Order, Members! I see we are short of the requisite quorum. I, therefore, order the bell to be rung for 10 minutes.
Order, Members! We now have quorum and, therefore, business will start.
Hon. Majority Whip, you have Papers to lay on the Table.
Hon. Deputy Speaker, on behalf of the Leader of the Majority Party, I beg to lay the following Papers on the Table: The Quarterly Economic Budgetary Review for the Fourth Quarter of the Financial Year 2016/2017 from the National Treasury. The County Governments Budget Implementation Review Report for the first nine months of the Financial Year 2016/2017 from the Office of the Controller of Budget. The National Government Budget Implementation Review Report for the third quarter of the Financial Year 2016/2017 from the Office of the Controller of Budget, pursuant to Article 228(6) of the Constitution. The Report of the Auditor-General and Financial Statements in respect of the following institutions for the year ended 30th June 2016 and the certificates therein: (i) Kenya Utalii College; and, (ii) Center for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa. The Annual Reports and Financial Statements in respect of the following institutions for the year ended 30th June 2016: (i) Kenya Nuclear Electricity Board; (ii) The Jomo Kenyatta Foundation; (iii) The Commission on Administrative Justice; (iv) Agricultural Finance Corporation; and, (v) Kenya Airports Authority. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
The Annual Corporate Report of the Office of the Auditor-General for the period 2012 to 2016. The Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Kenya Tourism Board for the year ended 30th June 2015. The Report of the Institute of Economic Affairs on Policy Debate on five socio-economic issues in Kenya elections, 2017. Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker.
Hon. Members, I know many of you want to contribute, but you will have to be patient. We have a lot of time and most of you will speak this morning. For the new Members, it is also important to be notified that if you contributed yesterday to this Motion on the President’s Address, you will not have another shot. That is information for Members who are new in this House. Obviously, I will be giving opportunities to two Members on my right side and one Member from my left side. This is because of the number of Members on my left side. Let me start with the Member in spectacles. You could use the Dispatch Box. You will also have to introduce yourself.
Ahsante sana Mhe. Naibu Spika. Mimi ninatoka Eneo Bunge la Ruiru katika Kaunti ya Kiambu. Eneo hili ni moja kati ya maeneo Bunge makubwa humu nchini na lina idadi ya watu 160,000. Ningependa kuwashukuru watu wa Ruiru ambao walinichagua na kunipigia kura zaidi ya 108,000. Nawapa shukrani kubwa watu wa Ruiru kwa kunipatia fursa hii ya kuwawakilisha hapa Bungeni. Sitasahau kurudisha shukrani kwa Mwenyezi Mungu kwa kutupatia ujasiri wa kuchagua Spika Mhe. Muturi na Naibu Spika. Mlihudumia Bunge muhula uliopita na tukaona ujasiri wenu na vilevile tukawachagua. Kwa sisi Wabunge, ni shukrani kwa wananchi wa Kenya kutupatia mwanya wa kuwawakilisha. Pia, ni shukrani kuu kwa Wabunge wote kwa kuchaguliwa katika maeneo yao. Hii inaonyesha wima wa Wakenya kwetu tuliochaguliwa. Nikiguzia kidogo kuhusu Hotuba ya Rais tumpendaye Uhuru Kenyatta, alianza na jambo la busara sana. Wakati alichukua kipasa sauti, neno lake la kwanza lilikuwa kuhimiza Wabunge kujua walichaguliwa kuhudumia Wakenya. Hilo ni jambo la uzito zaidi. Vilevile hakusahau kuwaambia Wakenya macho yote yamewaangalia viongozi wote waliochaguliwa kuleta amani na uwiano katika Kenya yetu tuipendayo. Hilo ni jambo la uzito kwa vile ukiangalia maeneo mengi katika Afrika, uongozi, usalama na maendeleo zimezorota. Lakini ukiiangalia Kenya, kiongozi wetu tumpendaye Uhuru Kenyatta ameiga mwigo mwema na ikawa kama kitabu cha The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
kusoma wakati tunaendeleza maendeleo yetu. La muhimu, alisema hata kama kuna vurugu na joto kali la kisiasa, atasimama kidete kuona sisi viongozu tumetimiza majukumu yetu bila wasiwasi wowote ule. Na kama kiongozi wetu amesema hakuna wasiwasi, sisi ni akina nani kuwa na wasiwasi? Hakuna haja ya kuwa na wasiwasi kama kiongozi wetu hana wasiwasi. Sisi tuko wengi.Yeye ako peke yake na amesimama na uzito wa kuonyesha Kenya itakuwa na amani hata kama vipande vingine vimekaa vile wamekaa. La muhimu ni kuhimiza wote ambao wamechaguliwa kuja Bungeni ili tutimize yale ambayo tulichaguliwa kutimiza. Ni aibu kidogo wakati mtu ambaye amechaguliwa anakuja pale, anajaza karatasi, anaweka sahihi, anatoka nje na anangojea malipo kutoka kwa Wanjiku. Atakuwa amekosea Wanjiku na amejikosea mwenyewe kama Mkenya. Hilo ni ombi langu. Vile hakuna mtoto katika Bunge hili, tutumie utu wetu ule tumepewa na Mwenyezi Mungu na tusimame kuonyesha sisi ndio kielelezo chema cha maendeleo na haki katika Kenya yetu tuipendayo. Hayo yote hayatatimika kama hatutafanya hayo kwa matendo na sio kwa fikira tu. Mengi yamesemwa kuhusu maendeleo yetu. Katika eneo la Ruiru tuko na shida nyingi sana. Wenyeji wa Ruiru wanajua hivyo. Nimesimama hapa nikiwawakilisha na kuwahakikishia kuwa kutokana na uongozi mwema wa Uhuru Kenyatta, yale yote mnafikiria tunatakiwa kutenda tutayatenda. Nikitamatisha, ninaomba wale tuko hapa tuendelee kujuana ndio tufanye kazi kama ndugu na dada. Asanteni.
The Member for Imenti North.
Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. First of all, let me congratulate you on being elected the Deputy Speaker. You know one vote was mine even though we did not go to a vote.
You see, Member for Imenti North, you are not making your maiden speech, but proceed.
Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I want to congratulate all the elected and nominated Members. I believe they are here for a purpose. I thank our President, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, for his Speech. He made a Speech which was very inclusive. It was devoid of any politics and gerrymandering. Although we do not agree with the ruling by the Supreme Court, we took it in our stride and agreed to go to the elections. We should understand and the Opposition needs to understand that this country cannot afford an economic turmoil. As soon as the Supreme Court announced their decision, the stock market lost between Kshs130 billion to Kshs140 billion. You can imagine if this is the way we are going to go. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has announced new elections on 17th October and our colleagues in the Opposition do not want to go to elections. I do not know whether they want this country to suffer because the economy will go into doldrums and we will not make anything out of it. It shows that they are not really interested in this country at all. If they were, they would understand the economic impact of this election. The President has well mentioned that Jubilee is the only party which got the youngest people elected and my Meru County is one among equals. In the 11th Parliament, we had the youngest parliamentarian, Hon. Gatobu. This time, we again have the youngest parliamentarian from Meru, Hon. John Paul Mwirigi. It goes a long way to show that in the Jubilee-leaning counties, we produce the best young people. We take care of our women as well. We have two women governors and three women Senators. We are ready to tackle the two-thirds gender principle. I request my fellow Members of Parliament that this time round, if it comes up, let us support it. In the last Parliament, we had many women Members and more than half of them did The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
not turn up for the last day of voting. This time round, I request them to make sure if the Gender Bill comes up, which hopefully the Leader of the Majority Party will bring, we pass it. This will enable us to have a progressive Parliament where we can have women representing their interests. After 20 years, we will not need that Bill. I congratulate the President and the whole country because when the announcement was made by the Supreme Court, we did not have violence in our areas unlike what happened yesterday. I want to condemn completely the incident in Kisumu where women were meeting and youths went and disrupted the meeting saying that the women were selling their ID cards. Those kinds of retrogressive things should be left behind. We should let people articulate their issues. They can go anywhere they want. There was nothing like that. The Members in the Opposition should condemn that incident. We do not want a repeat of what happened in 2007/2008. We have had enough of that. With those few remarks, I thank you. I thank the people of North Imenti for re-electing me. Thank you and God bless Kenya.
The Member for Gilgil.
(Hon. (Ms.) Martha Wangari Wanjira): Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. It is an honour and a privilege to serve in this bicameral Parliament and to serve in both Chambers, namely, in the 11th Parliament as a nominated Senator and in the 12th Parliament as the Member for Gilgil. I want to take this chance to thank the people of Gilgil for voting for me to be their Member of Parliament, overwhelmingly with 80 per cent. I also thank God for this auspicious opportunity to serve the people of Gilgil and Kenya. I also want to take this chance to congratulate my colleagues who have been elected to this august House from all over the country. I also take this chance to congratulate you for being elected, unopposed, as our Deputy Speaker. As a Member from Nakuru County, we are very proud of you. We are looking forward to a very vibrant House under your leadership. I also congratulate the Speaker, Hon. Justin Muturi, for being voted overwhelmingly as our Speaker. In fact, my son watched that vote and when I got home, he told me: “Mum, there was something on television. They were just saying
. It was like a song.” I found him singing. It was very interesting. I want to go directly to the President’s Speech and congratulate him for also being voted overwhelmingly on 8th August as our President. There is no doubt about it. Even in Gilgil, we gave him an overwhelming support of over 60,000 votes. We are ready even for another election. I will pick on a few things that the President touched on and one of them is the sovereignty of the people. Article 1of the Constitution is very clear. This must go even to the Opposition Members. The responsibility, mandate and power they boast of and walk around boasting as Members is delegated power by the people. We must realise that. We must execute our duties in this House with diligence knowing that we are not only answerable to God, but also to the people who elected us. It is unfortunate for the cantankerous behaviour and the shenanigans we were treated to during the swearing in. They did not even attend the session of this House. It was very unfortunate. I hope, just as the President said, that the moment one takes that oath and does not come to the opening ceremony of Parliament, it is a shame and should be condemned. It is unfortunate they could just come in when we were debating the motion on House Business Committee and they want to be in it and at the same time remain out. They want to hold this country on a leash so that we cannot move. Whenever you make a step, you are pulled back. I think we have sent the message very clearly that we are here to serve the people of Kenya. We will not entertain them. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
I want to tell the people of Kisumu and other areas that are represented by the National Super Alliance (NASA) that we will still represent them because we are the National Assembly. It is unfortunate that the Members they voted for are letting them down and earning a salary they are not working for. As the Member from Meru has stated, there was a very sad situation in Kisumu yesterday. Some hooligans walked in on women who were having a meeting in a hotel and started to beat them. They actually humiliated them and took their phones. Women the age of our mothers were crying because of being harassed by young men who are like their sons. It is unfortunate. I am looking forward to the women who have been elected from those areas to condemn the act and stand with those mothers. It was not necessary. This Kenya is greater than any one of us and we must condemn the act with the strongest words possible. Even to the media, I hope they will be keen. It was reported yesterday that identity cards were being bought. That photo did not indicate that even though it was a file photo in a tweet. It was very unfortunate. The media also should be very careful on what they post so that we do not cause chaos and acrimony in this country. The President was very categorical on the support of women in Kenya. From the 23 Members who have been elected in the National Assembly to represent constituencies, 18 are from the Jubilee Party and its affiliates. That is more than 80 per cent. When you look at the Women Representatives, most of them are from the Jubilee Party. We are very happy and I think this Parliament will be very vibrant with youthful representation of all the Kenyan diversity. We are looking forward to giving a very good face to this country through a very progressive and vibrant 12th Parliament. Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker.
Hon. ole Sankok. Did you speak yesterday, Hon. Sankok? Have you spoken to the Presidential Address?
Even as you do that, you do not have to point at the Deputy Speaker menacingly. Proceed because I take your word. Once you say you did not speak, I know it is possible.
Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. It seems I am very popular. That is why people are complaining. I am David ole Sankok from Narok.
Just to clarify for Members, Hon. (Dr.) Sankok spoke to the HBC debate. Not this one. So, he has done away with his Maiden Speech. He is now making his regular speech. Proceed.
