Hon. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order No.33 (1), I seek leave for the adjournment of the House for purposes of discussing the urgent need for affirmative recruitment of teachers. There is need for the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to immediately commence the process of recruitment of untrained teachers for deployment in the regions affected by mass exodus. These teachers should also be subjected to continuous in-service training to ensure that at all times, the right of access to education by all children is guaranteed and also solve the incessant teacher-initiated transfers due to preferences or fear of certain areas. It is for this reason that I seek leave for the adjournment of the House in order to deliberate on the urgent need for affirmative recruitment of teachers.

Do you have the numbers?

I confirm that you have the numbers. It is only that it appeared that you wanted to sit.

Members, resume your seats. I direct that the House be moved to adjourn at or before 5.30 p.m. this evening. The reason is that should the House complete consideration of all the businesses appearing on the Order Paper, Hon. Sossion should be ready to move his Motion even before 5.30 p.m. But should the House still be considering other businesses, at 5.30 p.m., the House will then be moved by Hon. Sossion in the same manner. Let us proceed to the next Order.

Hon. Speaker, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order No.44(2)(a), I rise to give the following Statement on behalf of the House Business Committee (HBC). The Committee met this week at the rise of the House to give priority to business for consideration. Without anticipating debate, I wish to note that the House is scheduled to proceed on a short recess commencing tomorrow, subject to the approval of the Motion. As a result of this, the HBC has not scheduled any business for next week save for one, which is to remind Members that the agenda for next week is the Post-Election Seminar for Members of the National Assembly of the 12th Parliament. Upon resumption from recess, we will consider the Report of the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs on the vetting of the nominee for appointment to the position of Solicitor-General, Mr. Kennedy Nyabuti Ogeto. We will also consider various Bills for the Second Reading and Committee of the whole House. I encourage all chairs of Departmental Committees to expedite consideration of the Bills and table the reports when we resume. The Bills include the Energy Bill, the Petroleum (Exploration, Development and Production) Bill and the Cybercrime Bill, 2017. The HBC will reconvene on Tuesday, 13th March 2018 to consider business for the coming week. I now wish to lay this Statement on the Table of the House.

Hon. Members, before we move to the next Member, allow me to recognise the presence in the Speaker’s Gallery of pupils from Kibera School for Girls from Kibra Constituency in Nairobi County, and in the Public Gallery, Sukari Presbyterian School from Juja Constituency in Kiambu County, Kid Star Academy from Lang’ata Constituency in Nairobi County and Jacridge School from Ruiru Constituency in Kiambu County. They are all welcome to observe the proceedings in the National Assembly. Let us have Hon. Shakeel Shabbir.

Hon. Speaker, I have a statement on the Kenya Power and Lighting Company. I wish to inform the House that there has been an attempt to defraud me and probably other colleagues by persons claiming to be officers of the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) working under the initiative titled “The Last Mile Connectivity Project.” These fraudsters have been asking us for a payment of Kshs13,800 per village, which translates to Kshs138,000 for 10 villages, payable by cheque to certain bank accounts for supply of

Hon. Members, debate on this Motion was concluded yesterday. What remained was for the Question to be put, which I hereby do.

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 Second Session (2018) as adopted on 14th February 2018 by proceeding to a recess from Friday, 2nd March 2018 and resuming its regular sittings on Tuesday, 13th March 2018. In keeping with the practice as earlier communicated by you at the start of the new Parliament, the three-day Post-Election Seminar for Members of the National Assembly will be held to follow the induction workshop that we had earlier. It is in this regard that this seminar has been organised to take place in Mombasa County from Sunday, 4th March 2018 to Thursday, 8th March 2018. It is for this reason that the HBC resolved to alter the Calendar of the House. This is part of the new Constitution. Initially, the calendar used to be dictated to us by the Office of the President, but now it is the prerogative right of this House. I am sure the Member for Budalangi will remember that during his days. It is, therefore, important that the House adjourns to offer Members an opportunity to interact and share experiences with resource persons from other legislative jurisdictions within and outside the Commonwealth. We have resource persons from Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Zambia, including our own experts in various disciplines on parliamentary matters. This means

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. We have adopted it as a routine that in every new Parliament, we have a post-election seminar to interact with professional experts from other jurisdictions who will meet, have sessions and discuss with us how Parliament functions in other areas. I want to emphasise to the Members that it is important to understand - even if you think you understand - especially those who are coming in for the first time, that we have a new system of Government. This is a presidential system and, therefore, it is important that we attend this important seminar to appreciate the views of those who have had this system longer like the USA and how it functions. It will also help us to see the relationship between the Executive and Parliament in a pure presidential system. Hon. Speaker, I think this has been a challenge to us since we started on this new system of Government. Unlike the Leader of the Majority Party, I do not really think that the Members

Hon. Speaker, I beg to move the following Motion: THAT, pursuant to the provisions of Section 13 of the Public Appointments (Parliamentary Approval) Act, 2011, relating to extension of period for consideration of nominees for appointment to a public office, this House resolves to extend the period for consideration of the nominee submitted by H.E. the President for appointment to the Office of Solicitor-General by a further period of ten (10) days from 7thMarch, 2018. Hon. Speaker, following the alteration of the calendar of this House, which was just adopted a few minutes ago, it is important to note that the timeline for the consideration of the Report will be expiring on 7th March 2018, which will be next week. This will coincide with the short recess. It is for this simple reason that I am moving this Motion to extend the period for a further 10 days. In addition, the extension will allow the relevant Committee to do the following: Have adequate time to vet the nominee and carry out public participation and thereafter table the report in the House for consideration and approval. Hon. Speaker, this is basic. The Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs will do the public vetting of Mr. Ogeto, a nominee to the Office of the Solicitor-General. This Committee was to table this report on Tuesday next week and of course then the HBC would slate it for debate maybe the following day on Wednesday. However, because we will be in Mombasa and the House will not be in session, and in conformity with Section 13 of the Public Appointments (Parliamentary Approval) Act, I am seeking for an extension of 10 days just to make sure that the Committee does the vetting and report writing tomorrow, and on Tuesday 13th March when we are back, tables it and allows the HBC to give time for the report to be debated and considered. So, it is a very simple matter. I beg to move and ask the Chair of the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs, who is the owner of this “baby”, to second.

Hon. Cheptumo, the Floor is yours.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I wish to confirm that, indeed, tomorrow, Friday, we will be vetting the nominee. We, therefore, want to table our report next Tuesday. Because of the change of our Calendar as a House, it will not be possible, therefore, to conclude this process within the required 14 days from the day you conveyed the Message of the President. So, it is, indeed, justified. Tomorrow we will continue with the vetting and we will be able to do our report. When we come back, we will table the report before the House. The HBC will allocate us a day for Members to debate. Therefore, this Motion is justified and I second.

Put the Question!

The Member for Suna East desires to speak on this.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker for giving me an opportunity. I support the Motion for extension of period for consideration of nominee to the Office of the Solicitor-General. The State Law Office is a very important department of governance. As the people’s watchdog, I want to bring to your attention that as part of the enhancement of the State Law Office, the President nominated a new Attorney-General about two or three weeks ago, but his name has not arrived here. This is a matter that we need to canvass in the House because it is the only privilege

Hon. Junet, I am sure you have looked at the constitutional provisions. Nothing becomes a subject of discussion until it lands here. So, this could very well be taken as notice of intention and nothing prevents it. We cannot discuss that which is not before us.

( Off record )

The Member for Kitutu Chache North. The problem with you is that you always assume you are in Kitutu Chache. I hear that of late you call yourself Kitutu Chache North One. Here, you are not in Kitutu Chache. Therefore, you are not One.

Hon. Junet, on that issue, there is nothing for us to debate, but should you desire to have that matter debated, of course, the normal way is for you to bring a Motion. Otherwise, it will now appear like you are shooting from nowhere. If you desire to discuss that matter, and it is your right so do so, bring in a proper Motion and the House will be seized of it and express itself in one way or another.

