Hon. Members, there is a Communication, but we will hold on a bit.

Hon. Leader of the Majority Party.

Hon. Speaker, I beg to lay the following Papers on the Table of the House: Lists of Nominees to 21 National Government Constituencies Development Fund Committees from the National Government Constituencies Development Fund Board.

Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Victim Protection Board in the Office of the Attorney-General and Department of Justice for the Financial Year 2016/2017. Annual Report and Financial Statement of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission for the year 2016. The Reports of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements in respect the following constituencies for the year ended 30th June 2016 and the certificates therein: (a) Mwatate Constituency. (b) Ndia Constituency. (c) Kinangop Constituency. (d) Kandara Constituency. (e) Thika Town Constituency. (f) Laikipia East Constituency. (g) Gatundu North Constituency. (h) Lari Constituency. (i) Naivasha Constituency. (j) Kieni Constituency. (k) Garsen Constituency. (l) Marakwet West Constituency. (m) Ainabkoi Constituency. (n) Turbo Constituency. (o) Moiben Constituency. (p) Keiyo South Constituency.

Leader of the Majority Party.

Hon. Speaker, I beg to give notice of the following Motion: THAT, acknowledging that the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) is established under Article 9 of the Treaty for the Estabilshment of the East African Community as one of the key organs and institutions of the Community responsible for Community’s legislative matters; recognising that Article 50 of the Treaty provides for the election of the Members of EALA by respective partner states’ legislatures, in accordance with their parliamentary procedure for a term of five years; further aware that the East African Legislative Assembly Election Act, 2011, contemplates the conclusion of the election of the members of a new assembly to be within 90 days before the expiry of the term of the subsisting assembly; recalling that the process of electing new members to the East African Legislative Assembly was commenced by the 11th Parliament in April 2017, but could not be concluded by the end of the term of that Parliament; noting that the term of the previous East African Legislative Assembly lapsed on 4th June 2017; cognisant of the need to urgently conclude the election process for the East African Legislative Assembly to commence transacting business for the East African Community now; therefore, in accordance with the provisions of Rule 9 of the House of Parliament Joint Sitting Rules; the House resolves to establish a Joint Select Committee consisting of five persons from each of the Houses of Parliament to undertake the functions contemplated under the East African Legislative Assembly (Election of the Members of the Election Rules 2017) and report to the House within the timelines stipulated in the said rules and that: (a) The Offices of the Clerks of the Houses of Parliament provide secretariat services in accordance with the Standing Orders, and; (b) The following Members represent the National Assembly in the Joint Select Committee: a. Hon. Katoo ole Metito, Co-Chairperson. b. Hon. Jane Kihara, M.P. c. Hon. Jeremiah Kioni, M.P. d. Hon. Daniel Maanzo M.P. e. Hon. Florence Mutua, M.P.

Hon. Jude Njomo.

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

THAT, aware that during the process of adopting the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, there were genuine concerns that parts of it required to be reviewed in the near future; further aware that in the recent past Kenya has witnessed a number of political upheavals including and not limited to the demonstrations which threaten to polarise the country along political and ethnic differences; appreciating the fact that Kenyans from all walks of life including politicians and religious organisations have made various informal proposals seeking

to review the Constitution; cognisant of the 2016 findings of the Auditor General on the socio- economic audit of implementing the Constitution; further aware that the Constitution of Kenya encompasses the aspirations and dreams of the people of Kenya and calls for the involvement of the very people to whom all sovereign power belong including the power to amend the Constitution; further noting that Section 4 of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution establishes the Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee as the responsible Committee for overseeing the implementation of the Constitution and mandates the Committee to take appropriate action on reports, including addressing any problems in the implementation of the Constitution; this House resolves that the Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee: 1. Facilitates open and nationwide public discourse on the progress of implementing the Constitution of Kenya since its promulgation. 2. Facilitates, seeks, views and provides a forum for structured public hearings on proposals for review of the Constitution of Kenya; and, 3. Within 60 days, makes recommendations to the House on specific proposals, if any, for amendment of the Constitution informed by the views of the public. Thank you, Hon. Speaker.

Very well. Of course, you may wish to observe that the Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee is already there in the Constitution and has not died. Therefore, perhaps, this Motion would best be canvassed when the Committees are fully in operation so that it does not become a circus where that Committee, once finally in place, finds itself constrained with regard to the timelines we have given. When I looked at your proposal, it suggests that, that work be completed within 60 days. I do not recall of any efforts in the past in this area that has taken such a short time. Nevertheless, it is your proposal that the Committee reports within 60 days. I do not know whether this House will, indeed, be in a position to compel that Committee and, if, indeed, it is good to travel round the country seeking views. I do not know whether it will be possible to complete that task within 60 days. Of course, the House will be at liberty to debate the Motion and make proposals on what may appear reasonable. Nevertheless, the Motion is before the House. Hon. William Chepkut was to give notice of his Motion. Let us have Hon. Kamket if he is not present. Hon. Kamket, you are a person who has--- Obviously, you know I know you very well. You have been an officer of this institution. It is utterly irresponsible of you to walk into the Chamber without your card. Remember my Communication of yesterday. Soon hereafter, people without cards will never get a chance to speak here. It is good everybody gets that warning in good time, so that they do not come to plead with me here that they have forgotten their cards in some place where they may have been. You are encouraged to carry your card every time; where you sleep and into your offices. Sometimes people forget their cards in various places. So, even where you go to relax in the evenings, please, make sure your card is safe. Hon. Kamket, proceed.

Much obliged, Hon. Speaker.

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

THAT, aware that national security, peace and stability are fundamental to the

country’s national economic and social development; further aware that peace and

stability in Laikipia County and neighbouring counties is under threat from insecurity

arising from escalating and recurring conflict between private ranchers, conservationists

and farmers on one hand and herders on the other; deeply concerned that the conflict has

resulted in regrettable loss of lives with killings of individuals, wildlife and livestock, as

well as loss and destruction of property worth millions of shillings; further concerned that

the escalating incidents of insecurity and invasions could overrun private ranches, farms,

lodges and conservation areas in Laikipia; cognisant of the fact that if the situation is left

unmanaged it could escalate into a full-blown crisis whose negative effects could be far

reaching, this House resolves to: (i) Establish a Select Committee to investigate and inquire into the circumstances and underlying issues behind the ongoing insecurity in Laikipia County, the conflict between ranchers and farmers and herders in the county, the invasion of private ranches, farms, lodges and conservation areas in the county, and consider and review all related findings and make recommendations and table its report within 90 days. (ii) Approve the appointment of the following Members to constitute the Committee:

1) Hon. (Maj.) Abdullahi Bashir Haji; 2) Hon. Ahmed Kolosh; 3) Hon. Alfred Keter. 4) Hon. Ali Wario. 5) Hon. Caleb Kositany. 6) Hon. Charles Kilonzo. 7) Hon. Christopher Nakuleu. 8) Hon. Gabriel Tongoyo. 9) Hon. Joshua Kandie. 10) Hon. Kanini Kega. 11) Hon. Kassait Kamket. 12) Hon. Kisang William. 13) Hon. Koros Kipsengeret. 14) Hon. Maison Leshoomo. 15) Hon. Olago Aluoch. 16) Hon. Patrick Mariru. 17) Hon. Peris Tobiko. 18) Hon. Rehema Jaldesa. 19) Hon. Rindikiri Mugambi. 20) Hon. (Dr.) Robert Pukose. 21) Hon. Samuel Moroto. 22) Hon. Sarah Korere. 23) Hon. Vincent Tuwei.

The Leader of the Majority Party.

Hon. Speaker, without saying anything about my colleague, this Motion, to my knowledge, has not been discussed by the House Business Committee (HBC), it has not been balloted. I know of only two Motions which were discussed yesterday. One was by Hon. Omar of Mandera East and the other one was by Hon. Chepkut who you have just called and he is away unless there is another HBC that I am not aware of.

Hon. Members, it is true what the Leader of the Majority Party has just said. The note from the Clerk’s Office was that I may approve subject to its consideration and balloting before the HBC. It, therefore, means that Hon. Kamket, having been a long-serving officer of the House, has used his extensive knowledge of the House to have this Motion brought before it has gone through the process. It, therefore, means that that notice given is annulled. The Motion will be taken before the HBC for consideration and balloting. Hon. Chepkut, for the second time. I thought he has been a very religious and faithful attendee of the Chamber. That business is dropped. You will give notice at some other time.

Before we go to Order No.8, allow me to recognise the presence, in the Public Gallery, of pupils from Bema Primary School in Nandi Hills Constituency, Nandi County. You are welcome to observe the proceedings of the National Assembly.

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Hon. Members, the mobile ones, whether in situ or in transition--- If the Member for Kieni could take his seat---Member for Kieni, if you could take your seat.

On a point of order, Hon. Speaker.

The Member for Kikuyu, what is your point of order?

