Wednesday, 8th October, 2025

Clerk, do we have quorum?

We do have quorum and, therefore, we will start the order of the day as contained in this afternoon's Order Paper.

Clerk, proceed to call the first Order.

Hon. Senators, I have a Communication to make on the election of Sen. Maureen Tabitha Mutinda, MP to serve as a member of the board of the parliamentary network on the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, IMF for the term 2025 to 2027. Is she in the House?

The parliamentary network on the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an independent non-governmental organisation that provides a platform for parliamentarians from across the world to engage with the World Bank Group and the IMF on issues of transparency, accountability and development effectiveness. The network facilitates dialogue between legislators, civil society and international financial institutions, with a focus on promoting good governance in the management of public

resources, advancing poverty reduction strategies and supporting policies that foster inclusive economic growth.

Hon. Senators, I wish to inform the Senate that Sen. Maureen Tabitha Mutinda, MP, has been elected to serve as a member of the board of governance of the parliamentary network on the World Bank and IMF for the term 2025-2027. The board of governors is charged with the responsibility of setting the strategic agenda and providing guidance for the activities of the parliamentary network. In this capacity, Sen. Mutinda will represent the East African region within the board. Sen. Mutinda will assume office on the 13th October, 2025 during the parliamentary engagements at the 2025 annual meetings of the World Bank and IMF.

Hon. Senators, I take this opportunity to congratulate the hon. Senator on my own behalf and on behalf of the Senate on her election and urge all hon. Senators to accord her the necessary support as she undertakes this important role on behalf of our region.

I thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Allow me to take this opportunity to congratulate my sister and colleague, Sen. Tabitha Mutinda, for the role that she has been appointed to serve in the board of the IMF and World Bank. This speaks volumes about her as a person and the quality of leaders that this Senate is able to produce not just for the nation, the continent, but for the world.

To Sen. Mutinda, I want to wish her well and tell her that we will support her in all ways possible. This is a time that I cannot even miss to brag because I have some bragging rights in as far as Sen. Tabitha Mutinda is concerned. She is a child and a daughter of Kitui County. She comes from my constituency, Kitui West, in Matinyani Ward.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is a great honour to our people. I would like to tell ladies and young men in Kitui County that we are setting the pace for them; that, yes, we may have come from very low backgrounds, with different hardships, but the world is there for us to beat. Sen. Tabitha Mutinda has set the pace for ladies from Kitui. Let us go for it. Let us do it. It is possible. We are proud of you, Sen. Mutinda. Go and conquer the world around you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to congratulate Sen. Tabitha Mutinda on this nomination. She was very passionate when looking for the vote. I remember her asking me whether I have voted. She really did it. Congratulations!

I just want to give her a piece of advice as the Senator of Machakos, a mother and an elder. Go and make us, women, proud. Go and stand your ground and do what is best for this country and East Africa. Go and show that women can do it. May God be with you and help you as you serve.

Thank you and God bless you.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I just wanted to say one thing, which is the fact that United Democratic Alliance (UDA) can get their nominations right.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for this opportunity. I also want to join my colleagues in congratulating Sen. Tabitha Mutinda on her nomination as a member of the board of IMF and World Bank.

Sen. Tabitha Mutinda is the Vice-Chair of the Committee on Finance and Budget. For that reason, I know that this is not an accidental nomination. She is more than qualified to serve in that position. I also congratulate her and every other woman leader, because it is a proof that women leadership has been embraced, not just in Kenya, but worldwide.

I congratulate my sister from another mother, who is also proof that you can have beauty with brains.

An hon. Senator: Order!

So, we will rest it at that.

been no easy task. There is always the danger of offending some constituencies and sensitivities by naming some persons and not others.

The individuals we are recognising today, some of whom we have invited and are seated in the Gallery, others who could not make it and yet others who have since passed on, do not represent an exhaustive or closed list. Busia has many heroes and heroines. As I read out this roll of fame, which is not in any order of precedence, I kindly request those who are present in the gallery to stand in their place and be acknowledged by the Senate on behalf of a grateful nation.

His Excellency, Hon. Moody Awori, EGH.

modernisation of the National Assembly Chamber and expansion of the Parliamentary facilities for members and staff, and the establishment of structures to accommodate our bicameral legislature following the promulgation of the new Constitution in August,

He is the first Member of Parliament for Butula Constituency and former Minister for Finance.

Hon. Florence Mutua, first Busia County Women Representative.

Dr. Boniface Makokha is the Principal Secretary, State Department of Economic Planning in the National Treasury and Economic Planning.

The late Hilary Ng’weno.

Mr. MacDonald Mariga, a renowned international professional footballer for Harambee Stars and the first Kenyan to play in and win the UEFA Champions League with Inter Milan. He serves as the current Vice- Chairperson of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF).

Hon. Senators, I thank you. I will allow hon. Senators to extend some welcoming remarks to the great men and women who are here today.

Proceed, Sen. Omtatah.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, thank you very much for honouring the luminaries from this community. As you can notice, Busia County has been a central player, be it in sports, culture, sciences, law or whatever line you have in academia, in medicine. The county has contributed its rightful share to the country. At times when you look at the county and the personalities it has produced, you will find that this county has on many occasions punched beyond its weight and it is because of those beautiful names you have heard that this county has contributed to the development of this country.

It is really good that, yesterday, on the Floor of this House, we debated The County Hall of Fame Bill, which seeks to immortalise names like the ones you have heard being mentioned on the Floor of this House. Across the country, many people have contributed to the development of this country and sometimes they do not get acknowledged and, therefore, they cease serving as role models to generations coming after them. I am sure that very few people in this hall knew that the first kidney transplant by an African was by a man from Busia. Not now when you have AI, in the 70s, when everything had to depend on you. So, that is a very important mark.

We have had our own former Senator and Attorney General Emeritus, Amos Wako, who holds the record today of having been the longest serving Attorney General. From the look of things, that record may never be broken; it is held by a person from Busia.

Really, it is with pride that I stand here, listening to those names. As the Speaker has rightly said, the list is very long, we cannot exhaust it in one sitting. However, the sampling was good; it captured all the critical areas. It also tells you that no sector of the economy is more important than the other. We need to develop all these sectors. Celebrate people and ourselves as Kenyans because they contributed as Kenyans, not as people pigeonholed in small corners.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, with those few remarks, I thank you together with the Members of the Senate for honouring these distinguished sons and daughters of this county.

We have heard of very many firsts. For example, if we were to look at the Curriculum Vitae of Prof. Julia Ojiambo, there are so many firsts that one page is not enough to hold, you will have to do two or three pages of just her firsts. That is the kind of thing that would be a good role model for us as a country.

I thank you very much and hand back the microphone.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I had not requested the Floor, but now that I have it, allow me to---

Yes, as the Senate Majority Leader, it would only be fair that you lead the queue in honouring this great people.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I join you on behalf of my colleagues to celebrate this long list of eminent Kenyans that hail from this land of Busia. They have made serious contribution into the body fabric of the Republic that is Kenya. I celebrate all of them; those that are known to me and those that are known by way of their achievements, including the men in academia, sports and other professions.

I celebrate our former colleague, Sen. Amos Wako, who mentored us when we joined Parliament and has continued to follow closely the work of many of us in this House. I would be remiss if I did not celebrate the industry and the dignity to a public servant that is embodied by none other than the Clerk of this House, Mr. Jeremiah Nyegenye.

I have had the opportunity to work with that man very closely during my days in Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) and I can say that this institution is what it is today, courtesy of his stand and being a man of integrity. Being in his home, I join you and the rest of my colleagues in celebrating him for what he has contributed in making the Senate what it is today.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, lastly, also to note is that this county has given us great sportsmen, including none other than the Vice-Chairperson of the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) , MacDonald Mariga. He is a good friend and a great Kenyan as well, who has lifted the flag of this Republic very high. This is a great county and we could not have picked a better place to celebrate this year's Senate Mashinani other than Busia, the home of great legends.

I thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to celebrate Busia as a County. I am here to celebrate all those whom I know and those whom I do not know. However, I will just mention three who are present here today and one who is absent.

Let me start with the Hon. (Prof.) Christine Mango, who is among the first women professors bold enough to go into politics. Christine, we follow in your footsteps. Thank you very much for opening the door for the rest of us who did not believe that being a professor and a politician at the same time was something that could be done.

I also say congratulations to Sen. Amos Wako, the smiling Attorney General of Kenya. He was called the smiling AG, not only in Kenya, but also in Uganda. If you met Ugandans, they would ask you about that smiling AG of ours. I was in the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) and that is what they called him. He was highly involved in the drafting of the Constitution of Kenya. I was in the Bomas process and he really guided the process very well as an advisor to the Government.

Thank you so much and God bless you. The third one is a mentor to me up to now, the Hon. (Prof) Julia Ojiambo. As we have been told, Prof. Julia Ojiambo has a lot of firsts; nobody can exhaust her list. She was the first assistant minister in Kenya; the first female PhD graduate of the University of Nairobi; first Kenyan woman to go to Harvard; the first woman MP from Western Kenya. We say congratulations.

I really am happy that we put a lot of value to our Senate Mashinani in Busia County with this recognition. Of course, in addition to the Bill that was brought by our Senator yesterday, it reminds us that we must learn to appreciate ourselves as human beings. If we do not write our history, nobody else will.

Prof. Julia Ojiambo continues to work for this country. She is now in the National Fund for the Disabled of Kenya, where she is doing an excellent job; it is unbelievable. She actually attracted me to join and I have joined as a member.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, finally is someone who was not on your list and in absentia, it is the daughter of the soil, Agnes Odhiambo, the first Controller of Budget (CoB). Please, let us remember that very powerful lady. I know she went to Nyanza, just like Sen. Mumma and they seem to be forgotten when they have left. She did a powerful job and worked with this Parliament very well. I was in the 10th Parliament and she guided the spending of this country. In fact, she is the one who started the reporting to Parliament of how constituencies were spending money.

We say congratulations to the wonderful and powerful men and women of Busia County.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, Sir. First and foremost, allow me to thank you and your predecessors most sincerely for coming up with this tradition of honouring the great men and women of the different places that we will be visiting.

I know some of the people in the Speaker's Gallery. I may not have met them physically, but out of the good things that they have done for the nation, I have had an opportunity to know them.

Most specifically, the AG Emeritus, Amos Wako, became the AG of Kenya when I was only four months old and he continued serving this nation until last term when he left Parliament.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, we continue to honour and thank the great men from this county who have served this Nation. I would not want to forget our very own Jeremiah Nyegenye Makokha, who is a distinguished parliamentarian and servant of this House. He is a consummate professional who has dealt with each one of us in a very professional way. Every time politics is thrown his way, he runs away. Occasionally, Mr. Speaker deals with us politically, but Mr. Nyegenye deals with us professionally and we are very grateful about it.

I would like us to ask ourselves: On the day Senate Mashinani will be in Siaya, what will be said about Oburu Odinga? On the day Senate Mashinani will be in Nyandarua, what will be said about John Methu? On the day Senate Mashinani will be in any of our counties, what will be said about the time that we served? It should not just be read that John Methu was a Senator from Nyandarua County and that is all of what will be remembered about my time in the Senate. We want to leave a print of what we have done now and in the days that we will continue serving.

I continue encouraging those of us who have been given an opportunity to serve, especially at a young age. You can continue serving at different capacities. Mr. Speaker, we are following your path. You became an MP at my age and you have continued serving until this minute, where you are still serving as a Speaker.

Finally, allow me to also recognise one son of this county, Senator for Busia, Okiya Andrew Omtatah; a great man who is incorruptible. He has proven time and again that you cannot corrupt him. He is a man with an independent mind and we celebrate you, Sen. Omtatah. We have so much to learn from you; continue serving. We may not be together with you on your journey for the presidency, but you are a good man and we shall continue working together.

Thank you very much.

The Senate Minority Leader, proceed. The Senate Minority Leader (Sen. Madzayo) :

Asante sana Bw. Spika.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I also wish to recognise all the eminent persons whom the Senate has recognised this afternoon. Just to admit, coming to Busia was a blessing because for the first time, I am able to see Hon. Julia Ojiambo live; I just read about her in history.

