(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Hon. Members, we definitely need quorum. Therefore, I order the Quorum Bell to be rung for 10 minutes.

Order Members. We are ready to begin the business of the day.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I beg to lay the following Papers on the Table of the House:

Legal Notice No.140 relating to the Public Finance Management (Tourism Promotion Fund) Regulations, 2018.

Legal Notice No.143 relating to the Air Passenger Service Charge Act (Apportionment) Order of 2018.

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): The two are duly referred to the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning. Next Order.

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I beg to give notice of the following Motion: THAT, aware that 70 per cent of Kenya’s population is under 35 years of age, and that overall, unemployment among the youth is at 55 per cent; cognisant of the Government’s plan in the Big Four Agenda aimed at creating 1.3 manufacturing jobs by 2022; appreciating that Article 260 of the Constitution of Kenya and the Public Finance Management Act, and the National Government The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

Affirmative Action Fund Regulations 2016 support the affirmative action for the youth; aware that in the Appropriation Act, youth empowerment programmes were only allocated a sum of Kshs7.3 billion; this House urges that the Government declares youth employment a national disaster and further establishes a youth fund of at least 5 per cent of the national revenue collected each year to be administered by an authority or commission for purposes of youth empowerment and employment.

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): We are resuming debate which was interrupted last week. We have a balance of one hour and three minutes. Ten Members excluding the Mover and Seconder had already contributed to this Motion. I hope they remember themselves so that they do not sneak back into contributing. I have a list of 13 requests. We start with Hon. Tong’i Nyagaka.

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I rise to support this Motion. Kenya is an agricultural country where investment in agriculture pays well. We are aware that Kenya is committed to farming not because our people are trained well in that industry, but because it is one of the low hanging fruits that we have as a country. Therefore, it is only fair that we make deliberate decisions on how we are going to enhance agricultural farming, modernise it and make it more productive so that our people who are involved in the farming industry would get benefits therein. We are in a situation such as this where Kenyans are hurting because we have allowed ourselves to get food and other things from outside Kenya which sometimes are not of good quality. When we empower our farmers locally to produce cashew nuts among other cash crops, we are not only going to empower our people, but we are also going to improve on our foreign exchange. This would generate some money for the country, grow our taxes, improve the standards of living for our people and our children will get quality education.

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, can I get some protection? I have a lot of distraction from my neighbour here.

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Order, Hon. Members. Please, let the honourable Member debate in peace. Hon. Kathambi and company, please, consult in low tones.

He was consulting. He needs some microphone. I have told him that we have new technology. He needs to use it.

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): You can even exchange emails instead of talking. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. Hon. Kamanda is my good friend and one of my advisers, a man that I am so very proud of. He is a senior guy that we have around. As I was saying, farming is a key industry in Kenya and all of us have a duty to ensure that we succeed in it. When I was growing up as a young man, I remember our mum would take us to the farm. But, looking back and having benchmarked with the rest of the world how they are doing farming, I have a feeling that we would have done it better; we would have improved that kind of farming for the good of our families and the country. Even our taxes would have gone up. I remember we used to grow many cash crops in those days. Coffee was one, pyrethrum was another, and maize was a crop that we all grew. But, we were not doing it in a modern way where we would get value for our money and time. I urge we set aside a budget as a Government where we are going to invest in terms of civic education and agricultural training for our people so that they appreciate farming. If you go to our schools today and you speak to the children who are in school to ask them what they want to be when they finish school, very few will say they want to be farmers. That is because we have not made farming attractive; it is because we have not made farming paying or lucrative. It is time we did that. I was watching TV last night. I saw some farming in the Netherlands where a farmer has about 200 animals in an acre of a farm while we have thousands and thousands of acres but the kind of farming and cows we are keeping cannot be compared with what is happening elsewhere. The world is now competitive, it is a global village and, we cannot keep doing things the way we were doing before and expect to see something different.

I urge we set aside some resources so that we not only help people of the Coast but also identify other parts of the country where we can take advantage of the climate there. In Kisii, bananas are grown. They grow naturally. With minimal effort, we are able to grow very good quality of bananas. What is it we are doing with that banana? If you go to my Nyaribari Chache Constituency, on your way to Kisii Town near Keumbu, there are lots of bananas some of which go to waste just because we as a country have not invested in systems of harvesting the banana and keeping it safe to use in future. We harvest every day and it goes to waste because we do not have storage capacity and good cooling systems. I urge we identify those regions and set aside resources which will help those farmers to harvest their crops and keep them for posterity, until such a time they will be required for use. Let us identify market for our people to get the best prices possible. I was in China a couple of months ago. We were taken to some farms where I saw how they do their farming. No wonder they are flooding our markets here. The Government has gone out of its way to ensure that whatever they are harvesting is taken care of by storing the food and looking for market for their crop. We should do that. We do not have to reinvent the wheel; all we need to do is copy, paste and we succeed. With those few remarks, I support the Motion. I hope we will use it for the good of the country. We should use it to enhance the economy, to improve our taxes and our youth will get employment. Then we will address the issue of unemployment which is a major concern to us all as a nation. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker.

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Before we move on, I would like us to take time to welcome some students who are seated in the Public Gallery and the Speaker’s Gallery. We have St. Vincent De Paul Mosocho, Kitutu Chache Constituency in Kisii County, and Chepsir High School from Kipkelion East, Kericho.

The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

We have students from Kwa Mucheru in Gatundu South Constituency, Kiambu County. We also have Barsaloi Arid Zone Primary School all the way from Samburu North in Samburu County, welcome. Hon. Andrew Mwadime.

Shukran Mhe. Naibu Spika wa Muda kwa hii fursa. Mwanzo kabisa, kufufua kilimo cha korosho ni kupunguza taabu za Kenya.

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Order Hon. Tong’i and the other Hon. Member whose name I do not know. You cannot consult from where you are sitting across the aisle. Let us have Members have their peaceful time to contribute.