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. Of course, I know very well I cannot be on a point of order on your Communication, but in view of the recent happenings between our good neighbours of the Republic of Tanzania, I wish to seek your guidance. We have seen reports of herders from Kajiado having their cattle confiscated and auctioned in the Republic of Tanzania, and in view of your Communication on the ongoing EALA sports and beseeching Members of this House to participate in those sports, and you have particularly mentioned the tug of war, and as much as Hon. Wafula Wamunyinyi and Hon. Olago Aluoch would come in handy in the tug of war, I feel there is a hidden tug of war between the Republic of Tanzania and our herders from Kajiado 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.

I also aware that a number of farmers who have leased land across the border, many of whom come from Gikambura Village in my constituency, have also been evicted. Therefore, would I be in order to seek your guidance as the Speaker of this House, maybe, to persuade Members to also in the spirit not of resistance and boycott, to also boycott these games, to send a message to the Republic of Tanzania that good neighbourliness behoves that we all live with each other peacefully and with mutual respect? We cannot be in a tug of war as Members of Parliament when Maasais in Kenya and Tanzania are brothers and sisters and have no boundaries.

What is this? This is the problem of not attending the House regularly.

Hon. Speaker, sorry, I thought it was somebody from the Republic of Tanzania who was crossing the Floor. However, the Maasais in the republics of Kenya and Tanzania and even their cattle across the border do not know where the border between Tanzania and Kenya is. Therefore, it is in bad faith and we are not going to discuss the actions of a friendly Government. However, I was only seeking your guidance whether this House could also consider this in solidarity with the cattle herders whose animals were auctioned. It is not gainsaid that the animals were auctioned. I have seen reports that the Kenyan taxpayer is now going to compensate the Maasai herders to the tune of almost Kshs53 million from our taxes yet the cattle were just auctioned in a neighbouring country. I would beseech you to ask Members also in that spirit of non-cooperation to boycott the sports activities as a protest against the auctioning of the cattle and shoving away of many of our farmers who had leased land and paying value in Tanzania to farm and get that produce across the border. Thank you.

Well. We are not going to debate that issue because it is being handled diplomatically by the two governments. However, just for information, for those that may not be familiar with the games, the tug of war team from the Parliament of Kenya is actually led by none other than the indomitable hardworking, Hon. Christopher Omulele and not Hon. John Olago Aluoch. They also recently visited the Republic of Tanzania to assess the level of preparedness to host the tournament and they have given reports. Maybe, they will consider when they meet this Thursday morning to train whether your appeal maybe tenable in the circumstances. The matter will be best dealt with diplomatically. Hon. Members, this is just to draw your attention to the existence of a Supplementary Order Paper which is mainly as a result of certain businesses that were not concluded in the morning, to procedurally be dealt with this afternoon. Next Order!

Order Members! Business on this Motion was concluded today morning and, therefore, what remains for me is to put the Question.

The Member making your way, please, take a seat. Again, debate on this Motion was concluded this morning. However, what remained was for the Question to be put.

The vertically challenged Member walking in, please, just freeze. Hon. Member, you cannot just be laughing all the time. Again, business on this Motion was concluded in the morning and what remained was just to put the Question.

Next Order.

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

THAT, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 28(4), this House resolves to alter its Calendar for the First Session of the Assembly (2017) as adopted on 27th September 2017 by proceeding for a further recess from Wednesday, 8th November 2017 and resuming its regular sittings on Wednesday, 29th November 2017, and that at the appointed time today, the House adjourns until the specified date.

Hon. Speaker, as Members are aware, our colleagues from the National Supper Alliance (NASA), after so many days and months of soul searching, have written to the Speakers of the both Houses requesting the staying of the formation of various Committees and the filling up of the various leadership positions. They said that they will do the final submission of their leadership to the House by the end of the month. Hon. Speaker, based on that, we want to give them an opportunity to put their house in order so that by 29th November, you can have the list of their leadership and we can, together, form the relevant Committees of the House. The reason they have given in their request is that they have several principals, some of whom are not in the country. One of them is in the US, while the other one is in Germany. We pray for Hon. Kalonzo Musyoka's wife to get well so that he comes back by the end of the month, so that NASA can sit as a coalition and decide who becomes their captain in the House and who becomes their whips so that we move together. That is, therefore, a very good indication. Secondly, the Members who are serving their second term remember that the NG-CDF allocation is done in tranches. We approved the Budget in July. By now, close to 50 per cent of the NG-CDF allocations should have reached the respective bank accounts. So far, close to 95 per cent of the Constituency Committees are in place. We will approve the list this afternoon and the relevant Board and the Cabinet Secretary (CS) will gazette it. We expect the CS to release the money by the end of this week or early next week so that Members can have time to implement their projects. They can also decide whether to change what their colleagues had submitted or to do away with it so that they can have time to consult their new NG-CDF Board members. Once we approve the names and they are gazetted, we will ask the Board and the CS to release the funds to those constituencies which have complied with the legal requirements. 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. Speaker, the other reason is that some of us are back at the Supreme Court by way of some very busy bodies. They have all the rights to do so. Therefore, we want to go and support our lawyers in court and also prepare for the swearing-in of our candidate, in case these petitions are thrown out. It is good, but I hope the letter that we have received from our colleagues in NASA is binding. When we resume, we shall establish the leadership and the Committees. Hon. Speaker, a Member was saying we should not go to Tanzania. I have never seen him participate in any game in the House. So, as we deal with the issue of the cattle, it is good for the Members who play various games to go to Tanzania. If Hon. Ichung’wah is not participating in any game, he can be part of the cheering squad. I have been doing that for the last five years or so. With those remarks, I beg to move and ask Hon. Ichung’wa to second.

Hon. Ichung’wa.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I rise to second the Motion. Indeed, as the Leader of the Majority Party has said, Members also need time now that at least 262 of the 290 NG-CDF have submitted the names of their respective Committee members for gazettement. Members will require time to go and familiarise themselves with the operations of the NG-CDF especially the new Members, to ensure that they engage members of the public in their constituencies on what kind of projects should be implemented. I urge the Members to complete projects that had been initiated by their predecessors so long as their predecessors had involved the public in initiating them since the projects will serve the people of this great Republic. Hon. Speaker, as the Leader of the Majority Party has said, we also need time for those of us who want to support the presidential election petitions that are in court. We need to have time to attend not just to the issues in court, but to also pray for this nation so that it continues being cohesive. I join the Leader of the Majority Party in praying that our colleagues from the NASA Coalition will, within this short period, have further consultations and agree on the leadership they want in this House. We also need time for us, as coalitions, to agree on the membership of the various Committees. You have heard the many requests for Select Committees. If, indeed, we have the Committees, we would not require formation of Select Committees. Finally, in answering the Leader of the Majority Party on what he said, I participate in the tug of war. That is why I was very particular on that one and on another one called Badminton.

The Leader of the Majority Party might not have participated in any of those games. With that, I support.

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

THAT, acknowledging that the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) is established under Article 9 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community as one of the key organs and institutions of the Community responsible for Community’s legislative matters; recognising that Article 50 of the Treaty provides for the election of the Members of EALA by respective partner states’ legislatures, in accordance with their parliamentary procedure for a term of five years; further aware that the East African Legislative Assembly Election Act, 2011, contemplates the conclusion of the election of the members of a new assembly to be within 90 days before the expiry of the term of the subsisting assembly; recalling that the process of electing new members to the East African Legislative Assembly was commenced by the 11th Parliament in April 2017, but could not be concluded by the end of the term of that Parliament; noting that the term of the previous East African Legislative Assembly lapsed on 4th June 2017; cognisant of the need to urgently conclude the election process for the East African Legislative Assembly to commence transacting business for the East African Community now; therefore, in accordance with the provisions of Rule 9 of the House of Parliament Joint Sitting Rules; the House resolves to establish a Joint Select Committee consisting of five persons from each of the Houses of Parliament to undertake the functions contemplated under the East African Legislative Assembly (Election of the Members of the Election Rules 2017) and report to the House within the timelines stipulated in the said rules and that:

(a) the Office of the two Clerks of Houses of Parliament provide secretariat in accordance with the Standing Orders; and, (b) the following Members represent the National Assembly in the Joint Select Committee: 1. Hon. Katoo ole Metito, MP – Co-Chairperson. 2. Hon. Jane Kihara, MP. 3. Hon. Jeremiah Kioni, MP. 4. Hon. Daniel Maanzo, MP. 5. Hon. Florence Mutua, MP. Hon. Speaker, you can see the goodwill is already coming from our brothers in NASA. They have given us two Members, Hon. Daniel Maanzo and Hon. Florence Mutua. The history of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) is that the previous Assembly ended on 4th June and 90 days from that time, the 11th Parliament was to undertake this process and elect nine Members who would represent the two Houses of Parliament in EALA. I do not want to go into the history of what happened then. Jubilee was supposed to provide five Members and CORD was supposed to provide four Members based on parliamentary strength. Our colleagues then, in the 11th Parliament, decided not to play by the rules which say that 27 names were to be brought to the House for Members to elect nine persons. Our colleagues refused. They said that the rules do not say that and that they would bring four names and all the four must be elected. Some of us felt that was like rubber-stamping and turning Members into a conveyor belt. Members must make a choice and that is why we brought back Hon. Katoo ole Metito. In the previous Joint Committee, he was a Member and Co- Chair. The rest of the other Members did not make it back to this House. God is great because of the numbers the Jubilee Party has. Remember this will be based on parliamentary parties’ strength in the House. I want to go on record that only three parties are parliamentary parties as per the Standing Orders and the Constitution. For you to be a parliamentary party, you must secure five per cent of the numbers in the House. I want to be on record that only Jubilee, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and the Wiper Democratic Movement are parliamentary parties. Wiper 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.