Courtesy of this visit to Busia, I am very privileged to see the champion of affirmative action because she, in a big way, demystified the fact that women can be in some of these spaces and gender should not be used to scare women from participating in decision-making and politics.

I also wish to recognise the footballers who have been mentioned; I am a football fan. Their contribution and action at that time entertained most of us. It is good to note that most of them hail from this county.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, finally, I recognise the Clerk of the Senate, who has also been recognised, a very professional individual at a time like this when we have very few

professional people. He is a man of integrity who has refused to bow to certain external pressures that sometimes tempt people of little faith.

With those few remarks, I thank them and wish that so many other people could follow those footsteps.

Thank you.

Sen. Omogeni, please, proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I also want to join my colleagues in passing my congratulations to the men and women who have been lucky to be inducted into the Hall of Fame for residents of Busia.

I have had the honour of serving with Sen. Amos Wako when I chaired the Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs in the last Parliament. He is a colleague in the role of Senior Counsel; he has served as our Attorney General, as the titular head of the Bar. He is a man who is extremely professional, a student of Alliance High School, but a very humble man.

I hope now that we have led the way in honouring these men and women, the County Government of Busia and even the County Assembly will take steps to create a wall where we can have these names we have read this afternoon put somewhere as a whole. We can call it the Wall of Fame for Busia. We have gone out there and seen. If you go to Australia and walk along the corridors, you find that people who have served Australia with distinction, their pictures and a brief history is given on the corridors of the Senate of Australia. I hope that this county can take the distinction of taking the first step of honouring these men and daughters of Busia.

I cannot conclude my remarks without making a special recognition to the very industrious Clerk of the Senate, Jeremiah Nyegenye, a very humble man. I have never known a time that Clerk Nyegenye has taken leave. Whether we are on recess, in session or after work, when you want to reach out, you will always reach him; a very professional man. I hope when he retires, the people of Busia will honour him with some position, the way they did to Amos Wako, so that he continues serving the great County of Busia.

I thank you.

Sen. Mungatana, please proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. There are colleagues we served with when we were younger in the older Parliament; Hon. Amos Wako, Hon. Chrysanthus Okemo, Hon. Christine Mango, and it is great to see them again. However, the one thing I do not forget about Amos Wako, not all the nice things he achieved, but he called me to his house one day - he may have forgotten - and when we had had some lunch, I saw an old car in the compound, and I asked ‘Attorney General, why is there an old car in the compound?’ He told me, you must never forget where you came from. That was his first car, and he keeps it there, so that he does not forget his roots.

True to his word, today, we found him here in Busia, which is where he came from. I value those words. Thank you, Attorney General. Even when we lost the chungwa and banana, you were still there with us. We thank you for the work you did at that time and for bringing a new Constitution to this country. People do not know what you went through, but some of us knew that you actually sacrificed a lot. We thank you.

There are two other people when we were younger we were excited to hear their names; Dr. J.J. Masiga and Wilberforce Mulamba. People forget. Those days, we did not have television. Most families used to listen to the KBC radio. Even those who had television, it was black and white, and after news, the TV was switched off.

Every time Wilberforce Mulamba and Dr. J.J. Masinga would hold that ball, our hearts as Kenyans were together with them. We honour you even if you are not here, and we thank you, Busia, for giving us these people who used to make our hearts run and also cry. We were with you in AFC Leopards those days. We were not in Gor Mahia. Maybe one day we will join, but we were happy that you made the contributions you did for us. We thank and we honor you. May God bless you even in your retirement, and thank you very much Busia County for giving us these great men and your great Senator, the Hon. Okiya Omtatah. Thank you.

Sen. Kavindu, please proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to congratulate our heroes who are here today with us after they have served this country so dedicatedly. I have worked closely with two of them, Amos Wako in the last Senate, and we used to get his wisdom to the last. When we are debating, the Speaker used to give him the opportunity to give us his wisdom and we really appreciated. Congratulations on the good work that you have done for this country.

Hon. (Prof.) Julia Odhiambo, thank you so much for the good work that you have done for this country. You are still working up to today. Just last week, we went to commission two dormitories in Masinga, where I called you to support Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) . You willingly supported and gave funds to build those two dormitories.

As if that was not enough, you also gave out money to build the houses for both caretakers of the students. I want to honour you, Mama, and tell you we have watched you. We are following your steps together with those other women who were before us, like you. I thank God for keeping all of you very strong. You will still continue giving us that wisdom that God has put in you.

I want to thank God for our own, the Clerk of the Senate. This is my second term in the Senate. Wherever you call Clerk Nyegenye, even if he is in a meeting, he will revert your call, even if it is late. He will tell you he was busy and he wants to hear what you wanted. If we can get such people, then this Senate would be a good and a better place.

Also, our Speaker, who is here, whenever you call him, he will always return your call and ask you what you want. I want to tell the Government of Kenya, it is a good thing to recognise such people who contributed to the well-being of this country, even after they have retired and are resting back at home, they should be taken care of and we should know how they are living and what they are doing, especially in terms of insurance that they can use in old age. Thank you very much and congratulations, all of you, even those whom I did not mention by name.

Sen. Tobiko, please, proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for this opportunity. Let me also join my colleagues in congratulating and appreciating these eminent personalities of our great

country from Busia County who have contributed so much in our country and service to the people. We thank God that he is keeping them strong.

As we recognise all of them, including Hon. Amos Wako; the former Vice- President, Hon. Moody Awori; and the former National Assembly Speaker, Hon. Kenneth Marende who is remembered for his solomonic rulings in the Tenth Parliament, of particular interest and appreciation to me is Hon. (Prof.) Julia Ojiambo.

When I got interest to enter into politics, I tried to join the main political parties in the country. That was in 2007. At that time, we had the Kenya African National Union (KANU), Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the other major parties. No major party wanted to give me a chance because they believed there would be no chance of electing a woman from a conservative community. This great lady gave me an opportunity through the National Party of Kenya (NPK), which was her party.

I just want to tell Hon. (Prof.) Julia Ojiambo on the Floor of this House that finally I made it to Parliament. This is my third term in Parliament, having been in the National Assembly for 10 years and now in the Senate. I am heading to be the Governor of Kajiado County in 2027.

Proceed, Sen. Enock Wambua.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, allow me to join you and my colleagues in congratulating the great men and women that you have mentioned, who are worth of our honour. I want to begin by honouring a former colleague and friend, the Attorney- General emeritus, Hon. Amos Sitswila Wako.

Hon. Wako has made a great contribution to the legal fraternity in this country. He has made a great contribution to the new constitutional dispensation that we enjoy today. He has made a contribution to the entire governance structure of Kenya. To see him now in retirement, but healthy and looking very fit, we can only thank God for him.

I also want to thank a lady who has been thanked and congratulated by a lot of my colleagues. That is Hon. (Prof.) Julia Ojiambo. Those who crafted the biography of Hon. (Prof.) Julia Ojiambo left a very important role that she has played in the politics and governance of this country.

She played the role of a running mate to a presidential candidate, one Hon. (Dr.) Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka, when they joined the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and LPK. That speaks volumes about Prof. Julia and the place that she occupies in the society, not just in Busia, but in this country.

I also thank the entire leadership of Mulembe nation. This nation has produced national leaders of serious reputation. Nobody should ever tell Mulembe nation that the only role they can play is to be second to other people. They have done that enough times. It is time this nation moved to the next level and provided opportunities and options for leadership in this country.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, with those remarks, I congratulate those leaders and thank you.

Next is Sen. Kisang.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I also join my colleagues in congratulating the eminent persons from Busia County and Western Region at large. I will start by saying something about Hon. Amos Wako, who has been my neighbour in Nairobi for the past 23 years, and he has done a good job. I know some people like Sen. Cheruiyot and Sen. Okenyuri read about him in the books. By the time he became the Attorney-General, perhaps they were not yet born or they were in nursery school.

Hon. Wako was known as a smiling Attorney-General, composed, not emotional and he delivered for the country. Like colleagues have said, he is among the brains that crafted and delivered the Constitution 2010 that we have today. The reason we are in Busia is because of the results of the Constitution 2010.

Another person I want to say something about is AAA Ekirapa. When we were in high school and later on in the university, we used to know that the Nation Media Group (NMG) was owned by AAA Ekirapa because he was the Chairman and later on the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) . Until he retired is when we knew that he was not the owner, but I believe he has several shares in that particular entity because he was the Chairman and CEO for a long time. The NMG was synonymous with him until I became a Member of Parliament (MP) in 2013 when I knew. The Deputy Governor of Busia was my colleague and we went to Teso North where he was an MP. At that time, Teso North and Teso South was one constituency.

Of course I cannot forget Hon. (Prof.) Julia Ojiambo. Everybody read about her. As Sen. Okiya Omtatah said, you cannot exhaust her firsts. For example, she was the first woman Assistant Minister and all that.

Last but not least is Sen. Okiya Omtatah whom we also value. I know what you did for us in the Thirteenth Parliament. You jailed yourself outside Parliament. I am happy that you are now an MP. You are like the late Hon. Shikuku. Perhaps you should not vie for presidency because you might go to the streets and protest against yourself.

Proceed, Sen. Catherine Mumma.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for the opportunity to also celebrate the heroes and heroines who have been mentioned. My profuse apologies in the manner in which I behaved. Even though I am Member of the presidium, it is because Hon. Amos Wako was my boss for nine years.

He taught me to be who I am and maintain professionalism. Anything I do right professionally is because I worked under Hon. Amos Wako who guided me so well that at some point I was one of the speech writers and would write on human rights. Therefore, he is a boss that I celebrate. He did not just teach me; Hon. Amos Wako was also the boss to the Clerk of the Senate. All of you can attest to professionalism of our Clerk. Boss, we recognise and celebrate you.

I also want to celebrate Hon. Moody Awori. To me, Hon. Moody Awori is a big political giant who is so humble and approachable and gives counsel to some of us. Even up to now, he is still solid, despite the fact that he is around 97. He still gives counsel to some of us and follows politics that go on. Once in a while, he asked me, Catherine, what are you guys doing in that House? I want to celebrate him for what he has done.

Of course, I would like to celebrate Hon. (Prof.) Julia Ojiambo, who is a trailblazer, particularly in the women's movement. She is a first in the profession, a first

in politics, but also a great mentor. Up to today, Hon. (Prof.) Julia Ojiambo, Hon. Zipporah Kitonyi and many other women will sit down with us, speak to us, as women in politics, and guide us on how to move. We celebrate all of you, including of course, Hon. (Prof.) Christine Mango and the many others.

Thank you Senate, for this opportunity to celebrate these people from Busia.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for according me this opportunity to join the distinguished Senators to celebrate our sons and daughters of the soil. As one of the daughters of this soil, I also want to jump on the bandwagon to congratulate our incredible heros and heroines of the day on their outstanding accomplishments.

We acknowledge your inspiration to some of us, as you remain our role models. God bless you; God bless Kenya and God bless the Senate.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

Thank you Mr. Speaker, Sir, for the opportunity. I take this opportunity to congratulate all my brothers and sisters, those who are alive and those who are gone, for their contributions to our nation and also to the great county of Busia. I know you have said that the list was not comprehensive and so, you did not mention some of them like Hon. Fred Gumo and a few others.

Behind every successful man, there is a woman and also likewise, behind every successful woman there is a man. Prof. Ojiambo who is the late husband of Hon. (Prof.) Julia Ojiambo, was a great scientist. He contributed immensely to the science of this country. He was a teacher, a doctor and he was everything.

Hon. (Prof.) Julia Ojiambo, I appreciate you very much and your daughter who was also mentioned and, likewise, I would also like to appreciate the Professor who was also your friend, colleague and very loving husband.

Likewise, Dr. Christine Mango, was my colleague in Parliament. I want to appreciate her very much. She was very erudite in her contributions in Parliament. She was a very hardworking lady and we were together in the same party.

Let us not forget that she was also relying on the foundation of her husband, the late Mukasa Mango, who was also a Member of Parliament of that constituency where she became also a Member of Parliament. I would like to appreciate both of them for the contributions they have made to Kenya and also to this great county of Busia.