Asante, Mhe. Naibu Spika wa Muda kwa kuingilia kati kupunguza hizo kelele za wenzangu. Kabla sijaanza kuendelea kuongea, ningependa kusifu Bunge kwa kutuletea aina ya tarakilishi hapa ingawa tungependa waiboreshe zaidi iwe na mambo mengi; Hoja zote ziwe ndani ya hii tarakilishi. Wale walikuwa miaka ya themanini, wakati kile kiwanda kilikuwa kinafanya kazi, watu wengi sana walikuwa wameajiriwa na kile kiwanda. Si watu wa Kilifi pekee. Ilikuwa ni Wakenya wengi kwa ujumla. Watu wa Lamu, Tana River, Kwale, Taita Taveta, Mombasa na Wakenya wengine kote nchini walikuwa wameandikwa. Walikuwa wengi. Vile vile, akina mama walikuwa na shughuli kule mashinani maanake walikuwa wanashughulikia hizi korosho. Akina baba walikuwa wanashughulikia hizi korosho. Masuala ya mihadarati yalikuwa kidogo wakati ule maanake watu walikuwa na shughuli wanafanya. Baada ya kiwanda kuvunjika, mambo yamekuwa mabaya sana kule Kilifi. Kilimo cha korosho ilikuwa shughuli zaidi kule Kilifi. Mapato yao mengi yalikuwa yanatokea kwa korosho. Ni vyema Serikali itambue kwamba kazi na lishe kwa watu wa Kilifi ilitoka hapo. Hata mapato makubwa yalikuwa yanatokea hapo. Kufufua hiki kiwanda kutasaidia nchi kwa ukubwa maana vijana watapata kazi, lishe kwa wenyeji wa pale itakuwa sawa na nchi itapata ushuru mkubwa. Nashangaa juzi nilipochukua ndege kutoka Nairobi kwenda Mombasa, niliona korosho katika kipaketi. Nilimuuliza mwanadada aliyehudumu bei ya ile paketi. Alinishangaza sana kuwa inauzwa elfu mbili. Ni kwa sababu hazitoki Kilifi au Kenya. Wakati zilikuwa zinatoka Kenya, korosho zilikuwa bei ndogo na ni lishe nzuri. Tangu hicho kiwanda kivunjike, hakuna mtu amefuatilia. Namshukuru ndugu yangu Owen kwa kufufua hili suala. Hiki kiwanda kikifufuka, maelfu na maelfu ya akina mama, wazee na vijana watapata kazi hapa. Vile vile Kenya itakuwa inaongeza mapato yake kwa njia ya ushuru. Umesikia mihadarati imezidi Pwani, ni masuala kama haya. Viwanda kama hivi vikiinuliwa na kwingine, hata wafike kule Ramisi na kufufua kiwanda cha sukari, utakuta masuala mengi yako shwari kule Pwani na kwa Wakenya wote kwa ujumla. Wenzangu wamechangia sana na singependa kuregelea. Nimeshukuru kwa kunipa fursa hii na ninaunga hii Hoja kwa dhati kabisa. Asante sana Mhe. Naibu Spika wa Muda.

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Hon. Mbogo Menza, Member for Kisauni. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

(Kisauni, WDM-K)

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Did you say there are 14 nuts in the KQ packet?

Macadamia nuts.

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): A very interesting revelation because when you combine that with what Hon. Mwadime said that that packet costs Kshs2,000.

No. In the plane, you get a packet of mixed nuts, which are 14 macadamia nuts and six cashew nuts. It costs Kshs2,000.

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Yet you can never have enough of one packet. On this side, we have Hon. Sankok. Hon. Dory, I know you have been accidentally shut off, but I will come back to you. Hon. Sankok.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. This is a very important Motion that we all need to support because Kenya has a potential of producing more than 63,000 metric tonnes of cashew nuts. At the moment, we are producing just around 10,000 metric tonnes of cashew nuts. It is also good to note that cashew nut is a very fast-growing tree with a strong rooting system that can withstand drought. The tree is ever green. As we conserve more forests, cashew nuts will be good at increasing our forest cover because it grows to about 12 metres in height.

It is also good to note that cashew nut grows on tropical weather and at times these conditions are not favourable for other plants especially in the coastal region and parts of Tharaka Nithi that recently adopted the growth of cashew nuts. Cashew nut trees grow very fast and withstand drought conditions with very little rainfall. Since a sizeable percentage of our country sits on ASALs, then this is the plant we need to facilitate as a country so that our people can have a sustainable earning.

The cashew nut tree also grows very well in sandy areas. It is only that we did not do enough research, but I think this tree can grow well in Machakos, Kitui and other regions including some parts of Maasai Mara, which are blessed with a lot of sand. It can become a livelihood to thousands if not millions of Kenyans.

This is a form of economic empowerment to our communities, especially from the Coast region. It is saddening to note that most of these trees have been cut down because of lack of a link between producers and the market. We have had a lot of brokers in farming, not only of cashew nut but even of wheat, barley and potatoes. The brokers are the ones who bring down our farming system. Even in sugarcane farming, these brokers make sure that they maximise on their personal profit but minimise on the earnings of the producers. When producers do not get any profit from their farms, then they are bound to reject such products. That is what has caused the uprooting of cashew nut trees and some people changing from sugarcane farming to maize farming. It is because of brokers. I would also like the Government to come in now and crack a whip on these brokers and to invest a lot of money—of course not by taking money from SGR, because we need it as part of our infrastructure; you cannot transport the cashew nut using donkeys, so we need the infrastructure—in manufacturing and having a direct link to the producers. It is also important to note the nutritional value of cashew nut. That is why it is very expensive that 14 pieces can cost as high as Kshs2,000 and yet millions of pieces of potatoes The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

may not cost that amount. Cashew nut has calcium, phosphorous, potassium, sodium, zinc, fibre, total fat that does not contain cholesterol, vitamin C and other nutrients that are very important in the life of human beings. So, this is a very important plant that we need to invest in a lot as a country. As a House that makes law, we should come up with a legislative framework which can sustain cashew nut farming and encourage farmers, especially in the arid and semi-arid areas, sandy areas, the coastal region and Tharaka Nithi, to invest in cashew nut. Once the market is ready, once the farmers are happy with the Government’s efforts to invest in cashew nut industries and factories, I am quite sure all our citizens are ready and willing to make profits. They will turn into cashew nut farming, which then will give us economic muscles as well as nutritional value. So, I do support this Motion. Thank you.

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): The Member for Msambweni, Hon. Ramadhani.

Asante sana, Mhe. Naibu Spika wa Muda. Nasimama kuchangia Hoja ambayo Mhe. Owen ameleta juu ya masuala ya korosho. Ufufuzi wa korosho ni jambo ambalo litasaidia sana sehemu ambazo kwa mara nyingi zimekuwa zikikuza mmea huu kwa muda mrefu kisha ukaachiliwa. Katika sehemu hizo, hali ya umaskini imetanda. Wale wakuzaji wamerudi chini kimaisha. Kwa hivyo, ikiwa Serikali itafufua upandaji wa korosho ninayo Imani kuwa umaskini katika sehemu hizi utapungua. Aidha, moja kwa moja, kutabuniwa ajira katika sehemu ambazo zinakuza mmea huu. Isitoshe, ikiwa ukuzaji wa mkorosho utapewa kipaumbele na uzingatiwe kama mimea mingine inayokuzwa Pwani kama vile miembe na minazi basi hata kule bandarini, ambako tunategemea pakubwa kama nchi, kutakuwa na mashehena mengi ambayo nayo yatachangia kupata mapato kwa njia ya utozaji ushuru. Mapato hayo yatatuwezesha kuendeleza sekta mbali mbali katika taifa hili. Ufufuaji wa mmea wa korosho utasaidia kuzuia uuzaji wa ardhi kwa bei duni. Katika Pwani tegemeo letu kubwa ni mimea mitatu kama nilivyosema awali: minazi, mikorosho na miembe. Ninafahamu kwamba kule Kwale hakukuzwi korosho kabisa. Hilo limesababisha umaskini mwingi kwa sababu watu hawana pato lolote la kuendeleza maisha yao. Wakaazi wa huko huuza ardhi zao kwa bei duni ili kuweza kujikimu kimaisha. Kwa hivyo, suala hili naliunga mkono nikisema tufufue mkorosho. Serikali izingatie shughuli hii ya kufufua ukuzaji wa mmea huo wa mkorosho. Tukifanya hivyo tutahifadhi ardhi ambazo zimebakia kwa shughuli ya kilimo na tutamwezesha mwananchi kujikimu na kujimiliki kibinafsi. Wizara ya Kilimo sharti iangazie ufufuzi wa viwanda vya korosho vilivyokuwepo awali, kwa mfano, kiwanda cha Kilifi. Viwanda hivi vilisaidia pakubwa sana. Sizungumzii kiwanda cha Kilifi peke yake. Wizara ya Kilimo iweke utaratibu kiasi cha kwamba kila sehemu kunakokuzwa korosho kuwekwe viwanda, hata kama ni vidogo, vya kumwezesha yule mkuzaji ama mkulima kuuza mazao yake kwa njia ya rahisi. Ningependa kutoa mfano wa Kwale. Kiwanda cha korosho kilichoko huko ni cha watu binafsi na ndiyo maana tulionelea gavana wetu hatoweka pesa za Serikali katika kiwanda hicho. Lakini ni jukumu letu kuhakikisha kuwa tumekuza mkorosho kwa The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