I hope you have not eaten into my time. Let me take this opportunity to congratulate you again especially for having been elected unopposed. We know there is a possibility of President Uhuru Kenyatta being elected unopposed on 17th October. I would also like to thank the Jubilee Party for giving me this opportunity to represent persons with disabilities as a nominated Member. I also thank the six million Kenyans with disability who I have been leading as a chairman for three years before I retired voluntarily last year. I would also like to thank the 11th Parliament for having been the first Parliament to implement devolution. It was not an easy task. For those Members who were there, we say “thank you very much”. I congratulate them, especially our Leader of the Majority Party, Hon. Aden Duale and the rest of the leadership of the House even in the minority. On the President’s Speech, I can only compare it to the speech of Martin Luther King Jnr. It is a Speech of a President who is humble, committed, devoted, God-fearing, genuine, honest, The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
intelligent, loyal to his people, obedient and one who preaches and practises peace. He is a President who leads a party whose slogan is Tuko Pamoja . If we translate it into our mother tongues, it is kitii tenebo in Kimaasai, turi hamwe in Kikuyu and kimi kibagenge in Kalenjin. In Dholuo, it is wan kanyachiel .
The rest of them are not parliamentary languages. Proceed in the original language.
It is a party that has brought all Kenyans together. When our President speaks of a united and unifying country, he actually means and practises it unlike our competitors whose slogans we cannot understand. They are slogans that we can say are incantations. Slogans like tibiim or tialala is not understood in our languages. It may be that our fellow citizens are being recruited into a very dangerous cult. We do not know unless they explain the meaning of these words. I would like to state that it is very unfortunate for Members in NASA to have been boycotting House sittings yet they have been elected and will be paid for being in Parliament with the taxpayers’ money. Instead of coming to Parliament, they are going to Kibera, another
kind of parliament which we do not understand. They are being remote-controlled by fellows that are not Members of Parliament. These are just principals. I do not know whether they are principals of high schools or whatever they call themselves. The Members are being remote-controlled. The most unfortunate thing is that they are here every day – loitering around this place, signing in so that we do not invoke the rule that a seat is declared vacant if one does not attend eight consecutive sittings. Sometimes it is because the food here is a bit cheaper. That is why we see them loitering around during lunchtime. They should represent their electorates. As the Member from Gilgil has said, I want to assure Kenyans that they are totally represented in this House because this House and the Jubilee Party has a representation from across the 47 counties. We also have representation from both genders, persons with disabilities and the youth. We have the youngest Member who is 23 years old. So, let them not worry at all.
Let us have the Hon. Member for Ainamoi Constituency.
Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. First, I want to start by thanking the Almighty God for seeing us through this far. The other day, after the President’s Speech, as we walked out catching up with my colleagues, I realised it was the first term for most of them in Parliament. We were trying to ask ourselves what it really takes for one to be in Parliament. We agreed in totality that it takes the hand of God. In fact, to quote one of my colleagues, “ Ni Mungu tu”. Before I proceed, my name is Sylvanus Maritim from Ainamoi Constituency, Kericho County. Let me sincerely thank the people of Ainamoi for giving me an opportunity to represent them for the next five years. I assure them that I will set my best foot forward to represent them. Two, congratulations are in order for my colleagues and the Hon. Deputy Speaker. To the President’s Speech, I applaud him for having recognised the youth in various leadership positions both elective and in various appointments. It is, indeed, inspiring to have a President who not only recognises the role of youth, but also gives them an opportunity to serve the nation. I know we are a living inspiration to thousands of youths. I assure them that we are not going to disappoint them. If anything, we are going to mentor them. We are going to set the record straight. It will go on record that the youth in this Parliament have done their best to uplift and set the best examples. Secondly, the President mentioned peace and stability. If there is anything that is going to drive us forward, it is peace and nothing else. In as much as we are going to campaigns, we are The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
putting more emphasis on doing it peacefully. I expected the President to dwell on farmers particularly tea farmers who I largely represent. There has been an issue of fluctuating tea prices and bonuses. We expected that he was going to mention something about it, but all is not lost for tea farmers. We are going to use all the available forums and work together with the relevant Ministries including research officers known to us and even international researchers so that we can ensure that we not only get the best prices, but also get maximum produce from our farms. I would also want to compare and contrast the Speech of the President with the one of some elders yesterday. They referred to this honourable House as a Jubilee Parliamentary Group which is quite regrettable. To me, some of these elders are people we have been looking up to and they are misguiding the public. In fact, if NASA Members are honest that this House is unconstitutional, I expect them to forego their salaries at the end of this month if they mean well for their people. If they feel we are not doing what is right, we expect them to forego their salaries. Otherwise, I wish Members all the best as we represent the people of this country. Thank, you Hon. Deputy Speaker.
Very well. Member for Isiolo North.
Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker for this opportunity. I am Hon. Hassan Hulufo from Isiolo North. I would like to start by thanking the people of Isiolo North for giving me an opportunity to represent them in this august House. As earlier speakers have said, it is not easy to make it to this House. I tried in 2013 but I was not successful. I kept putting more effort. Out of eight people, six very able and competent men and a lady, the people had confidence in me and my ability to represent them. I thank them for that. I would also like to thank the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker for being elected to guide this House for the next five years. I would also like to thank those who have had an opportunity to be elected to lead us in the Majority Party starting with the Leader of the Majority Party, Hon. Duale, the Chief Whip and the Deputy Chief Whip. As for the President’s Speech, any man or woman in position where His Excellency is today, would not have found it easy to give the kind of Speech he gave. It was full of wisdom. He showed that he is a courageous man. In his first term, he made history by being the first sitting President to honour summons of a foreign court. He was innocent, but he agreed to honour summons from the International Criminal Court. At the end of the day, it was very clear to everybody that the case was built on quicksand and he was acquitted. We say that numbers do not lie and the President was voted for with overwhelming numbers. As much as we respect the verdict of the Supreme Court, unless they tell us something different in the detailed ruling, they only mentioned matters of procedure on how forms 34A, 34B and 34C were transmitted to the tallying centre in Nairobi. They did not dispute the numbers which the President garnered. I am sure come 17th October he will even have more numbers. Coming to the content of the Speech, it was very impressive especially the aspect of peace, the need to unite our people and respecting the rule of law which he has demonstrated. In as much as he did not agree with the ruling, he had to agree with what the court decided. I would like to call upon the rest of the Members to kindly go out there and ensure that we vote for President Uhuru Kenyatta even with overwhelming numbers to put this matter beyond any reasonable doubt. The only thing which I expected to be addressed in the Speech, which I did not hear and I am sure we are going to take up with the Cabinet Secretaries as the representatives of the people, is the issue of drought which is affecting our people. As people’s representatives, we are engaging Cabinet Secretaries (CSs), Principal Secretaries (PSs) and directors of various State The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
corporations to look into this issue and our people should worry less because of matters of drought. A very competent inter-ministerial team has been put in place to deal with this issue. As their representatives, we are working with them and we are going to save lives and the livelihoods of our people. Thank you very much.
Hon. Member for Balambala, just wait for a minute. Are you okay now?
Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. My name is Abdi Omar Shurie, Member of Parliament for Balambala. First of all, I would like to thank the Almighty God for giving us the opportunity to serve in this House. I also wish to appreciate the good people of Balambala for electing me as their representative in this House. Hon. Deputy Speaker, I would also like to congratulate my colleagues for their victories. On the Presidential Speech, I applaud His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta for preaching peace since the outcome of the Supreme Court. He has been consistent on peace. I think it is very important because without peace, we cannot have a nation or a country. I would have wished the President would have added the issue of drought which my area is experiencing to his Speech. I appreciate my colleagues from northern Kenya for talking about the drought that affects all of us. I hope State organs will take that matter seriously and support us. Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker.
Let us have the Member for Nandi.
(Hon. (Ms.) Tecla Tum Chebet): Hon. Deputy Speaker, I take this opportunity to thank the people of Nandi for their overwhelming support. That is why I am here with 247,000 votes. I thank God for enabling me to make it to this House. I applaud the President for celebrating the women of Kenya who made it to this political arena, particularly the three governors, three senators, 23 female Members of Parliament and many members of county assemblies. He highlighted the gains made in promoting inclusion of women in elective offices. We can achieve much if we can break the glass ceiling. I call upon the governors to award women and youth tenders as per the one-third gender rule to enable them to improve their livelihoods, so that we can have more of them in this House in the near future. I congratulate the President for congratulating the youths of Kenya and a majority of them are in this august House and in county assemblies. I got impressed when he talked about peace in our land. He said that he will not allow anybody to mess around with the prevailing peace in Kenya. Therefore, as we get to the elections, we should hold a peaceful election and our President will be re-elected. Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker.
Is that the Member of the Jicho Pevu fame? You have the Floor. Probably, you should address the House in Kiswahili.
Ahsante, Mhe. Naibu Spika. Awali ya yote, naomba kutumia fursa hii kumshukuru Mwenyezi Mungu Mwenye wingi wa rehema kwa kutujalia afya njema na kutufikisha siku ya leo. Mwenyezi Mungu anaendelea kuitikia dua ya kuliombea Bunge hili kwa kutuongezea hekima na maono kwa ajili ya kuwatumikia Wakenya. Nachukua fursa hii pia kukushukuru wewe binafsi, Naibu Spika, wenye viti Bungeni pamoja na Wabunge wote kwa uteuzi wayo. Mighairi na hayo nachukua fursa hii pia The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
kuwapongeza na kuwashukuru wana Nyali kwa kuamua kwenda kinyume na itikadi na siasa chafu za pesa, vyama na ukabila na badala yake kunichagua mimi kama mgombea huru katika eneo Bunge la Nyali. Nawapongeza pia Wakenya wote waliojitolea na kuchangia katika mkoba wangu wa Kampeni pamoja na ushauri walionipa. Sina la kuwapa ila nawaahidi kuwa nitazidi kuwapigania na kuwakilisha sauti zao katika Bunge la 12. Kwa ufupi, nasema Mungu awabariki wote kwa kuamini kuwa hakuna lisilowezekana mbele ya macho ya Mungu. Fauka na hayo, naomba hili Bunge la 12 liwe kielelezo na tofauti kabisa na Bunge za hapo awali kwa kujadili na kupasisha Miswada itakayo wakinga Wakenya dhidi ya udhalimu, ukiukaji wa haki za binadamu, ufisadi na mambo mengine ya kuchukiza. Mhe. Naibu Spika, mengi yalitajwa wakati wa Hotuba ya Rais, huku kukiwa na matumaini ya mambo kuwa sawa katika siku za usoni. Nchi inayoongozwa na demokrasia hufanya mambo yake kidemokrasia. Nchi inayoongozwa na demokrasia ya kijambazi hubaka demokrasia ya wananchi wa taifa hilo na kuwakandamiza. Ni matumaini yangu kuwa sote tutakuwa mamoja pasi na misingi ya dini, kabila, rangi au vyama kuilinda Katiba na taifa letu zuri. Letu kuu kama viongozi waliochaguliwa na Wakenya ni kuhakikisha kuwa safari hii hatutazalisha tena umaskini. Tuhakikisheni kuwa, kupitia sura hizi ninazoziona Bungeni – sura za Wabunge, maprofesa, wanahabari, madaktari, wahandisi, miongoni mwa wengine wengi – tutashikamana na kujenga Kenya kwa kutumia taaluma zetu na wala sio kuwa vibaraka wa kuabudu miungu binadamu. Kwa ufupi, tusikubali akili ndogo kutawala akili kubwa.
Mhe. Naibu wa Spika, licha ya Hoja zote zilizotajwa majuzi na Rais – Hoja za Kenya na Ukenya ndani yetu – ningelipenda pia kuchukua fursa hii kuomba Bunge hili, chini ya uangalizi wako, katika siku za usoni kuwa makini na kutunga sheria kali dhidi ya walanguzi wa dawa za kulevya.
Hakika sisi Wapwani tumeathirika pakubwa na watu wachache wanaojipiga kifua na kujiona kama miungu midogo huku wakiangamiza kizazi chetu. Safari hii tunaujumbe kwa walanguzi wa dawa za kulevya Pwani. Tunasema kama noma, naiwe noma . Wakenya wote ni mashahidi kwamba vijana wetu wengi wameendelea kudhoofisha afya zao kutokana na matumiza ya dawa za kulevya. Dawa za kulevya ni hatari sana kwa usalama wa ustawi wa taifa letu. Vita hivi ni vita vikubwa dhidi ya uagizaji, uzalishaji, usambazaji na matumizi ya dawa za kulevya. Sote tunapaswa kuunga mkono jitihada hizi. Nikimalizia, nihitimishe hotuba yangu kwa kuombea waheshimiwa Wabunge-wenza, pamoja na Wakenya wote waliotutuma katika Bunge hili kama watumishi na wala si waheshimiwa, Mwenyezi Mungu atujalie sote nasiha njema katika kipindi chote tutakachokuwa mashinani kuwatumikia Wakenya waliotuchagua kwa kuchukua maoni yao na kuwawakilisha ipasavyo katika hili Bunge la 12. Mungu ibariki Kenya.