I also want to take this opportunity to appreciate my colleague and friend, Hon. Amos Wako, who is almost my agemate and we are in a club called “The First Borns”. I am the chairman of “The First Borns” and he is the secretary. Amos Wako and I are also trustees of our party of Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) . I appreciate you, my brother.

He retired from the Senate; he was not defeated. He just decided to retire because he thought he had served enough. So, thank you very much my brother and all of you for your contributions.

As for Mr. Mukele, we used to work together when he was in the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) . At that time, he worked also very diligently. I think many Kenyans know him for his honesty and straightforward contributions during the time he

used to serve there. I cannot mention all of you, but I know most of you. Some of you, we worked together in Parliament.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, thank you very much for also appreciating our Clerk, who is a very diligent and hardworking person. He is very honest and thank you also for giving us this opportunity to appreciate our leaders.

I thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. From the onset, I want to join my colleagues in celebrating the great sons and daughters of Busia County. I have never known, but from the list that you have read, Busia has one of the most illustrious sons and daughters.

I am honoured to have served with Sen. Amos Wako. As you are aware, I was his Chairperson in the Senate Standing Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs (JLAC) . On a light touch, one Friday when I was in Nandi, he called for a press conference with Sen. Orengo, castigating my leadership, but later, they became loyal to my leadership as the Chairperson of JLAC.

I want to celebrate him for that honour, so that people like Sen. Methu, who are young can know what has been happening in this House. I also wish him well. Sen. Amos Wako is a man who follows each and every one of us, especially if he knows you personally.

Prof. Julia Ojiambo, we met her yesterday and I went into a trance because I have never seen her in person. I was able to greet her and she gave us her blessings.

Hon. Mukele, there is a gentleman who sang “Mama mulai, mama mulai---" We are proud of that gentleman. I have never seen him, but I like the song. I think this county in general, it is politics, arts and music, business, sports, women leadership.

I also know of Hillary Ng’weno, I always follow him in his documentary that he has done across the country and we are proud of him. May his soul rest in peace.

There is a gentleman, a footballer called Mr. Mulamba. He used to play No.10 and J.J. Masiga who played No.9 and they were the strikers. In fact, in No.10., Mr. Mulamba never lost any single penalty. He used to do it with the precision of a military marksman. He did not miss any penalty in the history of football.

Of course, our own the distinguished Clerk, Mr. Jeremiah Makokha Nyegenye, a fine, humble and professional gentleman. I want to agree with colleagues that I hope when the Clerk, Mr. Jeremiah Nyegenye will retire, the great people of Busia will allow him to serve them in a different capacity. If they do not, if I become the president, I can give Mr. Nyegenye the opportunity to continue advising me because I have realised that if you want to be a successful president in this country, you must get Cabinet Secretaries from Busia County.

To Sen. Okiya Omtatah, we are proud of you, my brother, but if you want to succeed in 2032, please join President William Ruto, so that we can finish the journey and allow you to continue serving in the spirit of “Tutam”

With that tremendous respect, I congratulate all of us and all the heroes and heroines of this county.

Now, Senators, we have done one hour on this particular business. So let us rest it at that.

Next Order.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to lay the following Paper on the Table of the Senate, today, Wednesday, the 8th October, 2025-

The National Treasury and Economic Planning Annual Public Debt Management Report for 2024/2025.

Next Order.

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

Sen. Omtatah, what intervention do you have? Certainly, it could not be a point of order.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would like to share some feedback from the ground regarding the conduct of Senate Mashinani. First, the people of Busia are very grateful for the manner in which we have conducted ourselves and the positive impact this has had on both the economy and the County Executive. However, there are concerns that some key areas were left out. There was a request for the House to consider addressing them.

Upon reviewing the programme, it was noted that health is missing. There is no plan to visit any health facility. We are also missing out on Agriculture programmes such as Financing Locally Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) , which faces challenges like climate change. Additionally, issues related to transport, road networks and water in the county have not been included.

There is a request for the House to consider adjusting the programme to cover these sensitive areas, so that the same level of impact seen in other sectors can be extended to these critical areas of the economy. This is where the people were truly expecting Senate Mashinani to engage.

That is all, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

Thank you. Yes, Senate Majority Leader.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, that is a very valid and legitimate concern raised by our colleague, Sen. Omtatah. To the best of my recollection, this will be the first instance of Senate Mashinani without a visit to some of the areas he mentioned. For example, we know that health is a critical function. In every county we have visited, the Senate's Health Committee has at least toured the referral hospital and one dispensary. The same applies to the Committee on Roads, Transportation and Housing and the Committee on Lands, Environment and Natural Resources.

I do not know what the leadership of the Standing Committees on Lands, Environment and Natural Resources; Roads, Transportation and Housing and Health have planned. However, I agree with Sen. Omtatah that the people of Busia will feel greatly underserved if we do not witness firsthand what they experience under devolution.

It would be unfortunate if we left Busia without our committees visiting those three key departments and installations. Therefore, I respectfully plead for your kind indulgence to consider Sen. Omtatah’s request and direct the relevant committees to act accordingly.

I thank you.

Thank you. Secretariat, see to it that you accommodate the concerns of Sen. Omtatah within the remaining time that we have here.

Next Order.

Statements pursuant to Standing Order No.52 (1) . The Hon. Edwin Sifuna will read a Statement on behalf of Sen. Crystal Asige.

That Statement is dropped.

Request for Statement pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) again by Sen Crystal Asige.

That Statement is dropped.

That Statement is dropped.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is Sen. Kiprotich Cherargey with G-E-Y, but I understand.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a Statement from the Standing Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights on a matter of countywide concern regarding the brutal killing of two people and the injuring of six others by police officers in Kimwani, Tinderet Sub-County, Nandi County. The incident arose from a land dispute between the local community and leaseholders of the Kimwani Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) farm.

In the Statement, the Committee should address the following-

Senator for Muranga County, Hon. Joe Nyutu.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a Statement from the Standing Committee on Health on a matter of countywide concern regarding the implementation of the Health Insurance Programme dubbed ‘Kang’ata Care,’ specifically details relating to a payment of Kshs172 million by Kang’ata Care Social Health Authority.

The Governor of Murang’a County launched Kang’ata Care health Insurance Programme in 2023 to provide affordable medical cover to vulnerable households in the county. The scheme, which is a partnership between the County Government and Britam

Insurance, pulls resources to provide inpatient, outpatient, maternity and last expense benefits to enroled households with the County Government paying an annual premium per family.

In the Statement, the Committee should address the following-

Before I call the next Senator to request for a Statement, I have this Communication to make.

I would like to acknowledge the presence in the public gallery this afternoon, of visiting teachers and students from St. Joseph, Kocholia Boys Secondary School in Teso North, Busia County. The delegation consists of five teachers and 47 students.

Now, Hon. Senators, in our usual tradition of receiving and welcoming visitors to Parliament, I extend a warm welcome to the delegation. On behalf of the Senate and my own behalf, I wish them a fruitful visit. I will request the Senator for Busia County, in under one minute, to extend a word of honour.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I thank you for the opportunity. The word is Kocholia, the school from Teso North. Students and teachers, you are most welcome. You have come on a very special day. We are basically reading out the roll of fame; who is who in Busia. So, you should be inspired to follow those role models and be the best you can be.

All of you have the potential to be very good citizens to contribute immensely to this country, but the route is through your studies. You must work hard in your studies

and make sure that you become the best you can be. So, feel welcome. You are experiencing a historical moment. It might take another 47 years before you have Senate Mashinani in Busia. Therefore, make sure you make good use of this opportunity. If Mr. Speaker allows, my younger brother here from Bungoma, who is nearer to Kocholia than Busia is, he could make some remarks with the permission of the Speaker.

You are most welcome.

Who is this young brother here? Hon. Sifuna, would you wish to also extend a word of welcome to the young ones? You may proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir and Sen. Okiya Omtatah for the honour and for giving me an opportunity to say a word of welcome to our young brothers from Teso. Welcome to the Senate. It is a privilege for you to experience this. I hope that you get to see all your favourite Senators. I am sure you already have because I am here, but get to interact with them as well and to learn from them. We are hoping that we have future Senators sitting in the gallery today.

Hon. Speaker, I have heard stories from the current Governor of Embu. First experience with politics was actually in a gallery at the Parliament in Nairobi and it inspired her journey and she is now a Governor. So, I am sure that there are future leaders sitting here this afternoon.

I thank you, Hon. Speaker.

Hon. Sifuna, having explained your absence to the satisfaction of the Chair, I reinstate the statements by Senator Crystal Asige. You may, therefore, proceed to read those statements.

Indeed, Hon. Speaker. Apologies, I came in late. We had a presentation of candidates today for the by-elections. I was in Kasipul in the company of the Senator for Homa Bay and I came in late. I had been requested to read these statements on behalf of the nominated Senator, Crystal Asige. There are three statements and with your kind permission, I would like to take all of them together.

The first one is on the status and the future of the Kenya School of Revenue Administration.

Could the Hon. Senator be assisted with some tissue paper?

It is a bit hot. I have come from a rally. I think it is ---

I think it is the meal you have consumed because we are in the same environment. It is something that must have ---

Mr. Speaker, Sir, lawyers only sweat during the consumption of a meal, not after.

It may be in liquid form.

Thank you.

Hon. Speaker, protect me from Sen. Cherarkey.

Bill and ensuring the teachers are properly trained to identify and support learners with hidden difficulties, we will not only safeguard rights, but also restore confidence and unlock the full potential of every child.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I invite colleagues in this House to support the commendable efforts of the Dyslexia Organization of Kenya, whose mission is to empower individuals with dyslexia to realize their full potential. This year, they are marking Dyslexia Awareness Month with two key activities-

Next are two Statements from the Senator for Kisumu County, Prof. Tom Ojienda.

The two Statements are dropped.

You did not notify the Clerk-at-the Table. Why did you not communicate?

Go ahead.

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. You know, we are in the league of city Senators, so, it is okay if I read it on behalf of the Senator for Kisumu County.

Next is Sen. Chute.

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir.

Next is Sen. Okiya Omtatah. You can read the two Statements.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I was given three Statements, not two. I pray that I read all of them.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, illegal artisanal small-scale gold mining occurs day and night in Busia, Siaya and Kakamega counties. In Bumutiru, unlicensed miners produce an estimated one kilogramme of gold per day estimated to be worth Kshs10 million which is sold mainly through illicit channels that lead to economic loss due to massive revenue leakage as high purity gold is smuggled to foreign markets.

In Rosterman, tunnels have been driven beneath homes and a special needs school, undermining foundations and forcing parents to withdraw children. In Ramula, communities face intimidation and potential displacement linked to opaque agreements with private miners such as Shanta Gold Limited. Collapsing tunnels and toxic exposure have already caused injuries and deaths as well as mercury contamination of soil and water, destruction of farmlands and loss of biodiversity.

In the Statement, the Committee should address the following-

My second request for statement is on the Stalled Irrigation and Water Supply Projects in Busia County.

Sen. Omtatah, first read the one for the Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights, the one you had first approached the Chair with.

It is the one on the East African Court of Justice. I am well guided, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, my next request for a Statement is on the nomination of a female judge to the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) .

I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a Statement from the Standing Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights on a matter of regional concern regarding the need for Kenya to have a nominated female judge to the East African Court of Justice.

The Court, as the judicial arm of the East African Community (EAC) , plays a critical role in ensuring adherence to the law, interpretation and the application of the EAC Treaty. Following the resignation of Justice Charles Ayako Nyachae, after seven years of service, Kenya nominated Dr. Zabron Muruka Mokua. However, this nomination was annulled by the High Court for non-compliance with Article 172 (1) Paragraph A of the Constitution of Kenya.

It is worth noting that since the inception of the Court, only two Kenyan female judges have been appointed, being Lady Justice Arachi in 2006 and Lady Justice Mujasiri, who currently serve in the Appellate Division of the Court. This reflects a glaring under-representation of women in such critical regional judicial positions, despite constitutional principles on gender equity and fairness.

In the Statement, the Committee should address the following-

For the other one, first approach the Table as you proceed with the other statements because it is not in my record.

Sen. Okiya Omtatah, you can proceed.

My third request for a Statement is on the stalled irrigation and water supply projects in Busia County.