wingi. Itakuwa vema ikiwa Wizara ya Kilimo itatenga pato maalum la kuhakikisha kila sehemu katika nchi hii, kwa mfano, Tharaka Nithi, Pwani na kwingineko kunakokuzwa korosho kujengwe viwanda vidogo vidogo na wakulima wawezeshwe kuuza mapato yao. Kupitia Wizara ya Kilimo tunafahamu kwamba kuna mbegu maalum ambazo zimeletwa ambazo wakulima watapatiwa. Mbegu hizo ni za mkorosho na mnazi. Aidha mbegu hizo zikipandwa zinakua kwa miaka mitatu. Wizara ya Kilimo ikifaulisha upeanaji wa mbegu hizo, tuna imani kuwa katika miaka mitatu hali ya maisha ya watu wetu itabadilika. Nikimalizia, Mhe. Mbogo wa Kisauni amesema kwamba korosho zinaliwa katika ndege lakini nataka nitofautiane naye. Huyu rafiki yangu mara nyingi anapanda ndege ya Fly 540 na hakuna korosho inapeanwa pale. Kwa hivyo, hayo si maneno ya ukweli. Mimi naunga mkono Hoja hii ya korosho. Asante sana.

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Sijui kama hilo lililosemwa ni ukweli, Mheshimiwa, eti kwamba wewe husafiri tu kwa Fly 540. Lakini hata ukisafiri kwa basi unaweza pia kununua korosho na hamna shida ya kusafiri na Fly 540. Tutaenda kwa upande huu. Mheshimiwa Tecla Tum kutoka Nandi.

I will contribute in the next Motion.

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Hon. Members, I know a Member who has even confessed that I picked on them and they were not ready for this one, but they spoke anyway. So, if you are not ready for this one, please, take out your cards so that we can prioritise those interested in contributing. Let us have Hon. Nyasuna.

Thank you, for this opportunity to contribute to this very important Motion. I would like to thank Hon. Owen Yaa Baya, Member for Kilifi South, for bringing this very important Motion. Agriculture is a mainstay for many of our communities. If you look at the Coast currently, the cashew nut sector has gone down. There is no industry to speak about at the Coast. Whatever is grown is small-scale and mainly for consumption at home. Cashew nut is highly priced. Many cuisines around the world use cashew nuts. Even if you have Chinese food, there is always that chicken and cashew nut on the menu and it is very tasty. If you have Indian cuisine, it will have cashew nut. In fact, the cashew fruit is used for making juice. There is also cashew milk.

So, cashew nut is a priced commodity that this Government should seriously consider investing in. The Motion states that we have potential to produce 63,000 metric tonnes valued at Kshs1 billion. So, if an economy such as the Coast alone produces Kshs1 billion a year, we would definitely move somewhere. So, we must look at how to invest, but not this ‘urging’. I always speak to Motions and we must move away from urging to taking action.

I want to ask Hon. Baya to move this to the next level of a Bill and allocate money during the budget process so that we are doing something that has immediate results. However, if the Ministry of Agriculture and the Committee on Implementation are listening, we can move this forward. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

What we are dealing with here is not just cashew nuts. We are looking at a global problem of our agricultural products including cotton in the Nyanza region. When we were growing up, we used to pick cotton and get money immediately. We had industries such as KICOMI that would process cotton, but when the floodgates were opened for import of second hand clothes, the industries went down. The KICOMI and RIVATEX are trying to revive now. We must look at it as seriously as possible. Look at what has happened to sugarcane and the sugar belt. The industries are on their knees yet we are importing an avalanche of sugar. We are told that we have sugar in this country that is enough to sustain us for five years. What will happen to sugarcane farmers? I am just using the platform of this Motion to say that we need to deal with this issue.

Manufacturing is one of the Big Four Agenda. You cannot manufacture without raw materials. When we are looking at the Big Four Agenda, manufacturing must be looked at in terms of the textiles and products such as cashew nuts as much as we can. I wanted to add my voice and support the Motion. After urging, let us move it to the next level. Let us factor money in the next budget to revive our cashew nut industries. We will not only be looking at cashew nut industries, but also other products that can help in boosting the economic mainstay of our people.

With those many remarks, I support.

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Very well, I think Hon. Wanga has raised a very critical point because when we talk of urging in Motions… You can have an urge for something, but whether or not it comes to a reality is a 50/50 thing. However, once it is a Bill, it becomes an available avenue for Members. A very important point of concern such as this one can have a high probability of actualisation. Let us have Hon. Tandaza Sawa from Matuga Constituency. Samahani nafikiri jina lako lilipotea kwa mtandao kidogo

(Matuga, ANC

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Mhe. Kassim, umesema

Nimezema bixa . Kwa kimombo inaitwa hivyo lakini kwa Kiswahili ni mrangi.

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Unajua saa ingine Kiswahili kinachanganya HANSARD. Nimesikia kama umesema pizza .

Sio pizza ni bixa . Mmea huu unatumika kwote ulimwengu na unatumika kwa chakula. Ni mmea wenye thamani. Pia, ni jukumu la Serikali kuona kuwa mmea huu unakuzwa na kiwanda kile kinapatiwa nguvu ili kiweze kutoa ajira kwa vijana wetu. Ni jukumu la kila Mkenya hasa kupitia utafiti, maana saa hizi watu wakizungumza ni kama wanafikiria labda korosho ziko Pwani peke yake. Tunajua kwamba utafiti uliofanyika hapo nyuma ulidhihirisha kwamba mmea huu wa korosho unaweza kufanya vizuri maeneo mengine ya Kenya hasa maeneo ya kule Tharaka Nithi ambayo ni karibu na Meru. Hali kadhalika, suala la mnazi pia limedhihirishwa kwamba sio Pwani peke yake lakini hata maeneo mengine ya Tharaka Nithi na Meru. Kwa hivyo tukizungumzia mmea huu, ninawaomba viongozi wenzangu tulitilie mkazo jukumu hili. Tuweze kulipongeza kwani sio suala la watu wa Pwani peke yake lakini ni suala ambalo lina uwezo wa kusaidia nchi nzima na vijana wetu katika lile janga kubwa la kukosa ajira tukiona kwamba ajenda ya viwanda inapewa nguvu kupitia mazao haya. Kwa hayo mengi, ninaunga mkono. Nimetanguliza. Siungi mkono peke yake kwa sababu zao hili linaniathiri kwa The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

kiasi kikubwa. Naliunga mkono, pamoja na miguu, nione kwamba ufufuzi huu unafanyika na wananchi wote wananufaika. Asante sana, Mhe. Naibu Spika wa Muda.