survived by about two Members. They were the bridge. There are many parties, but only three parliamentary parties are allowed by law to nominate. I can see Hon. Olago Aluoch shaking his head. This is the reality. Sometimes, the reality dawns on you that the Forum for the Restoration for Democracy (FORD-Kenya) is not a parliamentary party because it has not secured the required numbers in this House. The same for the Amani National Congress (ANC) and many other parties. We pray that maybe one day they will be parliamentary parties. Parties are evolving and maybe some ODM guys will join FORD-Kenya. Those three parties will now share the nine slots. I want to go on record again - because I have done my numbers - that out of the nine, six of the slots belong to the Jubilee Party. The other three can be shared in whatever way by the NASA Coalition. They can decide all the three to go to the ODM or FORD-Kenya as a sister party for behaving very well or Wiper. Our slots will be six. I have been campaigning for Hon. Junet to become the Minority Whip and he is not very far from achieving that. He has the character, capacity, intellect and intelligence. The people I saw competing with him, none is better than him. Our share in EALA is six. The problem we had in the 11th Parliament is that this came at the tail end of that Parliament and nearing the general election. It was very difficult to juggle between different regions. Now, we will just call one Parliamentary Group meeting and appoint men and women from our parties who deserve, of course, looking at regional balance, gender and parties. Even in our Coalition, we have small parties. We will share our six slots and of course with independent candidates. Now, we are in a very embarrassing situation. The EALA cannot start because the rule is that if one member state has not submitted its list of nominees then, the Speaker cannot be elected. All the other countries have submitted the names of their Members and they have not been sworn in neither has the Speaker been elected. Everybody coming from Arusha tells us that we are looking very bad. Because of the normal politics of Kenya, we are the first country in the 9th Parliament that went to the East African Court of Justice. I can remember the Hon. Governor of Kisumu Anyang’ Nyong’o was the first one to go to the EACJ then. Now the train is set and the process will go on. Once we approve our Members and our colleagues in the Senate approve another five Members, the 10 Members will sit and process the adverts for the positions. Let it be on clear record that this matter is now being dealt with by the 12th Parliament. The 11th Parliament went and its story is gone. If you had five slots you now have six and if you had four slots you now have three and the rules of the game will be as per the amended rules that we did in the 11th Parliament. With those very many remarks, I hope this process will come to an end so that we can send our nine Members to Arusha. When they go to EALA, they do not become Jubilee, NASA or whatever party. They go there to represent a country called Kenya. They represent our interests. We are the voters. For those nine Members, the polling stations are this Chamber and the Senate Chamber. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is the Clerk and there is no result transmission or the issue of going to the Supreme Court. If you are not happy, you will go to the Supreme Court in Tanzania, namely, the EACJ. Please do not nominate your girlfriends, relatives or abuse the position you hold in a party. If you are the party leader, do not bring your brother, sister, daughter or son. You should give the chance to other Kenyans. I am sure Jubilee will give the chance to people who are not related to William Ruto or Uhuru Kenyatta. Let us use the party and be very fair. The Member for Kikuyu is talking about Hon. Oburu Odinga. In the last Parliament, we used to ask ourselves under what category he had been nominated. I hear he might find his way in here. Hon. Speaker, I beg to move and ask Hon. Gikaria to second. 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.

Well, we always talk about complementary mechanism. I think we need to use some form of complementary mechanism. I just want to confirm to the House that a member from one of the partner states has already gone to the East African Court of Justice seeking some redress against the Republic of Kenya as the stalling party. Hon. Gikaria, proceed to second.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I rise to second the Motion on the establishment of a Parliamentary Joint Select Committee on the Election of Members to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA). Just at the Leader of the Majority Party has just said, I rise to thank the National Super Alliance (NASA) Coalition. I just wish that this had started a long time ago so that we could have a Parliament that has a programme where NASA is cooperating and being able to bring nominees from the NASA Coalition. I think it is important for this House. Hon. Speaker, you remember in the 11th Parliament we had almost three months where we operated without committees and it was very hard for us, especially the first-time Members of Parliament, to be able to understand. This has happened again but I hope after the recess the NASA Coalition will have brought its leadership in the House and we will be able to move on with the matters that are brought before this House. It is important for us to realise that just before we went for recess this House did approve a few East African protocols and we had mentioned during the debate – I think they were two protocols which were brought here for approval – that without our representative in EALA from Kenya, then all those protocols will be of no value to this country. I think this Select Committee from the National Assembly and the Senate is going to work with speed and give us the names so that we can have our representatives to EALA. It is unfortunate that even now as we go to EALA--- Just as you have mentioned, EALA also has representatives from Kenya particularly for the games. It will be very unfortunate that we will be going to the games in Tanzania and there will be no representative from Kenya. In the last Parliament, we had the running mate to Wavinya Ndeti who was in that Assembly. He actually represented our country effectively in those games. So, it is important for us to know the importance of getting the representation. As Hon. Duale has just said, it is important for this House to follow due process. In the 11th Parliament, it is true that the Jubilee Coalition was supposed to have nominated only five but now, of course, because of the advantages of the numbers in the House, we have got an extra slot and I hope that Jubilee, as Leader of the Majority Party has just put it, will be able to look across the whole country and give those who deserve. Of course, on our side we had some very notable and prominent nominees. As the Jubilee Party we had given some proposed names including the former Clerk of this Assembly, Mr. Justin Bundi, who was a nominee. I hope the Committee is going to critically look at that, of course, not only to consider the past nominees but also to look at other players who have played a big role in supporting Jubilee to win the majority seats in Parliament and also the presidential election. I think the names which have come from our side are credible and they are Members of Parliament who can represent the Jubilee Party in this Select Committee. I hope that the Senate will move fast to give their names so that the Committee can start work. With those few remarks, I second.

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Honourable Member for Suna East, you seem to have forgotten that you put a card and not raise your hand, especially when you are doing your second term. If you remember, the Honourable Member for South Mugirango used to remind everybody that he was doing his second term.

Hon. Speaker, I am seated next to my colleague from Suna West and I was trying to tell him not to raise his hand when he wants to contribute. I was not doing it.

I was not doing it myself. I was just inducting him. I support the Motion in spite of the boycott. This is a very important matter. I decided to remain in the House and not resist. The matter of the East African Legislative Assembly is very important. That Parliament has not been sitting because our country did not forward the names of its Members. One thing that might need arbitration or mediation going forward is the number of slots. We understand that my side of the Opposition gets four slots and the Majority Party gets five slots. But the Leader of the Majority Party has used his own discretion to divide the slots. He says that the Jubilee Party (JP) will get six and the National Super Alliance (NASA) will get three. Numbers have not changed much. The people who are more in number in this House are the independents. Jubilee Party still has the same number of Members of Parliament they had in 2013 while NASA has the same number. It is only the people who got annoyed with those parties who have come here as independents in a bigger number. One of the people whose name we will forward as a coalition is Dr. Oburu, who is a senior member of the society. I heard the Leader of the Majority Party speaking about him. I had a sitting with the Leader of the Majority Party and we spoke about Dr. Oburu. He agreed to support him. He has now just said that he will not support Dr. Oburu. When I went to his office, we agreed and I told him he must support the Daktari. How can somebody be more biased than this? I plead with him to change his mind. He has agreed that we support the old man. Let him go to EALA. I can see I have gotten approval in advance from JP. I hope it is not going to change. Lastly, there is the issue of the composition of the Committee. We have two members there - Hon. Daniel Maanzo and Hon. Florence Mutua. We have not forwarded those names as a coalition but, Hon. Speaker, you will use your discretion as the Speaker of Parliament to put their names there, which we support. Let them represent us in the Committee because this is a very urgent matter that has been pending since the last Parliament. If we get our four slots, we will give one slot to Dr. Oburu, another one to the former Vice-President’s son and for the other two, we can check other Kenyans and then put their names. It is good to be forthright. We do not want to hide. We have to get those two slots as it was in the last Parliament.

There is a Member who is making noise here who is always dressed in the same attire. I do not know how many suits of that nature he has. Give me time.