Put the Question.

Next Order!

Who is the Leader of Delegation? Hon. Pkosing.

Hon. Speaker, I beg to move the following Motion: THAT, pursuant to the provisions of Article 7 of the Statutes of the Inter- Parliamentary Union, this House adopts the reports of the 129th, 130th, 131st, 133rd and 134thAssemblies of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and related meetings held in Geneva, Switzerland on 7th to 9thOctober 2013; 16th to 20thMarch 2014; 12th to 16th October 2014; 15th to 21stOctober 2015, and in Lusaka, Zambia from 17th to 23rdMarch 2016 respectively, laid on the Table of the House on Tuesday, 20th February 2018.

For the benefit of the House, it will be good for Members to understand what IPU is. The “IPU” means Inter-Parliamentary Union and it was established in 1889. It is a very old institution which brings together Members of Parliament from all over the world and various parliaments both national and regional to discuss very critical issues. It sits in Geneva, but debates of the union normally rotate in different countries and continents for Members of parliaments to appreciate what happens in various continents.

The total number of all Members who meet under the IPU is about 880 from all over the world. That is a really huge number of Members. Coming back home, Members should understand that Kenya is represented by both Houses, namely, the Senate and the National Assembly. In the last Parliament, it used to be led by the Speaker of the Senate. I am told also in this Parliament, it will be the same thing. All Members go together as one delegation and deliberate on issues. It is very crucial for our House and the country to participate. This is one of the unions or forums in which the people of Kenya can express their views and aspirations.

Hon. Soipan

seconded

Member for Saku.

Thank you very much, Hon. Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to contribute. I stand to support the Report by Hon. Pkosing. He was canvassing indirectly to be given opportunity to represent this Parliament in future sittings of IPU. That is in order. It is true that he did extremely well in representing us in the 11th Parliament.

I have looked at the Report, and I have seen the functions of IPU. It provides global platform forums for parliamentarians on the issues of democracy, security, matters of the United Nations (UN), and the role of Parliament in providing a platform for dialogue and interaction of people across the world. If you look at the current dispensation in the world, for example in Africa, Asia, Middle East, Europe and the USA, you clearly understand why such a forum is important for the world. A group of people must come together to see whether what is happening today augurs well. We see failed nations which do not have parliaments, others have been taken over by terrorists and criminals and others have ceased to bring forward their leadership changes through democracy.

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I quite agree with Hon. Pkosing that sometimes we think we are not doing well because of our elections. However, as you interact with other parliamentarians around the world and other global citizens, you conclude that we, as Kenyans, are not doing badly after all.

On this global platform of the IPU, an area that I see of great interest is banning of chemical weapons. If you watched the media over the last few weeks, there is misuse of chemical weapons in Syria on innocent civilians. We have seen the use of chemical weapons also on non-combatants in some countries in the Middle East. Over the years, the ban of chemical weapons has been advanced by progressive individuals who believe that there must be weapons in the world, so long as humans inhabit this world. We need to try to reduce the number of harmful weapons where civilians do not have the capacity to defend themselves. The people who can protect them are the combatants who need special gears to safeguard and to stay safe from chemical or biological weapons.

The other area of concern which has been discussed in this Report is the UN system. It is the global platform where all voices of different countries across the world, whether big or small in land size and population, are heard. The UN provides us a unique platform where the voices of Kenya and the USA are put on the same pedestal and not a single one is more important than the other. The forum of the Kenya National Assembly must stand up against any threat that arises to undermine the UN because it stands for global good in terms of humanitarian affairs, weapons and safeguarding democracy across the world. We heard the United Nations’ voice come out clearly when Rohingya refugees were expelled from Burma to Bangladesh. They were expelled because they are Muslims and were unwanted in their country of origin. That is how important the UN is.

Put the Question.

(Hon. (Ms.) Tuya): Hon. Members, we have Members who are desirous of contributing. So, we cannot curtail their right to contribute. Let us have Hon. Gichimo Githinji, Member for Gichugu. He is not here. Hon. Gogo Achieng’, you have the Floor.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I would like to make a brief contribution on the IPU Report, but substantively I wanted to contribute on the ACP-EU Report.

I laud this kind of arrangement. This country should join as many international associations as is possible. They make Kenya visible. Apart from that, I applaud the Member who moved the Report. He encouraged Members that once they are given an opportunity to go to such meetings, they should yearn to take responsible positions by sitting in committees and playing international roles. A platform like the IPU is good for Members to expose themselves and see what people are doing out there. When you are around, you would think that your mother cooks the best food, but when you go out there, you realise that there is quite a bit to learn and that there is much to benchmark from.

It is a golden opportunity for the Office of the Speaker to be giving opportunities to Members to travel abroad and even invite other nations to come to Kenya on inter-parliamentary exchange.

With those few remarks, I wait to make my contribution on the Report on ACP-EU. I support the participation of this Parliament in IPU.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker.

(Hon. (Ms.) Tuya): Hon. Kaunya Oku, Member for Teso North.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I would like first to support this Report and congratulate the Mover, Hon. Pkosing.

My contribution is on one main object of IPU, namely, safeguarding international peace. Reading from reports, though it has been presented like the one of 2013, I am aware that one of the aspects the IPU supported and has been supporting as an international body is the promotion of peace through reconciliation. I am aware in the 2013 Report arising from the IPU project of 2011 and 2012, they supported five Parliaments in Africa. One of them was the Kenyan Parliament and others were Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Uganda. Noting the importance of this, particularly on the question of conflicts in certain nations especially in Africa, it is an important engagement for our Parliament and, indeed, we applaud the team that participated.

(Hon. (Ms.) Tuya): Those are very good ideas. The currency of this Report is very important to be able to pick up on the critical issues. Let us hear from Hon. Oduol Adhiambo.

(Hon. (Prof.) Jacquiline Adhiambo Oduol): Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I would like to take this opportunity to give special thanks because it is, in fact, the first speech that I am making this year. I had looked forward to making a contribution at the discussion of the Report of the IPU delegation. I felt proud when I got a chance in the 12th Parliament to be nominated as a Member through my party, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). Immediately after our swearing in, I felt extremely encouraged when the Speaker during the induction, brought it to our attention collectively, that we must always remember that there are high expectations from the public in terms of how we use the responsibility of oversight, legislation and representation to ensure that we are undertaking activities and contributing in ways that would bring a lot of prosperity, peace and welfare in the context of unity in diversity. It is for this reason that I would like to take the opportunity to thank the Chair of the delegation. Looking at the kinds of recommendations and the opportunities presented when we get different Members of Parliament coming together, we find opportunity not only to build, but also to learn as we come together in the legislative assembly to meet the responsibility that the country and specifically all the other members have of us. I am aware that as we look at how we undertake our responsibilities, we must also bear in mind the environment, the kinds of concerns and tribulations that we face. As I look at the manner in which we can draw recommendations from this Report, I am reminded even of today’s newspaper, which indicated that there are those of us who have great challenges. Some of them use the cemetery and the tombstones as an area where they can take solace and rest overnight. We also have, as we scan our country and look at the concerns that the public have, clear cases of increased violence, particularly the violence that is taking place in the family, a space that is supposed to be a safe haven. It is usually meted out by those who are supposed to take care of each other – the husband, wife and children. It is for that reason that as I support and congratulate Members of the IPU delegation. I am proud of the forthcoming 62nd Commission on the Status of Women meeting, which will take place in New York. It is going to be a special session that has been organised by the IPU Bureau and women representatives for Members of Parliament. It specifically seeks to look at how we can make it safe for women in politics and how we can seek institutional solutions.

(Hon. (Ms.) Tuya): Member for Sirisia.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me a chance to contribute on this IPU meeting Report. This is a very important forum for Parliament. If all of us go with the good heart and spirit of Kenyan parliamentarians, we can make a change in a meeting like this one. Kenya used to be a country of peace during those past years. I am speaking as a former member of the national security forces in this country. We were known for peace until 2007 when the clashes occurred. That is when our country was divided. As Members of Parliament, when we go to represent this country in foreign countries, what we should do first is to bury our differences. I am happy today because I have heard Hon. Mbadi talk well when contributing on our seminar in Mombasa. He said that we should bury our differences and not go to Mombasa as NASA or the Jubilee Party, but as Members of Parliament.

