As a House and country, we must be very deliberate in allocating funds to research, technology, and innovation.

I have done my little research. America is successful in technology, research, and innovation because it has invested heavily. They have invested USD$ 934 billion in this year's budget. Singapore, the country that we so aspire to be, has invested USD$ 37 billion in innovation and research. Our neighbour, South Africa, has invested USD$ 1.5 billion. Kenya invested a mere USD$ 7.2 million in the 2025 budget. We cannot aspire to be Singapore when we do not invest in research and innovation.

As I support this Motion, I also encourage this House to be very deliberate. Let us allocate more funds, establish this important university, and invest further in research, innovation, and technology so we can industrialise as a country. We have many scientists who can advise and guide us on innovation and technology.

For those reasons, I support this very important Motion.

That said, I think it is time for the mover to reply. Hon. Gichimu.

As I reply, let me take this opportunity to thank all Members who created time to contribute to this Motion. I also thank them for unanimously supporting the Committee on Delegated Legislation on this report on establishing the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. It has become clear that this is a matter of national importance, and all Members of Parliament from all divides have supported it. This shows that the journey to Singapore is real.

If we can establish such an institution, the first of its kind in Africa, Kenya will be a benchmark for science and technology. We hope that, after Parliament passes this Motion, it will be fast-tracked so that this university or advanced institute of science and technology becomes a reality and starts benefiting Kenyans, Africans, and other cadres who are supposed to benefit. We will then be able to reap its benefits.

Without much ado, I beg to reply. I also request that you defer the putting of the Question for obvious reasons.

I have always wondered why Members leave the Chamber after they contribute. Who is supposed to make a decision on the business under consideration if you leave the Chamber? I have observed each Member who contributed to the Motion leaving the Chamber soon thereafter.

Hon. Maungu, what is out of order?

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I rise pursuant to Standing Order 35. We seem to have a quorum hitch in the House.

Hon. Maungu, you just walked in. When did you count the Members present? Ring the Quorum Bell for 10 minutes.

The Whip of the Minority Party, approach the Temporary Speaker.

Serjeant-at-Arms, it has been more than 10 minutes. You can stop ringing the Quorum Bell.

Hon. Members, for obvious reasons, the House will adjourn.

Hon. Members, the time being

Published by Clerk of the National Assembly