Hon. Members, let me just bring you back to the House. The Motion is not about any names. The only names that are here are the Members to the Joint Committee 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.

established by the rules which were made by this same House in concurrence with the Senate. Therefore, do not get excited about any names being mentioned. I do not know whether you read the rules that you pass. They give the applicants an opportunity to come and campaign. Have you forgotten what you passed? Some of you were in the 11th Parliament, including Hon. Junet. Those people will come and campaign. You are not the ones to campaign for them. They are the ones to campaign. Hon. Junet campaigned in Suna East and was elected. Now he is an elector. The voters will campaign to get Hon. Junet’s vote. But of course Hon. Junet is also at liberty to float names, although it is diversionary. You are moving away from the Motion. Do not get excited even if you hear Hon. Junet mention names of people he may prefer. Who knows? They may not even apply. This is just but the beginning. The names that he is mentioning might be of people who might not be interested. Maybe their eyes are trained on bigger things and not on membership to EALA. For now, Hon. Junet, let us just confine ourselves to the Motion. I also want to inform the House that the names which are here came from the already known leadership. I am very sure that is why Hon. Junet is comfortable with the names of the two nominees from his coalition. He knows the leadership that is generally consulted. Maybe very soon he might be part of that group if he also does his work well and campaigns. But maybe even now, Hon. Junet might be campaigning. You never know. I want to urge the other Members not to get excited, including Hon. ole Sankok. Do not get worried about what Hon. Junet says. He has not mentioned you. Even if he gets excited about your attire, do not worry. Maybe Hon. Junet is admiring your attire, Hon. Sankok. Hon. Junet, you had a minute to complete your contribution.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I stand guided. I now support the Motion. It is a very important Motion that requires that we deal with it expeditiously. With those few remarks, I support the Motion.

I can see the Member for Kajiado South is really eager. Let us have Hon. Metito.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I stand to support this Motion. Ordinarily, it would not be really nice to speak, being one of the Members proposed to be in the Committee as the co-chair. When we started our sitting this afternoon, I heard my good friend, the Member for Kikuyu, talking about our good neighbour, the Republic of Tanzania auctioning some cattle. Since they are from my constituency, this is the right Motion to explain a bit about it. Let me just say that I was the co-chair of a similar Motion in the 11th Parliament. I am happy because as the 11th Parliament, we were able to clear some obstacles that made it impossible for the 11th Parliament to pass those names. One of them was the rules. There was some lacuna in the clarity of rules on whether you are supposed to present as a party, the exact number that is allocated to you or you are supposed to present up to a maximum of three Members. The 11th Parliament, in its own wisdom, cleared that. It is now clear that each party will submit three times the names or the slots they are allocated so that one will not be an issue again. What will remain for this House to do or determine is through voting. It is good that we give Kenyans a fair platform to apply and try their luck otherwise if we start by saying that we have only two slots for other Kenyans because two are already predetermined, the public out there will question why they should apply when it is already decided. We should do it with caution. The establishment of the East African Community (EAC) was meant to strengthen ties between these partner states. We are even now enlarging. It used to be three states and now they 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.

are about six states. It used to be Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. We have been joined by Rwanda, Burundi and even South Sudan. That is where the whole world is moving to – regional integration. Even in this House, we have a Committee on Regional Integration that expounds the need for removing barriers between these partner states, especially trade barriers.

Hon. Speaker, the other objective is free movement of goods and services between the partner states. We also have to ensure that we have a borderless community. Ultimately, we aim to have a political federation. When we see one partner state trying to go against the very reasons, grounds and pillars of the establishment of this Treaty, one is left wondering if what caused the collapse of this East African Community in 1977 is about to happen. Some small issues can be ironed out by the Government and administration agencies at the local level. District Commissioners should not at any time go up to the level of the head of state.

Pastoral life is always in the nature of people. We should promote regional integration. If you go to any border of this country where pastoralists live, there is always that cross-border grazing. We receive different rainfall patterns. In many cases, Kenya hosts livestock from Tanzania because of these different rainfall patterns, but when they have received rainfall and we have terrible drought in many parts of this country, it is not wise for a partner state, especially the one that hosts the headquarters of this EAC... We all know that the headquarters of EAC is in Arusha, and then it is that partner state that is trying to block free movement of goods and services. It is not good. All said and done, I want to thank the Government of Kenya. I know they are doing something about it.

I also want to appreciate the efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of our country. They tried all diplomatic means to sort out and iron out these issues at a very early stage, but they all failed. As we speak today, I am aware the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade has formally made a diplomatic protest against the treatment we are receiving from our partner state. That is not only about these pastoral issues but also on a day-to-day basis at the borders of Namanga, Tarakea and Taveta. Our business people are not receiving the same treatment that we give the people from Tanzania from the other side. These are challenges, but we have to move ahead. We should not be swayed. We should promote regional integration. The establishment of that legislature will help in fostering our partnership.

Order Members! There is this Member who is standing here. You cannot move from here and then you go there, and then pretend to be talking. You are in the National Assembly.

Hon. Speaker, I want to close my remarks by saying that we need to fast- track the passing of those names, so that such issues which we are talking about now can be ventilated in Arusha in that legislative organ of the EAC.

I beg to support this Motion.

Hon. Members, those who are walking in or out, please do so. The others should take their seats.

I wish to caution that after this Motion, as you can see on the Order Paper, the other Motion that follows is the one that deals with the approval of names from various constituencies. 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.

Like any other Motion, there will be need for the House to resolve to approve. I am saying this because I can see Members walking in and out casually. If you walk until you are less than 50, when the House adjourns and there will be no resolution, you can then only blame yourselves. It is in the best interest of those Members who represent single member constituencies to stay put, even if they are in whatever frame of mind, including those of you who may be in some resistance of sorts. If you represent a single member constituency and the list of your constituents who are supposed to be approved is here, you will be shooting yourself in the foot in the event that the list from your constituency is not approved. As you take advice from wherever, and I know there are many wise people who advise you, remember this is about yourself. If the names from your constituency are not approved, do not come back crying that you were doing some other things in the village, or you were in Jeevanjee Gardens, or some other such like places. Please, this is why you were elected. If you come from the 290 single member constituencies, it is in your best interest to ensure that... If you know the names of your constituents to be approved are in this list and in the additional one which I have approved, then it is only fair that you pay attention.

I get the indication from the Members that I can put the Question on this Motion. Is that the mood in the House?

Yes.

I have asked the Leader of the Majority Party to table two additional lists for nominees to the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) Committees from the Board.

Hon. Speaker, I beg to table two additional lists for nominees to the NG-CDF Committees from the Board. These are Bureti Constituency, Bomet Central Constituency, Chepalungu Constituency, Embakasi Central Constituency, Gatanga Constituency, Gatundu North Constituency, Garsen Constituency, Igembe North Constituency, Karachuonyo Constituency, Kiambaa Constituency, Mathare Constituency, Lamu East Constituency, Lamu West Constituency, Loima Constituency, Ol Kalou Constituency, Turkana Central Constituency, Turkana North Constituency, Wajir North Constituency, Wajir South Constituency, Wajir East Constituency, Wajir West Constituency, Embakasi East Constituency, Garissa Township Constituency, Narok North Constituency, Narok West Constituency and Mandera West Constituency.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker.

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

THAT, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order No.48, and in accordance with Section 43(4) of the National Government Constituency Development Fund Act, 2015 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.

Paragraphs 4, 9 and 10 of the National Government Development Fund Regulations 2016, this House approves the list of nominees for appointment to the following 266 constituencies:

Hon. Jude Njomo.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. The work that the NG-CDF committees have done country-wide need not be emphasised. The importance of NG-CDF in the development of our country is obvious and everybody can see what it has done. It is therefore very important that we approve these committees that have been presented to us because they will ensure that the works will be done in a transparent way. I know there are some constituencies which need to improve on how they implement their NG-CDF projects. I was shocked the other day when I went through the papers and saw students sitting for Kenya Certificate for Primary Education (KCPE) in a classroom whose walls were damaged. Without casting aspersion on anybody, I wondered what the NG-CDF in that particular constituency does. If there is, what does it do? The classroom was constructed with mud. It did not require a lot of money, even if they were not ready to build a new classroom, to go out there and make more mud to repair those walls. Those pupils sat for KCPE in a very uncomfortable and cold environment during this rainy season. I know that could be a peculiar case. I know the NG-CDF has done a lot of work. I am, therefore, hoping that these Committee members who have been included in this list are people who are creative, development-minded and people who are going to make sure that NG-CDF brings development that is tangible and evident. It will make our people know that NG-CDF is helpful to them. We also know that it has done a lot of work in giving bursaries for children from poor families to afford education. It is very important that we pass this so that as soon as this is done, they are gazetted and NG-CDF can go back to work. With those few remarks, I second.

Put the Question!

Is it the mood of the House that I put the Question? Let me hear the Member for Kwanza. Kevin Wanyonyi.

Hon. Speaker, It is important that Members are given time to talk. Out there, people do not even know that the NG-CDF has done a number of things in the constituencies, including the development that you have seen around. So, it is good for us to take time to talk about it. What is the hurry for? I suggest that we give ourselves time to talk and debate about it. We should ventilate on this. 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. Speaker. I have looked at this list and I have noticed that for my constituency, Luanda, they have used the last list that was brought here. One of these people has died. We will need to amend. I have spoken to the CEO of the NG-CDF Board and he has told me they are bringing the proper list in the next few minutes.

( Inaudible)

Hon. Speaker, I need your protection from Hon. Savula because this list has just come to this House. That is why you have given directions that we look at it so that we can make some amendments.