We need unity even as we plan to go out to wherever because our country is still divided. This has taken long. It is now almost six or seven months after elections. When we go to a meeting like the IPU in any country, we need to speak a language that can promote this country.

(Hon. (Ms.) Tuya): Let us have Hon. Njomo.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. First, I would like to thank Hon. Pkosing for presenting this Report. I know it is a bit late, but better late than never. The IPU is a union of 136-member states who come together and think together of how to make this world a better place. It is a union that enables the respective member states to compare and prepare themselves in such a way that they are able to work together and come up with legislations that will drive their economies for the better and ensure human rights are exercised in a better way in their respective countries. It also helps Members, especially of the newer democracies, from reinventing the wheel. They learn from older parliamentarians on how to do things effectively. I am talking having come from an IPU meeting in New York last week. Member states were thinking of how to have a compact policy on immigration. This will help different nations learn how to deal with immigrants. This Motion was very vibrant. It exposed how different countries treat immigrants. That will help in coming up with some kind of universal and standard way of treating immigrants in such a way that they are going to feel like human beings. They should not be mistreated and should be as comfortable in the countries they have migrated to as when they were in the countries they come from. The IPU works very closely with the UN. This essentially helps the UN as it comes up with resolutions and recommendations. It is helped by organisations and unions such as the IPU in getting more views. Just like when we are making legislations here in Parliament, our Constitution asks us or demands from us that we must ask for public participation. The UN, as an international organisation that deals with many nations, does public participation by going to different parliaments and getting opinions from those parliaments when it is making resolutions and deliberating on their matters. So, this IPU works very closely with the UN. By cooperating with the UN, the IPU also helps in averting wars and quarrels between nations. When Members of Parliament from countries that are adversaries meet, they are able to talk from personal levels in such a way that when crucial matters come up between nations, they can be approached first from personal and friendly levels before they get to a very serious level. That way, many wars are averted. I remember an address that was made by the former President of Zimbabwe to the UN where he was talking about the way Americans have gone to other countries for their personal interests. It was a very tough statement coming from a President. Had this been dealt with from a lower level with more understanding, I believe it could have been solved in a better way. Kenya is a member of the IPU. It is actively involved in activities and all the resolutions that come up in its meetings. Kenya stands to benefit from being a member of the IPU. I, therefore, thank Hon. Pkosing for his good Report that he has brought to the House. I support it. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker.

(Hon. (Ms.) Tuya): Hon. Nyasuna.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker.

(Hon. (Ms.) Tuya): Hon. Members, I do not see any other interest or requests for contribution on this one. Therefore, I will call upon the Mover to reply. Hon. Wamunyinyi.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for the opportunity to reply on behalf of the Mover. First, I have had the benefit to be one of the representatives of our Parliament to the IPU in the past. I thank the leadership of Parliament for having accorded me that chance to be part of the representation of the country in the past. I would like to thank Members for the contributions towards this Report. This is one of the many important Reports that need to be considered and adopted by Parliament. It gives Members an opportunity to look at what colleagues have had to experience when they participate in international forums such as the IPU. I want to stress the point that the House leadership supports these forums. Our country, and particularly our Parliament, has been represented adequately at the IPU. It is being represented adequately even at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and at the African Caribbean Pacific - European Union (ACP-EU) grouping. If it were not for the support of the House leadership, we would not have successfully participated in this international forum. I want to encourage the Speaker and the leadership in Parliament to continue to support this participation. It also gives us a chance to be part of the world community. The IPU is such an important session that brings together Members of about 135 states. The main agenda is usually peace and co-operation. Members are expected to come together to ensure that the people of the world live in peace and co-operate with each other to strengthen democracy and to help the underprivileged people. When the Union is in session, it works through committees like our Parliament here. Our Parliament works through committees. The IPU also works through standing committees that deal with different aspects that include political, social, human rights and other issues. Most important, in the course of the business of the Union, it looks specifically at matters that affect the people. If you look at issues such as human trafficking, labour exploitation, sexual exploitation and brutality… We are expected to deal with these issues to urge legislatures across the world to work towards strengthening the law of human rights to protect the people and to ensure we work on behalf of all. As parliamentarians we must work for all. We are expected to represent all. This is the point that must be stressed. I liked it when my sister, Mheshimiwa

(Hon. (Ms.) Tuya): Please wind up, Hon. Wamunyinyi.

So I would like to appeal to colleagues to pass this report, as I appreciate their contributions. This should be taken seriously in future by all Members. With those few remarks, I beg to move.

(Hon. (Ms.) Tuya): Hon. Members, for obvious reasons, we shall defer the putting of the Question on this Motion.

I just want to point out that we have an all-important Motion for Adjournment by Hon. Sossion. It had been slotted for 5.30 p.m. but we have some business to transact before that. We shall pick up the Motion for Adjournment as soon as we finish with the next business. So I urge Members to be patient.

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I beg to move the following Motion: THAT, this House notes the reports of the Kenya delegation to the Sessions of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Parliamentary Assembly and the African, Caribbean and Pacific-European Union (ACP-EU) Joint Parliamentary Assembly, laid on the Table of the House on Wednesday, February 21, 2018, as follows: (i) Report of the 47th Session of the ACP Parliamentary Assembly and Inter-sessional meetings of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly held in Brussels, Belgium, from October 09-12, 2017; and, (ii) Report of the 48th Session of the ACP Parliamentary Assembly and the 34th Session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly held in Port-au-Prince, Haiti from December 13-20, 2017. The 34th Session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly took place in Port-au- Prince, Haiti, from 13-20 December 2017. The session was preceded by meetings of the three standing committees and the plenary of the 48th Session of the ACP Parliamentary Assembly between 13th and 16th December 2017. The sessions and meetings were a follow-up to the 47th Session of the ACP Parliamentary Assembly and the inter-sessional meetings of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly that were held on 9-12 October 2018 in Brussels, Belgium. Various resolutions on matters affecting the member states were adopted. As an introduction and for the information of Members, I wish to explain the genesis of this organisation. The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly is an Assembly comprising members of the European Parliament representing 27 EU states and the elected representatives of 78 African, Caribbean, Pacific States, or ACP countries, that have signed the Cotonou Partnership Agreement. The Agreement was signed between developing countries and the EU in 2000 and is supposed to run for a period of 20 years, ending in 2020. It is the only institution of its kind in the world and is governed by common democratic rules. A substantial part of the work of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly is directed towards promoting human rights, democracy and the common values of humanity. This has produced joint commitments undertaken within the framework of the UN conferences. The representatives of the 78 ACP states meet their EU parliamentary counterparts drawn from the 27 member states of the EU in a plenary session for one week twice in a year, bringing together more than 320 members of Parliament. The Joint Parliamentary Assembly meets alternately in an ACP country and an EU country. Two co-presidents are elected by the Assembly to direct their work, 24 vice-presidents—12 European and 12 ACP—are also elected by the Assembly, who constitute the Bureau of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly together with the two co-presidents. The Bureau meets several times in a year in order to ensure continuity of the work of Joint Parliamentary Assembly and to prepare new initiatives aimed notably at reinforcing and improving co-operations. It also considers topical political questions and adopts positions on all human rights cases. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the Assembly operates through three Standing Committees which have been established to draw up substantive proposals and are then voted on by the Joint Parliamentary Assembly. These Committees which began their work in March 2003 are: The Committee on Political Affairs, Committee on Economic Development, Finance and

(Hon. (Ms.) Tuya): The seconder, Hon. Wamunyinyi, the Floor is yours.