I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a Statement from the Standing Committee on Land, Environment and Natural Resources on a matter of county-wide

concern regarding several key irrigation and water supply projects in Busia County that remain stalled, incomplete or severely underperforming despite significant public investments.

Busia County hosts several high-value public projects intended to boost food security, irrigation and safe water supply, including Sisenye Irrigation Scheme, Bunyala Irrigation Scheme with Lower Nzoia Project Expansion, the Lower Sio Irrigation Project, the Nasewa Aggregation Park and the Busia Hills/Port Victoria Water Supply.

Despite billions of Shillings in combined county, national and international funding, most of these projects have stalled, been vandalized or are grossly underutilized. Repeated delays in land acquisition, weak coordination between agencies and inadequate asset protection have left irrigation canals idle, water systems unfinished and critical infrastructure at risk of becoming white elephant investments.

In the Statement, the Committee should address the following-

Hon. Senators, I would like to acknowledge the presence, in the public gallery this afternoon, of six students visiting from Arupe University in Teso South, Busia County. The delegation is in the Senate for a study tour.

Hon. Senators, in the tradition of receiving and welcoming visitors to Parliament, I extend our warm welcome to the delegation and on behalf of the Senate and on my own behalf, wish them a fruitful visit.

Sen. Omtatah, you are too busy this week. You continue serving the good county of Busia. Under one minute, proceed.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I thank you. It is good that we have students from Arupe University here. Arupe is just a few kilometers as the crow flies from here.

I welcome you to this session. It is historical session, as I have told those who came in before you. It might take another 47 years for us to have another Senate Mashinani Busia. Therefore, take your time, savour the moment. When you look at the Senators here, you will see that people have travelled different journeys. What matters, at the end of the day, is the cream that rises to the top.

Therefore, work hard to make the cream in your studies. Today we had a roll of honour that was read out here regarding people from Busia who have worked well and succeeded. Arupe is a national university that has representation from beyond Busia.

Busia town was designed to be a university town. That is why the Agricultural Training Center has a very big piece of land. With Arupe and others, we hope these universities will come up and will not be distorted by fly-by-the-night planners who are trying to come up with alternative means to this.

All said and done, I thank you for coming and for honoring our presence here with your presence. I wish you a good stay and hope that you will have a lot to carry home with you. Above all, an example to be the best you can be.

We have two statements and a Standing Order 52 (1) on by Sen. Faki.

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.52 (1) to make a statement on a matter of national concern, namely the ongoing strike by the academic staff in public universities.

On Monday, on my way to Busia with Sen. Issa Boy, we stopped by Maseno University along the Kisumu-Busia Highway to pay a courtesy call on Dr. Esha Faki Mwinyihaji, a senior lecturer at the institution. While there, we were privileged to be taken around the university by Prof. Julius Nyambundi, the Vice-Chancellor, and Professor Eric Nyambitha, the Vice and Deputy Vice-Chancellors of the university.

We encountered firsthand effects of the ongoing strike by university lecturers who are members of the University Staff Academic Union (UASU) . The union members, both male and female, were demonstrating clad in deras as they demanded payment of their salary increment arrears. It was also quite a spectacle to see male lecturers donned in deras, a traditional female dress. However, they made their point that they would not go back to teach until they are paid their arrears.

The Union is demanding payment of a sum of Kshs7.9 billion. While we acknowledge that the Government may not have money to pay all that at once, they can enter into negotiations with UASU on how the amount will be paid.

As it stands, the students are suffering, yet they have paid for tuition, which is currently not being offered. Further, if urgent measures are not taken to resolve the impasse, academic programmes will be completely disorganized across the affected institutions.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I call upon the Standing Committee on Labour and Social Welfare and the Standing Committee on Education to jointly intervene on this matter and find an urgent solution to the crisis.

As I conclude, I commend the management of Maseno University, currently under the leadership of Prof. Nyambundi, for the remarkable progress made over the years. The university has experienced substantial growth, increasing student enrollment from approximately 2,500 in 2014 to the current population of 29,704, and establishing satellite campuses in Kisumu City and Yala Town in Siaya County. This growth has spurred economic activity in Maseno Town and contributed to the increased revenue for Kisumu County. That in turn reinforces the objectives of devolution by promoting regional development and enhancing service delivery at the county level.

I thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir.

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I have a Statement on behalf of the Chairperson of Kenya Women Senators Association. As the Vice- Chairperson, I am honored to present the Statement before the House.

The Statement is on early teenage pregnancies, sexual and gender-based violence in Busia County.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I raise pursuant to the Standing Order No.52 (1) to make a Statement on a matter of countywide concern regarding the rising cases of early teenage pregnancies, sexual and gender-based violence in Busia County.

According to statistics from the National Syndemic Disease Control Council (NSDCC) , between 2016 and 2024, 65,540 teenage pregnancies were recorded among adolescents in Busia County. In 2024 alone, 4,542 cases were reported, with Samia sub- county registering the highest rate in the country. Nationally, a total of 47,632 cases were recorded in the same year.

Teenage pregnancies remain one of the biggest barriers to girls' education and empowerment. It denies young girls the opportunity to complete their basic education and achieve economic independence. Many of these girls suffer serious health complications, including maternal morbidity and mortality, and face increased risk of contracting HIV/AIDs and other sexually transmitted infections.

Socially and economically, early pregnancy leads to school dropouts, loss of self- esteem and intergenerational cycles of poverty. Alongside teenage pregnancies, the scourge for Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) continues to devastate

adolescents across Kenya. Between 2016 and 2024, 2,884 cases of SGBV were reported among adolescents in Busia County, rising sharply from 66 cases in 2016 to 480 cases in

Last but not least is the statement under Standing Order No.56 (1) by Sen. Faki.

Sen. Faki, you brought me a statement here from Kwale. There is an issue in Kwale.

Okay. Hon. Senators, you realise it is almost 5.00 p.m. and we are still on Statements. Sen. Mwaruma, since I did not give you an opportunity in the morning, I will give it to you now.

Ahsante Mheshimiwa Naibu Spika kwa kunipa fursa hii ili nichangie kauli ya Seneta wa Kaunti ya Murang’a kuhusu utekelezaji wa Kang’ata Care.

Ninashukuru Gavana wa Jimbo la Murang’a kwa kuleta mfumo huu mzuri sana ambao unaleta ushirikiano kati ya serikali ya Kaunti na Social Health Authority (SHA) . Sen. Nyutu ametuambia katika ile taarifa ya kwamba gatuzi la Murang’a limeweza kushirikiana na SHA na kutoa kima cha Shilingi 172 milioni ambazo zitawezesha kuandikishwa kwa wananchi ama wakaazi wa Jimbo la Murang’a.

Ni vizuri kumshukuru Gavana Kang’ata kwa kutoogopa kufikiria. Magavana wengi wanaogopa kufikiria. Mfumo wa SHA una shida lakini kando na changamoto, ni vizuri serikali za magatuzi ziangalie ni vipi zinaweza kusaidia watu ili wapate huduma za kiafya kutumia mfumo wa SHA. Gavana aliangalia watu wake na akatafuta mbinu ya kutafuta wale ambao hawajiwezi kisha akawaandikisha kwa mfumo wa SHA.

Katika Bunge iliyopita, tulielezwa ya kwamba kuna mfumo kama huu ulioanzishwa kule Gatuzi la Makueni. Tulielezwa ya kwamba serikali ya kaunti huwa ikilipa pesa kidogo kwenda kwa kampuni ya bima kisha watu wanapewa kadi na kupata matibabu hospitalini. Ninamshukuru huyu Gavana kwa kuchukua fursa na kushirikiana na SHA ili aweze kusaidia wananchi wa Murang’a ambao hawajiwezi.

Sen. Nyutu naye amefanya kazi yake. Amesema ya kwamba Kamati ya Seneti inayohusika na mambo ya afya inafaa kupiga msasa na kuona ya kwamba ile Shilingi 172 milioni inatumika vizuri ili kuwapa wananchi huduma ya afya. SHA inakumbwa na changamoto si haba na ni vizuri serikali ishugulikie zile changamoto.

Pia tuna shida ambayo inaletwa na magatuzi. Kwa mfano, wafanyikazi wa serikali za ugatuzi huwa zinalipa SHA lakini kwa sababu serikali hizo hazipeleki zile pesa kwa SHA, unapata ya kwamba wananchi hawapati huduma. Mfano mzuri ni kile ambacho kinatendeka kule kwetu Taita Taveta. Tuna wahudumu wa afya kama madaktari na wauguzi ambao wanatibu wananchi. Wao huwa wanalipa SHA lakini hawapati huduma ya afya kwa sababu serikali ya ugatuzi hailipii SHA.

Pia tuna waalimu ambao wamejiandikisha katika mfumo wa SHA. Wao hukatwa pesa lakini hawapati huduma kutoka kwa SHA. Wao huambiwa eti watumie bima ambayo wanapewa na Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

Kile ambacho Gavana wa Murang’a amekifanya ni kizuri na magavana wengine wanafaa kufikiria. Wanafaa kuutumia huu muda kuwaandikisha wananchi wao kwa mfumo huo wa afya ili waweze kupata matibabu.

Mheshimiwa Naibu Spika, naomba unipe muda kwa sababu haukunipa nafasi asubuhi. Ningependa kuchangia taarifa ya Sen. Chute kuhusu kutekwa nyara kwa Gilo Guyo ambaye ni muuguzi. Walioteka nyara Gilo walitumia gari aina ya Probox. Waliweka pikipiki yake kwa gari la serikali.

Bw. Naibu wa Spika, tunapinga hiki kitendo cha kuteka nyara muuguzi. Serikali inafaa kufanya uchunguzi ili ijulikane Jilo Guyo alienda wapi. Huyu ni mtu ambaye alikua akifanya kazi. Kenya tuna uhuru na haijulikani kwa nini mtu ambaye anapaswa kulindwa na Serikali ili atoe huduma za hospitali anaweza kutekwa nyara. Nashukuru Sen. Chute kwa kuileta taarifa hii.

Sen. Mundigi, please proceed.

Asante Bw. Naibu wa Spika kwa kunipa nafasi hii ili niweze kuchangia mjadala wa mambo yanaoyendelea Kenya. Naunga mkono kauli ambayo ni ya Seneta wa Mombasa kuhusu mgomo uliopo wa elimu. Cha ajabu, mambo ya wale waalimu wanafundisha watoto wetu wa university na shule za ufundi kumekuwa na shida. Mimi ni mwanakamati wa Kamati ya Labour. Tumekuwa na shida. Mambo ya pending bills yameleta shida. Hela za wanostaafu zinapeanwa lakini bado kuna pending bills.

Ningeomba kuwe na uhusiano mwema kati ya Serekali na waalimu wa vyuo vikuu ili waweze kuangalia vile pending bills zitasuluhishwa ili wapate pesa zao. Sasa hivi, Serikali imepeana pesa za watoto kuenda shule lakini waalimu wako nje. Hilo sio jambo nzuri kwa sababu pesa hizo zinazotumika kwa wale watoto na waalimu zinatoka kwa ushuru wetu. Ningeomba haya mambo yaweze kulainishwa. Wanafaa kuitisha kikao ili wazungumze kuhusu swala hili.

Ningependa kuchangia kauli ya unyunyiziaji maji. Mimi kama Mwenyekiti wa Kamati ya Kilimo, naomba mambo ya ukulima yaweze kuangaliwa. Ile miradi ya zamani inafaa kufufuliwa ili wananchi, kama watoto wetu waliomaliza vyuo vikuu wafanye kazi mashambani. Serikali kuu inafaa kuipa serikali gatuzi pesa. Nazo serikali gatuzi zote zinafaa kufanya vile inavyofaa ili miradi hiyo ifanyike vizuri.

Nikimalizia, nakumbuka tulikuwa na public participation. Nasema hayo kwa sababu ya Gavana wa Busia. Chuo kikuu ambacho kiko karibu hapa kina lalamika kwa sababu hakina umeme wala usalama. Ningeomba Gavana wa Busia, mahali alipo, aende alipe pesa za ulinzi ili watoto wetu waache kuteseka. Naunga kauli hizo mbili mkono.