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Let us have the Member for Othaya.
Hon. Deputy Speaker, I thank the Almighty God for giving Kenyans the wisdom to elect the great men and women that we have in this House. Secondly, I thank the people of Othaya for electing me to represent them in the 12th Parliament. I congratulate His Excellency the President on the great Speech that he delivered to this House. He emphasised the importance of promoting the youth. Today our great problem in this country is lack of jobs for our youth. The youth will not be empowered through street protests, incitement and divisive politics. This is the reason we all have to rise and support our President when he preaches unity in this country. He is the reason this House must rise and say “no” to divisive politics of tribalism and always going to protest on the streets. Such trends will mess up this country. It will not help our youth. It is very sad that while our youth require guidance and support, some leaders have created an arena for dirty politics. We want to request anybody who is worth his salt as a leader or purports to be a leader in this country to know that we cannot go forward with that kind of politics. In our country, during elections, we have people called aspirants and contestants. The 19 million Kenyans registered voters do not contest. It is the leaders who contest. When the elections were concluded, it is not the voters who were defeated. We know that 15 million Kenyans voted for one candidate in the election of the President. That person is the President of the whole country and not only for those who voted for him. The candidate who loses, loses alone. Those who voted for him do not lose! We should stop misleading Kenyans when it comes to politics. We need to call upon our colleagues on the Opposition side to rise to this occasion. They have been elected by their constituents to represent them and join other Kenyans in developing this country. Our Jubilee Party agenda is very strong. For example, it proposes to roll out the free secondary education programme. This is not going to benefit Jubilee zones alone, but rather it is going to benefit the whole country. The cash transfer programme to our elderly people does not target Jubilee supporters only. It is meant to benefit all Kenyans. We all feel the pain when somebody goes out there to mislead Kenyans. I call upon all Kenyans to turn out in large numbers on 17th October 2017 to vote and confirm that this country requires a uniting leader who is not tribal. This country requires a leader with wisdom. Vote for His Excellency the President Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta. Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker.
I now give a chance to the Member seated on the third row next to Hon. KJ. Do not worry because this confusion will be sorted out, probably, in the afternoon. We expect to have all the names of Members then. Kindly introduce yourself so that I do not refer to you next time in the manner I have just done.
Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. My last name is Wathayu and it stands for peace. I represent the mighty constituency of Mwea, which I believe is the most populated rural constituency in our country today with over 200,000 people and a voting bloc of 123,000 voters. I want to thank my people for having faith in me and giving me a chance to represent them in this august House so that the many problems and issues we face may be sorted. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
My constituency is the home of the best rice in Africa. It is in Mwea where we have Basmati Rice. I will be walking around with some samples and taking orders on behalf of my people as I go on with my business here.
No, businesses will be allowed in the Chamber. Proceed.
Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I will find another place to do my hawking. I want to go direct to the Presidential Address. I will make reference to the first paragraph of the President’s Speech. He thanked the Almighty God for having given us this country with all its goodies and the peace we are enjoying for free. Before coming to this House, I was working as a regional peace maker. I have had the opportunity to provide my services in the 47 counties of this county. I have had an opportunity to preach peace in nearly all the countries in this region. There could be some people who may not know that other places are not as safe as Nairobi. It is good for all of us to know that there are many men and women out there who work very hard, day and night, to ensure that there is peace in this country. I remember the days when I used to visit a place called Todonyang in Turkana and I would find police officers who used to tell me that they would occasionally be invaded by the Merille from Ethiopia while on duty to secure the peace of this country.
I know we have men and women in Ras Kamboni who do not sleep to ensure that we have peace in this country. When I see our leaders in Nairobi rushing to Kibera and other places vomiting words which suggest that our country is in trouble and at war, I feel it. This is because I know that the peace we have in this country is not being enjoyed by our neighbouring countries. It is unfortunate that our colleagues are not here with us today to first and foremost know that in this 12th Parliament, some serious minds have come in. We mean business when we say we need peace in this country. We are not going to sleep until we shut up those who want to interrupt the peace in this country. Our President dwelt a lot on peace and I want to congratulate him for singling out that we need peace. He said that unless all of us uphold peace, this country will lose all the gains that we have made over time. I really feel for my constituents who were about to enjoy some fruits of good leadership by our President. They have been waiting for so long to benefit from the waters of Thiba Dam, which is intended to be the source of irrigation water to the people of Mwea. It will enable them to produce more rice to feed this country by over 70 per cent.
I will give the Member seated next to the Member for Balambala.
Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker for this opportunity. I want to thank Allah, the Almighty, who has given me this opportunity to be here in the 12th Parliament. I also want to thank my constituents who overwhelmingly decided that I become their leader in the 12th Parliament. There is obviously importance in their decision which was decisive. I also want to thank the President for his Speech. It was based on observance of the laws of the land and acceptance of the decision of the Supreme Court. He acknowledges that the laws of the land stand. The decision of the people of the land has also been quite clear that they elected him overwhelmingly on 8th August 2017. I am sure on 17th October 2017 the same decision will be made loud and clear. It is also important to note that as the custodian of the law of the land, the President has acknowledged that this country has decided to ensure that the The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
election considered every person in this country despite their creed, colour and gender. Those are some of the most important things that the President touched on and we do concur with him.
What is also important for me to say today is that the people of the northern part of Kenya are facing a considerable amount of drought. Drought has bedevilled the society for over 20 years and has cost us many lives, livestock and livelihoods. Therefore, it is important for our countrymen and women to gather together in prayers in support of the communities that face that disaster.
It is quite painful since many of our livestock have died and many people in our society have moved across the borders in search of pasture and water. These people still remain out of the country and for them to come back, it is important for this country to mitigate a plan for them to come and live in their country for the purpose of their livelihoods within the borders.
On a light note, the Member for Mwea has said that he might be coming with some Basmati Rice in this place to trade. I might be walking with some cows into the Chamber - on a light note – from my livestock herders. We feed the country with meat and, therefore, we need to support the communities of herders through trade to improve their livelihoods. With those remarks, I thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity.
Let me now give the opportunity to the Hon. lady at the very furthest end of the Chamber.
(Hon. (Ms.) Annie Wanjiku Kibeh): First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to thank God for giving me the opportunity to be here. When I was a young girl, I used to dream of being in Parliament. Just like Lupita Nyong’o said, everyone’s dreams are valid. I agree that my dreams are also valid because I have found myself here. I also want to thank the good people of Gatundu North for finding favour in me and giving me the opportunity to serve them. I feel greatly honoured for that. Looking at the President’s Speech, I feel that it is inspiring. I am very happy with his acknowledgement that we now have more women leaders in the 12th Parliament. It is never easy to have a woman elected. It is a great honour that we are able, as the Jubilee Party, to have over 15 women elected to the 12th Parliament. I thank His Excellency the President because he also acknowledged the need to continuously include women in leadership and at various levels of the Government. Knowing him as a man of his words, I believe when he is re-elected on 17th October, we will see more inclusivity of women in the Government. On the same breath, he also acknowledged the election of young leaders to this Assembly, which is really a good thing. We are no longer saying that the youth are the leaders of tomorrow. We are saying they are the leaders of today and that has been confirmed by their election to this House. Hon. Deputy Speaker, allow me to also highlight and acknowledge what the President said about the involvement of the 11th Parliament in ensuring that devolution works. I am one of the many firstborns of devolution having worked as a nominated member of Kiambu County. I thank the 11th Parliament for the role it played. However, I feel that our work, as the 12th Parliament, is well cut out and we must work very hard to ensure that devolution works. I believe devolution is the future of Kenya. My heart is heavy at this time because nurses are on strike. We know the role nurses play in our society. Patients are suffering in the various hospitals. I use this opportunity to kindly ask the Council of Governors, the nurses and their leaders to find an amicable solution to this matter, so that we can have them back to work. We know very well the work that devolution has done. We have started hospitals in places we have never had hospitals in the over 50 years of Independence. We see our people having hope. I believe that this Parliament will help and support devolution. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
Hon. Deputy Speaker, with those few remarks, I thank you very much and echo the words of William Arthur who said that---
No Members will be allowed to stand while the other colleague is addressing the House.
(Hon. (Ms.) Annie Wanjiku Kibeh): Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I believe that is disrespectful. William Arthur said: “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. But the great teacher inspires.” The President inspired this House and this country.
Hon. KJ.
Hon. Deputy Speaker, it is a great honour for me to stand here and make my maiden speech in this House. I am eternally grateful. I will take this very early opportunity to congratulate you, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for being elected unopposed as the Deputy Speaker of this House. I also take this opportunity to congratulate Hon. Justin Bedan Muturi for being elected the Speaker. We are depending on your wisdom and guidance. I take this opportunity to also congratulate my Leader of the Majority Party, the one and only Hon. Aden Duale. I want it to go on record that I said, “ Iskhawaramaensodowadha to Bunge once again.” I also want to take this opportunity to congratulate Omwami, Hon. Ben Washiali, for being appointed the Chief Whip of the Jubilee Party. I also take this opportunity to congratulate each and every sitting Member of this House. I am hastily referred to the wise words in the Book of John, Chapter 13, Verse 16 going on, where after washing the feet of the disciples, our great teacher, leader, Lord and saviour said: “Verily, verily I say unto you that no servant is ever greater than their master, and no messenger is greater than their sender, and now that you know this, you shall be blessed if you do well to serve your people”. I take this opportunity to say a big thank you to the people of Dagoretti South Constituency, who in this season decided that kweli rada ni safi, na Mungu mbele . I acknowledge that we who sit here stand great because we stand on the shoulders of great people who went before us. For Dagoretti South Constituency, I want to pay a special tribute to great leaders that went before me. Even before the Independence of this country, there was the great and immortal Waiyaki wa Hinga and the great Chief Kinyanjui wa Gathirimo. I want to say a special thank you to the Members of Parliament who have served before me for their contribution to the development of Dagoretti South. Thank you Hon. (Dr.) Mungai, Hon. Kahindi, Hon. Muthiora, Hon. Clement Gachanja, Hon. Chris Kamuyu, Hon. Beth Wambui Mugo and more recently, Hon. Dennis Kariuki Waweru. We thank you for your great contribution. To the people of Dagoretti South Constituency who have given me this opportunity, I want to say as the great Agikuyu say, “ mundu umwe ti mbogo na kamuingi koyaga ndiri” - that together we shall be able to provide the greatest good for the greatest number of people in Dagoretti South Constituency. I shall now concern myself with the issue at hand and that is the Presidential Speech. I shall take just one moment to say that by the very act of addressing this 12th Parliament, the President proved to this country that business has to continue; that our children have to go to school; our farmers have to till land; our traders and business people have to transact the business The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
of this country and, we, the Members of this House have to continue passing laws. By that very act, the President proved that even with the presidential re-election campaign, Kenya can chew gum and scale the stairs at the same time. Allow me this last minute to just say a very special thank you to my family. To Wangui Kiarie - the beautiful woman who is my rock, my strength and the mother of my three children - I say thank you. To my seven brothers - the sons of my father and mother - I say thank you. To my two mothers – the mother who gave birth to me, Hannah Ndindi Mutiso, and the mother who brought me up, Rosemary Ng’endo Njuguna, I say thank you. Finally, I want to say a special thank you to my father, my mentor, my dad, my sage and my teacher and former Member of this House, Hon. David Waweru. Thank you very much. I seek to retreat now. I shall have the opportunity to say much more in the five years that I have been given by the people of Dagoretti South Constituency.
That was real poetry. I am trying to balance both sides. I know I have touched on many counties. I am trying to look at the counties which I have not touched. I cannot know all of them. Did I touch Baringo County? That is the Member for Mogotio. Hon. Members, you will all speak. In fact, I realised we might have about 30 Members who have not spoken and so, be patient. You will definitely have your say.