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to second this Report that is before the House. The Mover has been very elaborate. She has explained what the ACP-EU is all about. I do not think I will take time repeating what she said. However, I want to emphasise one point which she mentioned about the Cotonou Agreement. This is what created the enlarged grouping of European Members of Parliament and those from the ACP. That was in the Cotonou Agreement. The agreement will be coming to an end and there is need to negotiate for a fresh one. I want to stress, like I had said earlier, when it comes to negotiating the new agreement, it is important that we give it our best. Let us have Members who have participated in the past and who have the know-how when it comes to agreements. That way, they will be able to protect the interests of our country.

The Mover also stressed the point of Economic Partnership Agreements. I would like to stress that during the last ACP-EU meeting held in Port-au-Prince we discussed the agreements particularly in relation to economic blocs around us. In our region we have economic blocs. In Africa we have the East African Community, the Southern African Development Community

(Hon. (Ms.) Tuya): Hon. Members, I will now propose the Question.

I see a number of requests here. I know without doubt that we have a mix-up. Some Members have put their cards in anticipation of the next business. I want to request Members who want to contribute to Hon. Sossion’s Motion for Adjournment to kindly pull out their cards. Let us go by that because I can see already some people have pulled out their cards. We now have only a few Members, who want to contribute to the current Motion. That leaves us with two Members. Let us have Hon. Gogo Achieng.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. It is an honour because you have given me another opportunity to make my contribution to this particular Motion. I want to thank the Speaker and the leadership of the House for giving me an opportunity to have hands-

(Hon. (Ms.) Tuya): Member for Nyaribari Chache, Hon. Nyagaka.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for the opportunity to also speak to this wonderful Motion on the Report from Hon. Wangari Mwaniki, the Member of Parliament for Kigumo Constituency. This goes to tell us of the value of getting experts to handle issues. The topic is technical but the way it has been simplified by Hon. Wangari Mwaniki has made it so easy for all of us to understand, and more so to understand the importance of the ACP-EU programme. It is a programme which has really enhanced the economy of Kenya. It is a programme which is adding value to our economy, and which all of us of goodwill in this country need to support. That is why I appreciate the effort of the Mover of the Motion and acknowledge the benefits therein to Kenya in having this agreement in place. It is important to mention that the programme enhances promotion of trade. Without this, we will be paying a lot of taxes today. As a country, our products will be very unattractive to foreigners. They will not be keen to buy from Kenya because they can afford to buy the same products from neighbouring countries at a cheaper cost. We all appreciate that Kenya is ranked as a poor country and, therefore, it attracts a lot of taxes when we sell our products. For example, when we go to sell our flowers out there, we pay a lot of tax and that makes our products very

( Hon. (Ms.) Tuya): Hon. Nyasuna

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I intend to contribute to the next Adjournment Motion.

(Hon. (Ms.) Tuya): I thought you had withdrawn. What about Hon. Tonui Kiprotich? You are all anticipating to contribute to the Adjournment Motion. Let us have the Mover to reply.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to reply. The World Bank in its 8th Country Report on Kenya said that the dream to grow the economy in double digits will continue to be illusive until we promote international trade which is exports.

I want to thank the Jubilee administration because in the four point jubilee agenda that the President has said we strengthen, there is the strong push to have manufacturing that is export-led. Once we manufacture and grow our agriculture, we must secure markets. It is one thing to produce something or to manufacture and it is another thing to get a market for those produce. So, the partnership between the EU and the ACP countries, and particularly Kenya seeks to secure our continued partnership, so that our goods continue to get access to the European market quota free and duty free. Without the ACP-EU partnership, they will be

(Hon. (Ms.) Tuya): Hon. Members, once again, we shall defer putting of the Question on this Motion.

I call on Hon. Sossion to take his five minutes and move his long awaited Motion for Adjournment.

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I seek leave for the adjournment of the House for purposes of discussing the urgent need for affirmative recruitment of teachers.

Kenya, at this age, has made tremendous strides in delivery of education. In spite of that, we have obvious challenges that affect certain parts of the Republic of Kenya, especially in relation to insecurity and that has led to mass exodus of teachers. Education remains a fundamental right to every child under the Constitution. Under the statute laws, the Education Act specifically, the right of a child; even a refugee child, to education is an international declaration. The situation that has obtained repeatedly in some parts of this country is so grave that it has affected delivery of education by this nation to all its children equitably and with quality in line with the Sustainable Development Agenda, 2030 Goal No.4 which is very clear about equity and access and quality.

I, therefore, move this Motion so that we can vacate from what we sometimes witness in debating without a solution. As we speak, some teachers have moved out of North Eastern region and are here in Nairobi. In Mt. Elgon, some teachers have moved out of their work stations. Obviously, it means that thousands and thousands of our children in schools in these regions are doing without teachers. This is a matter that has to be addressed. We address it by proposing a solution. There is need for the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), as a constitutional body mandated in the Constitution, to immediately commence the process of recruitment of untrained teachers in these particular regions, deploy them to classrooms, register them and prepare in- service courses for them. I am saying so because Kenya is part of the global community. In other parts of the world, where trained and qualified teachers are unavailable, the staffing norms within International Labour Organisation (ILO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Education International recommend that we must draw teachers from those communities. North Eastern and other parts definitely have school leavers with qualifications and with capacity to engage in teaching.

The use of untrained teachers is not a new phenomenon. This nation has done it before but I am moving this as an affirmative action that can be taken at the moment to solve this problem once and for all. All communities, including those considered to be minorities, have a right to education. They all require to have their own teachers. Therefore, my proposal here is that TSC should immediately recruit from a pool of school leavers, qualified and capable citizens from these communities and deploy them to classrooms. It should then give them registration certificates and proceed to give them in-service courses in April, August and December. In doing so, the menace that is the exodus of teachers and lack of teachers shall be solved once and for all.

Hon. Sossion, you have 10 minutes. You still have a balance of about four minutes. Whether you want to use them or not, it is up to you.

Having outlined the actual situation in this country, I believe it is in the interest of this nation to accept this extraordinary step and allow the TSC to develop an acceptable framework. In doing so, this group of teachers, who have declared that they are unable to work in those particular places, can be released and be deployed for utilisation in other parts of the Republic of Kenya. I also urge the TSC to adopt acceptable staffing norms so that we can ensure that the teaching service in this country is stable at all times despite obvious challenges that we face, particularly insecurity. The traditional approach to teaching is that teachers are allowed to teach close to their communities. Take, for example, the pastoral communities who are ever moving and the mobile schools that we have. It is not possible to employ a teacher, say, from Migori or Kisii and deploy them to teach children in pastoral communities that are permanently on the move. It is always advisable that mobile communities must be targeted so that we are able to train members of that community who understand the culture of that community so that at all times, those teachers can be present. Globally, we have seen human migration. We have seen migration of refugees in Syria to Europe. Populations are moving with their children and their teachers. We have seen the same in Nigeria. The whole State of Borno has been affected by similar circumstances. It is always good when a community has their own teachers. In case of mobility, they will be having their own teachers. Therefore, beyond this, the TSC and the Ministry of Education must map out the ethnic minorities in this country and address their unique needs. It is a right that members of the Dorobo or El Molo communities, and all other groups, also have their own trained and qualified teachers working within them. There has been a policy that has caused a lot of jitters within the teaching service. There is a staffing norm we have seen in the past during post-election clashes that

Hon. Members, you know that this one does not have…

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I have a seconder; the Member for Wajir West.