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Sawa Mheshimiwa. Kabla hatujaendelea, ningependa kuwatambua wanafunzi ambao wako pamoja nasi. Tuna wanafunzi kutoka Shule ya Msingi ya Munaine kutoka Eneo Bunge la Othaya, Kaunti ya Nyeri. Pia tuko na wanafunzi kutoka Shule ya Msingi ya Goshen kutoka Eneo Bunge la Mbeere Kaskazini, Kaunti ya Embu, na wanafunzi kutoka Shule ya Msingi ya Manguli kutoka Eneo Bunge la Masinga, Kaunti ya Machakos. Karibuni. Mheshimiwa Mbunge wa Kangema, Mhe. Muturi.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I support the Motion, but I have a few riders to it. The Member for Matuga said he needs a development authority. We already have the Cashew nut Development Authority under the Agriculture Act. The processing factory, which is now moribund, was set up 30 years ago. I support the Motion, subject to certain riders. You spoke about macadamia nuts. Macadamia came to our region about 10 years ago. Macadamia has no authority. It is a local initiative. We process privately, but macadamia farming has even now extended. We support Rwanda today and it is still growing. One of the reasons why the cashew nut industry did not take off to the level that was intended was that there was politics which came to it. Secondly, there was no sufficient interest in it to the extent that the cashew nut processing factory in Kilifi did not have sufficient produce to process. If you want, you need to do a few things to develop the cashew nut sector. The first responsibility we have, as local leaders, is to sensitise our people through civic education and then encourage mass farming of cashew nuts. The Government then should chip in, through extension officers. We need infrastructure for Kilifi for de-husking. Before macadamia goes for processing, it has certain infrastructure like collection centres. We need to embrace this to the extent of encouraging our people to venture into cashew nut farming to a level that can sustain the economy. We need to borrow a leaf from Mozambique, which is not very far from us. We also need to see the zeal with which Cuba embraces sugar farming. They have gone to the extent of incorporating sugar farming in their school curriculum right from the school level up to the university level.

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): I can see an intervention from Hon. Sawa. What is the issue, Hon. Sawa?

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. Is the Member in order to mislead the House by saying that there is a cashew nut development authority when for sure there is none, unless he is talking about a country other than Kenya?

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Hon. Muturi, maybe you need to clarify your statement.

I stand corrected. I do not have the literature here, but that is what I recall. If I recall, 30 years ago, the processing plant used to draw chief executives from the Government. The Government used to run through an officer nominated by the parastatal authority then existing in Kenya. So, I do not remember. I stand corrected. Nevertheless, we do not need an authority. We have no macadamia authority. The Kenya Tea Development Authority that you see is not funded by the Government. Your primary objective, as farmers of cashew nuts, is to devise a way of being self-reliant and not asking for Government funding. As a farmer, perhaps all that you need is an extension officer. You do not need much The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

funding. You must also develop interest in the development of the crop. The previous processor failed because he did not have sufficient produce to process. Thank you.

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Hon. Members, you remember that we only had one hour and three minutes remaining from the previous debate on this Motion. It is time, therefore, to call upon the Mover to reply. He has 10 minutes. Is Hon. Baya in the House? He automatically forfeits his chance to reply. We have 10 minutes. I will exercise some discretion and give some Members an opportunity to speak. I will distribute two minutes to each Member. Is Hon. Baya in the House? He is not in. Each Member going forward will have two minutes to speak so that we can expend the 10 minutes. Let us have Hon. Osotsi.

(Nominated, ANC)

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Let us have Hon. Mucheke. You have two minutes. Please, give her the microphone.

(Nominated, JP)

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Let us have the Member for Kangundo.

(Kangundo, Muungano)

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Let us have Hon. Jaldesa.

(Isiolo CWR, JP)

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Lastly, let us have Hon. (Dr.) Otiende.

(Rarieda, ODM)

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): It is very unfortunate that Hon. Baya is not here. There are very serious issues that have been raised with regard to this Motion. His forfeiture of his right to respond will be detrimental to the request by Members to augment this Motion to the next level. He can get it in the HANSARD, but Members should follow up their Motions so that they know what step to take next in order to actualise them. That The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

way, we will not reduce the proceedings of this House to a talk show. The intention is to actualise the things we debate about. I can see an intervention from Hon. Paul Mwirigi.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. Pursuant to Standing Order No. 53 (3), I request that you defer putting the Question to Order No. 9 until another day. Thank you.

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): I will go by that, Hon. Mwirigi. In consideration of Standing Order No. 53(3), we will apportion an appropriate date and time to put the Question on this particular Motion. That takes us to the next Order.

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Is Hon. Keter here? It is your time to move the Motion.

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

THAT, aware of the economic, health, social and cultural benefits of sports; further aware that Section 4 of the Sports Act (2013) provides the functions of Sports Kenya which includes, among others, the establishment, management, development and maintenance of the sports facilities; recognising that Rugby in the country has experienced tremendous growth and is one of the fastest growing sporting activities in the country; appreciating that the Kenya Rugby Union management has been instrumental in spearheading the sport regionally and internationally thus setting the country as a rugby powerhouse globally; deeply concerned that despite the various achievements and international glory that the sport has brought to the country, there is no single national rugby stadium; this House urges the National Government to establish a national rugby union stadium in the country, and high performance centres of excellence in every region with a view to providing quality sporting infrastructure, promoting the sport, and providing facilities where talent scouted can be nurtured. I would also like to take this opportunity to take note of something else which is in sports. There is poor organisation of our athletes. The ones we saw yesterday were stranded in Lagos for so many hours. That is a shame to this country and it reveals a lot about how we handle our sportsmen. As a country, we need to take these events, which our young people engage in, seriously. It is not the first time such an activity is happening. Before the athletes travel, they should meet and discuss whatever challenges they have, so that we help them out. They are citizens representing our country. I move my Motion with great determination, conviction and hope that this honourable House shall pass this Motion. It is timely and a true reflection of the potential and aspirations of our young people. Rugby in Kenya has grown by leaps and bounds since Independence. The first official rugby was recorded in 1909. The first representative of Kenyan games was in 1925. It was largely a white man’s game. In the year that followed, Kenya got involved in rugby and has never looked back. The Ngong Road ground of Kenya Rugby Union is the centre piece of Kenya The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

rugby history. Gone are the days when rugby was a preserve of the elites. Schools all over the country have embraced the sport now. Clubs have been started or revived in remote areas, for example, in Mt. Elgon with the help of the Kenya Rugby Union. This has been largely successful because of the values that the sport teaches and instils.

Research has shown that rugby develops team work, better concentration, discipline, tolerance and determination. It helps to build a healthy body, instil creativity and promote a healthy mind for the youth. Despite this, rugby is only played professionally in some clubs in Kenya. To promote the quality of the sport, support must be given to ensure that as many clubs as possible are run professionally and the players are engaged as professionals. Currently, there are several rugby activities that take place almost across the country like leagues, competitions, International Safari Sevens, schools national and regional rugby competitions, East Africa games, the Kenya Universities Sports Association (KUSA) games and under seven, under 13, under 17 and under 20s competitions.