Thank you for giving me this opportunity. My name is Dr. Daniel Tuitoek from Mogotio Constituency. I would like to thank God for giving me this opportunity to be in this august House and being elected by the people of Mogotio to serve in this House for the next five years. I would also like to congratulate you and the Speaker for being elected to serve us for the next five years. I would also like to recognise and congratulate my fellow Members of Parliament for being elected to serve for the next five years. To touch on the President’s Speech, I would like to note that the President was humble enough to note that the supremacy of the law is to be emphasised in this nation. He noted that he has personally committed to observe the law. He was summoned to a foreign court and the Supreme Court ruled against him. Although he disagreed with the ruling, he accepted to move on. He noted that there has been constant consultation between the Legislature and the Executive, which has brought a lot of good things in this nation, especially in the area of devolution and other areas. In my opinion, the last election was one of the best because I had earlier stood for elections and we always had problems with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission. But this time, the IEBC did its best in spite of the fact that when the ruling came against the President, some of us were taken aback. There was a lot of emphasis on the technology aspect of the election and yet, we all know that in this particular election, what was used to declare all of us winners was really a manual election. It was the manual results which Wanjiku had really decided at the polling station. To nullify the election of the President was really a miscarriage of justice because it was not the technology which should have been considered. It was not the process of transmission which should have really counted, but the vote of Wanjiku which she actually delivered at the polling station. In his Address, he also touched on other aspects of the economy and the importance of the youth and women being included in the decision-making mechanism. It is very important that in this coming session, we look at the welfare of our people. In Mogotio, one of the major issues we are facing is lack of water. I hope in this coming session, we will assist in the issue of provision of water, especially in the semi-arid and arid areas. Mogotio is an area which is both The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
largely semi-arid and, therefore, the issue of water is very important. Also, the issue of youth and women empowerment is another area which my constituents want me to address and, therefore, in the coming five years, I hope I will be able to assist in that particular direction. Concerning our fellow Opposition Members of Parliament, they seem not to be really assisting their members. When they say the President is not legally in place, they are actually going against the Constitution. If you look at the Constitution very clearly, it says that there will be no lacuna or a state where we have no President. It is very clear that the President is legally in place. Even after the Supreme Court nullified his re-election, he still has the powers to constitute Parliament. I wish they would come and represent their people in this august House. I would like to thank you for giving me this opportunity. In the coming days, I will continue to deliberate and participate fully in the deliberations of this House.
Let us have the Member for Kangema. The Hon. Member for Kangema is one of the more experienced Members in terms of age. Sometimes, we deliberately give them an opportunity to speak. Proceed.
Hon. Deputy Speaker, I thank you for indulging me. He gave me the opportunity because I have an appointment with a doctor. I also join my colleagues in congratulating you for your appointment. I also congratulate my colleagues for the great honour that has been bestowed on us by the Kenyan people. It is very hard now to give a maiden speech when we have a side that thinks that belittling His Excellency the President gives them honour. In the present prevailing circumstances, there is no vacuum in the position of the President. Article 142 of the Constitution spells out clearly that the President remains a substantive President from 2013 through to 17th October when he is re- elected until the day he is sworn in. Hon. Deputy Speaker, my understanding is that in that occasion, two things will happen instantaneously. He will cease to be president and be sworn in as President. So, it is a matter of hallucinations on the part of our colleagues to keep thinking that the presidency can be created at a rally in Kibera. They cannot make themselves president, ferment treasonable acts through those public rallies in Kibera and Huruma, disgust Wanjiku, dysfunction and slow the economy of the country just because they are spenders but not producers.
A parasite is never aware of the source of the blood and it does not care about the plight of Wanjiku . As far as Wanjiku is concerned, she is the connoisseur of who should be president. She is the keeper of the sovereignty of this country. The phrase in the preamble of the Constitution, “we, the people,” encompasses Wanjiku . She is the symbolic head. She is the chief justice of this country because she represents the people as opposed to a party which purports to live in a box and one that does see the wishes of the Kenyan people. Elections are not about transmission of votes, but it is about people who are represented by Wanjiku .
I come from a constituency that has contributed massively to this economy. It is the home constituency of Equity Bank. My constituency fought gallantly for this country. My constituency is the home of the Rwathia Group of companies. It produced the first PhD in this country in Dr. Kiano.
Your time is over, Hon. Kigano.
Members resume your seats. I have made a decision as to who I will give the opportunity to contribute next. I have to notify Members that regulations for code of conduct of Members in The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
the National Assembly and within its precincts demand that Members should not enter the Chamber, lounge or dining room without being properly dressed. This will include a coat, tie and trousers for men. I will not point any Member who is not properly dressed because I have not been duly notified. But any Member who may not be in that particular kind of dressing should quietly retreat and properly dress himself. I am not saying he should do it now but later. I will not mention any Member. I have not seen any Member who is not properly dressed. We are still in a new session and some Members might want to be... Let us have Hon. Malulu Injendi, Member for Malava.
Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. First I want to thank the people of Malava for electing me and having faith in my leadership. I want to appreciate them because they voted for me on the Jubilee ticket and yet, as you are aware, that is a National Super Alliance (NASA) stronghold. I thank the people of Malava for giving me 20,000 votes which they also gave me in 2013 when the area was dominantly an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) stronghold then. I thank the people of Malava.
I also want to appreciate my brother, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for your election. I am only urging you not to leave our plenary which we normally hold at 1.00 p.m. after lunch. I also want to thank my brothers and sisters who are here for having a chance to come to this House as the people’s representatives. Hon. Deputy Speaker used to tell us all the time that once out of the 11th Parliament, only 30 per cent would come back to this House. Indeed, it has come to pass. Even amongst us who are sitting here, I am only seeing about five Members who have come back. Congratulations for surviving the massacre. The only thing I can tell the new Members is that when you are here, serve your people. Otherwise, when you go back to the elections in 2022, most of you may also suffer the massacre and remain at home.
Coming to the President’s Speech, the President confirmed that nature abhors vacuum. I was being asked by my people whether our activities like CDF will continue because of the ongoing case. We assured them that they will continue. Now that the case was ruled otherwise, most people were wondering whether we will break into civil war. I want to thank the President for accepting the ruling of the Supreme Court. Supposing it was declared otherwise, what would have happened? Would the Opposition have accepted the results? So, thank you Mr. President. I want to tell my constituents that when one is defeated, that is normally the kind of behaviour that one exhibits all the time. You recall the Members from the Opposition said that they would not come in for the swearing-in ceremony. When we proceeded with the programme, they came in and they were sworn in. They said that they would not come to Parliament when it opens. The President had to come to open the 12th Parliament.
I have seen my brothers and sisters walking in, sit a bit and then walk out. This is a defeatist kind of behaviour. I believe as we continue working, they will slowly start coming in and join us. We were elected to come and work. Otherwise, we are happy for this election and this country. We are happy that even internationally we are receiving accolades that we are a stable country that can continue with business even after the nullification of presidential elections. The Judiciary and the Legislature are working and yet, the others are very busy making noise on the streets and causing the death of people. We are sure that the President will man the country to ensure that no one is killed during demonstrations.
Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for giving me this chance to contribute.
Member for Nakuru County. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
(Hon. (Ms.) Liza Chepkorir Chelule): Ahsante sana Mhe. Spika kwa kunipatia nafasi. Mimi ni Hon. Liza Chelule, mwakilishi wa akina mama kutoka Nakuru Kaunti. Nachukua nafasi yangu ya kwanza kurudishia shukrani sana wananchi wote wa Nakuru kwa kunipatia nafasi katika Bunge la Kitaifa kuwakilisha akina mama. Nawashukuru sana wananchi wote wa Nakuru kwa kunipatia kura zao bila kujali mambo yoyote, kwa mfano, jamii. Walinipatia kura zao zote bila kujali mambo ya ukabila. Nawapongeza sana na ningependa kuwaeleza kwamba nitawafanyia kazi kadri ya uwezo wangu na kulingana na Katiba ya nchi yetu ya Kenya.
Mhe. Naibu Spika, pia nachukua nafasi hii kukupongeza kwa kuchaguliwa bila kupingwa kuwa Naibu Spika wa Bunge la Taifa. Najivunia sana kuchaguliwa kwako kwa sababu wewe ni Mbunge wa Kuresoi North, wakilisho ambalo liko katika kaunti yangu. Aidha nakupongeza sana kwa kushinda kiti cha Kuresoi North kama Mbunge.
Pia, nachukua fursa hii kumpongeza Mhe. Muturi kwa kuchaguliwa kuwa Spika wa Bunge la Taifa. Nawapongeza wenzangu waheshimiwa Wabunge ambao wamechagulia kuja hapa kuwakilisha wananchi wa sehemu yao. Nawatakia baraka ya Mwenyezi Mungu wanapojitayarisha kufanyia wananchi wa Kenya kazi.
Pongezi nyingi sana akina mama wezangu ambao mmechaguliwa kutoka kaunti 47. Tukiwa pamoja, tutafanyia akina mama kazi katika nchi yetu ya Kenya. Tunajua kwamba shida inayowakumba akina mama katika nchi yetu ni ukosefu wa maji. Naamini ya kwamba tutapitisha katika Bunge hili Miswada yenye manufaa kwa akina mama. Tutafanya chochote kulingana na uwezo wetu kuhakikisha akina mama wanapata maji.
Nampongeza Rais kwa Hotuba yake. Ni Hotuba ambayo itaboresha nchi yetu ya Kenya na itawaleta wananchi wote pamoja. Ni Hotuba ambayo imezingatia sana amani katika nchi yetu. Najivunia sana Rais wetu pamoja na naibu wake. Ni viongozi jasiri. Wametuunganisha pamoja sisi wananchi wa Kenya tangu mwaka wa 2013 hadi leo. Kuna sehemu nyingi humu nchini ambazo hazikuwa na stima. Kwa kusema kweli, ni wapi duniani utapata Rais na naibu wake wakisisitiza kwamba umeme ufikishwe hadi kwenye nyumba zenye paa ya nyasi? Hizo ni nyumba za watu ambao hali yao ya maisha iko chini sana. Isitoshe, barabara pia zimejengwa. Ni wapi humu duniani utapata Rais ambaye anawaza kuhusu akina mama maskini? Tunajua kwamba kumekuwepo na tatizo la wanafunzi wasioweza kumaliza kulipa karo ya shule na kunyimwa vyeti vya shule. Rais na naibu wake waliamuru kwamba wanafunzi wote wapewe vyeti vyao. Aidha, walifutilia mbali ada ya mitihani.
Mimi kama kiongozi kutoka Nakuru, ninazo sababu nyingi za kuwaeleza wananchi wa Nakuru kujitokeza kwa wingi tarehe 17 kupiga kura ya urais tena. Tujitokeze kwa wingi kumpigia kura Rais wetu, Uhuru Kenyatta. Yeye ana uwezo wa kuongoza nchi yetu kwa njia ya amani na umoja.
Nimeshukuru sana, Naibu Spika kwa sababu umenipatia nafasi kuongea. Niko tayari kufanya kazi pamoja na watu wa Nakuru. Tuko pamoja na tuendelee vivyo hivyo. Saidia mwenzako, tafadhali. Mimi niko tayari kufanya kazi. Ahsante sana.
Hon. Rasso.
Hon. Ali Rasso Dido): Thank you very much Hon. Deputy Speaker. At the outset, I want to congratulate you for being elected unopposed. I found you to be a good man in the 11th Parliament. I also want to congratulate the Hon. Speaker, Justin Muturi. Jubilee found him to be a good and resourceful lawyer who is able to run this House perfectly.
Today in the 12th Parliament, for those of us who were in the 11th Parliament and made it back, we feel proud. Our people, wherever they are, found us fit to continue to deliver services to The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
them. With that, I want to thank the great people of Saku in Marsabit County for giving me a second chance.
Quickly, I want to go to the President’s Speech. In 2012/2013, many of us campaigned for Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto. In them, we saw men of different characters; men who could take Kenya forward. Their transformative agenda is what actually made Uhuru to be re- elected the 4th President of Kenya on 8th August 2017. In his Speech, the President was very candid. If I may quote, he said: “Most importantly, it is the transfer of the people’s sovereign will to an office that is a symbol of our national unity that protects our security and is key in delivering development and prosperity”.
The Office of the President or the presidency is a unifying factor. It is the most important office in the land and all Kenyans must be alive to that position. It is not about Nairobi, Kibra, Mathare or other enclaves of this country. It is the office the man and woman in Moyale, Msambweni and Kilgoris see as the leadership of this land. It is not about the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission or some posters. It is about the symbol that makes us Kenyans. It is that one man we have held out there to represent us world over. Every day we look forward to that individual for peace, security and development in this country.
In 2013, we voted for Uhuru and Ruto. In 2017, we did that overwhelmingly with 1.4 million votes.
Order, Hon. Kandie. You will have to go back all the way and do what is needful.
Proceed!
Hon. Ali Rasso Dido): In 2017, Kenyans gave an overwhelming and resounding voice to Uhuru Kenyatta with 1.4 million votes more than his competitor. On 17th October 2017, we will come out in large numbers. Many of us have been disturbed by the judgement of the Supreme Court. Clearly, we have it in our minds that we will go out there and prove it to Kenyans and the international community that Uhuru is the undisputed leader of the Republic of Kenya.
Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker for giving me this chance.