Sauti yako kweli imemfikia mahali alipo kwa sababu ilikuwa sauti nzuri. Senators, just take two minutes to make brief comments, so that we commence the next business, please. Sen. Eddy, proceed.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I do not know whether you have noticed that there is no transmission. I hope we are live outside the Chambers, if the

monitors are the problem, because Sen. Cherarkey would want to be sure that his people are seeing everything.

They are working on it.

First of all, let me condemn what has happened in Sololo. We should not be dealing with abductions again. The issue of Jillo Guyo, who has been abducted in Sololo, must be treated as an emergency. Thank you, Sen. Cherarkey, for bringing it up. There is nothing to beg about this. We are past abductions of people in our country. This issue must be dealt with in urgency.

Secondly, I want to quickly comment on the statement by Sen. Okiya Omtatah on the issue of irrigation. I am actually glad that you are seated there, because the last Senate Mashinani we had was in Turkana. Remember when we went to Turkana, the Katilu irrigation scheme was actually stalled. If you remember, it was not optimally operating. This was because the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) was constantly not allowing resources to go to these irrigation schemes.

In Migori County, the irrigation scheme called Lower Kuja is stuck. I think it is high time this Senate commissions an inquiry process, a special audit on NIA and the projects that we are doing for irrigation. This is because it seems like NIA is not even paying those who have created wayleaves for the creation of these irrigation schemes. There are battles in court that are endless. We must address this issue.

Lastly, I want to comment on the issue of artisanal mining. There is a problem in terms of standards that have been established. I think the relevant Cabinet Secretary (CS) should ensure that there are standards in the mining sector. Even in Migori, people do not have proper gears. There is the use of mercury that is killing people. It is also found in the rivers in Migori County.

Right now, even in Kehancha, there is the same problem that we see Sen. Okiya has put here. On the issue of pricing, the minerals are taken away by---

If you want more time, request more time. Thirty seconds, please.

Sen. Oketch Gicheru: I was saying that the mines that we have in Kehancha are the same as the mines that we are seeing here in Masara. Even near my home, a place called Kabanabas, some miners have come there for gold. The problem is that outsiders are controlling the price and equipment. It is high time the ministry comes up with relevant equipment to equip the artisanal miners and promote mining to empower our people. Otherwise, I thank you.

The head of the majority party.

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I just have a quick comment on the issue by the Senator from Murang’a, Sen. Joe Nyutu. While it is commendable, like Sen. Mwaruma says, for some county governments to partner with SHA to provide health insurance for their public servants, I think that ought to be the way of all county governments.

I am just concerned about the naming of this programme. We must discourage county governors from this juvenile behaviour of naming county programmes after themselves. It is a silly antic in my own humble opinion. If there were people who would want to name county projects after themselves, then it would be Senators because we are

the ones who haggle around with the sharks from the other House to get the funding to send to counties, then somebody goes and names the programme after themselves.

I believe a diligent, hard-working governor like Kang’ata should endeavour to build programmes and institutions in the county that will outlive his time as a Governor and that cannot be achieved by naming programmes after himself. The issue of the naming of those programmes should be considered alongside the petition that we considered on the naming of county infrastructure programmes and the use of pictures of Governors and MCAs on billboards. It is a conduct which we should not encourage in public infrastructure. I thank you.

That is a very valid point, because the money used is public resources, not his personal money.

Sen. Mariam Omar, please proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity. I want to comment on the statement by Sen. Nyutu about SHA payments. We went to almost 18 counties and realised that there are vulnerable people who are supposed to be paid for SHA. This is a very good idea of paying for the vulnerable people. However, there must be a policy in the county. You cannot just use a public fund for whatever means. Governors must not also start initiatives that they want to assist the vulnerable, and they misappropriate the funds.

The other one issue I want to get comments on is about Sen. Chute’s Statement. The Minister of Interior and National Administration was doing Jukwaa la Usalama in all the counties. The Cabinet Secretary needs to resolve the issue of insecurity in all the counties.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we want those who have been abducted to be brought back. We need professionals and trust must be there between the police and the community.

I thank you.

The three of you seem to be on the same seniority level. Therefore, I am unable to see who should go first.

Let us have Sen. Ledama Olekina.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, any of us can go first because I am the Whip and he is a chairperson of a committee.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise to support two statements; one that was raised by Sen. Chute regarding abductions in Marsabit County. We need to grow. We should not tolerate issues of abductions just because of small monetary gain. It is time we looked into the underlying issues and resolved them.

The people of Marsabit have been put through extreme measures just by being far away because it is over 1,000 kilometres from Nairobi. In modern civilization, we hope this House and devolution will support them. The other day I raised a concern about the Rendille people not being given any public appointments and now they are being abducted. We need to take those matters seriously.

Second is about the statement that was raised by Sen. Cherarkey on the issue of police brutality. This House must come up with policies on how the police should use force. We know that issues of land are very emotive but I think the police should be

neutral when it comes to that. When you lose your life because of fighting for property that you believe is yours, but the police who are supposed to protect you are the ones being accused of having killed you, that sends a bad message to the younger generation.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, those two statements should be taken seriously by the Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations, so that we have a proper conclusion on them.

I thank you.

Proceed, Sen. Cherarkey.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for your information, I am senior to Sen. Ledama because I was sworn in before him. However, since he is the Minority Whip, I will give him the latitude because some of us are bottom feeders.

Let me make an observation by thanking Sen. Chute. I think this is the first time Sen. Chute has brought a very important Statement, unlike in the past when he used to criticise a number of us. The abduction of Jillo Guyo Boru, a 47-year old, is very unfortunate. If we are not careful, Kenya will become a playground of abduction cases. You remember Besigye and his co-accused were abducted in Kenya? There was also a Tanzanian activist who was almost abducted in Kenya. There are a number of abductions that must be addressed.

Bethwel Chesir from Elgeyo-Marakwet was abducted on his way from work somewhere in Kaptagat. He was going to see his ailing father. To date, Bethwel Chesir has never been found either dead or alive. We must agree that the era of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings must come to an end. I am happy that Sen. Omar has said something about Jukwaa la Usalama. To me, that was not Jukwaa la Usalama but Jukwaa la Kisiasa.

We raised pertinent issues even in Nandi County, but the Ministry of Interior and National Administration has not found it wise to address those issues. I think it was just a Public Relations (PR) exercise where more than Kshs700 million of taxpayers’ money was used but we are yet to see the value of Jukwaa la Kisiasa.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those many remarks, I support the Statements.

Next is Sen. Osotsi.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, allow me to associate myself with the statement by Sen. Okiya Omtatah on the issue of illegal gold mining activities in various parts of western Kenya. Of interest to me is the mining at Ramula, which happens to be on the border between Siaya and Vihiga counties. The issues that Sen. Omtatah raised are genuine. I look forward to the Committee on Land, Environment and Natural Resources going through all these issues so that we give direction to the counties.

I have on two occasions raised a similar statement on illegal mining activities in Vihiga County. To my surprise, when I raised that statement, the County Commissioner acted and some Chinese who were doing that were arrested but they went back two weeks later. To my surprise, the Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs - not Hon. Joho but the one who was there previously – visited the site of illegal mining, knowing very well that place is not licensed by the Government.

Therefore, this statement is timely. That place called Ramula and it is on the border between Vihiga and Siaya--- In Vihiga side, it is in Mwibona Ward where there has been prospecting and mining of gold.

We have no problem with an investor coming to mine in our region. They should do it properly. Those community agreements should be opened and the issue of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) should be very clear. The roads, schools and hospitals must be constructed. It is sad that the company that wants to do mining at Ramula wants to displace communities and take over their land without following clear guidelines. Therefore, I fully support this statement by Sen. Omtatah because our---

You have one minute.

Our very hardworking youth and communities have been losing because of unscrupulous gold miners.

In this House, we have been passing additional allocations to the counties. Some counties which ideally should benefit from mineral royalties such as Kakamega and Vihiga have not been benefiting, yet illegal miners are---

Proceed, Sen. Okenyuri.

Madam Temporary Speaker, first, I would like to begin by supporting the statement by Sen. Cherarkey on the killing of two gentlemen over a land dispute. These are cases we have had for a long time. It is unfortunate that we have to lose lives over land disputes. We need to employ Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms so that we do not lose lives over land disputes.

Secondly, I would like to support the Statement by Sen. Chute on the disappearance of Mr. Jillo Guyo Boru. Unfortunately, in this country, we read sad statistics about either young people dying in police custody or people who disappear with no site or information about their whereabouts.This is a parent to someone and a breadwinner to his family. It is really sad that we have a disappearance of a medical professional in this manner.

Madam Temporary Speaker, I would wish to support this statement that is urging the Ministry of Interior and National Administration to look into this issue, so that we know where Mr. Jilo Guyo is. His family deserves a response on where their son is and Kenya should not be losing its own citizens.

This is a medical professional who should be serving the interest of Kenyans, but is now missing. It is really sad and I hope the Ministry of Interior and National Administration is going to hasten the process of knowing or issuing information on the whereabouts of this professional.

Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker.

Sen. Madzayo, you may proceed.

The Senate Minority Leader (

Asante sana, Bi. Spika wa Muda. Kwanza nina unga mkono kauli iliyowasilishwa Bungeni na ndugu yetu, Sen. Okiya Omtatah, Seneta wa hapa Busia, ikigusia habari za uchimbaji wa madini bila kufuata sheria, ama kufuata masharti fulani ya uchimbaji wa madini.

One minute, please. The Senate Minority Leader (Sen. Madzayo) : Bi. Spika wa Muda, mimi ninaunga mkono sana. Uchimbaji wa madini ni lazima ufuate taratibu na vile, ni lazima ufuate sheria. Wizara inayohusika na uchimbaji wa madini inafaa ifuatilie kwa kina jambo hili, kuona kwamba madini hayo yamefaidisha mkaaji wa hapa Busia, mkaaji wa kule Kilifi na mkaaji wa pahali popote Kenya ambapo watu wanachimba madini.

Asante, Bi. Spika wa Muda.

Hon. Senators, in the interest of time, we will close our contributions on Statements and move on to the next order.

Next Order.

Hon. Senators, Sen. Beth Syengo had eight minutes to go, is she around?

Is there anybody else who wants to speak to this? Proceed, Sen. Omogeni.

Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to also make my contribution on this Bill, the County Hall of Fame Bill (Senate Bills No.18 of 2023) .

I want to begin by thanking Sen. Miraj, the brain behind this Bill for coming up with this very wonderful and progressive legislative proposal. Today we were all very elated this afternoon when we recognised the great sons and daughters of Busia County who have made some contribution in making Kenya what it is today. We recognised people like the former Cabinet Minister, Hon. Masinde, who served as a Minister for Labour for more than 10 years and people like Hon. Amos Wako.

It is regrettable, however, that this recognition is being done by the Senate of Kenya, but not by the County Government of Busia itself. I am sure that if we go back to our respective counties, we all have heroes and heroines, people who have made a contribution that people from our respective counties feel proud of.

When I go to Nyamira County, I remember contributions that were made by people like the late George Anyona in Football. In football my neighbour knows that we had one of Kenya's most prolific striker, Mr. Henry Motego. If you remember when Kenya was qualifying to go to the Africa Cup of Nations, when Kenya was playing Tunisia, it is Mr. Henry Motego who scored the one goal that gave Kenya a ticket to go to the Africa Cup of Nations.

Madam Temporary Speaker, unfortunately yesterday, we lost Mr. Ezekiah Nyamau, the man who was in the quartet of the 4 by 4 Olympics of 1972.

Last week, but one, I saw an analysis from the world championship when Botswana won the 4 by 4. They were saying that this is the first time Africa is winning a medal in the world championship but they ought to have also recognised that Kenya was the very first country, in 1972, to bring a gold medal to Africa.

The guy who ran that race, Mr. Ezekiah Nyamau, died in abject poverty. We will bury him maybe next week. However, it is regrettable that if you go to Nyamira, there is nothing that can remind you that we had a great son who ran in the 1972 Olympics.

I hope that this Bill, this time around, will find favour with our friends in the other House, the National Assembly, so that we legislate under our framework of recognizing our heroes.

There is also Mr. Nyantika Mayoro. We used to have great runners like Nyantika. All those who are great athletes from Kisii. There is also the woman who just retired in marathon, Mary Moraa. She was not lucky to win any medal this time in the 800 meters race. Many people have done things that we are proud of.