We must be very fair. Hon. Chris Omulele is saying that he has looked at the list and he confirms that one of the people whose names appear here is dead. It is also fair to appreciate that this list was tabled yesterday. There are still amendments of additional constituencies which have come when we were still sitting. That is the reason I am saying every Member should look at their list. There is nothing wrong pointing out areas that you may want amendments to be made. I have since been informed that the remaining two are Kitutu Chache South which held elections yesterday and the other one is Rangwe Constituency. There is no forest near Rangwe. Hon. Leader of the Majority Party, maybe, you can addresse this point that has been raised by Hon. Omulele.

Procedurally, the CEO of the NGCDF upon following the law, submits this list to the Clerk of the National Assembly for onward tabling and debate. In my honest opinion, with your guidance, a Member of Parliament cannot amend this list. Amendment can only take place at the Board. Even how this membership is elected is stipulated in law. There are specific elections that took place. So, Hon. Omulele, you have to live with this. We will pass this list. When you sort out your list, it can come back and we will approve it. These are 287 constituencies. In fact, it is an indictment on your fund manager, Deputy County Commissioner and CEO of the board to send a name to this House of a dead person. If I look at this list that is sent to the Clerk and based on the law, I cannot alter it. Even today, I cannot alter an election that took place in Garissa Township or any other constituency. You need to give direction. Do we have the powers to amend a name? I do not think so. We are not supposed to participate in the process that will bring these names to doubt. We need to have direction.

Let us hear from Hon. Omulele.

Hon. Speaker, the Leader of the Majority Party did not hear me correctly. My point was: The proper list was brought to the board. The board has made a mistake. They are correcting. They now have the proper list. I have spoken to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). . In fact, I just went behind here and spoke to him. He told me that the list will be here in less than five minutes. They got the right list. It is not my manager who made a mistake. It is the mistake of the board and they are correcting it. They are bringing the proper list. They will bring it in the next few minutes. However, I will be directed by the Speaker.

If the CEO of the board says that he is submitting the correct list, after this Motion is carried, it can only come afresh, maybe, when we are approving the other two.

On a point of order, Hon. Speaker.

Hon. Maore, what is your point of order?

Hon. Speaker, we better have some respect for the House. If the list has been brought and there are faults owned by the Constituencies Development Fund Board, it is upon us as a House, not to drag us into some disrepute by passing it the way it is anyway and then we deal with the consequences. The best idea would be for the Member himself to seek the indulgence of the Chair and move an amendment that when we finish with the list, we omit 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.

constituencies that can come at a later date. The House cannot be made to pass it the way it is. It is a very wrong notion.

Absolutely. What Hon. Maore is saying is indeed correct. Even when we talk about an error on the face of the record, you do not also make a mistake which you know.

The list for my Constituency is No. 42 on page 084. I want to agree with my brother Hon. Maore that we are a House of record. We would be remised if we passed a list that we know one of the members in the list that we are passing has passed on. The correct thing to do would be for us to omit or exclude my constituency, Luanda for the time being so that it can be brought back with the correct list.

Hon. Savula is a child of my constituency, he originates from Luanda and he is here saying that people of Luanda should not have CDF. Hon. Speaker, I beg to move: THAT, the Motion be amended by omitting Constituency No.42. It can be brought at a later date.

Very well, I see Member for Lugari is supporting you. Hon. Savula, are you supporting his amendment?

Thank you, Hon. Speaker, as a senior Deputy Minority Leader on the NASA side---

Why senior? We have not yet created the position of Senior Minority Deputy Leader. We have a position of Deputy Minority Leader though. It is only that we have not made it senior.

Thank you for the guidance, Hon. Speaker. I support Omulele’s amendment and I wish Hon. Omulele expunges the entire list then submits afresh when we have the other three for Emuhaya and Luanda constituencies. I second. Thank you, Hon. Speaker.

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

THAT, this House adopts Sessional Paper No. 7 of 2016 on the Mining and Minerals Policy, laid on the Table of the House on Wednesday,11th October, 2017. Kenya is rich in mineral resources with non-deposits of soda ash, fluorspar, titanium, gold, coal, iron ore, limestone, silica and many others. The country is potentially rich in rare minerals and increased exploration is expected to lead to new mineral discoveries. The economic development strategies pursued by this Government over the past decade since Independence did not give key priority in terms of development of the country’s mining and the mineral resources sector. As a result, the country’s mining and mineral resources sector failed to attract the necessary adequate investment from both Government and private entity and its contribution to our economy has been minimal, currently standing at 1 per cent. 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.

Our mining sector is mainly based on the Mining Act Cap. 306 enacted in 1940, meaning that the industry was operating within a very old archaic legal framework which was out of touch with the Constitution and the current industry. The Mining Act of 1940 for instance did not cover under its jurisdiction the several minerals that are found in our country. The statutory analysis further indicated that the industry was separately regulated by the Diamond Industry Protection Act, Cap. 310 under Trading in the Unwrought Previous Metals Act, Cap. 309. High economic growth rates envisaged under the Kenya Vision 2030 includes contribution from the mining sector. The sector is a priority under the economic pillar of Vision 2030. Its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is expected to increase to 10 per cent by 2030, making mining a key driver of the economic growth and transformation. Therefore, the Mining and Minerals Policy of 2016 is expected to enable the country obtain maximum benefits from its future mineral deposits. So, Madam Speaker, this policy… Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, you will forgive me. I assumed the Speaker was still in the Chair. This policy comprehensively addresses the gaps that exist in the mining sector and provides a basis for reviewing the sector almost in its entirety. The 11th Parliament in its wisdom passed the Mining Act, 2015, one of the most robust pieces of legislation which would help in the growth of the mining sector, its role in terms of pulling together the private investment equity. The overall goal of the policy is to get framework, principles and strategies to provide for the exploration of minerals for the country’s economic growth. If you look at the key highlights of this policy, which I want to leave to Hon. Gikaria who will second to deal with them, is to promote international and regional cooperation in the management of mineral resources and to respect our socio-cultural values. The communities where these minerals are found must benefit and their socio-cultural values must be respected. They must access justice, gender equity and inclusiveness. That is what the policy is talking about. This policy also promotes value addition. How do we introduce value change so that our own minerals plus the value addition can earn us more income and make a contribution to the GDP? The process of preparing and formulating this policy involved analysis of the prevailing situation in our country’s mining industry. It assessed and reviewed the factors that influenced this particular sector. In conclusion, the policy provides a firm foundation and basis for establishing and enabling framework for acceleration and sustainable development of the country’s mining and mineral resources sector. It will ensure the benefit from the growth of the sector is accrued and shared horizontally across all stakeholders. It will regulate the rights and interests of all kinds of minerals including construction and industrial mineral rights. With those many remarks, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I beg to move and ask Hon. Gikaria, the Member for Nakuru Town East, to second.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. As the Leader of the Majority Party has indicated, the mining sector in this country is very important. Some of the key highlights of the mining sector are that it was envisioned in Vision 2030. The mining sector 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.

very important to raise the economy of this country. Of course we passed the Mining Act in 2015, upgrading from the very old Acts that we had. Some of the key areas that need to be looked into are one of the long-term policy direction and the legal framework. You will notice that before it was a haphazard way of handling the mining sector, but now we have a legal framework to address some of these issues. Secondly, provide a strategy for clear, simple, predictable and transparent accountable licensing procedure. I remember in the past the licensing procedure was haphazard. Now it has been streamlined by the policy, where licensing has a procedure that will be followed. Thirdly, the policy provides for a well-structured, globally competitive fiscal regime which has always happened. As a country we have moved from just mining and selling the raw mine as it is. Like the exploration that was done for petroleum, instead of selling crude oil we can refine that and get different gas and petrol to compete globally for this very important product. It also enhances the acquisition, processing and dissemination of geological and mineral data and information to investors and other key stakeholders. I think this is a crucial point that we need to look at. It also provides for a strategy for marketing, promotion and value addition. As a country, for us to move to the level of an industrial nation, we need to start thinking of value addition of the minerals that will be….