According to our rules, such Motion does not have to have a seconder. The proper way to go about it is to give the first opportunity to the Chair of the relevant Committee, which is the Departmental Committee on Education and Research, so that we can have organised discussions. I will, therefore, give this opportunity to Hon. Melly, Member for Tinderet and Chair of the Departmental Committee on Education, Research and Technology.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I rise to oppose the Motion. This could have been a very good Motion but hiring untrained teachers to serve when we need quality education in this country is not appropriate. One of the goals of education in this country is to promote national unity. It is to foster unity among Kenyans. This can only be attained by ensuring that we live together as communities despite the difficulties that we go through. As a people, every region has its own challenges and difficulties. The Motion targets to address a challenge that is facing a specific part of this nation. For that issue to be tackled very well with a long-term solution, I ask the Government to intervene to ensure that there is law and order in that northern part of Kenya as well as in other parts of the country with similar challenges, including Mount Elgon, Marakwet and Baringo. The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) stands for quality education. The union seeks to ensure that we have quality teachers. Recruiting untrained teachers for those regions would be doing a disservice to children in those areas. Secondly, a few days ago, the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and Coordination of National Government was in the northern part of the country, and in the insecure parts of North Rift region. At least some semblance of law and order has returned in those areas. I urge the leaders from those areas to also come in to ensure that we talk to our people because security begins with us. We should condemn the individuals attacking teachers. We should condemn the people who are trying to ridicule our teachers in class. It is incumbent upon all of us in this House and outside to ensure that we do not make laws that are only meant to address something for a particular time. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, you will remember the founding father of this nation, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, took the reins of power at a very difficult time. There was the Shifta War and the Northern Frontier District Liberation Movement (NFDLM). There were many wars in the Northern Frontier areas. He did not give in. He ensured that the country remained one. If we go this direction where we are going to have what I will say is piecemeal kind policies where we urge a region to have a different policy from the national system, we will not go very far. In fact, I commend the Teachers Service Commission because they have, in the meantime, refused to withdraw teachers from those regions. Instead, they have asked the teachers to go to the urban centres within their regions and the locals go to the rural areas. It is the idea across the world.

I will allow Hon. Melly, as the Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Education and Research, an extra minute so that you can wind up. But, I would just like Members to note that they usually have only five minutes on this kind of Motion. These kinds of Motions are not seconded. So, every other contributor will have five minutes. Hon. Melly, I will give you a minute to wind up just because you are the Chairman.

Thank you.

Can you press the intervention button so that we can find you? Yes, give him the microphone.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I want to conclude by saying this: If this House passes this Motion, it will segregate particular parts of this country. This Motion will address the real issue facing the nation that is insecurity. We will actually not have solved what is ailing us. It is not about untrained teachers. It is about the security of this country. So, I urge the House that we make sure the regions concerned – I remember that regions as far as Mandera up to Coast, Tana River, have insecurity issues. Whenever we address security issues in this manner, we abet crime and terrorism in our country. We need quality teachers for students to pass exams. We need quality education so as to achieve Vision 2030. Let trained teachers be recruited. Let security be provided in those regions and not segregate other Kenyans by moving them across. Let us uphold national unity and the stability of this nation. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker.

Very well. The Hon. Wanyonyi Wetangula, Member of Westlands.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I also want to add my voice to this debate. While I agree with the sentiments of the Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Education and Research, we sometimes also need extreme measures to address some of these issues. I think sometimes the Government does not take security matters seriously because we have seen teachers being flushed out from those areas. We have seen religious profiling whereby people who do not belong to a particular religious segment are flushed out and sometimes even executed. These are issues we need to address – issues of security – and that is what is happening in Mount Elgon, North Eastern and other parts of this country, putting the lives of Kenyans in danger. For our children to get quality education, there must be security. There must be security and we should not address issues casually. The TSC and the Government as a whole must look at the issues of how teachers are going to provide quality education to every corner of this country. Such cases have been seen not just in those areas, but even within Nairobi. We are having serious issues of shortage of teachers and we have so many teachers who have been trained and are waiting for employment outside there.

Hon. Tonui.

Thank you Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for this opportunity to also make my comments on this Motion for Adjournment. From the outset, I want to declare that I support the Adjournment Motion by Hon. Sossion. It is timely and we need to act on it. I know the Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Education and Research has commented that there is insecurity all over, in Mount Elgon, Kerio Valley and elsewhere. But, I thought the recent killings of teachers which happened somewhere in the former North Eastern Province was quite unique. Normally, insecurity in the Kerio Valley and elsewhere does not target teachers, but this one was targeting teachers. The situation where teachers simply get killed, possibly because they are not locals and come from far, is a unique situation which I thought is what Hon. Sossion was addressing in a way. That is why he was proposing that, since education is critical for everyone, we need to have some other interventions so that those people can get their education and at the same time security of the teachers is guaranteed. I thought it makes lots of sense. I know from interactions with teachers who were teaching in North Eastern, it looks like there is a lot of discrimination and stigmatization in those schools. They also feel that they are not respected. The kids they teach also belittle and talk badly about them. They say, “these are

.” That is the kind of stigmatization that exposes them in those regions. Their need for security is different from the security requirement elsewhere. I commend the Chief Executive Officer of TSC. When she appeared before the Departmental Committee on Education and Research, she condemned it only that she has not moved a step further to ensure that these teachers are redeployed elsewhere. When we say we want to move them from the rural areas to urban areas, we should ask ourselves, what happened at Garissa University and Mandera when some teachers died? Are these not part of the urban areas of that region? I wonder when we talk about Al Shabaab being behind all these, are these Al Shabaab coming from Somalia or they are locals? Are the locals aware of what is going on and are not protecting these teachers, and

Hon. Members, you will remember that you only have five minutes each. I will give this opportunity to Hon. Wanga. You do not need to carry your hand up, everybody is interested in this. We will give everybody an opportunity. I believe Hon. Wanga was top on the list, but my colleague had called you out on the previous one. That is why you lost your priority. Have a go at it.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I would like to support this Motion by Hon. Sossion. I would like to state that as Hon. Sossion mentioned as he moved his Motion, education is the only equalizer and our children across this country from every corner are entitled as a matter of right to quality education. Therefore all our children from up north, down south and on the lake side deserve to have access to quality education. However quality is a factor of many contributors. As I speak, Seth and his wife Caroline Odada who were killed in Wajir hail from Kamuga, Kojwach in Homa Bay County, Kabondo Kasipul Constituency. On Sunday, I had an opportunity to visit that family. A mother was left with no child and no breadwinner. The girl had only married this gentleman in January. This lady happens to come from my home back in Kano. She is actually like my sister. Seth took his wife and went in search of daily bread. What has come back to us are two corpses. These are the realities. These are not just statistics, they are people. They are people who have families and must be looked at as well. Even as we look at the search for education… The reason I support this Motion is because it provides a solution to the problem that we are facing. We want our children to get quality education and the Chair of the Committee on Education and Research has said that we want teachers who are trained to provide education, but if I am a trained teacher and I am in an environment in which I feel insecure, I can tell you that I will not be able to deliver to the point that I am supposed to. The primary solution as was said by Hon. Chair of the Departmental Committee on Education and Research is to deploy as many local teachers as possible. We all want to be one big united nation. We are united but we cannot bury our heads in the sand to the fact that some of these terrorists are hell bent on dividing us along religious lines. Therefore, it is more likely for you to get targeted if you are of a different religion. We can therefore not bury our heads in the sand to that fact. The primary solution is to deploy as many local teachers as possible to the border areas where there are insecurity problems. If we run out of local teachers, this is where the solution that Hon. Sossion is proposing comes in. Can we look at who else we can deploy? Untrained

Hon. Members, I see a lot of interest on this. I am proposing that we shall run the list the way it is. We will only give priority to Hon. Chris Wamalwa because of our Standing Orders since he is in leadership. After that, I am going to follow the list the way it is here because I think we all have equal interest. Hon. Chris you have a chance, then after that, we are going to follow the list. You do not need to come here to look for your name. It is here. I will just follow the list the way it is.

On a point of order, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker.

What is your point of order Hon. Ibrahim?

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, there are some Members who are seated here whose constituencies are directly affected by the mass transfer of teachers hence the need to give them consideration. They have been here since this afternoon and have been pushing for this issue. Kindly consider.