Let me see the county I have not given an opportunity. Nakuru had one. Yes, Trans Nzoia. Let us have Dr. Pukose. Murang’a has just had a chance. So, Hon. Member for Kandara. I will come to you in that direction.
Order, Members! Order!
(Hon. (Dr.) Robert Pukose): Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the President’s Speech. At the outset, I want to thank the great people of Endebess Constituency in Trans Nzoia County for giving me a second term to serve them. To me, this is a big honour and I really appreciate.
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I want to say that having gone through the last elections, it is quite unfair that the verdict given by the Supreme Court went the way it went, especially on the President’s win. Kenyans woke up very early in the morning on 8th August 2017; they went to their respective polling stations, voted and went home. After the votes were counted, the results were declared. That is why all of us are here. That is why the Members of the County Assemblies (MCAs) are where they are. That is why we celebrated the governors. At times, it gives us something to think about. There is the issue of limiting the President to two five-year terms. In Uganda, our neighbouring country, on 12th October, a Parliamentary Committee voted to remove the age limit of a person aspiring to be the president in that country. The President of Uganda can serve as many terms as the people would want. It is high time we started thinking as Kenyans whether constitutionally the five years for a young President who is in early 50s is the right thing for us to do. You find that somebody who is approaching 80 years feels that he has to become a president at all costs through even the manipulation of the system of elections. You are being told the counting was okay, the voting was okay but the transmission was not. These are issues that Kenyans have to grapple with. As a House, it will be in order for us to even think of constitutional amendments that will be able to give complete independence to the various arms of the Government because there has been a lot of judicial activism and interference with the other arms of the Government. Look at it in the last term where the President, after the recruitment of the police, ordered that they go and report. But the court ruled that it had to be redone. The people’s verdict is that President Kenyatta has been elected by the majority votes. Three or four judges sit in the Supreme Court and say no, it has to go the other way yet we have those who dissented. So, these are the challenges that this House has to grapple with. As legislators, we need to start thinking of making constitutional amendments to make sure that even the presidency is protected because if you are President and you make an order and some people sit somewhere and make a judgement that overrules, how do we respect that presidency? With those few remarks, it is food for thought. It is the way to go and the 12th Parliament must stand to be counted. Thank you.
Member for Wajir County.
(Hon. (Ms.) Fatuma Gedi Ali): Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I am Hon. Fatuma Gedi from Wajir. Let me also join my colleagues in congratulating the Members, the Speaker, you, the Majority Leader and the women elected MPs. I also want to take this opportunity to congratulate the great people of Wajir County for giving me this opportunity and for having faith in me. I also want to congratulate them for electing His Excellency the President. I thank the President for his statesmanship speech and also for showing leadership in his Speech. In the President’s Speech, he acknowledged the women leadership and the efforts the women made in the last election. The President mentioned to the world that there is no vacuum and that his administration is unshakable. I also want to thank him for showing us the leadership. He asked us to unite Kenyans and he did that. He has showed that. I want to urge our supporters across the country and especially the people of Wajir to support the President on 17th because we now know we have the tyranny of numbers. On 17th we also want to show our opponents that we are going to have the tyranny of the ballot. On 17th, we are very confident that the President is going to win. Lastly, the President and his Deputy reminded us as Jubilee to always preserve peace and unite Kenyans. We will also demonstrate that. Thank you. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
Members, you will all have your time this morning. We still have a chance for about 35 Members. So, be patient. Hon. Member for Tharaka Nithi.
(Hon. (Ms.) Beatrice Nkatha Nyaga): Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity. I tried yesterday but I could not manage. I really thank you today. Let me take this opportunity to thank the people of Tharaka Nithi for giving me another chance. Among the 47 women, only 10 of us survived. So, I want to say thank you for seeing that I am capable of serving them again for five years. I want to tell them that what I was not able to do in the four years I will try my best to do it at this particular time. I want to assure them that I am going to work with the other leaders of Tharaka Nithi County, so that we are able to move forward together. I want to take the same opportunity to congratulate the Speaker, Hon. Muturi, and you for being given another chance to work with us. I had an opportunity to be in charge of the presidential speeches for many years, but this particular one was very short and precise. That is because the President was very keen on the peace, security and the unity of this country. We always talk about developing our economy. We cannot develop our economy if you have no peace in the country. We cannot develop our economy if the peace of the country is not at its best. We cannot develop if we are not united. We have to be united. I want to tell my colleagues that we have a responsibility to keep peace all the time. Our President was elected in 2013. I want to tell him that the people who elected him in 2013 are still there and they are going to elect him again next month. We are going to come out in big numbers and this time we are looking for 75 per cent and above. I am telling my colleagues in the Opposition, we are coming in, going out, taking tea and doing this and that, but the Bible says: “If you do not work, you should not eat.” I do not know why they think that there is a vacuum in this country. There is no vacuum. The President said that there is no vacuum. There is no lacuna. The country is going forward and we shall progress with or without them. I want to remind my colleagues that we have a duty and a responsibility to sustain and protect peace and security of our people without exception. We have a responsibility to protect our Constitution and promote democratic governance in the Republic of Kenya. We have a Constitution and laws in this country. We, therefore, have to continue working and we have to be together. I have heard the Opposition Members say that they are not going to participate in the elections. I want to give them the example of Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah of Kikuyu. He was not opposed and he was sworn in. So, whether Raila participates in the election or not, we will still swear in the President of the Republic of Kenya and he will continue working for this country. Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker.
Hon. Chepkut, proceed.
Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. Since I have been given five minutes, I do not want anyone to interrupt.
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Hon. Deputy Speaker, I offer my heartfelt congratulations to Hon. Justin Muturi for having been elected Speaker of the National Assembly in this 12th Parliament. Secondly, I wish to congratulate you for having been elected unopposed as the Deputy Speaker. I also wish to congratulate all the Members of the National Assembly who were elected and sworn in.
Now, let me say something about the President’s Speech. May I take this opportunity and, indeed, it is my singular honour to thank each and every individual who voted for me to be in this august House. I thank all of them. It is me, the only human soul alive, who defeated the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs, Hon. Samuel Chepkong’a. The will of the people was expressed and it was, indeed, respected. That is why I am standing here today to contribute.
The President of the Republic of Kenya gave an outstanding Speech. He is the President CGH and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces of the Republic of Kenya and I have known him. I wish to encourage each one of you to campaign for the President on the platform of unity in diversity and development agenda. The 10th Parliament delivered the Constitution. The 11th Parliament implemented and enriched the devolution institutional framework for delivering…
I am having a lot of difficulties but I still know that we will be able to have all the Members speaking here. That is because we have about one-and-a-half hours. I have not picked on somebody from Kisii and Mandera. Let me start with the Member for Nyaribari Chache.
Hon. Deputy Speaker, at the outset, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the Speaker of the National Assembly for the victory well deserved. I want to take this opportunity to congratulate you, Deputy Speaker for your victory and coming in unopposed. You have served Kenya well and that is why nobody saw it fit to challenge you. It is because of your leadership skills and contributions in the last Parliament.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the people of Nyaribari Chache for the chance they have given me to serve them as a Member of Parliament. The period I was a Member of Parliament, having come in through a by-election, was short and yet I was able to deliver a number of projects. I really appreciate that. It is on that account that I want to say that President Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta and his Deputy have served this country with a lot of dedication and hard work and they have been able to start projects which require to be completed. As manager and a leader, I know there is power in consistency. That is why if you want to achieve development, you need to give a leader reasonable time to accomplish what he has started.
Our President and the Deputy President have started a number of projects in the country and they have appreciated the fact that education is the only equaliser we have in this country. If a bright child from a poor family gets an opportunity to excel in education without being held by financial challenges of the family, that would be a good way to help the country grow to the next level. From next year, we are going to have free boarding education in both primary and secondary schools. This will offer a good opportunity for every child in Kenya to achieve full potential because all our dreams are valid. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
The President’s Speech had some very clear points to all of us. He truly has the interest of Kenya at heart and he cares about the quality of life that Kenyans are supposed to enjoy. He spoke on issues which touch on every family in Kenya. He spoke to the issue of cash transfer for the old people. Our old people have not enjoyed their lives because the money they are getting is not enough and the opportunities to earn a living for them are not many. We, therefore, have a duty as a country to ensure that these people are taken care of. We need to provide for their needs. We will help them lead quality lives just like other Kenyans.
The President spoke on health issues and he said that we have a duty as a nation to ensure that the quality of health is given to all regardless of your social or economic status, so that when any of us has a need for medical services, he or she is able to access it without having to look back and ask: “Where am I going to get this money to pay for my medical needs?” As a former teacher, I cannot emphasise more on the need for quality education. The only opportunity that the son of a peasant has to compete with the son of a king is through education. We know good education is costly. When we have a Government thinking of ensuring that every child who needs education is not only getting it, but is going to get quality education, that is the beginning of development in an economy; that is the beginning of development in any country. We support the President for that vision. We are going to vote for him to the last man. Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker.
The Member second from…. Proceed, you have the mic now.
Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. My name is Malimo Arbelle, the Member of Parliament for Laisamis. First and foremost, I would like to thank the Almighty God.
Kindly, put your name on the mic so that it is recorded.
Hon. Deputy Speaker, just to repeat, I said my name is Malimo Arbelle, the Member of Parliament for Laisamis. First and foremost, I would like to thank the Almighty God for the great favour he has bestowed upon me to serve the people of Laisamis Constituency. I would also like to express my gratitude to the people of Laisamis Constituency for the great honour and respect accorded to me to serve them as their representative in the august House, the 12th Parliament. I reaffirm my total commitment to serve my people faithfully and diligently, given that however much is given, much is expected. I would also like to congratulate you and Speaker Justin Muturi on your election. Let me also take this opportunity to congratulate each and every Member of this House for having been elected in their respective constituencies. Finally, let me also congratulate our President, His Excellency Hon. Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, for his dynamic leadership to propel this country to greater heights of prosperity, particularly for uniting the people of Kenya. I want to remind the leaders that our ethnic diversity should be taken as strength and not as a threat. I support and acknowledge the President’s Speech which was very inspiring. It emphasised the issue of peace, security and fostering national unity. In line with the Presidential Speech, I wish to point out that the community I represent - the Rendile - are pastoralists who keep moving from one place to another in search of water and green pastures. Due to the devastating drought currently experienced in the country, particularly in Laisamis Constituency, my people have moved to the neighbouring county of Samburu. My people’s livelihoods and existence entirely depend on livestock. While they were in Samburu County, my people were attacked by heavily armed bandits, who managed to kill four people, injured scores of others and The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
unknown number of livestock were stolen. I therefore urge the relevant ministries to take this matter seriously and provide the necessary assistance to my people, especially as we prepare for the presidential election. In order to have a lasting solution to this perennial conflict among the pastoralist communities, I think it is worth to invest in technological gadgets similar to the ones used on vehicles for purposes of tracking them when they are stolen, so that we can track the animals whenever they are stolen. It is high time that the ministries in charge of livestock and internal security worked hand in hand to invest in the latest technology to stamp out the menace of cattle rustling. Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I think I am the only Member who has taken the shortest possible time in history.
The Member for Nakuru Town East.
Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. My name is Gikaria David, the Member for Nakuru Town East Constituency. I take this opportunity to thank the great people of Nakuru Town East for giving me a second opportunity to represent them in this House. Let me also congratulate you for being elected unopposed as the Deputy Speaker. First, we have been in this Parliament, in the 11th Parliament, and we have heard great speeches from the President, yet again when he came here the other day, it was one of the best. It actually superseded the others. When you look at Article 10 of our Constitution, exactly what is said under the values and principles provisions, I think that is exactly what he said. I will start with what we are seeing in the Judiciary. Here in Parliament, if you have to pass a very critical Bill or Motion, you must get two-thirds approval. Not two-thirds of those sitting; it is two-thirds. It has a number. It so unfair that the Judiciary…. When I was doing my calculations, four people out of seven are 57 per cent. I think it is high time we started looking at the critical aspect of having a law to say that the Supreme Court cannot make such a crucial decision if they are not two-thirds or so. People are now starting to say Jubilee is trying to start amending laws. We are not going to gag the Judiciary, but we are going to ask Parliament to start thinking of how we can do some amendments. Look at Article 141(1) of the Constitution. It says: “The swearing in of the president-elect shall be in public, before the Chief Justice, or, in the absence of the Chief Justice, the Deputy Chief Justice.” I want to believe that the Judiciary was invited to the State opening of Parliament. They skipped it. It was by design. Looking at the proceedings at the Supreme Court, if you look at the four, they were the only ones who were asking so many questions. You could tell by their body language what was going to come. It is very unfortunate that actually that is what came. So the question we are asking is: If the CJ and his team were invited and they did not show up, will they also skip if our President is elected on 17th and they are the same people who are supposed to swear him in? These are some of the issues we need to critically look at. We hope that the CJ, by the Constitution, is supposed to swear in the President. So if he does not come and the DCJ also does not come, what happens? These are some of the issues. Secondly, we in Nakuru have made a decision that come 17th, if the people make a decision, we are not going to allow the same people to again sit and take away what we have already decided. We are tired of what is happening. We want to tell the Opposition to take note. We are not going to allow you to continue with what you are doing. Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
The Member for Lamu West. Just proceed. It is fine. Are we having a problem with the microphone? It is now okay, Hon. Member.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker for having been voted by all of us who believe in you. My name is Hon. Stanley Muthama, Member of Parliament for Lamu West. I also take this opportunity to thank and congratulate all Members who have made it to this august House. In the elections that were held, we believed in the manifesto of our President, who told people that Kenya needs to be united. Our unity is going to be our strength now and in future. We went into campaigns, voted and got the results. I also take this opportunity to congratulate President Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta for showing Kenyans what it really means to be a leader. A leader is someone who is not selfish, but courageous and able to be humble when the times to humble come for the sake of the nation. Otherwise, if it was other people from the Opposition, we would be facing a big problem in the country. So, I support and congratulate him. I urge Lamu West people and Lamu County in general to prepare ourselves to do better than what we did. We should get more votes and join the other Kenyans so that we can show all those people who were opposing the will of the people that, indeed, our President Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta will be the one to lead us for the next five years. Hon. Deputy Speaker, I would also like to thank the people of Lamu West for having voted for me. Lamu West is a whole Kenya because we have all the tribes and religions. We have Muslims, Christians, Luhyas, Kikuyus, Kambas and everybody else. I thank all of them for showing confidence in me and giving me the opportunity to serve them for the next five years. I encourage them to remain united. The challenges we are facing about insecurity in the area, we are requesting that they are addressed properly so that all the infrastructure projects that are supposed to happen in Lamu can happen on time. Thank you.
The Hon. Member seated next to the Member for Narok South.
Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker for giving me the opportunity to give my speech. I am Hon. George Kariuki from Ndia Constituency. I am very happy and grateful to God for this opportunity. I remember when I was a young boy, immediately after high school waiting to go to college, anytime I would be in town doing nothing, I would come here and sit in the Public Gallery and enjoy the debates of our seasoned politicians then. I did not know that God was pointing me to this direction. So, when I am here seated, I really give thanks to God and the people of Ndia Constituency. Hon. Deputy Speaker, reflecting on the President’s Speech two days ago, I see a Speech that was quite refreshing. Unlike the Opposition which has really dillydallied in giving direction and even in providing names of those who should be in committees, the President thought so much about this country. He did not indulge in what we see our competitors do every day giving empty rhetoric which will not take this country anywhere. I find some of the habits that we are engaging in being not only hypocritical, but nauseating. That is because this country needs to be united and should be allowed to plough on because we have a lot to do for our people. Our people are hurting, hungry and have so many needs. It is not time to engage in unproductive activities and words. It is time to sit together, reason together and see how we can build this country and make it a better place for our people. Hon. Deputy Speaker, the President’s Speech was refreshing because he touched on the pillars that hold our country together. If you look at this building, you will see and know that we are comfortably seated here. Without these pillars, no one will want to sit here because the The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
building might collapse. Similarly, the President knows that this country cannot stand together without some key pillars that he highlighted in his refreshing Speech. He spoke about the rule of law. What I like about our President is that he leads by example. We all know that a few years ago, he was summoned - like he reminded us the other day - to go to a foreign court which he willingly obeyed and submitted himself to. So, we should do likewise. The Speech was refreshing because he spoke about women empowerment. I am happy that from Kirinyaga we have produced a woman governor and we are going to support that. It is refreshing because he spoke about the sovereignty of the people of Kenya, unity and peace. These are the ideals that we should cherish, live for and make this country great. Hon. Deputy Speaker, I am happy that yesterday you ruled and made it possible for this country to plough on, regardless of who is in the House or not. Thank you.
I will pick the hon. Member seated between Hon. Waluke and Hon. Alice Wahome.
Ahsante sana Mhe. Naibu Spika. Ninawakilisha Eneo Bunge la Laikipia Kusini. Nimesimama kwa heshima zote na unyenyekevu kumushukuru Mwenyezi Mungu kwa kunipatia nafasi ya utumishi. Ningependa kuwahakikishia ya kwamba nitawawakilisha kikamilifu. Majukumu ambayo wametupatia tunaamini kwa uwezo wa Mwenyezi Mungu, tutayatekeleza kikamilifu. Mambo ambayo yako mbele yetu si rahisi. Tunajua kuna shida kwetu kutoka mahali panaitwa Wiyumire, Solio mpaka Umande. Tunajua akina mama walituchagua bila ubaguzi wakijua ya kwamba mizigo ambayo wamekuwa wakibeba kwa miaka yote, na changamoto ambazo ziko pale, tutaweza kuwarahisishia. Ningependa kumpongeza sana Rais kwa sababu aliongea kuhusu mambo ya ugatuzi na kupiga siasa kama mtu mzima. Alituelezea vizuri kwamba siasa ni mchezo wa siku moja na baada ya hapo maisha yataendelea kama kawaida. Ninawaomba Wabunge wenzetu wa mrengo wa NASA waje Bungeni tushiriki katika Miswada na mijadala ya kujenga nchi na kupeleka nchi mbele. Tunakemea pepo ambayo ni ya fitina, uchochezi na ukabila. Mimi nikisimama hapa, ninasimama kwa heshima zote kama mtu ambaye ametoka katika jamii ya wachache. Nimechaguliwa Laikipia, mahali ambapo watu wa kabila langu si wengi. Ningependa kuwaeleza watu wetu kutoka North Eastern waangalie na wafuate Jubilee kikamilifu. Mhehsimiwa Rais ametupatia nafasi ya utumishi na tuko hapa kutetaea Serikali ya Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta. Wakati wote tunaamini kwamba uongozi unatoka kwa Mwenyezi Mungu. Hata kwa lugha yetu ya nyumbani tunasema “ Utongoria umaga kwi Ngai”, tukimaanisha kwamba Mwenyezi Mungu anapeana uongozi kwa sababau zake. Tunaamini kwamba Hakuna lisilowezekana. Akina mama wamekuwa wakibeba mitungi kwa miaka mingi. Wao ndio waliotuzaa, wakatulea na kutuelimisha. Tuliomba nafasi ya kuja hapa ili tuwaondolee hiyo mitungi migongoni mwao. Itawezekana kwa uwezo wa Mwenyezi Mungu. Mhe. Raila alisema kinaganaga kwamba yeye bado ako katika usukani, na nchi ya Kenya haina pengo la uongozi. Ameonyesha dunia nzima siasa ambazo zimekuwa zikiendelea; siasa za mgawanyiko. Lakini hapa Bungeni tuko pamoja. Idadi ya Wabunge kutoka mrengo wa Jubilee inatosha kuendesha shughuli za Bunge. Watu wa Laikipia Kusini, tuwekeni katika maombi. Tumekuja kufanya kazi, sio kupiga siasa za uchochezi na ukabila. Tumekuja kujenga nchi kwa sababu hata maandiko yanasema The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
kwamba sisi sote ni wana wa Mungu. Tuko hapa kumtumikia na kuhakikisha tumewakilisha watu wetu kikamilifu. Ahsante sana, Mungu awabariki.
Let us have the lady hon. Member.
(Hon. (Ms.) Jennifer Shamalla): Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I am a Nominated Member, representing special interests. First, I give Yahweh Elohim all praise, all glory and all honour. It is His doing and it is marvellous in our eyes. I congratulate the Hon. Speaker, Justin Muturi and you, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for your re-election. I thank the Members of the Jubilee Party for your incredible campaigns. If it was not for you, we, the Nominated Members, would not be here. I thank you profoundly. I thank the people of Kenya who voted for you.
I honour my father, Japheth Galagati Shamalla, who represented the people of Shinyalu in this august House. With regard to the President’s Speech, we are assured when he tells us that all arms of the Government are intact. Indeed, they are. He is the Head of the State and Government, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces. He has assured us that, indeed, everything is intact. The Constitution never envisaged a situation where there would be a lacuna. I commend the President’s remarks on devolution. The Constitution of Kenya, 2010 was inactive in that year. It is the 11th Parliament which delivered and entrenched devolution. We recognise that all sovereign power, which belongs to the people of Kenya, is exercised at both the national and devolved levels. Any call for nusumkate or nusu nchi is unacceptable. In fact, any attempt to form a government that is not in compliance with the Constitution is unlawful. I also thank the President for acknowledging that we must increase the number of women in national leadership. I pray for this country as we sit in the 12th Parliament, because the destiny of this nation is, indeed, great.
Let us have the Member for Kipkelyon West.
Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity. I begin by thanking the people of Kipkelyon West for finding it fit to elect me to represent them in the 12th Parliament. I promise and pledge that I will do everything within my powers to ensure that they get the services that they direly need. I congratulate you and Hon. Speaker, Justin Muturi. I also congratulate His Excellency the President and the Deputy President, for winning the presidential election resoundingly on 8th August 2017. I assure the people of Kipkelyon West that their victory will not go in vain, and that on 17th October we shall do it again in a bigger number than we did before. Having come to this Parliament as new Members, we are beginning to get used to the theatrics, gymnastics and embarrassing methods of leadership that our opponents in the Opposition are using. An Opposition leadership that asks its Members of the National Assembly not to appear in the House to elect a Speaker and goes ahead to send its Members to participate in the Senate leaves one wondering what kind of leadership it is. Some of us come from constituencies where service delivery matters. I was told by one Member that for them lying on tarmac roads defending baba secures them re-election. We are in The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
this House to continue the good journey that was begun by the Jubilee administration in 2013 – a journey of transformation, development and progress. I want to congratulate the President and the Deputy President. I assure the President and the nation that I am very proud to be associated with the Jubilee Party, which is a party that is focused on bringing development all the way to the rural constituencies. We have stories of new tarmac roads going to villages which have never been tarmacked since independence. I am proud of joining the 12th Parliament at a time when we are opening up our economy. The second phase of the Standard Gauge Railway is now starting in Naivasha and it will ultimately get to Kisumu. That is why I am looking forward to the leadership of His Excellency President Kenyatta. In opening up the country further, he gave out some land in the Coast to companies to build factories and manufacture products for the African market in order to build and prosper our economy.
Having said that, I want to thank the President for his Speech in which his pillars were security, peace and respect for the rule of law. In his Speech, he said that we are headed for a new election on 17th October 2017. He was actually expressing his highest respect for the Constitution and the rule of law. We are in a continent where no Head of State can imagine going back to an election after winning by a margin of more than 1.5 million votes. We are ready for a re-election and it does not matter what our opponents say.
I never voted on 8th August 2017 because Raila agreed. So, when he says there will be no voting on 17th October 2017, I want to ask him whether he is the ballot paper which I will mark, or the ballot box where I will drop my ballot paper, or the van which will carry my ballot paper to the returning officer in Kipkelion West. This election will go on and we shall vote in President Kenyatta and he will be proudly sworn in by Justice Maraga.
Now, let us have the Member for Mandera East.
Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. Mandera East is at the furthest end of Kenya and it is where we have border point one. I pray that Members from Mandera catch the Speaker’s eye.
I want to take this early opportunity to thank God, the Almighty for making it possible for me to be in the august House. I also want to thank the people of Mandera East for voting for me as their Member of Parliament because I was their Deputy Governor in devolution. The President’s Speech was a safe man’s speech. He pointed out the role played by young men and women of Kenya in nation building. The youth make over 75 per cent of the Kenyan population and it is only wise that we appreciate the role they play in nation building.
The President also appreciated the role played by the 11th Parliament in terms of the effectiveness with which they passed Bills related to devolution. I must commend them because I was in the first county governments and I know what devolution has done for the people of Kenya. On security the President said, and I state, “For my part, I know my most serious obligation is to sustain and protect the peace and security of all our people without exception.” Where there is no peace and security, there is no nation. Therefore, Kenyans must appreciate that without security nothing can work. The people of Mandera have faced very difficult times with regard to insecurity. I want the Government to come up with actionable points on what it intends to do with regard to border security. We need more effort in making sure that the security of northern Kenya is guaranteed by the State. The President also put on notice hate mongers. I was very proud when he said that irrespective of the party that one comes from, he is not ready to entertain issues of hate speech The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
and turning communities against each other. This is very commendable and I take it as one of the best things the President has ever said. Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker.