We are proud of our emeritus Chief Justice, David Maraga. He was the first Chief Justice in the continent of Africa to nullify a presidential election. That was then followed by other countries in the south of Sahara.

So, each one of us, I am sure, in our respective counties, have heroes we can be proud of. I think the woman who won a double gold in 5,000 metres, 10,000 metres, if I

am not wrong, comes from Sen. Cheruiyot’s County. Her name is Beatrice Chebet. She brought the honours of a gold medal 5,000 metres and gold medal in 10,000 metres race.

Having said that, we also need to ensure that the people we are honouring do not bring shame to us. I do not want to mention any specific name. However, if you have the honour to serve our country and you have been adversely mentioned in corruption scandals, your name should not find its way to the Hall of Fame. We need to put a very clear criteria in this Bill, so that the men and women that we are honouring should be men and women of integrity.

Madam Temporary Speaker, there are people whose contributions cannot be challenged like the role of senior counsel. You know what we go through before being inducted as senior counsel. One must be someone whom residents of a county look at and confirm that they are deserving. You saw the accolades we accorded Hon. Amos Wako, Dr. JJ Masiga and our own Clerk.

Therefore, we need to ensure that the framework we are putting in place in the selection panel includes men and women as outlined in Clause Six, who have served with distinction in their respective fields. However, Clause 6 says that the proposed members of the selection panel are the County Executive Committee Members (CECM), the Clerk of the County Assembly, the Chairperson of the Public Service Board and two officers nominated by the County Public Service Board (CPSB).

We are selecting people from within the county and not from the nation that people can appreciate and say, “Look, in Busia County, the selection panel consists of men and women of honour.” Why can we not propose that the panel include people who have also served the country from Busia?

I believe the inaugural Chairperson of this Board should be someone like Hon. Amos Wako or Hon. (Prof.) Julia Ojiambo. Instead of picking people from within the executive, which risks politicisation. We should avoid giving this responsibility to individuals from the governor’s office, as they may select their friends.

I propose that Sen. Miraj reconsider the provisions in Caluse 6, so that we appoint individuals outside the executive to sit in the selection panel; people who have served the country with distinction. Their names are known across the nation. For example, in Kericho, you could pick someone like Franklin Bett, who had a distinguished career in politics and served as the Comptroller of State House. Every county has somebody you can pick.

Madam Temporary Speaker, I support the idea in Clause 16. We have had issues with the title of senior counsel. Some individuals who hold it have brought shame to the legal profession. There is currently no legal criteria for revoking the title of senior counsel. I had a big problem when I was the Chairperson of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK). Members petitioned me to strike out the late Samuel Kivuitu. May the good Lord rest his soul rest in eternal peace. However, there was no legal framework to guide such action.

I am pleased that this Bill in Clause 16 proposes a clear criteria for revoking the name of a person who has been placed in the Hall of Fame. For instance, if a governor is found guilty of misappropriating county resources, he should not continue to hold that honour. He should be struck off. Clause 16 is a commendable provision, Sen. Miraj.

However, we should ensure the process is fair, allowing the individual a chance to be heard before their name is removed.

I also hope we can extend similar recognition to consumers. In Nyamira County, for example, people like George Anyona fought hard for tea farmers yet, we continue to see low bonus payments for tea farmers, even in Kericho and Bomet counties. How do you pay a tea farmer Kshs12 per kilo and things continue as if that is normal? I have not seen any statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development. This should be treated as a crisis. Paying a farmer Kshs12 per kilo is essentially condemning them to poverty. They cannot pay school fees or even fend for themselves.

I hope this House will act on the Statement sought by my good friend, Sen. Okenyuri. We need to summon the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development to appear before the House and explain the Government's role in ensuring that tea farmers receive fair returns. We keep telling people that tea is Kenya’s highest foreign exchange earner. If that is true, why can we not put money in the farmers’ pockets?

In counties like Nyamira, farmers are uprooting tea. The Government cannot sit back and watch this happen. Farming and food security are matters of national importance and the Government must respond because the people expect answers.

I heard Sen. Mundigi mention that even fish farming is suffering. I was not aware of this in Busia. If fish farmers are not getting good returns, they expect answers from the Government. If tea farmers are not getting good returns, they expect interventions. We must call the Government to order and demand solutions. Just as interventions were made for sugarcane farmers in Western Kenya, for milk and coffee farmers, the same must be done for tea farmers in Kisii, Nyamira, Bomet, Kericho and the wider western region. Sen. Cheruiyot, by standing up for farmers, that is the only way you will find your name in this County Hall of Fame. We must fight for the farmers.

Madam Temporary Speaker, every time we pass laws, we seem to forget the role of Senators. What is wrong with including in this Bill a provision that allows the office of the Senator to propose a name for the selection panel? This would make the process inclusive. We should not leave such a process solely in the hands of governors. We are elected to represent our counties. It is only that the governors are in the executive and we in legislation. Do you know that in the road sector, constituency members propose individuals to sit on road boards? If they do it, why not allow Senators to do the same?

Sen. Miraj, I will be moving a few amendments to this Bill to enrich it. This will ensure it reflects the role we all play as elected leaders so that there is fairness and equity.

In conclusion, we all want to demand fairness---

Order, Sen. Mariam. You are crossing, please, go back and do the right thing.

Proceed, Sen. Omogeni.

As I conclude, I hope the process we began in Busia to move the Constitution (Amendment) Bill aimed at giving the Senate of the Republic of Kenya a role in the budget-making process will see the light of day. I remember someone once claiming that the Senate in the United States of America (USA) does not participate in the budget-making process. I believe it was Sen. Cheruiyot who made that comment. Nothing could be further from the truth. As we speak, there is a shutdown in the USA---

Order, Sen. Omogeni. We are not contributing to the debate on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill by the Senate. Sen. Omogeni, please do not go there.

Madam Temporary Speaker, I was just tying my contribution to Article 10 of our Constitution. We must keep trying. That Bill is very progressive. We must keep on drumming. That Bill is very progressive. The Kenyan people have been given an opportunity to enhance the legislative mandate of this House. Now that we are in Busia, it is good to get just one minute to comment about that Bill, so that we rally support from all the 47 counties. What a better way to begin that call for support than to begin from the County of Busia. If you look at the proposals from the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) on road projects, my county has been left out.

Sen. Omogeni, I am calling you to order now. What you are discussing is not what you are supposed to be discussing, so now, please close. Sen. Omogeni, please do not try to persuade me further. You know what to do if you want us to discuss the Bill, you want us to discuss.

Thank you.

Madam Temporary Speaker, when you handle us very well, we shall propose you to go to the county hall of fame. When you give us a chance to start some---

Order, Senator; Commissioner. Are

Madam Temporary Speaker, in conclusion, the point I am making is that I fully support this Bill. The people of Nyamira will remember me and propose me to be inducted to the hall of fame. If I fight for fairness and equity, that is how I try to create a page for myself. They will remember that I fought for the tea farmers. I fought for them when we were left out on the road projects. What better way to find my way into this Bill other than highlighting the issues of concern for the great people of Nyamira.

With those remarks, Madam Temporary Speaker, I support.

Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker, for giving me this opportunity. First, I congratulate Sen. Miraj for coming up with this Bill. This shows that nominated Senators are working.

Clause 20 of the Bill on the offences shows that if anyone is falsely honoured, he or she has committed an offence and is liable and convicted to a fine not exceeding Kshs1

million or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or both. There is another one on the removal from the county hall of fame, which is also in Clause16.

Sen. Methu and Majority Leader, please, consult in low tones.

Clause 16 (2) says that the governor should suspend or revoke the induction of the person into the county hall fame under the subclause (1) , which is number (c) , the person who has committed the offence will be sentenced to term of imprisonment not exceeding six months. To my knowledge, it must be the same six months. The other one says one year. The period of imprisonment must be the same in both clauses.

In my area, today, when we are honouring so many people here, there is a teacher, Farah. He was involved in a security issue. There is a bus which Al-Shabaab stopped and they segregated people based on religion. However, he said that cannot happen. He said, you cannot separate people and if you want to separate them, kill me first and after that do what you want to do. In fact, he stood his position. He was first shot to death and after that they did what they did. Therefore, such people must be honoured. However, there is no such kind of policy. Sen. Miraj has thought about this which will help our people to be honoured.

In Mandera County, there ought to be recreational, cultural facilities or museums but there is none. Therefore, our culture has been eroded. It is no longer there. However, if this Bill is passed and enacted, county governments must act, so that our culture is upheld and recognised in all parts of the world.

Madam Temporary Speaker, with those remarks, I support the Bill.

Madam Temporary Speaker, I am very proud of my sister, Sen. Miraj. I just came from Peru with Sen. Miraj. In Lima, Peru, Sen. Miraj was struggling to take all possible photographs of any statues she saw.

She cannot even explain who these people on the statues were, but they were just nicely done in a way that you can be able to connect with that city in terms of the people who might have made a contribution in that city. I had to explain to her some of these people, but that said, there are counties in this country that if you go to, you should be able to connect with your history. You should be able to connect with the successes that our forefathers brought. It is a shame.

Sen. Cherarkey is here. It is a shame that today if you go to Nandi, for instance, there is nowhere you can be able to think about Koitalel arap Samoei. This is somebody who actually fought for independence through a serious contribution that made it possible for the people then to be able to fight for independence. If you go to different counties, I do not want to go through all of them, but even if you go to the coast, some of the wonderful ladies that fought for independence of this country have been lost in history. This is why somebody called Julius Caesar said that sometimes the good that people do is buried in their bones, but then the bad that they do stays with them forever. Why can we

not, as a country, start ensuring that we recognise those who make contributions, so that we can inspire future generations to also do better and make a better country?

This Bill is very important, but there are some clauses that I wanted to look at and I think that could be important. The first one is Clause 6, I think that talks about the composition of that committee. I do not think that on this issue of creating all of them in counties, you can leave it as a derogatory of just the executive, the people who perhaps are elected. I think the more diverse this is done, the better it is for the country and the better it is for avoiding the bias.

Otherwise, you will find that a few people who perhaps have gone and made a small chant, like maybe Wantam on the streets, are being made to be in the Hall of Fame if they are friends to the governor. This thing must be a place where there is a proper criteria established by a diverse group of people that can even include faculty, community members and then they can be able to establish proper process for which you vet, nominate, and if possible, you can even vote to make sure that by the time somebody goes to a Hall of Fame, it is indeed something that is worth their merit.

Madam Temporary Speaker, I come from Migori County and I do not know whether you realised that Lillian Odira, the lady who has actually broken the world record in the middle distance running of 800 metres, comes from Migori County. Not just world record, she has broken a 42-year record.

As per the clause, why should she wait for this process by only us, the County Executive Member responsible for culture and heritage, Clerk of the County Assembly, Chairperson of the County Public Service Board and the two people who nominated by the County Public Service Board? It is such a thin committee that might not have the worldview of pride that we have on people like Lilian Odira.

So, the criteria that these people might develop should not only be left to them. If you can expand this committee to be a little bit diverse, we can think about people who merit to be given these recognitions. In my opinion, somebody like Lilian Odira, Faith Kipyegon or Beatrice Chebet, who won the double-distance Olympic gold medals, should not go through this kind of process. It should be an automatic kind of recognition, so that if somebody travels today to Kericho and they come from Turkana, they can be inspired by what these wonderful athletes have done. In the same way, if somebody was to travel to be Migori, they should be able to be reminded on the industry and yarn for excellence that people like Lilian Odira have had despite the fact that they come from very humble backgrounds that sometimes do not allow them to get the best equipment possible to perform.

Secondly, usually, with this kind of Hall of Fame comes a serious issue to do with budget and financing. There is no clause that talks about a process that can resource- mobilize to make sure that we do not just do something that is within the merit of a county, because some counties might not have enough resources to do something that is dignifying to these individuals. In my view, there is opportunity here for us to expand Clause 11 on the induction into the public Hall of Fame to include the idea of resource mobilizing, because it is not just about recognition. It should be a recognition of pride and dignity, that standards must be established, that, if you are recognizing somebody who has done excellent in Mombasa, where Sen. Faki comes from, and somebody else in

Turkana, is the kind of recognition that has been given dignified to the extent that it can bring national pride, not only to the people of that county, but to people from other counties.