Hon. Abdisalan, this is interesting.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. As I contribute on this, I lost one of my constituents who was…

Hon. Chris Wamalwa, just one second. I think I need to address myself to contestations by Hon. Abdisalan. When every Member walks into this Chamber, they have equal interest and equal right to speak. We cannot jump over other people and say this one has special interest. We can consider, yes; it is a consideration. Everybody who has come here has come because he has a special consideration. And I want to tell you that we have sufficient time, because I see we have about 10 Members who would like to speak to this. We have more than one hour, so everybody is going to speak. So do not worry about special interest. Everybody who is here is going to have an opportunity to speak. Hon. Chris Wamalwa, kindly proceed.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. As I contribute on this, first I want to thank Hon. Sossion for bringing this Adjournment Motion. As I speak, one of my constituents was murdered in Wajir. I buried that teacher over the weekend. So it is an issue of interest. It is not just what happened in Wajir but the teachers who died have people feeling more pain. So I come here today with a heavy heart because I lost a constituent. I went and buried him. The Government promised to cater for transport and burial costs but, unfortunately, whatever they delivered was zero. We had to go extra miles to see to it that we sent our loved ones back home to bury. It is painful.

Hon. Chris Wamalwa, your time has lapsed. Hon. Abdisalan, you were on top of the list before you raised your point of order. I think it will just be fair to give you that opportunity. I will run through the list. You were on top of the list. Have a go at it.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. Let me also add my voice to this Motion. First and foremost, let me take this opportunity to send my heartfelt condolences to the families of those teachers who passed away as a result of this attack. Secondly, let me take this opportunity to condemn the mass transfer of teachers from North

Hon. Omulele): I will give this opportunity to Hon. Oduol Adhiambo.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I rise to support the Motion for Adjournment by Hon. Sossion. I acknowledge and recognise the concerns raised by the Departmental Committee on Education and Research.

Hon. Omulele): The Hon. Noor Sophia, Member for Ijara, the Floor is yours.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this Motion. At the outset, I want to send my condolences to the families of the teachers who were killed. It is not fun but a real problem that is affecting us. I feel very sorry. We have education and security crisis and it is not only exceptional to Kenya but it is global. We need to address the problem and its root cause. I will give you an example of one mother who fled Somalia because of the crisis and problems that it was facing 25 years ago. She went to the United Kingdom (UK) and after 25 years, her three boys were killed in London. She ran to the UK thinking that it was a safe haven where she and her three children would be protected and safe but because of what is affecting the whole world, those children were killed after 25 years. This is a crisis. This morning I came from my constituency and half of the schools are closed. We condemn the call by non-other than the CEO of TSC and the Mover of this Motion, whom I had a lot of respect for. When he said that all teachers should be moved from North Eastern region…If we say that all teachers should be moved from London where a mother lost her three children because she thought that is a safe haven, then it becomes a problem.

The Hon. Member for Ijara, your time is up. I will now give an opportunity to Dr. Nyikal.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me an opportunity to contribute. I rise to support this Motion. We must agree that this is a temporary measure because it cannot and should never be thought of as a long-term solution. What we have here is a big dilemma of the right to life of our teachers versus the right to quality education of our children. We must weigh this very carefully. When it comes to life, even if we were to force these teachers to go back, some will choose not to. Already others have chosen to quit the teaching profession completely. This is because the threat is real. It is the second time this is happening. In the last Parliament we had a big demonstration of teachers who left for months and refused to go to northern Kenya. If we insist and do nothing, the children there will stay without any formal education. What is being proposed here could bridge the gap. Let us look at it that way. The real solution is looking at the issue of security in northern Kenya. In the last Parliament, we had many Motions for Adjournment. I can see in this Parliament they are getting many too because of the issue of insecurity and people not living in harmony. Profiling of people in the areas where there is insecurity is the problem. People see you stand out and then you are killed. We cannot say that these teachers must go back whether they like it or not. Indeed, there is a role to be played by the local people. We know there is a shortage of teachers in some areas in this country. Even the untrained teachers will not always be there. We must, therefore, put more effort in training more teachers in the areas with insecurity. I know this because I had an experience when I was the Director of Medical Services. We had a similar problem with nurses. We recruited nurses for these areas with insecurity and within one year they had come back to town. They had left those areas. This is a much bigger problem. The local people may have to contribute to this and work towards training more teachers so that there is harmony. Sometimes, one wonders how Al Shabaab can operate in these areas without the local people having the faintest idea of what is going on. I know it is possible, but I think they should do a lot more.

We shall now have Hon. Milemba Omboko, who will represent a special interest properly because he is the Chairman of the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET).

On a point of order, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker.

What is out of order, Hon. Kolosh?

On a point of order, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. A mistake was made when Hon. Ibrahim was given a chance to speak because it was my chance…

Hon. Kolosh, you are out of order. Your name is appearing on the list and I will give you an opportunity later. You cannot argue with me. You are out of order. Hon. Milemba kindly proceed.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I directly support this Motion. I want to remind this House that in 2015, 28 teachers died in the north eastern parts of Kenya. Out of the 28 teachers, 14 were from the former Western Province, five of them were from Vihiga County and two were from Emuhaya, which I represent. We buried them. For us, our cash crop is our teachers. When we give you our coffee, who are the teachers and you throw it into water, that cannot be accepted. Therefore, I support this Motion that we get short-term solutions to have some teachers from those particular regions teach as we wait for security measures to be put in place. The national unity talked about in this House cannot be achieved at the expense of the teachers. We cannot use the teachers as guinea pigs to get the national unity we are yearning for. That is totally unacceptable. This issue came up severally in 2015 and 2016. In one of the many rulings we had over this issue, at one time, the court said, and that was in a ruling by Judge Byram, that in the event the interest of the child comes into contradiction with the interest of the teacher, the interest of the child shall suffice. We respected and took it, but this time it is the interest of quality education versus the right of the teacher. The right to life of the teacher has to suffice. Therefore, it is in order for us to support this Motion fully and indicate that these areas should have their

Hon. Rono Kipkosgei, Member for Keiyo South.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I also wish to express my sentiments on the matter touching on the teachers in the North Eastern region. As we all know, teachers in this troubled North Eastern region have a worrying experience. They actually desperately need their jobs yet work is becoming a balance between life and death. If you look at the region, it is risking lagging behind because of the issues that they always face about the teaching fraternity. Even other professionals are also getting scared about working in that region. I support the Mover of this Motion and urge the Government to move in very fast and recruit fresh graduates and P1 teachers who are willing to work there. We can give the opportunity to those who are courageous enough to work there and if the Government actually is unable to provide security in such areas, I propose that in future teachers who are willing to be recruited in the military or the police be recruited. By doing so we will have a situation where we call them teacher-soldier so that there will be no insecurity being faced by these teachers in the future.

Here is a situation where we have insecurity year in, year out. This cannot continue forever. We are heading to a situation where we will say everybody for himself in North Eastern. As a profession, you should arm the professional so that they are able to give the service at peace. I support.

Hon. Melly, Chair for Departmental Committee on Education and Research, I hope you are recording the sentiments of the Member who has just contributed. I will give this opportunity to Hon. Mwadime Andrew. Hon. Mbadi, I recognise that you are here. You will have a go at it. Let the honourable member continue.

Asante sana, Mhe. Naibu Spika wa Muda, kwa kunipatia fursa hii. Nimechunguza kwa wenzangu wote ambao wamechangia na nimeona suluhu kwa kweli iko tu na Wabunge hapa hapa. Kwanza, tumetambua kwamba usalama ndio tatizo. Ndio maana Mbunge ambaye amenitangulia amesema kuwa yafaa kuwa na walimu wanajeshi. Mimi naongea kama mwalimu. Nikimnukuu yule Muingereza anayeitwa Maslow alisema kwamba kwanza mahitaji yale madogo madogo lazima yawe sawa ndio mahitaji makubwa makubwa yaje baadaye. Ukimweka mwalimu katika hali ambapo hamna usalama hapo kuna tombojoto.