Let us have the famous circumciser. Sorry, the Hon. Member for Buuri.
Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. Indeed, this is a good opportunity which the people of Buuri have given me by electing me as their Member of Parliament. Let me first thank the Almighty God for keeping me alive despite my grey hair from age 13. I am very proud of whom I am. I want to congratulate the Speaker for being elected to spearhead the business of this House, the Leader of the Majority Party and the Chief Whip for their elevation so that they can continue conducting the business of this House in order. I want to thank the people of Buuri for giving me an opportunity to serve them. It is, indeed, a very humbling experience. I represent the largest constituency in Meru County which can be described as Kenya because all the 42 tribes are represented in my constituency. Specifically, one of my campaign managers was from western Kenya and my secretary was a gentleman from Nyanza. I am so proud of leading this constituency. They elected me on a Jubilee ticket and I strictly followed the Jubilee manifesto. I was not opposed during the nominations and that gave me the privilege of becoming a representative of our President Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta. My constituency has issues and specifically lack of water. I would like to bring to the attention of this House that about three-quarters of my constituency, for the last two years, has not had rainfall. By delaying the business of the Government… Those who come from western Kenya or near the lake see a lot of water and so they do not know what happens to some of us. For those who have never been on top of the mountain, they have never seen what happens in the plains. Let me state that Buuri people solidly abide by the President and on 17th October 2017 we will vote for him. In Kimeru we say, “The day of circumcision is never postponed.” So, on 17th October 2017 we shall prove that we have done our part for the President. Members of the House, let me congratulate you for making it this far. It is not easy. To our President, I have a word for him. I believe in the Bible, the Book of Luke 13:31-38. When the Pharisees wanted to kill him, Jesus replied like this: “Go and tell that fox I will not leave Jerusalem today, tomorrow or the day after that until I accomplish what God has sent me to do.” I am saying today: Go and tell our competitors. Uhuru will be the President of Kenya because we believe in the power of God. The President touched on security. I border Isiolo. My constituency borders Laikipia East and Laikipia West at one point and we have a lot of issues of insecurity. So, when the President touches on the issue of insecurity, I feel that the nerve of my heart has been touched. I see people who are not sensitive to the issues at the community level talking. We have issues of water, youth, roads and energy. That is what we promised my constituents that we shall do. I will stop there and retreat back to Buuri to ensure that our President is re-elected on 17th October 2017. I ask all the Members who are here, let us roll our sleeves. Let us put on our running gear and go and vote back our President. I have known the President from 2002. He conceded defeat. I knew him in 2007. He took time to reflect. In 2013, he was elected and in 2017 he is being tested again. That is a man who has been tasted, and he is the best President of the Republic of Kenya. Let those ones who sleep on the road continue doing so. Let us continue with the tasted leader, Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
The gracious lady from Kandara, Hon. Alice.
(Hon. (Ms.) Alice Muthoni Wahome): Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I take this opportunity to join my colleagues to congratulate the Speaker and you for being elected to this House to be the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly. I thank the people of Kandara most sincerely for giving me a second term. It was not easy. All my colleagues who are here will agree with me that we fought a major battle. Some of us have petitions challenging our election. Most importantly, and it should go on record on the HANSARD that Murang’a County has produced three Members of the National Assembly who are Hon. Ruth Mwaniki, Kigumo; Hon. Emily Waithera, Maragwa and Hon. Alice Wahome, who is addressing you. The other one is Mama County, Hon. Sabina Chege. That is four women out of eight units.
I believe we have met the two-thirds gender principle. Therefore, I join His Excellency the President to say that we must also support women leadership. I thank him for the support he gave women. Hon. Deputy Speaker, I know you are a supporter of women leadership, and I know we shall miss contributions in the Members’ lobby. Let me look at the issue before us, which is the address to this National Assembly by the Head of State. According to them, our colleagues have boycotted this House. However, the list at the entrance says otherwise. This morning I saw Hon. Shabbir; Hon. Passaris, the woman Member of Parliament for Nairobi; Hon. Wanyonyi, Hon. Chris Wamalwa, Hon. Gladys Wanga and Hon. Millie Odiambo. We must tell Kenyans that it is work they are avoiding but they are also ensuring that their job is secure. Critically, there is a level of dishonesty. I beg to use that language because if they are not attending Parliament, then they should not be signing so that repercussions for failure to attend the National Assembly sittings can take effect.
(Hon. (Ms.) Alice Muthoni Wahome)
Order, Hon. Members! She is only mentioning members.
(Hon. (Ms.) Alice Muthoni Wahome): I have mentioned Members. I think we need to laud and---
What is it, Hon. Wanjala?
Hon. Deputy Speaker, I am Hon. Raphael Wanjala, the Member for Budalangi. I am in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), which is an affiliate party of the National Super Alliance (NASA).
I do not want you to give your speech. What is your point of order?
I am in this House but I have heard the Hon. member for Kandara insinuating that we are not attending Parliament. I want her to withdraw and apologise.
I do not think she will need to do that because she did not mention you really. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
But I was included in that blanket condemnation, yet I am here. I want to be excluded, Hon. Deputy Speaker.
Let us hear what Hon. Wahome has to say.
(Hon. (Ms.) Alice Muthoni Wahome)
Member for Kiambu.
(Hon. (Ms.) Gathoni Wamuchomba): Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I have really waited for this opportunity to say these great words. First of all, I wish to congratulate everybody who is in this House for having been elected to serve in this House. I also want to congratulate you, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for being elected Deputy Speaker. I do believe that by the grace of God we are going to execute what has been given as our mandate. I take this opportunity, first, to thank the great people of Kiambu for giving me the opportunity to serve them as a woman leader and to serve them in humility. I believe by the favour of God I will execute that mandate and meet their expectations. I also want to thank God for giving me the favour to be here today as the Woman Representative for Kiambu County. I believe that by God’s grace we will execute what is ahead of us. First, I want to congratulate His Excellency the President for being strong even after being humiliated by the ruling of the Supreme Court that really took away the great meat that he was expecting to chew. In the review of the Presidential Speech which was delivered in this very House, I wish to acknowledge that the President recognised God in his great wisdom. By recognising God, he outlined that it is only through God that we can be victorious and peaceful. He went on and urged us to be the catalysts of peace and unity in our country. In his Speech, the President clearly outlined that he is a humble man and he showed his humility through the acceptance of the ruling by the Supreme Court. This is a virtue that makes me very humble. Through this humility, we will defeat our enemies. He also emphasised that we should be examples of giving service that is expected from us by our people. As he spoke, I remembered the great words that I read in the book that is written by one of the great wisdom- oriented writer known as John Mason. John Mason has always said that legacy is the only pillar The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
of life that you can create through excellence. The legacy of excellence in service is something that we all need to cultivate, especially when we are elected as Members of Parliament, Senators and even county governors so that we can create that legacy. He requested us as leaders to make sure that we deliver in service so that we can create that legacy. That is why all of us look towards doing that. I want to thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to give my maiden speech and to thank the great people of Kiambu for honouring me and electing me as their representative in this House.
Let us have Hon. (Ms.) Kones.
(Hon. (Ms.) Beatrice Pauline Cherono Kones): Thank you very much, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I want to take this opportunity to thank the Almighty God for giving me a chance and blessing me to be in this House through the people of Bomet East. I am Hon. Beatrice Kones, Member of Parliament for Bomet East. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you and the Speaker of the National Assembly for being elected to head this Assembly in the 12th Parliament. I also want to congratulate the people of Bomet for voting for me and giving me another chance to serve them in the 12th Parliament. I also want to thank and congratulate all the Members of Parliament for being elected to the august House. I want to take this opportunity to thank the people of Bomet for producing a female governor, Dr. Joyce Laboso, who was also the former Deputy Speaker of the 11th Parliament, serving in this House. On the President’s Speech, I want to join my colleagues in applauding the President for the wonderful Speech he gave during the State Opening of the 12th Parliament. He gave confidence to people of this country and emphasised that there is no vacuum in leadership. I want to thank the people of Kenya for turning up in large numbers on 8th of August when they voted in President Uhuru Kenyatta as the President of choice for the people of this country. I thank the President for respecting the ruling of the Supreme Court. Once again, he has embarked on his campaign to get votes from the people of Kenya. I want to urge my colleagues that anytime we are out of this city back to our respective constituencies, we urge our people to turn up in large numbers on 17th October to overwhelmingly vote for Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta to be our next President so that he can complete his second term. I also want to emphasise that the people of this great country of Kenya voted for Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta because of the development record he has registered in the last five years. Every part of this country has had a good record of development because of the leadership of President Uhuru Kenyatta. I also want to applaud the President for encouraging the Kenyan women and also for giving us advice so that as women, we can also put up a brave fight in the male-dominated field of politics. I am happy to say that the number of women who were elected to serve in the august House is quite good. We keep adding the numbers and we thank the people of this country for recognising the leadership of women. I want to pride myself with the 10th Parliament, where I served because they delivered the new Constitution. Through the new Constitution, the 11th Parliament managed to implement devolution and entrench it as an institutional framework. I know the 12th Parliament will continue implementing the new Constitution which will really work for Kenya. In his Speech, the President also encouraged the 12th Parliament to uphold the supremacy of the Constitution and its institutions. I encourage my colleagues, Members of Parliament---
Your time is over. Is that the Member for Kasarani? The lady seated next to the Member for Kajiado North. She has been very patient since morning. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
(Hon. (Ms.) Purity Wangui Ngirici): Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. For the clarification of the House, my name is Purity Wangui Ngirici. I am the woman representative for Kirinyaga County. This morning, I want to thank God for this opportunity to serve in the 12th Parliament. I would like to congratulate both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker for a resounding win. It takes the hand of God to reach where we are. Secondly, I would also want to thank the people of Kirinyaga County for the favour that God gave me and they saw me fit to represent them in this august House. I hope and pray that I will bring to the attention of the Government and the people of Kenya the problems that we go through in our county.
Going back to the President’s Speech, I want to say that I am very happy because we have a humble man for a President. He is one man who demystified presidency. We used to view presidency as someone who was a demigod that could not be reached. In the years that our President has been the President of the Republic of Kenya, he has really endeared himself to the people of Kenya. He has really made it possible for us to see that a President is a man just like us who can bring people together and make decisions that are humanly understandable.
To quote one of the things that the President told us as Hon. Members, he said that we must be steadfast in protecting our Constitution as the critical base for assuring our people peace, security and prosperity. I stand here today to say that our people are expecting us to deliver, and that is why they woke up very early to vote. The Members from NASA have decided to be sneaking in and signing to make sure that they get their salaries. They should know that their people and God are watching. They will get the salaries but they should know that they never worked for it. As they try to make problems for this country, they should know we are pushing forward, and trying to make sure that development happens in Kenya, but not to pull it down. We want to make sure that our country moves forward. As they try to pull us back, we will match forward. We will work very hard to make sure that this 12th Parliament will achieve even more than what the previous Parliaments achieved.
I would also want to thank the people of Kenya for applauding the President for considering the gender balance. I would also like to congratulate the women who were elected as I congratulate the other Members of Parliament because it is not very normal and usual thing for a woman to fight against men and emerge victorious. Congratulations to the women Members who had to go through the bout with the men.
Distinguished Members, I also want to hope that we will bring forth Bills in this Parliament that will help us in the maternal health and agriculture. In Kirinyaga County, where I come from, we have a problem with agriculture, health and infrastructure. I hope we will bring to completion a lot of projects that were begun or promised but did not happen.
I thank you very much and God bless you.
Hon. Njagua.
Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to contribute. I would like first to thank the Almighty God for giving me this opportunity to be elected by the people of Starehe Constituency. I also want to thank the people of Starehe for trusting a youthful leader against all odds. They stood firm and voted overwhelmingly for me. This is, indeed, rare in Kenya. I promise that I will never let them down.
For those who do not know Starehe Constituency ndio inashikilia Bunge na Nairobi CBD. Kwa hivyo, mimi ndio landlord hapa. Tuna shida nyingi sana kama wakaaji wa Starehe na The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
Nairobi as you all know, for example city traffic. All the big markets in Kenya ziko starehe. When I was campaigning, niliambia watu wa starehe I will make sure that I will be a link---
There will be no interruptions because he is making his maiden speech. However, as a Speaker, I can easily point out that we should always proceed in the same language which you started with. Let us proceed. Proceed Hon. Member. Nobody will interrupt you because you are giving your maiden speech.