So, in my opinion, we can explore with Sen. Miraj on Clauses 11 and 12, and see whether we can expand it further to make sure that there is proper resourcing and budgeting instruments, so that the standards that are established in those different counties, can be a little bit elaborate.

Lastly, I did not see in this Bill, Sen. Miraj, how we can connect this to the issue of Project Kenya. For instance, sometimes we talk about the image of the country. How can we invest in Clause 14, where the selection committee receives a petition under Section 13 and prior to that forwarding its recommendation to the governor, can we be able to forward proposals about promotion and maintaining the Hall of Fame for particular counties to the national level? With that, there can be opportunity to create endowments that can build a facet for which sportsmen champion.

Madam Temporary Speaker, if, for instance, we are building the Hall of Fame about Lilian Odira, is there a way we can promote those kinds of people who are in our counties as well as the national and international levels, to keep on building back into the resource equation for that particular county? Where Sen. Cheruiyot comes from, he has many people who could merit to be in the Hall of Fame, as well as Sen. Cherarkey. Those individuals can also be a bait for resources to that county, if this was put together with a promotion mechanism, as well as maintenance of those places.

So, this is a good Bill that will help the country appreciate our heroes and heroines. I therefore support, and beg to request that I will be moving some amendments in the areas that I have touched on to make sure that we can make this lasting.

I thank you.

Sen. Okenyuri, please proceed. I would like to request for those who are left if you can indulge by speaking for a short time.

Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker. I will be brief. First, let me congratulate---

Order, Senators! Sen. Eddy, can we please not consult in the manner that we are doing? Let us have some silence.

Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker. First, I wish to congratulate Sen. Miraj for being among the outstanding young legislators we have in this House. The idea of a County Hall of Fame is timely. In my opinion, this is also an opportunity to strengthen the National Heroes Council, so that they are in a position to liaise with county governments to execute this.

Madam Temporary Speaker, the people who get awarded are those who have done outstanding activities or initiatives. This will be a keyword to the ones who are missing out currently from the national Government’s failure to recognize them. So,

counties will now have room to recognize and appreciate individuals who are outstanding in different aspects, be it athletics, sporting and academics. My only worry is on how competent the selection committee is going to be, so that we are not just awarding people who, whatever they engage in is not sustainable. You should award someone who is engaging in an initiative that is sustainable, not awarding someone in a one-off activity and are not able to give back after getting awarded. So, in light of time, allow me to just be brief---

Sen. Kisang’, you are behaving in a disorderly manner.

So, in summary, I just wish to appreciate the sponsor of this Bill for deeming it fit to come up with such a proposal that now gives room to the ones who have not been accommodated at the national level.

Thank you.

Sen. Methu, please proceed.

Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker. I do not know why Sen. Ledama is persuading me to speak for five minutes. I thought I have 20 minutes, but I will try to condense my thoughts to align to the time that he wants us to speak.

I would like to first congratulate my age mate, Sen. Miraj, for such a thoughtful Bill. She is my age mate, a little older than me, but we are in the same age set.

Madam Temporary Speaker, more often than not, we forget about most of our heroes in the counties and in the Republic, who have served the nation in different capacities. Just this afternoon, the Speaker was on that Chair, read out the distinguished names of sons and daughters of Busia County, some of whom I did not even have an idea come from this particular county. For instance, I did not know that Victor Wanyama comes from Busia. If this information was anywhere in the Hall of Fame of this county, it would be easy, especially for the generations that will come after us, to get to know the people who have served the nation and community in different areas of the economic, social, scientific, academic, public administration, governance, sports, journalism, business, security, and many other fields.

Madam Temporary Speaker, you may have heard about Catherine Ndereba. She is a celebrated marathoner who won a silver medal in the summer Olympic games, 2004 and 2008, the first Kenyan woman to achieve that feat. You may not know that she comes from Nyandarua, but she comes from there.

Madam Temporary Speaker, you may have heard about John Ngugi, a man who won the 1988 Summer Olympics 5,000 metres and the 1987, All African Games 5,000 metres. If our children do not get to know about these heroes who have lived, worked and have brought tremendous respect and honour to our counties and country, they may be forgotten. You also know the story of Samuel Wanjiru, the Olympic medallist---

Sen. Faki! Members are becoming disorderly in this House. You should know better.

Senator, proceed.

Madam Temporary Speaker, you may need to relax the rules a bit. We are very excited to be in Busia and so, we are forgetting. Busia is a good place and food here is in plenty. I have been told by Sen. Sifuna that food is in plenty. I am waiting to finish this Session, so that I understand where the plenty-ness of this food is because I did not see it last evening.

I am sure Madam Temporary Speaker you have heard about Stanley Waithaka, the 2018 bronze medalist in the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Diamond League. He comes from Nyandarua. If we do not induct such noble ladies and gentlemen, they will be forgotten. The generation that is coming up may not remember that once upon a time, there lived the Kapenguria Six, one of whom was Kung’u Karumba who comes from Nyandarua. If you ask my daughter who Kung’u Karumba is, unless they have been taught in their history lessons, they may not know. There are many other people.

One of the most celebrated generals, and I know Sen. Sifuna has heard about him and always likens me with, is Dedan Kimathi Wachiuri. He comes from Nyandarua and more specifically, Njabini, the village that I come from. So, the blood and the spirit of Dedan Kimathi Wachiuri is still around. That is why we want to pick it up from where he left, to continue fighting for freedom in other capacities that we can fight in. Also, his wife Mukami Kimathi and many other people.

Madam Temporary Speaker, I know the Senator for Homa Bay who has been my Chairman of the County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) ---

Is there a point of order, Sen. Eddy?

Madam Temporary Speaker, if there is a point of order, you cannot serve two Senators. You have heard Sen. Methu imply that the spirit of Dedan Kimathi lives in him. However, if you look at Methu, he runs from teargas.

Sen. Eddy, I did not hear any implication. Please, withdraw or give a proper point of order. Sen. Methu?

Madam Temporary Speaker, I implored you to indulge us because people are excited and happy and they are hearing things that have not been said.

I was talking to Sen. M. Kajwang’, my Chairman for the County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) . He told me that once a member, always a member. He knows the first Senator for Nyandarua, Eng. Muriuki Karue, the father of the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) , a celebrated feat in this Republic. Many of us may not agree with CDF, but that was a creation and a thought of a son from Nyandarua. If we do not celebrate these individuals, they will be forgotten.

I would like to inform Senators just as I mentioned when we were welcoming the people in the Speaker’s Gallery, the ones in this House serving in many other capacities will not serve forever. All of us are mortal. One day, we will not be here and whatever impact we will have created should be documented or inducted, especially for those of us who have lived well.

I am happy with the person who spoke about inducting people in the county hall of fame, that if you are adversely mentioned, you should not be inducted. Why are we inducting someone who is corrupt? You have been inducted in the Hall of Fame and you have 10 corruption cases with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC). There will be nothing to celebrate about you. These are the people who should not be included.

I do not know how Sen. Miraj can have an introduction on induction to the hall of shame for those who bring disrepute to positions they have been given. If you have been given a position of leadership and you have brought mathogothanio - I will not use this word because it is not Parliamentary – you should be inducted into the hall of shame. Then we will shame those people who do not live up to their mandate.

Madam Temporary Speaker, because we are in the mood of recognizing the people who have done well, it is fair that I also congratulate---

You also need to rein on Sen. Ledama who is constantly asking me to finish. I still have time.

Order, Sen. Ledama. Let Sen. Methu make his contribution within his time.

Remind Sen. Ledama that this wisdom is very rare so, when I am exuding this wisdom---

Order, Sen. Methu. Proceed with your contribution.

Madam Temporary Speaker, he should give me time to pump knowledge on the Floor of this House. However, I am also conscious of time.

Sen. Miraj, just like many people have pointed out, on Clause 6 of the Bill, something needs to be done. The composition of the selection committee is something that may need to be relooked and an amendment introduced. This is because, as it is now, it looks like this selection committee is a creation of the county executive.

The first person is a CECM for Culture and Heritage. The second person is the clerk of the county assembly. The third one is the chairperson of the county public service board and two people also nominated by this board. In a committee that has five people, four are from the county executive.

Therefore, if this Bill was to be implemented, a person like Sen. Cherarkey in the current setting of things cannot be feted in the hall of fame because if you do not agree with your governor and this committee has been formulated by your governor, they might say that he is too short or is whatever and they may not induct him and yet, he has done a lot and he should be feted.

Madam Temporary Speaker, I implore upon Sen. Miraj to try and ensure that there are other players, so that the nomination and the induction of people into the hall of fame is seen to be fair and independent of the serving executive. Even for the JSC because that has always been the case, there are people who are brought from outside the

mainstream of judicial officers. Therefore, other people may be nominated from outside of the people who are direct appointees of the governors so that they can look at the people to be feted and get inducted into the hall of fame.

I thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker and cede at that.

Sen. Beatrice Ogola.

Madam Temporary Speaker, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to support the Bill that has been presented by my sister, Sen. Miraj. You and me are part of Committee that has started that journey even before this Bill comes in. It tickled me yesterday, Madam Temporary Speaker, that there was a scuffle around you. At one point, there was claim about you from Busia and Kakamega. You are also laying claim to yourself. I celebrate women because they are special creatures.

Madam Temporary Speaker, you and I, as I have said, have started an initiative called Nyinam, where we have begun to honour great, outstanding women from our community that is not limited to leadership alone. It is so diverse that we are going out to single out ladies from the sports areas, business community, as well as the small business women that are doing outstanding work.

We have elitist women such as professors. We also have those in the music industry, writers, journalists and all of it. This is something that is not new to us.

At the end of this year, on the 5th and 6th of the December, we will be having such a similar congregation in Siaya County where we will be celebrating women from our community, and we will be doing the same honour that we are talking about here.

In Homa Bay County, we have presented our candidate for the Kasipul Kabondo by-election; that is, Mr. Boyd Were, that should really go into this list of Hall of Fame. He is going to be one of the youngest MPs from Homa Bay County, a Gen-Z MP.

I call upon all the young people, and everybody else, to prepare to support our candidate, Mr. Boyd Were. He is going to be part of this County Hall of Fame list, because of his age.

I support this Bill, because through it, we are going to preserve and protect a number of individuals within our counties that have made outstanding, exceptional, and illustrious contribution in any profession or activity.

We have a number of such people in our communities. We must relook at the selection committee. I want to say that it should not be an elitist selection committee. It should not be fully constituted by public officers.

I suggest that Sen. Miraj considers bringing in other people that may not be public officers or professionals but have an institutional memory of the people and their outstanding activities and outstanding deeds in the county. Back in my constituency, we have outstanding people such as Gor-Mahia who is my great, great, great grandfather-in- law. So that is why we even have the famous Gor Mahia Football Team named after him.

These are the kind of people that must go into this list. This was a paramount chief in my family community. Call it magical or mythical but this is a man who had outstanding attributes to him. If you are going after him in a battle, he would turn to any animal and escape all the enemies that were coming for him.

What is more outstanding than that in our community? People such as Gor Mahia would not fail to go into this list. I have an example of a teacher who taught me. People

think that you must do outstanding deeds. Mother Teresa said that it is doing something outstanding in a simple way.

One teacher who taught me Geography in Advanced levels, sometimes back, called Ongoro Ongae. This is a man who would be a marking scheme for examiners. When all regional exams of Geography had been given, the late Ongoro, may his soul rest in peace, would sit and set the marking scheme off head. These are the kind of people that must be considered.

The knowledge of these people cannot only be limited to public officers. Public officers sometimes just come to a county to work and they might not have very deep history of the places.

We have one famous or outstanding musician that came at a time when this country was ravaged by HIV. That is a lady who did not even go to school. She was called Alili Nyagina from Ndhiwa Constituency. She led a campaign through her songs which were celebrated everywhere. They helped to alleviate the HIV scourge and was really ahead in public education against HIV in my community and the Luo Community as a whole. That is not only limited to Luo but in all the communities and counties.