(Hon. (Ms.) Mbalu): Order Members! Members at the far back, please, can we allow the Member to second? He will be heard in silence. Do your consultations in low tones.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. The marketing is very crucial to us that we do not just want to involve ourselves and then we do not have a place where we can take that product. Value addition for the product will go a long way in trying to attain Vision 2030. There is also the mobilisation of resources. This is a sector that requires huge amounts of resources for it to attain its objectives. So we need mobilisation of resources from our international partners and the local investors who can assist the Government to attain Vision 2030, in terms of mining and creation of wealth for this country. This policy will also provide for a framework of harmonising legislation relating to mining, health, occupational safety and environment. Much as we go around the aspect of mining different types of minerals, it is also important for us to ensure that the safety aspect of the miners is taken into consideration, the environmental issues are also taken care of, and of course the health aspect of the miners is also taken into consideration. This policy will also provide for a framework of gender mainstreaming. We are talking about mobilisation of resources for huge quantities of different mining regions, but at the same time we do not want to forget those local miners somewhere down in the western part of this country where they mine gold. We would want to provide some resources to these small-scale miners so that they are able to earn a living and attain the greater goal of economic development. This policy also provides for a framework to promote and facilitate local participation and investment in mining ventures. It has always come to our attention that every time exploration is done and a certain mineral is identified in a certain area, we only get international 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.

investors, or people coming from outside this country. Of course when they do business, most of the profits will be taken away. Therefore, the participation of the locals who will invest in the mining venture will go a long way to promote the local resources. Under the Mining Act, we have already passed the percentages as to how much we get at the county level. If a mine has been identified in a certain area, there is a certain percentage that will go to that county to become a revenue base for that county in order to develop. However, it has had some issues but we are happy that so far whatever the percentage that has been given is actually being remitted to the respective counties. More importantly, is the provision of a framework of equitable sharing of that mineral benefit between the national Government and the county governments. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, we had a problem. The issue of percentages was addressed in the 11th Parliament. Mining of oil in Turkana County became a huge factor. Going by the percentage given to that county, other counties would not have benefited from that national revenue collection and manage to send that money. So, it is important that and particularly for the governors, that if a certain mineral has been discovered in your county, please, allow the whole country to share it. If we leave that county to be the sole beneficiary of that mining in terms of revenue and whatever will be got out of that, then that important factor where the Constitution says that 15 per cent which will be sent to the county government--- The Jubilee Government has tried to send almost an upward of 35 per cent, but this would go a long way to try and improve its revenue. I remember as the Member for Nakuru Town East which is under Nakuru County, when we were trying to identify what a mineral is one of the aspects that was forgotten was geothermal power. In this Parliament we need to look at that critically, that Nakuru County has not been benefiting from geothermal power, a very rich product that is going to transform this country. With those remarks, I second the Motion.

(Hon. (Ms.) Mbalu): You second. Very well.

The first one on my request list is the Member representing the people of Tigania West, Hon. Kanyuithia.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for the opportunity to speak to this very valuable topic. I stand to support the Adoption of Sessional Paper No.7 of 2016 on the Mining and Minerals Policy, laid before this House. The mining industry has been quite disorganised in this country. We do not even know what we have because exploration is done haphazardly and there is no systematic way of mining because we do not have a guiding policy. We need to know exactly what we have and map out those potential areas of mining possibly through a policy. Also, there has not been a structured approach towards exploration in this country. Several Members have spoken in this House on how the actual owners of those areas where minerals are found could benefit. So, we need a structured way of doing things and an anchorage on law although we have a Mining Act which is not anchored in any policy. This policy comes in to support the Act as it were and, therefore, guides in the exploration of the industry as it were. It is important to have this policy because we need to explore the options for investments. We need to encourage private and public partnership investments. Private investors do not invest in things that are not very clear. The only way we can do this is to have a policy 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.

that will guide them on what they need to do and also clearly explain what the Government is supposed to do. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, we are in the age of transformation. We would like to use every resource to transform this country. Mining is one of the industries we need to explore so that we may understand what kind of resources lie underneath. You can use these resources to develop our country. We have reached a point where we need to grow the country and, therefore, we need all the resources. The other issue that is important is the appropriate apportionment of value for the minerals that we have. Without a guiding policy, it may not be possible to apportion value and people may not know what they have. As a country, we need to understand exactly what we have in different parts of this country and apportion value accordingly for communities to benefit and therefore resolve conflicts. In most cases you would realise that people complain because they care. Conflicts arise because people care. People feel denied when they have some minerals which do not help them. Without a guiding policy, it is not possible for people to know and, therefore, miners and explorers would just go to the ground and start doing their work without engaging the people appropriately. Therefore, if we have policies and procedures guiding on how people can get engaged, then we shall resolve conflicts before they arise. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the process of licensing of miners has been very complicated. There have not been proper guidelines. Therefore, this particular policy will support in that direction as well. We also need support from Exchequer. We need to support this exploration and the only way we can do it is by having a policy. I, therefore, support

(Hon. (Ms.) Mbalu): Very well. The Member for Igembe Central, Hon. Iringo.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this Motion on adoption of Sessional Paper No.7 of 2016 on the Mining and Minerals Policy. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I support this Policy because mining is one of the unexploited resources of this country whereby we do not know what lies underneath our land. We do not have the expertise as stipulated in this policy and guidelines on how the people who live in those areas where these products are got from the ground would benefit. Even if we look at the structures of our ministries in the Government, the mining industry is taken quite lightly and it has got very few personnel and experts. This policy has stipulated very well that we need to have experts who would be manning the ministry and also who would see that the country benefits from the same. As a foreign exchange earner, minerals, if well exploited, will mitigate or supplement what we earn from tea, coffee and other crops that we export knowing very well that our country is said to be an agricultural country. However, of late, if we look at the recent happenings, we can attest to the fact that we are also a strong nation which has got a lot of mineral reserves underground, but we have managed to exploit them. In the short run, we would be the main producers of oil in Africa or in the world, if you look at what we have in Turkana. It has taken time because our policies have not been in place. We have just been having a ministry in place which was just like a toothless dog with very little resources with no equipment to do the exploration.

According to the Policy, we have the value addition framework whereby whatever we mine, we have ways of adding value to it. When we get gold, we do not export it as raw material; 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.

it can be refined. When we get oil, we need to refine it to add value to it. If we get titanium and other products, we need to have the resources, expertise and machinery so that we can add value to it. That will bolster our foreign exchange earnings. The policy also gives the Ministry powers to guard the local people from exploitation by miners. When Hon. Gikaria was seconding the Motion, he said that sometimes the locals do not know what happens. They just see people come with machinery and start digging the ground, picking materials from the soils and going away with samples. The county governments and the people who live in those particular areas should be involved. They should be aware of what is happening and what their stake is so that once that product is found; they can get their rightful share. That is what we passed during the 11th Parliament. That is how exploitation comes about. Middle men come in and become brokers, leaving the people who should benefit more from the mineral destitute. The implements we use for mining are outdated. We need to have the correct implements. Therefore, in our budgets, in accordance with this policy, we need to cater for all these and ensure that once a certain process has started, it is completed.

(Hon. (Ms.) Mbalu): Your time is over. Hon. Members, notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order 97(4), a Motion on a Session Paper takes one hour. Therefore, every Member has five minutes for contribution. Let us have the County Woman Member for Lamu.

Mhe. Spika wa Muda, nakushukuru sana kwa kunipatia hii nafasi nichangie Hoja hii na kuiunga mkono. Ni vizuri kuwa na mpangilio ili tufaidike kutokana na lile tunalotafuata. Mwanzo, ningependa kuishukuru ile kampuni ya Zarara ambayo iko Lamu. Wamejitahidi sana. Wanakwenda mashinani kuzungumza na jamii. Kwa hivyo, jamii katika Lamu Magharibi, na haswa katika Wadi ya Faza, wanajua kile kinachoendelea. Naomba pia kampuni zote zinazokuja Lamu kwa chochote wahusishe jamii vizuri. Pia, kile kinachopatikana kutokana na kuchimbwa kwa madini kiwe kinafaida jamii maana vitu vingine kama ule mradi wa makaa Lamu umeleta shida sana. Viongozi waliokuweko labda waliwaonyesha manufaa; lakini sisi tulioingia Bungeni, tunaomba pia tupitie mpangilio wao watuonyeshe kama huo mradi una manufaa kwa jamii ama hauna. Tunaomba watupatie muda, kama viongozi, ili tufanye utafiti wetu. Wasitupeleka haraka vile huo mradi unavyoenda. Tunataka viongozi na jamii mashinani wahusishwe vizuri. Ikiwa kitu kinafaida, watueleze vyema. Vile vile, kama kitu hakina faida, tuambiane kinaga ubaga. Asante, Mhe. Spika wa Muda.

(Hon. (Ms.) Mbalu): The Member for Kitui South, I can see your name on the request list, but I cannot see you in the House. I am advising you, hon. Members, if you know that you are not going to be in the House, jut remove your card. You can insert it when you come in. You do not have to confuse other people who want to speak. Let us have the Member for Wajir North, Hon. Ibrahim. This is part of orientation. We need to make a communication to that effect. Since the Member for Wajir North is not in the Chamber, I give the Floor to the Member for Turkana Central.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for allowing me to add my voice on this issue. This policy will guide mining in Kenya. As a country, we are good at making policies. The problem we have is implementation. We have many investors who have come to this country, trying to invest in mining. The problem we have is that the process of getting 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.

licences takes long. Now that we have this policy, we expect investors to go to any part of this country to invest in minerals because by doing so, they will create jobs for the people in that area, and the economy will improve. There are many minerals in this country. It is only that we have not exploited them to the level that is expected of a second world country. We have so many minerals in Turkana County such that if this policy is put to practice, the people of Turkana will improve their livelihoods as jobs will be created in that area, leading to improvement of its economy. We must also consider the host communities, or the people whose land has mineral deposits. I oppose what Hon. Wachira said while referring to the oil found in Turkana County. He talked about a 15 per cent oil revenue allocation to the county government and 5 per cent allocation to the community. We are not against sharing our resources with other Kenyans. We are saying that the formula that was given here is not acceptable. As Members of Parliament, we agreed on 20 per cent for the county government and 10 per cent for the local community. We did this after much lobbying and consulting. We are saying that the host community must be given a share because God has given minerals to certain areas inhabited by the Turkana and Maasai communities so that those people can improve their lives. When we talk about host communities, we talk about infrastructure, schools and development. I went to Nigeria and visited one of the areas where oil is drilled. The community that lives there is the poorest in Nigeria yet oil is drilled from there. That is why we do not want to repeat that kind of a mistake. We want the host communities to be given a particular percentage of the revenue so that they can improve their livelihoods. The national Government and the county governments must empower the locals by giving loans or grants so that they can invest in mining. It is not good for us to wait for foreigners to come and invest here when the national Government or the county governments can give loans to the locals so that they can do the mining business themselves. It makes no sense for us to have a resource within us and fail to benefit from it. We want to encourage the Government to empower the locals so that they can get finance to engage in the business. This policy has addressed the issue of miners. Some of the miners die like dogs in the process of mining and that is why we want them to have an insurance cover. When they die, the companies involved should be tasked to compensate their next of kin. You saw what happened in Meru. The miners there died like dogs. We want this policy to address the issue of insurance cover for all the miners.