Kenya has been represented in every Sevens World Cup since 2001 and yet support from the Government has been minimal. As the sport develops, it has come with new demands that must be met. With the little support that the Kenya Rugby Union has received, our players have squarely placed Kenya on global rugby map. They need to be supported in line with the demands of the game in human resource, remuneration, facilities and infrastructure. This will go a long way to enable our best output as a country. Rugby has brought national glory to Kenya. This cannot go unmentioned. Members will recall that Mr. Collins Injera, who is a young and unassuming man from Vihiga Boys School, became a top scorer in the world while competing for Kenya in the International Rugby Boards Sevens Circuit. His elder brother, and former Kenya team captain, Mr. Humphrey Kayange, was involved with other notable individuals. The world first global icon, the late John Alamu, successfully advocated for the return of Sevens Rugby to the Olympic Games. History will judge me harshly if I fail to mention the country’s first professional rugby player, Mr. Edward Rombo. He became a professional when he moved to the United Kingdom (UK) to play for the Leeds Rhinos in 1990. Since then, only Mr. Lukas Onyango has walked the same path. It is sad that as a country, we have produced only two world class players in 28 years.

The proposed high performance centres will assist us to produce more professionals who will play locally or abroad after the example of Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, New Zealand and South Africa. They wanted to come to Kenya recently to train with fellow world champions but it was sad to turn them away simply because we do not have a stadium that meets international standards.

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, as I had earlier alluded, very few players have made it to the ranks of Edward Rombo since 1990. This should be an indictment on our collective consciousness as a country given the immense potential the country has shown. Kenya leads in rugby at the regional level with visiting teams from Uganda and Cameroon opting to pace their games with ours. We must ask ourselves the right question and at the same time not fear tough questions. Why is it not a priority to develop rugby talent in Kenya? Why not restore Kenya as a regional rugby hub that is self-sustaining? Why is sports not managed in our universities in similar version as it is the world over? There is a missing link between school rugby and university rugby that needs to be dealt with. Establishing high performance centres and construction of national rugby stadiums will make positive strides in promoting rugby as a sport The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

in Kenya and nurturing our youth. When investment in sports is well informed, it has the ability to create employment and spark growth.

As Kenyans, we must pause and reflect often on this issue. I beg us to do the same: pause and reflect on how other nations are able to overcome conflicts and produce world-class sports icons across various disciplines with low populations that are a fraction of ours. We must pause and reflect on rugby as a vehicle that is ready to go and only needs a little fuel to be injected. Players have gone out there and shown potential. Let us support rugby in Kenya and we will see more desired results sustainably.

With those few remarks, I implore Members present to support the Motion that seeks to establish high performance centres in every region and a national rugby stadium in Kenya. Thank you.

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Hon. Keter, who is your seconder? Is it Hon. Kiarie? Who is it? Hon. Keter, you should know that you must have a seconder for such a Motion. You cannot have many. You pick one who is prepared to second the Motion you have moved.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. Earlier on you confused my name. My name is Osoro.

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): I have it now, Hon. Osoro.

Thank you. I rise to second the Motion by Hon. Keter on the establishment of the Kenya rugby union stadium in the country and high performance centres of excellence in every region. We need to live by the fact that this is a country that adores sports. During the World Cup, most Kenyans converged in common centres to watch football. People in the country adore sports.

Recently, our national rugby team represented the country in the world. Sports is not just a form of exercise. It can actually be used to generate money for our youths. It can be natured to be a career for our jobless young people. We have high levels of talent in the country and in diverse grounds including sports. Our young people, who are well talented and well equipped in their bodies, can engage themselves in sporting activities that can equally generate income for them. Equally, our people who want to lose weight to avoid lifestyle diseases lack places for exercising. It is important for us to nurture sporting activities in the country. This should not just start in establishing national centres as Hon. Keter has alluded to. It is important to start looking at sporting activities right from the ground, from educational learning institutions like primary schools, secondary schools and universities. If we are able to establish serious sporting grounds, we will nurture talent, fight lifestyle diseases and above everything put the country high globally in terms of sports.

I rise to second and support the Motion by Hon. Keter. It is important to urge the Government to consider establishing the centres, even if it is one in every region: one in the coastal region, one in Nairobi, one in Nyanza and one in the western region. We will be able to improve our sporting activities in the country.

I beg to second the Motion. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Before we propose the Question on the Motion, let us take time to welcome our pupils who are here with us. Some are in the Speaker’s Gallery and some in the Public Gallery. We have St. Paul Mbaraga Primary School from Mbeere North, Embu County; Karuriri Primary School from Manyatta, Embu County; Matunda Primary School from Gatanga, Murang’a County; and, Kiurani Primary School in Maara, Tharaka Nithi County. Welcome.

Hon. Members, I just want to point out that the Mover had his 15 minutes and every other Member contributing will have a maximum of five minutes to contribute to the Motion, of course with the exception of the Leader of the Majority Party and the Leader of the Minority Party. Let us start with Hon. Waluke. He is not in. Hon. Mwamkale Kamoti.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. First and foremost, I thank Hon. Keter for the timely Motion. I rise to support it.

Indeed, Kenya is a country whose citizens adore sports. We have seen it be it football, rugby or athletics. Our concern is that attention has been put to athletics and football, forgetting the other disciplines in this country.

It is high time our country embraced all the disciplines and makes sure that youngsters from all the regions are given an avenue of exploiting their talents. I commend the rugby union for taking rugby to where it is now. It is an old sport but in recent years, we have started seeing our Kenyan rugby being played in the international arena. I thank the management of rugby union for that progress. I commend the Safari Sevens. They have put our country on the sports map of the world. They have brought glory to our country. It is high time we created avenues for the youth. I am saying this because rugby is nowadays played in schools across the country. Children play rugby but immediately thereafter, they find that the road is closed and they either go to football or athletics. I support the idea of establishing high performance centres across the country so that our sportsmen can know that there is a place they can go and practice. We should have centres where they can go to nurture their talents. It is high time we encouraged sports. We know that it is a very lucrative discipline. People are earning billions of shillings in this world in sports. What we do in Kenya is wait for individuals to find their way out. People train in the Rift Valley and find their way to Europe. It is high time the Government embraced sporting seriously and makes sure that we have an avenue for our children to pursue their talents. As it has been said, I believe this will not end as a Motion but it will be followed up with a relevant Bill to make sure that it is enforced. With those remarks, I support. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

We shall have Hon. Oyoo Onyango, Member for Muhoroni.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for your kind consideration. I take the cue in supporting my good friend, Gideon Keter, for floating this good Motion. Like many sports, rugby is liked by young boys and girls, who are the majority of our population. However, the way it is managed has left a lot to be desired. Only a few youths from privileged families are able to pursue this sport beyond the normal practice or exercises that they are used to doing. I believe that like many other sporting activities, much emphasis should be put in the development and management of rugby more so through the sporting activities. The ministry concerned or the Rugby Association of Kenya should make the game more attractive to the young boys. We are at a time when the country needs a lot of income from various activities. The sport is not being managed well. I believe that the collapse of agriculture is intentional. Some people in the Government wanted agriculture to collapse so that they could make money out of illicit imports, as is the case today. Those who are concerned with the management of sports in the various departments should put more emphasis and ensure that those sports are well managed. Players or participants should be treated well such that when they go out, they carry their dignity with them and come back with it. They should be helped to invest the monies accrued from sports. Every now and then, people who have excelled in sports and cut out a good image for themselves at the global level ended up coming back to the country suffering and just resorting to drinking. So, I want to assure my good friend, Hon. Keter that we will support this Motion to the hilt. That is in the best interest of the youth and the population of this country. Thank you very much. I support.

