{"count":1608389,"next":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=157336","previous":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=157334","results":[{"id":1591542,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1591542/?format=json","text_counter":299,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Omogeni","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"Yes, Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to comment on the statement that was brought by Sen. Thang’wa. With very good intentions, we passed The Rating Act and we wanted to support our county governments to increase their own source of revenue, collect rates so that they can give efficient services to the people residing in counties. However, there are governors who have totally misused---"},{"id":1591543,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1591543/?format=json","text_counter":300,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. Kingi","speaker_title":"The Speaker","speaker":null,"content":" Now, hon. Senators, please, take your seats."},{"id":1591544,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1591544/?format=json","text_counter":301,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Omogeni","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"Mr. Speaker, Sir, there are governors who have totally abused the new Rating Act. In the County of Nairobi City, I have seen instances where houses that were allocated almost 40 years ago, where very senior citizens are already residing, those are the only homes they have known--- Now those homes are being auctioned by my good friend, Sen. Sakaja. He is evicting people from those homes and then a cartel ends up buying those houses. That was never our intention. This idea of taking away people's homes in a very arbitrary manner is inhumane. I hope Governor Sakaja will listen to me. I heard on Sunday the President advising him in a church service that he should approach this matter by engaging the people who are already residing in those homes. How can it be that to recover rates of about Kshs104,000, you auction a house valued at Kshs12 million or Kshs15 million? This is a scheme of robbing very dedicated civil servants who bought those houses long ago and who have used those homes as their homes. Let me even pose a question. You are supposed to collect rates to provide services. Where I live and I am challenging Governor Sakaja to come here and give a The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."},{"id":1591545,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1591545/?format=json","text_counter":302,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Omogeni","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"contrary view, I have never seen any vehicle from the County Government of Nairobi collecting garbage and yet, every year I pay rates to the County Government of Nairobi City. In our court, we collect money together, we repair our roads. However, the Governor of Nairobi City County is insisting that if you have not paid rates, he will come and auction your house. That is not the way to go. We must call him to order. I want him to come here and tell us what plans he has put in place for garbage collection. If you ask Senators here, in our respective estates, we have never seen a vehicle from a Nairobi City County Government coming to collect garbage. We have never seen, maybe Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale has seen it. I have never seen where I live, a vehicle owned by a County Government of Nairobi coming to collect garbage. We are using private companies. All he wants is just to collect money. If you are collecting money, we must also hold you to account. We want him to come here, let him tell us how much he collects from Nairobi City County. Let him tell us the vehicle he has put in place to collect garbage. Otherwise, what we are doing is just creating an avenue for people to enrich themselves at the expense of citizens who are not getting services."},{"id":1591546,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1591546/?format=json","text_counter":303,"type":"scene","speaker_name":"","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"[The Speaker (Hon. Kingi) left the Chair]"},{"id":1591547,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1591547/?format=json","text_counter":304,"type":"scene","speaker_name":"","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"[The Temporary Speaker (Sen. Abdul Haji) in the Chair]"},{"id":1591548,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1591548/?format=json","text_counter":305,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Omogeni","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I am urging the Government of the day to call Governor Sakaja to order and protect senior citizens who own homes in Nairobi. They are now at the mercy of Governor Sakaja and some mandarins from the County Government of Nairobi City. That was never our intention when we passed the Rating Act. That was never the intention. So, I am really urging the committee in charge to summon him, we should see him sitting there the way we sat yesterday ---"},{"id":1591549,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1591549/?format=json","text_counter":306,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Abdul Haji","speaker_title":"The Temporary Speaker","speaker":null,"content":" Thank you, Senator. Hon. Senators, for the comments on statements, each Senator will have three minutes, so that we can conclude and move to the next order. Sen. Cherarkey."},{"id":1591550,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1591550/?format=json","text_counter":307,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Cherarkey","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, grant me two minutes. I rise on the issue of constituency boundary review ahead of 2027. We need clear guidelines on this, as the county boundary and constituency review was postponed. I am pleased that the President has gazetted the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners. With the reading of the budget today, we hope the IEBC will put in place and give us--- I hope that as we review constituency boundaries, we remain cautious in protecting constituencies classified as protected, such as Lamu. I am aware of several in the Mount Kenya and Rift Valley regions and across the country. We must ensure these protected constituencies remain safeguarded. In the review, we should consider the The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."},{"id":1591551,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1591551/?format=json","text_counter":308,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Cherarkey","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Population Census data to support this protection. Finally, I wish to comment on the Statement regarding increased land and building rates in Kiambu County. I am saddened. I have engaged several businessmen and women in Kiambu Town, Thika and across Kiambu County. The Governor and the county government are harassing them. As a Member of the County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC), who has served with distinction for the last eight years, I am aware that Kiambu County lacks a complete valuation roll and does not have a full assets and liabilities register. On what basis are they assessing the payment of rates and rents? I thank the distinguished Senator for Kiambu County, my brother, Sen. Karungo Thang’wa, for this upright Statement. When waiving rates and rent, as Governor Sakaja is doing, we must reach a consensus. While we agree that people in Nairobi should not live rent-free, there must be accountability. According to the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA), Nairobi City County has a revenue potential of Kshs63 billion, yet it is only collecting Kshs12 billion. As we discuss the Division of Revenue Bill (National Assembly Bills No.10 of 2025), we must relook at own-source revenue to ensure everybody enjoys service delivery. The Senate Majority Leader tells me that Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale has seen a garbage truck collecting waste in this area. We wonder if this is due to the fact that the governor comes from this region or it depends on the estate where you live. If you live in an estate where Sen. Methu resides, I doubt he has ever seen a garbage truck in his life, as he lives near Kiambu and on a road reserve. He can confirm this. How can garbage collection happen on a road reserve?"}]}