(Hon. (Ms.) Mbalu): Your time is over. Members should plan their time well. Let us have the Member for Kisauni. He has never made his maiden speech. I want to encourage Members to speak because we are many.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for giving me an opportunity to comment on this Motion on the Adoption of Sessional Paper No.7 of 2016 on the Mining and Minerals Policy.

(Hon. (Ms.) Mbalu): I hope, I am right that you have not yet made your maiden speech.

Yes, I have not made my maiden speech, so can I use this opportunity to do so?

(Hon. (Ms.) Mbalu): Yes, please.

First and foremost, I would like to thank the people of Kisauni for electing me on 8th August 2017 as their Member of Parliament. For those who do not know where Kisauni is, it is in Mombasa County or County 001, which 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.

under the governorship of His Excellency Hassan Ali Joho and who is famously known as the ‘Sultan’. Kisauni is known for many good and bad things. I only want to mention the few bad things which are currently happening in Kisauni. It is known for drug abuse. I think in the whole of Kenya today, Kisauni is the leading constituency in terms of drug abuse. We have the largest drug den there in an area known as Magodoroni which has been highlighted in many of the forums but that will be discussed at some point, maybe when I bring a Motion to have this matter discussed to its full and logical conclusion. This is because we have youth who are actually ending up as zombies in my constituency. Another major issue we have is unemployment. If you traverse Kisauni today, you will meet more than 2,000 to 3,000 youth on the road hoping to maybe become touts for hours because that is their main source of income and they call it kupewa squad. Sorry for using that word, but you have to get a squad, which is doing a five minutes trip and bringing the matatu back to the driver. Kisauni is also known because of the issue of squatters. I think it is the leading constituency in the country with the highest number of squatters. We have a lot of land in Kisauni which is owned by the private sector, but at the end of the day you may wake up in the morning and find your own land to which you have a title deed being invaded by squatters. This has been going on for ages and it is a matter which will require some attention from this House and the relevant authorities. Coming back to the matter of the day, on the adoption of Session No.7 of 2016 on the Mining and Minerals Policy, I wish to support it for many reasons. I am a Member of Parliament for Kisauni Constituency in the Coast Province, which has six counties blessed with a lot of minerals. I think the famous one is titanium which is extracted from Kwale County. The mapping has been done in various counties in that region and we know what lies underneath. However, there has been exploitation of the indigenous people of these counties and this is really wanting. I am very confident that this policy will be the solution to most of these issues which have been there historically. We are looking at the future with a lot of promise and hope that our people will not end up being exploited again. If you look at Voi, in Taita Taveta County, it is one of the richest counties in terms of minerals which are extracted in Taita Taveta. However, the minerals have become a curse to the indigenous people of Taita Taveta.

(Hon. (Ms.) Mbalu): Your time is over but at the discretion of the Chair since you were making your maiden speech, let me give you two more minutes.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for extending my time. Taita Taveta County is one of the richest counties in terms of minerals but it has become a curse to the people. This is as a result of lack of proper policies such as the one we are adopting today. I am 100 per cent convinced that moving forward with this policy if it is implemented to the fullest, we will realise the fruits of our people. With that, I wish to support this Motion.

(Hon. (Ms.) Mbalu): Let me give the Floor to the County Woman Representative (CWR) for Tana River.

Asante sana, Mhe. Naibu Spika wa Muda. Nasimama kuunga mkono hii Hoja kuhusu uchimbaji wa madini. Hili suala limenigusa kwa sababu sisi kule Tana River tuko na gypsum ambayo inatumika kutengeneza simiti. Wale wahusika ambao wanatengeneza simiti wametajirika kuliko sisi wenyeji. Kuongeza msumari moto kwenye kidonda hao watu wakishachimba yale mawe hawazibi yale mashimo, wanayaacha wazi na kwa 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.

hivyo mifugo wetu kule kwa bahati mbaya wakiteleza wanakufa kwa sababu ya maji ambayo yako ndani ya hayo mashimo. Hata wanadamu hufa kwa njia hiyo. Pili naomba tujumuishe katika hii sera sheria kwamba hao matajiri ambao wanachimba yale mawe waweze kuwafanyia wenyeji maendeleo. Hiyo itakuwa kama shukrani ili waweze kufaidika kutokana na ile rasilimali. Hakuna chochote wanatufanyia, ila wao ni kuchimba mawe, kuuza simiti na kuendelea kufungua mitambo huku na kule. Sisi tunazidi kuwa maskini tu. Tukijaribu kuzungumza nao hawaonyeshi huruma na angalau waseme hawa tumewaharibia ardhi yao wacha hata tujenge hospitali ama zahanati ya kuwasaidia wenyeji ndio washukuru. Hawafanyi hivyo. Kwa hivyo, naomba tuongeze katika sera hii kwamba wakichimba madini sharti wafaidi wenyeji pia. Iwe kama lazima kuwa wakishachimba yale mawe wajenge hospitali, shule ama matenti. Waaache kuwa wajeuri. Tumejaribu kuwafuata wazibe machimbo yao lakini wao hutuambia eti hatuwezi kuwapeleka popote. Pia, naomba watu wa National Environment Managment Authority (NEMA) watembee waangalie kule uchimbaji unakofanyika. Je, hiyo ardhi ama hiyo sehemu inalindwa kivipi kwa sababu kuna mashimo kila mahali? Kule kwetu Chardende wameweka mashimo. Nanighi pia wameweka mashimo wakaacha. Saa hizi wamesonga na kufika karibu Madogo. Wanachimba mashimo wakiyaawacha. Hiyo ni ardhi yetu wanatuharibia. Si kuwa sisi ni maskini hatuwezi kuja kuanzisha miji huko. Wanatuharibia ardhi. Twaweza kuja tukaanza miji. Tunataka kukua kama kaunti pia. Kwa hivyo, watu wa NEMA pia wawangalie hao watu wa kuchimba gypsum kule Chardende na Nanighi. Wameenda mpaka sehemu inaitwa Amare. Wanachimba mashimo tu wakiyaacha kana kwamba ardhi hiyo haina wenyewe. Vijana wetu pia hawawaajiri. Wakija kule wanakuja na watu wao tayari. Magari ni yao, wachimbaji ni wao, na kila kitu ni chao. Tafadhali, mutusaidie hapo. Ninaunga mkono.

(Hon. (Ms.) Mbalu): Hon. Members, we do not raise hands here. Let us hear the Member representing the people of Mwingi Central.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I rise to support this Motion on Sessional Paper No.7 on the Mining and Minerals Policy. Where I come from, Mwingi Central Constituency, ever since I was born, I have been hearing that our land is full of coal underneath and looking at the way the years are moving, I may die before that coal is mined. That is why I rise to support this Sessional Paper. Similarly, there has been a lot of sand harvesting in my constituency. A lot of the sand that is used to build high rise buildings in Nairobi comes from my constituency and your constituency, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. Therefore, I wish, in formulating the legal framework under this policy, sand would be included as a mineral so that our community can benefit. Further, when we are mining minerals, I think there is something that is neglected and that is the environmental impact assessment. That is what the previous speaker was talking about. She said they go and dig those minerals and they leave those escarpments and holes unattended. Therefore, there must be proper environmental impact assessment to know what is going to happen after the minerals are taken away to wherever they are going to go. In fact, where I come from, I hear that the people living in one of my wards out of six wards 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.

supposed to be relocated so that, that coal can be mined. I envisage many years to come that that will be a hole. I wonder how that will be taken care of. Even the issue of relocating people is not very easy. Relocating people from their ancestral homes to another place and leaving their graves, homes, ancestral land, schools and shopping centres is not very easy. So, this is something that needs to be properly taken care of. When I was campaigning, one of the reasons why I managed to get a lot of votes from that area is because I told them nobody will be moved from their land. Where we come from we are very attached to land. That is a matter that needs to be looked at very well in this policy.