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Hon. Members, I would like to recognise, in the Speaker’s Gallery, the presence of students from Gatanga Primary School, Gatanga Constituency, Murang’a County. They are welcome to witness the proceedings of the National Assembly this morning. This opportunity now goes to Hon. Tum Chebet, Member for Nandi.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I support the Motion on establishment of a national rugby union stadium in Kenya. Sporting activities have been known to promote anti-aging as well as bring social, cultural and economic benefits. When we talk about economic benefits, we are talking about job creation. There are quite a number of youths who have no jobs. So, if they are engaged, the economic index of this country will grow. The youth in our country are engaged in a lot of crime. They are engaged in drug and substance abuse. When we engage them in sporting activities, there will be a reduction in crime. There is the issue of cultural benefits. We know very well that peace initiatives can be ventured into if we engage in sporting activities. We know very well that the athletes in our nation have improved the economy. If we venture into rugby, we will create a lot of jobs for our youth. In the newspapers, we saw that Kshs800,000 will be used in the area of obesity to do operations. So, if we engage in sporting activities, we will use that money to take our children to school. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

The other issue is poverty reduction. If the youth are engaged in sporting activities, we will create jobs; unemployment will not be an issue. We will engage our youth. Even in our schools, there is mental health and fitness in sporting. We need to establish national rugby stadiums in Kenya. As a Member of the Sports Committee of this House, I am in for it because we need facilities in our nation. Men and women across the country must be engaged in sporting activities so that they do not engage in other antisocial behaviour. This will bring unity. There is the issue of coming together as a nation. Tribes will not be fighting one another. When we meet and engage, we will sow seeds of love in our nation. Thank you.

Very well. I have seen the Chair of the Departmental Committee on Sports, Culture and Tourism has just walked in. Settle down and take notes. You will have an opportunity to speak after all the Members have contributed to this because it is within your docket, Hon. (Dr.) Munyaka. The opportunity goes to Hon. Oduor Ombaka, Member for Siaya.

Thank you Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for giving me this opportunity. Sports is a very important activity for any human being. Promotion of rugby is a good thing; we are moving towards the right direction. Rugby has been with us for many years. I remember growing up in primary school, secondary school and up to university and rugby has always been my best. I am a fan of rugby. Some of us met our spouses through rugby because they were players of rugby. Rugby all over the world is a very popular sport. Many people admire it because of the manner in which it is played – the aggression, the unity. It is a mixture of everything in sport. Not only is it good for health in terms of fitness but it is also part and parcel of what can be an economic entity for various groups. It is an income generating activity just like any other sport, like soccer. Soccer is a very powerful game and you can see how the whole world watches it and participates in it. The same can be for rugby. For this country, we need to begin by improving sports, rugby being one of them. Swimming has always been forgotten. I am a fan of swimming. We need to consider so many types of sports that our people can engage in. When you look at the lives of young people today, they are completely in a mess. A lot of them are idle; a lot of them do not have jobs; they end up sitting in the streets begging and getting engaged in violence and some form of drug addiction. If we improve sports in this country, many of young people will participate in sports and spend more quality time in sport activities. I support this Bill because of the fact that it can improve the lives of our young people who are still active and can participate in rugby. The establishment of stadia is also necessary. Having a national stadium will unite Kenyans. Sports is known to unite people. Even in South Africa where people used to fight each other in racial apartheid system, it has been found that sports unite a nation. If rugby can be established and stadiums built in this country, they will be unity that we lack in this country. Many parts of the country will unite during sports entertainment or sports competitions. You will find that we are going to build a Kenyan society that is united, more peaceful and loves one another. For various reasons, I think there are good things that will go with the establishment of improving rugby in our country. However, with what we have seen in sports in this country, so many things disappoint us when there is no money for sports. There is never any money for soccer much as it is very popular. There is no money for tennis, there is no money for any type of sport. Even if we promote rugby, that challenge is likely to continue. This is the only opportunity to highlight the fact that we may wish The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

to establish many types of sports in this country but, we at the same time need to ensure that funds are allocated to sustain the establishment and practices of these sports. Lastly, I can see that we talked about every constituency having a stadium sometimes back. That has not been established up to now. I am not too sure whether the Mover of this Motion is considering the fact that stadiums, if established the way it was discussed previously, even rugby would be included in those stadiums. Does he mean that we need more stadiums for rugby specifically or the kind of stadiums we have generally will also engage and include rugby as well? That is what I need clarification on.

The Hon. Member for Siaya, you have five minutes. Every Member should know that you have just five minutes. I will allow you just one minute to finish your submissions.

I just wanted to conclude by saying that it is a Motion I support only that certain weaknesses we have in sports should be addressed before we start establishing another stadium even though we have thought of putting stadiums in every constituency. Thank you.

Your contributions are noted. It is true that sports pays. Personally, I was lucky that part of my fees in high school was paid because of swimming. I was a good swimmer those days. This is a good thing. We shall have Hon. Mwirigi, Member for Igembe South.

Thank you Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this important Motion. First and foremost, I would like to congratulate Hon. Gideon Keter for bringing this Motion which is very important to our lives, especially the young people who normally play rugby. This was my favourite game when I was in high school. It helped me a lot. I would like to encourage the establishment of a national rugby union stadium in the country and even to go further in our counties so that we can be able to tap talents of the young people. This game brings the young people together and brings unity amongst fellow countrymen. This is because it is the avenue where many people interact. This game goes a lot in developing our body structures. I would urge fellow Members to support this Motion so that we can have these stadiums especially in our counties whereby we can encourage our young people. Having those clubs where our young people practise or play rugby, they will be much aware of what is gotten from games. Games in our country and outside this country are well-paying. You will see a player earning a lot of money through games. I urge the Government to consider rugby as one of the important games which should be encouraged, funded and encouraged even in our schools so that we can have those teams. At the same time when our Kenyan team goes to play outside there, we will have more professional players. I support this Motion. Thank you.

Very well. Hon. (Dr.) Otiende Amollo, Member for Rarieda.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I support this Motion with a slight rider. Unlike the Motion before it, it identifies the Government in issue. It urges the national Government and that is encouraging. I think it is a lesson for the drafters of this Motion. Secondly, the establishment of a National Rugby Union Stadium is a good thing but I will urge the Mover to drop the word ‘union’. Once you introduce the word ‘union’, you are no The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

longer establishing a national establishment; you are establishing it for the union. Unions are not necessarily public and therefore it confuses the entire Motion. Having said that, I am sure that when in the fullness of time it comes to be debated where the location of that national stadium will be, we all know where most of the rugby players come from and I am quite sure that it will be somewhere in the vicinity of the lakeside. Unfortunately, the Motion continues with the tradition of referring to every region. This is something that I hope from the Speaker’s perspective you will be able to address because it is confusing to the intent of Parliament, to the essence of the Motion when we keep talking of every region. We all know that we do not have the former provinces as such. The closest you mean when you talk of every region is the counties or unless you mean the constituencies. So, talking of every region then brings all the complications and I would urge that in drafting Motions including this one, we focus on the establishment of a National Rugby Stadium and leave the idea of every region alone. In any event, sports also falls within the ambit of county government. County governments must also assume some responsibility financial and otherwise in establishing some of these facilities. I support except that I have a big issue with the framing of Motions as urging and not resolving and they end up being merely some wish list that does not go anywhere and sometimes I wonder whether it is an effective use of our time. However, with those few remarks I support.