Ninakumbuka nilipotoka chuoni nilienda kufundisha mahali ambapo nilikuwa natofautiana napo kitabia na masuala mengi tu. Baada ya muda mfupi tumbo lilianza kuwa na vidonda. Muda kidogo nilikuta risasi ambayo kwa Kiingereza inaitwa stray bullet ikanigonga na maisha yangu hayakuwa sawa sawa. Mwalimu ambaye maisha yake hayako sawa sawa kufundisha ni uongo. Hapo tunadanganyana. Ni vizuri TSC iangalie suala hili kwa undani. Pia tunafahamu kwamba hapa Kenya ukabila upo. Hivi sasa ukienda kule utakuta kuwa wale wako huko ambao si jamii ya huko ni wale watu wadogo wadogo ndio wamesukumwa huko. Hao ambao wanapitisha sheria hizo watoto wao wako katika shule za mijini na kila mahali. Ingekuwa hao wanawapeleka watoto wao huko ingekuwa ni vyema zaidi. Saa hii ninapoongea, kuna kijana anayetoka kule kwangu ambaye hana baba wala mama. Tangu mwaka juzi amekuwa akilia akisema: “Mheshimiwa, mimi nina ndugu zangu wadogo. Hii kazi kidogo angalau nimepata nafundisha huko. Mimi sijazoea masuala ya mabundiki. Nataka kuja huko nyumbani ama kwengineko kule Kenya.” Hamna. Nimejaribu lakini ni tatizo. Watu wasichukulie suala hili hivi hivi. Waliangalie kwa kina kabisa. Kama walimu ambao wako kule hawasikii kufanya kazi kule wapatiwe nafasi kwani nafasi ziko nyingi Kenya nzima. Vile vile, suluhu mwafaka itafutwe maana wale watoto ni wetu pia. Hatutaki wakose masomo kule Mandera na unajua wakati hakuna masomo ndio basi bunduki zitalia zaidi huko. Kwa hivyo, Mwenyekiti wa Kamati ya Elimu na Utafiti, ningeomba uyaangalie malalamishi haya kwa undani kabisa. Angalia pande zote ili tupate suluhu mwafaka tuone jinsi watoto wa kule watakavyosaidika na wale ndugu zetu ambao wako kule wanalia watasaidiwa namna gani. Nikikumbuka, yale niloyoyaona 1990 hayakuniridhisha. Najua wengi wenu hapa wakati huo mlikuwa hamjamaliza chuo. Yale niliyoyaona yalikuwa mengi. Ilinibidi nipeleke mashtaka dhidi ya Wizara ya Elimu kule kortini. Kwa bahati mbaya walinishinda na nikaumia sana. Niliomba msamaha ndio nikarejea maana nilikuwa sina namna.

Kwa hivyo, watu wasilichukulie suala hili kwa mzaha. Waliangalie kwa kina na suluhu ipatikane kwa haraka maana wale watoto wakikosa elimu risasi zitazidi upande ule na wale nao wakiwa kule hamna elimu inaendelea maana hawajatulia. Usalama wao upo hatarini. Unajua ukishajisikia usalama hauko sawasawa basi utakuta tumbo lako kila wakati linawaka moto na hamna kazi unaweza kufanya. Tuyaangalie na kuyapina yote hayo na tujaribu kutatua suala hili kisawasawa. Asante sana, Mhe. Naibu Spika wa Muda kwa fursa hii.

I will give this opportunity to the Leader of the Minority Party.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this Motion. I want to, first of all, start by congratulating Hon. Sossion for bringing this Motion. Now, I actually understand why, in our Constitution, we decided to include that we need representation from various sectors of this economy. We needed someone to represent workers and I think we did not make a mistake to bring Hon. Sossion to this House. I want to speak to those busybodies who are trying to interfere with the representatives of workers by trying to make the nomination of Hon. Sossion illegal, which it is

We shall have Hon. Peter Lochakapong, Member for Sigor.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to contribute. I rise to support the Adjournment Motion by Hon. Sossion. What he has brought to this House is good. We need short-term measure for the challenges which our people are going through.

The shortage of teachers is well known to everybody in this country. We have a shortage of about 104,000 teachers. We are facing a lot of challenges and inadequacies in staffing in our schools. With the current situation where teachers’ lives are in danger in some of the areas in this country which have a lot of insecurity like in the North Eastern, parts of Kerio Valley and in the North Rift, the best thing to do is to accept that this is a reality. Teachers have moved from those places, and pupils and students are not being taught. Therefore, it is important for us to look at a way out of this in the short run. We have what we are calling insecure areas.

Hon. Mohamed Kolosh, Member for Wajir West

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. Allow me first to condemn the killings that happened in Wajir East and also condole with the family and friends of those who lost their lives.

I can tell the House that the killings were not done in the name of Islam. We cannot debate as Members here that we will take some Kenyans out of parts of Kenya. I was with the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and Coordination of National Government in Wajir on Tuesday this week. The Cabinet Secretary declared that Wajir was a peaceful place and that, that was one isolated incident. The same group attacked the Westgate Mall and we did not close all our supermarkets. The other day, a school in the United States of America was attacked and although President Donald Trump retracted his statements later on, he said that the USA should arm its teachers. We cannot come here, especially as teachers, and say that we will move out from parts of Kenya. I have construction work going on in Wajir and there is only one local person working for me - the one who pays them in the afternoon. I have 36 workers. The other 35 are non-locals. Are we saying that they also move out of Wajir? Where will you give them jobs?

Hon. Kolosh, do not be swayed from your presentation. Hon. Kolosh will be heard in silence.

The most important thing is that we do a reality check. I support to the extent that we train more teachers for the people of northern Kenya. But what do we do? First, we need to understand the problem. That incident happened just at the border of Somalia. My constituency is 500 kilometres away and teachers have run away from that constituency simply because they wanted to come to this side. There is no single incident of an

attack that has happened in Wajir West, Eldas or Wajir North since the time we heard of the name “ Al Shabaab .” Why are teachers running away from those areas? Is it not good that we carry out due diligence? Why are those teachers honourable? Should we take the local teachers in those areas to those zones and take the non-local teachers to areas where we think they are safe? I oppose this Motion and ask the Mover of this Motion and the Chair of the Departmental Committee on Education and Research to convene an urgent meeting where we will discuss the reality on the ground and how best we can secure the lives of our teachers while not compromising the future of our children. I had the opportunity to talk to the CEO of the Teachers Service Commission. She has no clue about what is happening. She does not know the geographical areas. She has not consulted her Commission. She told me that she received orders. I do not know where she received those orders from. It is very sad to lose one life, not just that of a teacher but of any Kenyan. But if all non-locals leave Garissa and Wajir and go to Mwingi, the

will go there. They will shift from Mwingi and go to Nairobi and the Al Shabaab will come there. Tell us where we will go. More importantly, this Motion is unconstitutional. As my friend said, Article 237 of the Constitution says that TSC cannot employ untrained teachers. How do we debate here and say that we are urging the TSC to employ untrained teachers unless you are talking of constitutional amendments. The Mover of this Motion is a stakeholder in this. We can meet as stakeholders and agree on a most suitable way to save lives and the future of our children.