(Hon. Charles Kanyi Njagua)
I want to repeat that there will be no interruptions other than that Members must speak in the language which they started using when they started addressing the House. Nobody will interrupt Hon. Njagua.
Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I also want to thank the Starehe people for trusting a youthful leader against all odds. They stood firm and voted for me overwhelmingly. This is, indeed, very rare in Kenya. I promise I will not let them down. I am keenly aware of hope, aspiration and challenges they face in this city. I am also aware that majority of the city dwellers are poor and unemployed. I will do my utmost best to create a conducive environment to do business, and create jobs for the youths of this country.
As you all know, before I joined politics I was in the music industry. I am the one who sang the song Kigeugeu . Hon. Members have been telling me to withdraw the song because I have joined politics. However, if you listen to the song, it not only touches on politicians but also on all evils that happen in this country and the whole of this world. I am from the music industry. The Government must create talent centres for artists. This is a huge industry that can create a lot of employment for the youth. We can even export one talent to the rest of the world. This industry has propelled me to where I am today. We, therefore, need to nurture this talent and celebrate and support our artists.
Artists can unite Kenyans better than any other profession. It is only in Kenya where artists die poor. If you can remember, every time an artist dies, we must hold harambee for them and politicians and well-wishers promise to pay school fees and other needs for their loved ones they have left behind. Artists work very hard to produce music. I was looking at one of the videos and I saw Hon. Sabina Chege dancing in one of the Kikuyu videos when she was young. She can tell you how hard it is even to create a music video. It is only in Kenya where an artist can produce a song in the morning and record it in a studio and have the song played in the afternoon, and in the evening when you are going home, you get a pirate selling you the same song that you produced in the morning. We need to look at that because I believe that can create employment and give hope to the hopeless youths who are out there.
In conclusion, I want to say that we have only one country called Kenya, and it is one of the best places to live in this world. Let us not divide it through petty politics and shenanigans. This country is bigger than all of us. Leadership is not a privilege but a responsibility.
Your time is over. Let me give the Floor to the Member for Moyale. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. Let me take this opportunity to thank all Members of Parliament who were elected and are present here. I also congratulate Hon. Speaker for the big victory which he got, and the Hon. Deputy Speaker for being elected unopposed. Let me also take this opportunity to thank the people of Moyale for electing a young vibrant man, Hon. Qualicha Gufu Wario, for the vision he has for Moyale Constituency. I am proud of them. Moyale is known for quite some time for clashes. I am calling upon them to keep peace which is very important in anything that one does. Without peace our constituencies or Kenya at large cannot prosper. The economy will not do very well.
I also thank the people of Marsabit County purposely because 90 per cent voted for His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta. I am very sure on 17th October 2017, President Uhuru Kenyatta will be voted for 100 per cent and if possible, 102 per cent. That is the trust we have in Uhuru. It is simply because he is a humble person. He is the kind of person who looks after the welfare of the poor, especially those pastoralists who have been marginalised in previous regimes. We are now reaping the fruits of his leadership.
In his Speech, which I listened to very keenly, he said that he did not agree with the judgment of the Supreme Court, but he respects the law. That is basically why he decided to accept the judgment and prepare for another election. We expect that from a leader who has been voted for by the majority of Kenyans. On that particular day, when the judgment of the Supreme Court was delivered, we saw many people leaving their homes and dancing on the streets. I asked myself what would happen if the other side is elected. What would happen to Kenya? People need to learn to appreciate and thank God even in victory. They need to be humble. They should console others. There are those who could kill themselves because of happiness. The kind of leadership that Hon. Uhuru has shown us is one of courage, patience, love, peace and unity. He said we should remember our neighbours and not to throw stones. However, there are those who were urging others to engage in this and that. It is like the country cannot move forward if they are not elected.
As a pastoralist and an elected leader from a community or region which has been neglected in the past, I only want to hear someone who will tell us that he will tarmack our roads, drill boreholes for our livestock and our people, build schools and employ more teachers. We do not want leaders who say, “If it is not me, then the country will not go ahead”. I am very sure the pastoralist communities in this country will be behind him on 17th October 2017.
The only other thing I would like to tell him is that there is a severe drought in the country at the moment. Perhaps, it is because of the disturbance created by the court that our President forgot to mention something about the drought and what his Government intends to do. I am sure if we approach him, which we have already done, he will handle the matter in the most appropriate way.
Member for Kajiado North.
Thank you Hon. Deputy Speaker for giving me this chance. First, I take this opportunity to thank the people of Kajiado North for giving me another chance to serve them in this 12th Parliament. I also want to take this chance to congratulate you and the Hon. Speaker for being elected to serve in your respective positions in the National Assembly.
Turning to the President’s Address to the 12th Parliament, I must say it was a good one. At least, it was an address that was geared towards peace, security and prosperity of this country. I want to thank the President for being a very humble man; a sign and symbol that unifies us. He The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
operates under very tough conditions and he is the only President whose election has been overturned. I want to touch on a few issues where I do not agree with the judgment of the Supreme Court because they made a decision that will have great repercussions in this country. If you remember, the Chief Justice said that an election is not an event but a process. The petition was about that event of 8th August 2017. It is not the process because the whole process started a long time ago. In that, he erred and that is why we cannot agree with his decision. Also, for those like me who have done statistics, there is always a level of confidence where you agree that a certain statistical error is acceptable. If, for example, you consider the 40,883 polling stations we had in the country and make an error in about 200 of them, you can agree that that election was correct and fair to a certain percentage, that is, to 95 per cent confidence level it was clear. Therefore, I do not think they benefited from the analysis of our statisticians. I think that should have been accepted.
I also want to touch a bit on the independent institutions we have in the country. It has taken us time to come up with independent institutions. They have to be independent and seen to be so. They must appreciate their independence. However, if they allow them to be interfered with by external forces, then they cannot say that they are independent. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission is supposed to conduct free and fair elections. I remember that immediately after that judgment by the Supreme Court, the chairman of IEBC held a Press conference and said he would invite the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to investigate IEBC before he comes up with a conclusion. Later on, he wrote a memo to the secretariat meaning that he did not wait for the DPP to do his work. It shows that he had some more information from the judgment or ruling. It also means that he knew exactly what was going on in the Supreme Court. Most likely, this outcome vindicates what we are talking about.
The constituency I represent was once represented by a great man in this country, Professor George Saitoti, who once said, “There comes a time when a country is greater than an individual.” We have allowed the leader of the Opposition to continue misleading this country. What he is now doing is radicalising other Kenyans to behave like him. If you listen to the pronouncements that are being made by other Members of Parliament in this country, for example, the Member of Parliament for Embakasi East, Babu Owino and others… He is also going to an extent of radicalising women. I can mention here the names of the Member of Parliament for Likoni, Ms. Mishi Mboko; the Memeber of Parliament for Homa Bay, Ms. Gladys Nyasuna and so on; all of them are getting radicalised. So, immediately he leaves politics after some time, we will have very many Raila Odingas in this country and the country will be ungovernable. Remember the way they are insulting the President of this country. The former Senator of Machakos insulted the Commander-in-Chief of this country. That is unacceptable! They are abusing the presidency that unifies us. It is like abusing the flag of this country. Those are some of the things that unify this country and they should never be abused.
I support the President’s Address.
Thank you very much, Hon. Deputy Speaker. First, I want to thank the Almighty God for giving us this opportunity. I want to congratulate you, the Speaker, the leaders of this House and Members of this the 12th Parliament. My election as a Member for Lang’ata Constituency is a true indication and representation of the desire of the people of Lang’ata insofar as change and liberation is The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
concerned. As you can see I am seated where the seat for Lang’ata Constituency has been for a long time. I am still looking for my space on the other side.
My election is a true indication that traditional factors like tribalism are fading away and modern politics of true vision agenda is coming into place.
I want to assure the people of Lang’ata that I will be true to the oath of office I took on 31stAugust 2017, and that I will serve them in this House to ensure that we have a great constituency and a great country, indeed. On the Speech by the President, I want to say that we have a great president. His coming to open Parliament was a true indication that we do not have any vacuum in this country. We do not have power vacuum or any lacuna. The President exists, the President opened this House and the President is Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta. Amongst the things that the President mentioned, he dwelt mostly on the supremacy of the people of Kenya and the supremacy of the Constitution. He urged all of us, as Members of Parliament, to remember that we are servants to the people who elected us and we must remain true to that. I also want to applaud the President for recognising that whereas we have three arms of Government – the Judiciary, which is functional and the Executive, which is also functional – he came here to open Parliament so that we can have all the three arms operating. The President reminded us to protect our Constitution, and that the supreme will of the people of Kenya is exercised through the vote and no one should subvert it. He mentioned that a mark on the ballot paper is not just a mark but the desire of the people of Kenya. If I may quote the President, he said that the Kenyan people expect every arm of the Government, and institution of the Government, to work together for them. Parliament directly represents the people and it is you, hon. Members, who must constantly remind all of us about the needs and aspirations of the people who sent you here. I want to say as, Generali Nixon Korir representing the people of Lang’ata, that the people of Lang’ata made their choice and elected me on a Jubilee party ticket. That was an indication that they were tired of being in the Opposition. They wanted to enjoy the fruits of Government. I will work to ensure that they enjoy the fruits of the Government. The President commended the young people for offering themselves for elective positions. I am one of those young people. As you are aware, the majority of Kenyans fall in the youth bracket. That means if we directly deal with their issues and problems facing them, we will be dealing with the majority of the issues and problems facing this country. I will be one of the partners in this House to champion for the interests of the youth to ensure that we have a conducive environment for young people, women and minority groups of our society to participate in economic activities. We can fix the problems they are facing. We can get opportunities for their employment. We will pass legislations to create a conducive environment for business so that we can grow and have prosperity in this country. Thank you.
Hon. Kiaraho
Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity. First and foremost, let me take this opportunity to congratulate you and the Speaker for having been elected in your respective positions to serve in the 12th Parliament. I would also want to take this very early opportunity to thank the constituents of Ol Kalou for giving me a second chance to serve them for the next five years. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
As you all know, in the entire Nyandarua County, I am the only elected leader who made it back. This did not come by default. For the confidence the people of Ol Kalou Constituency have shown in me, I undertake to serve them diligently and with all that it takes for the next five years. Taking into account the trend of events, what has been happening from 8th August to date, I can only say that it is very regrettable and very unfortunate. The victory of the President we elected on 8th August was snatched from him by the so-called Supreme Court. I say this because on 8th August we had 290 constituencies in this Republic and we all went to the polls. As it happened in my constituency, this was the same situation in the other constituencies, when the various presiding officers stood to announce the results. The first pronouncement was the tallying of the votes that the President had got in that particular constituency. It came to a point when it was contested from some cycles. Knowing very well that the President had won overwhelmingly but through Supreme Court, this was overturned. As far as I am concerned, even simple common sense would state if there was any issue which was to be contested, we should have decided to have a recount of the ballot papers in various constituencies but this never happened. This is a clear example: You have a child in Standard Eight or Form Four who has been preparing for some exams; he goes for that exam, passes and knows very well that he has passed, but then it comes to a point where he is told that through some technicalities, he has to repeat. I understand what our President has been going through. In his Speech, there were about four cardinal points which I picked, which I think I should point out. First and foremost, it showed a leader who is said to uphold the supremacy of the Constitution and its institutions. Secondly, he is a statesman who is ready to go to any length to sustain and protect the peace and security of all our people. It also showed a leader who has respect for the law. This has been demonstrated by various happenings in this country. We remember what happened in 2002. Our President conceded defeat. Then we had the other issue of the International Criminal Court. He went to that foreign court. We now see what happened in 2017. That is after the 8th August general elections. So, with all that, I can say that I have no doubt whatsoever that come 17th October, the people of this great nation of Kenya will prove that, indeed, His Excellency the President had won that election, so that we can move our country forward.
Member for Runyenjes, you will have only one minute. When we resume in the afternoon, you will claim your four minutes. That is how it happens here. So, proceed from where you are.
Thank you Hon. Deputy Speaker, for this opportunity. As you realise, this is the first time I am addressing this Parliament. I know in the history of this country there has never been another Mukurino addressing Parliament. So, I am very happy and delighted. I want to thank God and thank the people of Runyenjes Constituency for voting for me. Their decision was a message of the trust that they have in me. I want to confirm to them that I will serve them diligently and faithfully. I also want to congratulate you and the Speaker for being elected to lead this House.
Order! Hon. Muchangi, our time is over. When we resume in the afternoon, you will have your four-and-a-half minutes.
Hon. Members, the time being 1.00 p.m., the House stands adjourned until this afternoon at 2.30 p.m. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
The House rose at 1.00 p.m.
The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.