Very well, Hon. Otiende. We shall now have Hon. Lesuuda Naisula.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I rise to support this Motion with some riders on it. It is very important that we have national stadia that will specifically be dedicated to rugby. It is also one that talks of high performance centers of excellence. I also think that it is important that we start with one. We are always very ambitious. We had the five stadia - what we are still waiting for. It is even important that this House is apprised on how far we have gone with the five and see whether one of them can be made to be for rugby. It is one thing for us to comment on issues here, pass Motions but the actual doing and which we know that it requires finances, I think it is important that we know how far we have gone with the five. I am aware that in some counties the progress is going on albeit quite slow but it is important that before we talk about a new one, we know about the other stadia that are going on. We cannot overemphasise the importance of sports in our country for our young people. We have also seen how it usually unifies us. You know when rugby is playing or when our athletes are running and everybody is waking up at funny hours to watch, we see unity in it. They are Kenyans then and we are all so happy when our flag goes up. It is only when they come back home that we want to know which tribe this person is from. Sports have a unifying factor for us as a country and it is something that we must support. On issues rugby, we know that the players are doing their own professions and they are just playing rugby sometimes as a hobby. It is important that we think about it as a profession itself so that we can show that sports pays off. We know many students who have gotten scholarship because of sports but we lose a lot of talent after our students finish high school or universities. That is where we tend to nurture talents especially sports but thereafter, we do not continue to make it a profession, we leave our players to donations from us politicians, other entities and sponsors but as a Government we are not really putting a lot in terms of making sure that sports can pay or sports is a profession. It is something that we must think of as a country and I think this can be a start in the right direction as we continue to promote sports across our country. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

So, I support this Motion, it will be interesting to see how we actually follow up on it to see that it is implemented. But I just wanted to comment that of the stadia that are being constructed we can make one of them in the country to be one of our stadia on rugby.

I hope your contributions are being noted by the relevant committee. I can see the Chair is taking note of them. We shall now have Hon. Wangaya Aseka, Member for Khwisero.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I join my colleagues in supporting this Motion that seeks to establish rugby stadia in our country. As the outset, let me send my condolences to the families of the two rugby players who passed on and happen to hail from Khwisero Constituency, the late Mike Okombe and two weeks ago, we lost one young man Mr. Andayi, who was very bright and an upcoming rugby player. As my colleagues have said, it is important to promote sports because it unifies the nation, promotes national cohesion and as a House it is always a bonus to ensure that every sporting activity is supported.

As we know, rugby is a game that excites many. There is something that as House, we need to encourage the rugby union to be careful with - the use of substance which we know is used to energise players when they are playing. It is good that as we move on as a country and support this game, let us ensure that they bar the use of substances that at the end of the day, we have seen it affects the lives of our young players.

Lastly, I want to thank the rugby association and team for putting this country on the international map which has brought pride and favour to this nation.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I support the nation.

Hon. Aseka, did I hear you say that there is a substance that is used to energise the rugby players? What is that substance?

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I withdraw.

We shall now have Hon. Jaldesa Dida followed by Hon. Sankok.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I rise to oppose this Motion because of the way it is worded. It says that we establish a rugby union and a centre of excellence in every region. As far as I am concerned, this is a duplication of a Motion that was brought to this House not so long ago and Members debated and passed it. It states the need to establish a sporting academy in every constituency. I therefore feel that this is a duplication of another effort. My opposition to the Motion does not mean that I do not feel the need and the importance of having rugby. Rugby is one of the promising games that have put this country in the map of the world. Therefore, to that level, I recognise the importance of rugby. I wish the Mover of the Motion was here. My proposal would have been for the Mover to amend the Motion to state the need to have a multipurpose centre that will host conference facilities, concerts, trade, exports, indoor and outdoor sporting events and small and medium enterprise stalls. I would like to also further note that rugby is not a game that is felt all over this country. For example, Isiolo County, where I come from, we just watch rugby on television and we read about it in newspapers. Therefore, if the Mover wants to make it a regional sport, the most The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

important thing is to market the sports in every part of this country. Even if you look around, most of the people from the area I come from are not here and it is because they do not understand this sport. So, we need to understand the sport and be part of it, because it is a good sport. Again, we have shortage of sporting facilities in this country. My humble request is that we focus on ensuring that we uplift the standards of the sporting facilities that we have to international levels. We need to have facilities that can host multipurpose functions. A good example is the very nice and convenient sporting centre we have in Kasarani. Let us not duplicate initiatives. Let us consider that this proposal has financial implications to the people of this country. Let us not burden Kenyans, because as it is, they are already burdened. With that, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I beg to oppose.

Hon. Sankok.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. At the outset, unlike the Member who has just spoken, I really do support this Motion. I want to congratulate Hon. Gideon Keter, being a representative of the youth and doing his work perfectly well because we know sporting activities are for the youth. He earns his position here if he keeps bringing Motions such as this that will assist the youth in this country. It has also come at the right time when we are mourning. We are mourning because of having a CS by the name Rashid Achesa who was a sportsman and who is also in the bracket of the youth and now our athletes are stranded somewhere in an airport in Nigeria. It is shameful to this country. It is shameful to the Ministry of Sports. It is shameful to the CS himself who is under the bracket of the youth and who was also a sportsman. I hear that he was a boxer. We should take seriously…

Hon. Sankok, there is a point of order from Hon. Munyaka Kioko. Hon. (Dr.) Munyaka.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I wanted to inform Hon. Sankok that the current situation happening in Nigeria is not of Kenyan making because around five nations are stranded at the airport; they have not been able to go to the competition venue because of lack of proper planning and connection flights. So, it is not only the Kenyan team which is affected. Teams from Ethiopia, Senegal and Djibouti are also stranded. The mistake is of the Nigerian authorities and the continental federation which organised the games.

Very well. Hon. Sankok, are you now well informed?

Of course, I understand failures have many excuses and excuses are a justification of failures. How come we can have a delegation of the Government, including the CS, getting direct flights to wherever they are going to, but when it comes to our sportsmen and women who win this country gold medals, we have to find the cheapest means of transport, which is connecting flights and so on? That excuse is not a The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

justification enough as to why our men and women are stranded somewhere in Nigeria. And it is not for us to solve that problem. It is the Government, led by the Ministry of Sports to solve it! Before I was rudely interrupted, I was saying that I support this Motion of Hon. Gideon Keter, who is a youth himself and he is doing a perfect job. I expected the CS, Rashid Achesa, to do what Hon. Keter is doing, as a youth himself. We need to develop the talent of our young men and women, because apart from bringing that social fabric and uniting our country, it also saves these youth from using their extra energy to engage in activities that are not beneficial to them, like engaging in drugs, alcoholism, immorality and crime. When we have such stadia, you will find that the extra energy of these youth is tapped. For a long time, our country, the media included, has sidelined rugby as a sport. We have always concentrated on football and athletics. We have forgotten rugby. For instance, I was just informed that there was an athlete who became the world top scorer. I do not even know his name because the media probably gave a blackout to such…

Hon. Sankok, everybody has five minutes, but I will give you one minute so that you wind up.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. Before, I conclude I have to talk about activities of sports of persons with disabilities (PWD), being their representative in the National Assembly. As we develop these stadia and sports in this country, let us also remember that PWDs may be disabled but they are also human beings who need these activities. We should develop together. I suggest that even sporting activities of PWDs should start being developed in primary and secondary schools. As it were, sports competitions in primary and secondary schools are only for the able-bodied. It is also good for this House to note that in 2006 we went to the Olympics and the able-bodied athletes won 13 medals. There were 89 athletes all together and that translates to 13 per cent. People with disabilities athletes were only nine and they won six medals, translating to 70 per cent. So, who is disabled? Of course, it is the people you presume not to be disabled. So, let us also develop sports activities for PWDs. Thank you very much for giving me an extra minute. I beg to support.