There is also need for compensation. When you mine minerals in a certain area you need to compensate people. Finally, because I know time is running out, factories for processing that mineral should be built in the area where the mineral is being mined. This is because I hear the factory for that coal from my constituency is somewhere in Coast. So, coal will be mined in my constituency and transported to coast. So, factories must be constructed where the mineral is being mined. Therefore, I support.

(Hon. (Ms.) Mbalu): The Member for Wundanyi Constituency.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. Before I give my remarks in supporting the adoption of Sessional Paper No. 7 on the Mining and Minerals Policy, I would like to make my maiden speech as well.

(Hon. (Ms.) Mbalu): That will be uninterrupted.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I rise being brought here by the great people of Wundanyi Constituency. They in one faith voted for Danson Mwashako to represent them in this House. Today, I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to the people of Wundanyi. I honestly commit to them that I am here to work for them and represent them fully. I will discharge my duties as their Member of Parliament. For those of us who have not traversed Taita Taveta County, I wish to indicate that Wundanyi Constituency is found in Taita Taveta County. It is one of the four constituencies. Wundanyi happens to have two areas. There are highlands whereby there are Taita Hills and there are lowlands whereby we have areas where mining takes place and a lot of mineral activities. Wundanyi, being part of Taita Taveta County, I would like to mention in this House that we come from a region where wildlife is part of us. I mean the biggest part of wildlife in this country, that is, Tsavo East and Tsavo West, is found within Taita Taveta County. To be precise 62 per cent of the county is under wildlife. A bigger part of it has the national parks which I need to mention that the people on the ground indeed have issues because they know – and I as their representative – for sure that having national parks does not directly benefit the poor person in county. Secondly, Taita Taveta County is known very well because of its minerals. We hold gemstones and industrial minerals within the county. It is estimated that 80 per cent of our land mass contains very precious minerals which can be used not only to transform the county of Taita Taveta but also to transform and improve the economy of this country. Having said that, there are quite a number of challenges my people face on the ground. These challenges range from issues of poverty. There is a very high level of poverty within my constituency. There are issues around unemployment and marginalisation. People strongly believe that they have been marginalised because one thing is that the land is yet to be adjudicated. A lot of the land in my 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.

constituency is not titled. So, my people have sent me here with one mission so that I can come here and discuss issues in this Parliament for them to realise the benefit around what is available within the county. Allow me to now support this Motion on the Adoption of the Sessional Paper No.7 on the Mining and Minerals Policy of this country. I want to bring to the attention of this House that these minerals are available in the country. My friend, the Member for Mwingi, mentioned that he will die before a kilo of coal is mined out of their land. My people keep imagining that one day these minerals will add value to their lives. It is believed that the minerals that we have in the county do not benefit the locals. All of them benefit people outside the county. Even as we think of passing this policy - which is a beautiful document - there are a number of things that are happening around mining. We have always gone out there and talked about investors. We imagine that these investors must either come from abroad or from those people who have a lot of money. The Government of this country needs to have a clear policy that supports---

(Hon. (Ms.) Mbalu): Your time is up but since it is your maiden speech, I will give you two more minutes. Give him the microphone.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. As I conclude, it is important that even as we look at this policy, we also look at the communities that live around the mineral deposits. My county residents and my constituents feel so alienated by the fact that mining is taking place but directly benefiting people outside the constituency and the county. I will give you an example. Today, there is a place called Kishushe where the biggest iron ore mineral deposit is being mined. This is a place that has the poorest people in the county. They have no schools and water. Every now and then, they dream about Mzima Springs and yet they have a lot of deposits that are benefiting people outside. We believe that if this policy if fully implemented, then my people around Kishushe and Taita Taveta County will benefit. I support the adoption of Sessional Paper No.7 on Mining and Minerals Policy.

(Hon. (Ms.) Mbalu): Let us have the Member for Ruiru.

Asante sana, Mheshimiwa Naibu Spika wa Muda kwa kunipatia mwanya wa kuweza kuunga mkono mjadala huu ulio na uzito mkuu katika Kenya yetu tupendayo. Kenya inasemekana kuwa ni eneo la ukulima. Lakini ukiangalia orodha ya madini yaliyo katika Kenya yetu, ni mengi kuliko ule ukulima tunafanya. Ukianzia na theluji, petroli ambayo imepatikana juzi, dhahabu iko, titanium iko, hewa ya uwekezaji na vile vile mvuke katika eneo la Bonde la Ufa umechangia pakubwa sana kwa umeme. Ombi langu ni wakati tunajaribu kujadili na kutilia uzito mikakati hii mwafaka itakayotumika katika Kenya yetu mpya, ni vizuri vile vile tuzingatie uzito wa uchimbaji wa madini kama jambo kubwa la kuleta mapato katika Kenya yetu. Maeneo au nchi zile zimeendelea zaidi ni zile zimetilia uzito katika uchimbaji wa madini kama petroli. Ukiangalia upande wa uarabu, utakuta hawana chochote kingine ila madini, na yameweza kutumika na kufanya maeneo hayo yatambulike duniani kote. Lakini la muhimu, hata kama tutatia uzito katika sekta ya uchimbaji wa madini, ningeomba vile vile wapangaji waangalie kiini hasa kile kinachangia sababu ya watu wanaoishi pahali kuna madini mengi, kuwa wanyonge sana. Ndio tusije tukaingia katika hilo shimo. Tutengeneze mjadala wetu 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.

kuhusisha wale watu ambao wako kule mashinani kama vile wale walioongea mbele yangu wamesema. Ni vizuri wale matajiri wanapotajirika, nalo eneo lile limefanya watajirike, litajirike. Lakini ukitafuta usawa wa pahali madini yametoka na pahali yanaenda kuendeleza, hakuna uhusiano kamwe. Ombi la watu wote wale wako maeneo ya madini haya ni kuwa ni vizuri wahusishwe kabla hata madini hayajaanza kuchimbwa. Tukifanya hivyo, Kenya yetu itakuwa ya kuheshimika. Itakuwa katika mrengo wa mbele wa dunia pahali madini yamekuwa ya kuleta utajiri lakini si umasikini na vita. Ninaunga mkono Hoja hii.

(Hon. (Ms.) Mbalu): Hon. Members, as I indicated before, we had one hour to consider the Sessional Paper. It is now 1725hrs and time for the Mover to reply. Before the Mover replies, I have a Communication from the Chair to make.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I have one minute to support the Sessional Paper on the mining policy. In my support, I must state that Kenya has never had a mining policy in spite of having a few statutes that govern our mining laws. I believe that some of these are statutes that we inherited, possibly from the colonial government. They are quite anachronistic and, therefore, this is the right time to formulate a policy that will govern the mining industry in our country. I support this again because I come from Tharaka Constituency which is one of the constituencies in Kenya which is very well-endowed with minerals. In Tharaka, you will find iron ore, copper, gemstones, rubies and other precious stones. Once a policy such as this is put in place, I am certain that we will develop the industry and this will benefit the people of Kenya, in general, and in particular, the people of Tharaka.

(Hon. (Ms.) Mbalu): Let us have the Member for Kaiti. You have one minute.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for giving me this chance. Let me take this opportunity to support this Motion, first, because mining is very important in our county. Where I come from in Kaiti Constituency, we have minerals and I feel bad sometimes when I see the people of Kaiti being misused by investors. Sometimes they come and mine and leave our people with a lot of poverty due to lack of good policies. 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. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I stand to support this Motion. We need to support it as a country. We need to involve our people to do some sensitisation, so that we can support mining because it will improve the economy and education in our country.

(Hon. (Ms.) Mbalu): Member for Kiharu, you have one minute.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I rise to support the Motion. Coming from Murang’a, it is good that I add my voice in respect to the water we give, especially to our capital city. As I support the Mining and Minerals Policy, I hope going forward we will treat our people equally. Our people in Murang’a need to have water before they donate to the city. I support the Motion knowing too well that minerals and mining account for only one percent of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP). I am sure we can do better. Minerals should not become a curse like in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) which has mineral deposits worth more than US$24trillion, but it is the poorest country on earth. I am sure we can chart a better way.

(Hon. (Ms.) Mbalu): The Leader of the Majority Party is here to reply. I know Members were willing to make their contribution. We have Member for Kitui South, Hon. ole Sankok, Member for Machakos County, Member for Gichugu, Member for Mwingi North, Member for Lurambi, Member for Bura, Member for Laikipia West among others.

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the new Members should know that at the beginning of the House, we pass several Motions dealing with timelines. A Motion like this has certain particular timeline. It is about one hour thirty minutes. It is over. I want to thank everybody who contributed. I also have two minutes. I cannot speak for more than two minutes.

We want Kenya to enjoy the benefit of its natural resources. The Government and private equity must invest in it. At the end of the day, we want each and every county to benefit. The Petroleum Bill and the Energy Bill are coming back to the House to be discussed. We will make sure that apart from agriculture, tourism and the financial sector, minerals will play a very big role in our economy. I beg to reply.

(Hon. (Ms.) Mbalu): Hon. Members, there being no other business on our Order Paper and the time being 5.33 p.m, this House stands adjourned until Wednesday, 29th November 2017 at 9.30 a.m.

The House rose at 5.33 p.m.

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