Let us have Hon. Jeremiah Kioni, Member for Ndaragwa.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for giving me an opportunity to speak to this Motion. From the outset, I was here when Hon. Wamalwa spoke. I want to inform him that Jubilee is spot on in terms of the big four agenda. The Budget Policy Statement (BPS) addresses it very well. But if you are out of Parliament most of the time and even when you are here you are unable to concentrate, it becomes difficult for you to know that we know where we are going. I want to associate myself with the comments or contribution made by the Member who has just spoken and also the Member for Wajir North, Mheshimiwa Ibrahim. As we engage on this issue, I am happy to hear from those people who come from that area. What I fear is the profiling of this region as one that is at war. Even areas that are peaceful would fall into this bracket. For those Kenyans who do not know how this country is, they will start fearing parts of this country and they will have a perception in their mind given the kind of contributions that we make on this Floor. It is very dangerous. Talking to the Members from that area, there are small sections that have been hit. In my constituency, I have buried people who were attacked in the quarries but we never stopped encouraging them to go and look for opportunities to work. We must lay the blame where it should be and it is the issue of insecurity. I agree that kids need to be in school. The measures that need to be put in place by the Government need to be quick and fast. Saying that members of one area should move out of that area is not a solution to this. Even as I speak, I know I am putting myself in the firing line from

I will give this opportunity to Hon. ole Kenta.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for the opportunity. This is a very complex issue. They say that however big a pancake is, it has two sides. I have listened to the Members of this House. To tell you the truth, the failure of the Jubilee Government has come to the fore. Pastoral communities have been treated as lost territories. That is why when the Government should be protecting the people, it is simply making it worse. Why do I say this? The Government takes away security from Members of Parliament. Where do they take this security? They engage in pettiness while Kenyans are dying. I would like to tell Kenyans one thing. The people of northern Kenya and the Rift Valley are suffering. The solution is not to transfer teachers. Nobody should be killed. We all have families. Our family members and children are protected. Who would want their child to be killed? When we see teachers crying on television, we realise we are losing it as a country. These people are criminals; They are not Muslims. If they were Muslims, we would be hearing of deaths in Somalia and many Arab countries. These are criminals. I wish to ask my colleagues: For how long will pastoralists hide criminals in their midst as they suffer? It is the pastoralists who are saying teachers should not be withdrawn from their areas. Why should we be quiet when we are suffering?

It is difficult for us to tell Hon. Sossion that this Motion is bad. Equally, we should look for a better solution. why is it that they now have vacancies in north eastern Kenya and yet there are no vacancies in Narok? Teachers who graduated in 2005 have not been employed. Teachers

Well spoken, Hon. Kenta. I now give this opportunity to Hon. Garane Hire, Member for Lagdera.

Thank you Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for giving me this opportunity.

Hon. Sauti, you have just walked in. You are the last one on the list. You have not even slotted in your card.

Thank you Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for giving me this opportunity to contribute on this important Adjournment Motion. First, I wish to send my heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the families and friends of the late teachers. Their deaths are unacceptable and very painful. It is something which, as a country, we should come together and face.

I do not support this Adjournment Motion because it is very simplistic. It is not giving us a solution to the problem at hand. Areas that are affected by these incidences have historically

Very well spoken. I will give this opportunity to Hon. Janet Ong’era, Member for Kisii County.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this Motion. At the outset, let me thank Hon. Sossion for bringing this very important Motion to this august House. I rise to support it. There can never be something more important than discussing the welfare of teachers. In this country, teachers are the most downtrodden people. For years, they have been suppressed by the Jubilee Government. They have never been paid their dues. When it comes to the question of insecurity, it shocks me that the Jubilee Government can be so busy killing children with live bullets. We know the case of baby Pendo and the case of baby Moraa. We know that the Jubilee Government is an expert in sending teargas and crashing NASA supporters yet they have failed to tackle the very important issue of insecurity in the North Eastern region of this country. It is now 54 years since Kenya attained Independence. For how long will we be discussing the North Eastern region in terms of being an insecure area?

Hon. Tuwei, Member for Mosop. Member for Budalangi, you have not keyed in your card. If you have, I cannot seem to pick it.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker; I thought the Member for Budalang’i is more experienced because he has been in this House longer than us. However, that notwithstanding may I support this Motion on the grounds that right to life is more important than appeasing a community that does not appreciate what I call the complexity of security and leadership in that region. When this matter came up the other day, the first persons who condemned the teachers are those in leadership from that region. I felt so bad because 40 of the said teachers come from my constituency in Mosop. I felt bad because the other time, when they were attacked, 112 came from my constituency. Today as we speak, I have listened to the leadership from North Eastern. They seem to know something and they want to blame other institutions and other bodies, yet we have been bestowed with responsibility as law makers and leaders of this country to come up with solutions. You cannot tell me that we should lose lives because of providing quality education yet the leadership of the affected area is not being sensitive…

Hon. Kulosh has a point of order. Hon. Member for Mosop, you will hold on.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, is the Hon. Member in order to insinuate that we are sympathisers of Al Shabaab and that we know more than we say?

Very well. I did not pick that up but if he said that…

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I did not say that the leaders are sympathisers. We have a responsibility as leaders.

So, did you say that the leaders are sympathisers?

I said instead of the political leadership in that region…

Proceed.

Even when passing a word of condolence, they took it that the Government has taken the wrong step. I believe that TSC took this into consideration with the advice that they must have got from the security agencies in that region. Nothing happens in Government without the advice of the security agencies. If this advice is anything to save lives, then I support it. The CS is not a guarantor of security.

Hon. Mohamed Kolosh, you were heard in silence. Let the Member for Mosop also have his time.

On a point of order, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker.

The Member for Mosop, just hold on for one second. Hon. Ibrahim Abdisalan, what is out of order?

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, is it in order for the Member to mislead Members of this House that the security sector is informed on this issue? A day ago we had a meeting with all Members of Parliament - all the leadership - at Wajir in the presence of the north eastern regional commissioner and Matiang’i who is in charge of security. The regional commissioner is not supporting this movement and claims that…

What is your point of order?

My point of order is that the Member is misleading by saying that the security sector in North Eastern is aware of the movement of those teachers. That is a misleading position.

That is a point of argument, Hon. Abdisalan. The Member for Mosop, proceed.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. May I be more particular about this matter: the presence of a CS in a region does not guarantee your security. We are talking about security across the country, especially the regions in the Rift Valley where schools right now are closed. Our concern is…

The Member for Mosop, you will address the Speaker. You should not address a Member.

I am addressing you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker.

Very well. And you have just one more minute. I have added you one minute.

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, from my own point of view, what is very important right now is for the leadership of that affected region to have a closed-door discussion with the Teachers Service Commission and the security agencies and try to see as to how far the TSC has been advised on this matter. It has been found out that local teachers who are in urban areas are refusing to go to the rural areas. That is the information I have from the teachers from Mosop who are working there. Let the local teachers who are now enjoying, some of them are now doing business in urban areas where the security agencies are, go to their own…

I will give you an extra minute.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I found out from those who are on the ground that even the said leaders who are talking here do not go to these schools. They have never met them. It is actually wrong to come here and tell you they have talked to local teachers transferred from all over Kenya to their region yet they have never had even a session of a cup of tea with them. It is wrong. It is high time that the TSC had a temporary measure of giving you whatever you will take because of insecurity.

we shall have the Member for Budalang’i, followed by the Member for Kajiado West.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. First, when Garissa University College was attacked I lost my uncle’s son who was killed by the Al Shabaab . Today if you tell the people of Budalang’i that your son is going to Garissa University or to those sides,

On a point of order, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker.

Hon. Abdisalan, what is your point of order?

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I cannot sit here and listen to the Member alluding to the fact that we do not have sense of ownership of our area. That is quite misleading and painful. The Hon. Member must withdraw.

The fact that you are in this House as Member of Parliament of that area means that Kenya recognises that, that is an area that is populated and needs representation. So, Hon. Wanjala, Member for Bundalangi, you are out of order on that. You will have to withdraw.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. We are just talking out of experience. Wherever they are and wherever they go, one person comes and calls other 50 people and they stay in one room.

The point you are out of order on, Hon. Wanjala is that they do not have a sense of ownership.

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I am saying that because when a community has taken you to school ….

I am directing you to withdraw that.

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I withdraw.

I support Hon. Sossion and thank the ODM as a party for having nominated a teacher. I am talking as a teacher. He is a high calibre teacher who is the Secretary General of KNUT. As a mere teacher, no one listens to me. It is good that Hon. Sossion has come here. This is where the cake is being baked. I assure teachers that things will be done the way they are supposed to because of Hon. Sossion and Hon. Omboko’s presence in the House.

Many Somalis are looking for jobs. They have gone to school and obtained the grades of D Plus, C Minus or C plain.

Hon. Members, the time being 7.00 p.m. this House stands adjourned until Tuesday, 13th March 2018 at 2.30 p.m.

The House rose at 7.00 p.m.