Madam Temporary Speaker, we have outstanding people such as the late Chief Otuma Randiek of a clan called Kabuai. Those are people who would rightly get into the books that would be captured by this Bill. This Bill is going to help us to preserve and protect our cultures, which reflects on our identity of a people and which we really must be very proud of.

I would only like the Mover to relook at the selection committee in terms of its constitution. It must not only cover or majorly consist of public officers and must not be elitist. This is something we should have done like yesterday.

I support.

I now call upon the Mover to reply.

Asante sana, Bi. Spika wa Muda, kwa fursa hii adhimu ya kuregesha majibu ya Mswada wangu huu wa Ukumbi wa Umaarufu Katika Kaunti. Ni wazi ya kwamba Ukumbi wa Umaarufu ni wazo ambalo muda wake umefika.

Ninawashukuru Maseneta wenzangu wote wakiongozwa na Kiongozi wa Walio Wengi kwa kuchangia Mswada huu na kunipa fursa ya kwenda kutia nyama mapendekezo niliyasoma jana hapa.

Kwa hakika, nimekuwa nafuatilia kwa makini michango ya Maseneta wenzangu. Ninakubaliana nao ya kwamba tuupatilize udongo ungali maji, kwa sababu tutakapowaachia baadhi ya watu wachache ambao tayari ni maafisa wa serikali kuwa katika ile kamati ya uteuzi, kutaenda kuwa na sintofahamu.

Ni kweli alivyochangia Seneta Ogola ya kwamba, tunapowaachia tu wafanyikazi wa gatuzi ama gavana, kutakuwa na kule kupendeleana kisiasa. Pia, si wote wanaofanya kazi katika gatuzi zetu wako na historia ya mahali pao pa kazi. Nimelinukuu hilo na nitahakikisha kwamba nimelifanyia kazi.

Ninamshukuru Seneta wa Kaunti ya Nandi kwa kutufahamisha pahali ambapo kovu la kichwa ya marehemu Koitalel Arap Samoei lipo. Wakati tutapitisha Mswada kama huu, tutachukua, kama taifa, mabaki ya shujaa wetu na tuyaweke katika kumbi ambalo litakuwa maeneo ya Nandi.

Ningependa kumshukuru pia Sen. Oketch Gicheru. Alisema ya kwamba kuna umuhimu wa Mswada huu na yale ambayo yanatambulisha taifa letu ili tuweze kuwavutia watalii katika nchi yetu. Kando na kuhifadhi na kushangilia mashujaa wetu katika kumbi hizi, tutaweza pia kuwatoa kulingana na vile ambavyo watajibeba baada ya kuwekwa na kusherehekewa katika kumbi hizi.

Hii ni kumaanisha ya kwamba jina la mtu likiwekwa ama historia ya jamii ya mtu ikiwekwa haimaanishi ya kwamba huyo mtu hawezi kuondolewa katika ukumbi ule atakapobadilisha mwenendo wake.

Sen. Osotsi alitoa pendekezo ya kwamba tuwatambue pia watu ambao wamekuwa wakitupatia huduma katika ugatuzi wetu kando na wasomi na watu maarafu. Alisema ya kwamba tuko na watu ambao wamefanya kazi kwa umahiri na ushujaa wa hali ya juu. Nitatoa mfano ya shule ya wasichana ya Bondeni. Tulikuwa tunauziwa ice cream na bwana mmoja aliyekuwa akiitwa Mwa na yule mtu bado yuko pale karibu miaka ishirini baadaye. Ukumbi huu hautakuwa tu wa kuwasherehekea wasomi bali utawasherehekea pia wakulima wetu ambao wanalisha taifa letu.

Nitakomea hapo na kwa mujibu wa Kanuni ya Kudumu No.66(3) naomba kuhairishwa kwa kuwekwa swali kwa Mswada huu.

Hon. Senators, I will now reorganize the Order Paper. I wish to defer Order No. 9. We will now move to Order No.10.

Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker. I rise to move the County Oversight and Accountability Bill (Senate Bills No.34 of 2024) .

I worked on this Bill in the last Parliament. I moved it and it was seconded. It proceeded to the National Assembly, but it lapsed in the National Assembly because of time.

I will be brief as I outline the main aim of this Bill. This Bill aims to provide a national framework for senatorial oversight of county governments regarding the allocation, collection, use and management of public finance at the county level.

The Bill seeks to establish a mechanism for effective oversight of county government operations to improve efficient economy and accountability in line with the Constitution of Kenya, 2010. This Bill mandates Senators to establish oversight offices in counties, engage public participation and monitor compliance with constitutional provisions and national legislations on public finance.

The Bill enhances the Senate’s role in guarding national Government funds allocated to counties and promotes participatory democracy by involving the public in executive decision-making process.

Every year, county governments led by county governors publish county budgets. Those budgets are normally defined by the interest of each governor's manifesto. This happens because we do not have a piece of legislation that directs clear public participation.

In the last Parliament, the distinguished former Senator, the Attorney General emeritus, Sen. Wako, sponsored a Bill on public participation. He sponsored it with the former Senator of Baringo County, Sen. Gideon Moi. That Bill on public participation did not see the light of day. That is why we have a lot of problems.

County governments develop budgets, but citizens do not know what is entailed in most of those budgets. Narok County has 30 wards. We had a big debate on what the Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) were calling ward development funds. Citizens did not understand what ward development funds were all about. In fact, people equated them with the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG- CDF) where people get money to do projects, but line their pockets in the process.

The Bill that I am proposing will help citizens to participate in the budget-making process. It will enable them to understand what they need in their ward. That is why the good Senator of Elgeyo Marakwet County, Sen. Kisang’, who is an information technology specialist and myself, saw it fit to reintroduce this Bill in this Parliament.

We propose the setting up of county halls where governors and County Executive Committee Members (CECM) for finance will invite people to listen to the manifesto, Finance Bill or the budgets of their governments. They will carry out public participation hence citizens will not go out and say that they do not know what is happening.

The halls will also assist Senators to meet with their constituents. In fact, this Bill defines the clear oversight role of the Senate of the Republic of Kenya. When I was thinking about this Bill, I looked at Article 96 of the Constitution of Kenya. I wanted to know what Article 96 says and why it is important for us, as a Senate, to oversight the funds that we send to the counties. I also thought of why it is important for the citizens to play a role in oversighting the resources which are sent to the counties. The answer to all those thoughts is simple. It is important for us to do that in order for us to develop.

Devolution is very dear to me. This Bill strengthens devolution because no single ward or no single citizen will say that their ward was allocated X amount of money but nothing was implemented. This will not happen because they will be part and parcel of the process of implementing everything that has been budgeted for.

One of my bigger pet peeves is supplementary budgets. Every year, the national Government and the county governments carry out several supplementary budgets. Why do they do that? They do it because citizens do not understand the power that the Constitution has given them to oversight the county governments.

One of the biggest benefits that this Bill will bring to devolution is that it will strengthen the oversight bodies and devolution. We all talk about transparency and accountability of the funds that we send to the counties. We spend hours and hours agonizing on the formula, talking about the division of revenue and fighting with the national Government so that we can send more money to our counties.

Madam Temporary Speaker, today, there is a huge debate on the electronic- Government Procurement (e-GP) system, which is being proposed by the national Government that it is encroaching into the territory of the county governments, which are semi-autonomous, as per Article 176 of the Constitution, Article 179, and I believe Article 6 of the Constitution, which sets up county governments as semi-autonomous from the national Government.

This Bill will also put up a clear framework on which governors can be able to use, even when it comes to procurement, because the citizens will be part and parcel of the whole process.

In summary, because I can see time is running out, I would like to invite my colleague to second this Bill. The main purpose of this Bill is to reinforce the Senate oversight powers of our county governments, support effective devolution by enhancing financial accountability and promoting participatory governance that benefits both county administration and the nation as a whole, through improved service delivery and public trust.

Today, there is no transparency in the budget-making process in the counties. When this Bill becomes law, each and every one of the 47 counties will be required to set up public participation halls. We have a lot of cases in our courts today where people go and argue that there was no public participation. There will be no room for that anymore, because there will be a hall similar to this.

Growing up, I lived in the United States and in the town of Concord, Massachusetts, whenever there was a matter that needed to be discussed by the mayor of that town, it would be brought to the town hall. People will go there, they will vote on it, they will discuss and then the policymakers will now be given an opportunity to go and then put it in the language that the policymakers understand. In the 21st century, in Kenya today, this being the third Senate and where we are all just arguing about the role of the Senate, I think this Bill will clarify all that.

With those few remarks, I beg to move and request the good Senator of Elgeyo Marakwet, Sen. Kisang’, to second.

Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker. I rise to second this very important Bill.

It is important to note that this is the third Senate since the new Constitution was enacted. Secondly, this is the 13th cycle of the budget 2012-2013, all the way to 2025-

Hon. Senators, I will now propose the question.

Sen. Sifuna, you may proceed.

Madam Temporary Speaker, in the few remaining minutes, I wanted to make my contributions to the Bill by Sen. Ledama Olekina.

First of all, my expectation of the Bill would be to address the question of how we exercise oversight and accountability. Our oversight mandate is drawn from Article 96 (3) of the Constitution 2010, that talks about oversight of this House over the national resources that are sent to the county governments.

In fact, my expectation was that, given recent judicial pronouncements, we would use the opportunity that this Bill presents to expand and capture what the courts have said about the mandate of this Senate; that it extends not only to the national revenue that has been sent to the counties under the Equitable Share, but that it also extends to the own- source revenue of county governments.

Indeed, we, as the County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) that is ably chaired by the Senator from Homa Bay County, are discussing about the lack of visibility

to the Senate of the money that goes to our county governments through grants and donor funding.

Then, when it comes to accountability, under Article 174(a), it talks about accountable exercise of power. I was hoping that we would use this opportunity that the Bill has presented to enhance accountability at the lowest levels of government.

Madam Temporary Speaker, you know that we are in Busia County and just yesterday, we walked out with Sen. Wambua and there were young men who were standing out there. They told us that, in fact, we have not provided sufficient facilities for the public to access these conversations.

There was a young man there who insisted that the powers that be around the Busia County Assembly who know them and what they stand for would not allow them to access this Chamber. Now that the Senate has taken over, we need to make sure that, at least tomorrow, these people are able to access the Chamber.

Those who saw the conversation that was happening out there; they were telling me that: “Sen. Sifuna, do you know that cabro was put yesterday because you, guys, were coming here?” That is what the Bill Sen. Olekina is proposing is about to take care of.

Public participation in the development of the country and the identification of priority projects should have been done and the people should have been involved. It would be really feel bad, if the people of Busia County think that some of the things that are happening in this town are only happening because the Senate is coming here. Since we are not permanent residents of Busia County, we would want things to be done for them and in their name because it is the resources of the people of Busia that are being utilised here.

Madam Temporary Speaker, the discussion around public participation especially in allocation of resources in the county has had me thinking: what really is the problem with public participation in this county? What are the real issues that surround public participation in this country? If you look at the mitigation that we have so far, the problems that have been identified as to why public participation is not effective is, first, the low levels of civic engagement by the public. People have their own hustles, their own jobs to go to and sometimes, they do not find time to have these conversations.

Secondly, there is interference by the local politicians. In fact, it has been alleged that when we, as a House and even the county assembly undertake public participation, we drive the process in such a way that the people who are in that room, most likely would want to agree with the people who facilitated them to attend that public participation forum.

We have seen even in the impeachment of governors where the requirement of public participation has been grossly abused. I remember one county when we were going through the forms for public participation, you could see that there were predetermined outcomes that the Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) were pushing for and even signatures were being forged to push certain ends.

I hope that in the process of enriching this Bill, we can actually ask ourselves: What is the biggest problem with public participation? I was asking the Senator from Homa Bay here, whether a public participation that happens under a tree is not effective public participation, and whether really the front-loading of the venue to the conversation

is the best solution to the actual problem when it comes to the question of public participation. For me, we would want to tie the loose ends by even ring-fencing the process from political interference----

Hon. Senators, it is now 6.30 p.m. time to adjourn the Senate. The Senate, therefore, stands adjourned until tomorrow, Thursday, 9th October, 2025 at 2.30 p.m.

Sen. Sifuna will have a balance of 15 minutes to contribute to this Bill. The Senate rose at 6.30 p.m.