Let us have the Member for Kilifi County, Hon. Mwanyanje Mbeyu.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I support this Motion. On establishing National Rugby Stadia and not a union, I concur with the Hon. Member who said it should not be a union. It should be established in all 47 counties and not regions.

I rise to support as a Member of Kilifi County. In Kilifi we do not even have a football stadium. We had a budget in Kilifi County Assembly when I was still a Member of County Assembly (MCA) of having a stadium for football and it has not seen the light of the day to date. So, having this as a national programme to have rugby stadia in all counties and not regions is a good idea for our youth. Many youth are stranded, they do not have sporting clubs, stadiums and The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

they cannot grow their talents. Having this stadium in every county will be a very good idea for our youth, ladies and gentlemen so that they grow and nurture their talents.

I support this Motion. Thank you.

Let us have Hon. Koyi Waluke.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for giving me a chance to contribute on this. Sports are very important tools in this country. We are always proud of rugby. It has made us proud as a country all over the world by marketing us. The athletes have been our ambassadors everywhere. Indeed, I support this Motion. The Government should facilitate building of sports stadia, not everywhere as suggested in the Motion because of financial implications and our country is still developing. We need stadia to build talents for our young people. Three sports in Kenya: Rugby, athletes and volleyball have marketed Kenya. So, I support.

Very well. We shall have Hon. Member for Central Imenti.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I support the Motion as brought by the representative of the youth, Hon. Gideon Keter as relates to establishment of stadia to promote sports. As it is, the game of rugby has become very important recently because it has promoted the country worldwide. In many activities other than athletics we have not competed with international countries favourably, especially super powers. However, in rugby we have suppressed them and shined in international arena. Rugby in rural areas is a new game and mainly heard over the radio and seen on television screens.

However, if we establish facilities in various regions, this game is going to be promoted even in rural areas. There are many youth who like to imitate what they see on television screens but due to lack of facilities, especially stadia and coaches they cannot even know what kind of game it is.

It is not surprising some of us saw it when we reached university level because it is only in high learning institutions where rugby is found. It takes time to give somebody who is already over 20 years skills to play this game. It is not like when you start a game from primary or secondary school. So, there are a lot of talents which are hidden and that cannot be exploited due to lack of these facilities on the ground. So, what Hon. Keter did is timely, it is the best and I pray that when this Motion is passed, let it not just rot in the locker or wherever they are kept to gather dust like any other Motions which we have passed in this Parliament. Let it be pursued and ensure it is implemented. This is because it is a sport which can earn this country much foreign currency, especially when we have rugby tournaments and have visitors from outside who come to visit and see from the neighbouring countries.

This Motion is good and I support it. Thank you.

Very well, let us have the Hon. Member for Vihiga. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for the opportunity to contribute to this Motion. For a very long time, rugby has always been seen as an elites’ sport. In fact, during my time in school, the only schools that used to undertake this game was Nairobi School, Lenana School, St Mary’s School and Rift Valley Academy in Kijabe.

Being an alumnus of Nairobi School, I used to play the game at school but when I went home, nobody knew what this game was all about. We must thank the gentlemen who took over the leadership of this sport. I have in mind people like Mwangi Muthee. When he took over the leadership of the Kenya Rugby Football Union (KRFU) he embarked on a programme to introduce the game in the country. After Mwangi Muthee, there came another gentleman who is still the chairman right now called Richard Omwela and he also continued to introduce this sport in the country. Unfortunately, they intended to concentrate on the western part of the country and so in a very short time we had schools such as Kakamega High School, Maseno School and Vihiga School coming out to excel in this game. We urge the union to continue with the programme. If you look at the current composition of the Kenya Rugby Football Team, you will find that almost 80 per cent of the people who form that team come from the western part of the country. This is not by accident. This is because when they were spreading the game, they tended to concentrate on the schools in western Kenya. We urge the union to take up this opportunity. We want to hear people from Nyeri, Tana River, Coast and so forth playing this game. I have heard my colleagues say that we are doing very well in rugby. No. There are two forms of rugby. There is the seven-a-side rugby, where you have only seven players playing but the main sport is the fifteen-aside rugby. That was the original sport of rugby. Madam Speaker, we are not doing very well in the fifteen-aside. I urge the union to spare a lot of thought for the fifteen-aside rugby because we are seen to have concentrated on the seven-a-side rugby and forgotten the fifteen-aside rugby. After all, the original form of rugby was the fifteen-aside rugby. As I support this Motion by our colleague, Hon. Keter, I wish it went slightly further. Apart from just talking about the physical facilities, we should also be talking about the motivational aspects of this game. The other day, I cannot remember whether it was in Singapore or somewhere else our players refused to wear the logo of the sponsor. Why did they do that? It is because they were not paid their allowances. That was a form of protest. We should urge all the people, right from the ministry all the way to the rugby football union, to ensure that when we take our boys out, all their allowances are paid so that we do not have a situation that could put our country to shame. I support the Motion but if I had a chance to amend it, I would have brought in the motivational aspects other than the physical stadium. However, let us start with the physical facilities and then we can move on to the other aspects. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

Thank you.

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): In Parliament, we also have the Departmental Committee on Sports, Tourism and Culture and we have done very well. I want to give an opportunity to one Member of the Departmental Committee on Sports, Tourism and Culture. I do not know whether we have a rugby player. Let us have Hon. Munyaka, the Member for Machakos Town. I do not know whether it is true that you are a member of the Committee.

I am actually the Chair of the Departmental Committee on Sports, Tourism and Culture. At the outset, I congratulate Hon. Gideon Keter for coming up with this Motion and also thank the Members who have come up to support it. As the Chair of the Departmental Committee on Sports, Tourism and Culture, I also want to say that the biggest agenda for the Committee is to push the Government to come up with facilities to support all the sports activities in Kenya. Currently, our Committee is moving round the country, starting from last week where we visited the western region of Kenya. We were very pleased to see the type of sporting structures in that region. One of the biggest surprises for the Committee is the visit to Luanda Constituency, which is represented by the speaker who has just left the Chair. We found that he has already establishing a stadium. He has done good work. The Committee observed that if every Member could allocate some money, through the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF), we would assist the Kenyan youth to have facilities for practice. Congratulations, Hon. Omulele, for that initiative. A lot of sentiments have come up from Members. Questions have been asked about the status of the five CHAN stadia. I want to say that Kasarani is actually now complete. Nyayo Stadium has faced a lot of challenges on release of budget funding. So, we actually, as a Committee, request the National Treasury to fund these stadia so that they can be completed so that Kenya can have good facilities. The national rugby stadia idea is very good because currently, we lack such stadia in Kenya yet rugby is one of the best sports that have marketed Kenya. It is actually next to athletics. So, we need to duplicate stadia across the counties, as many Members have actually said, so that Kenyans can understand this sporting activity and even participate in it so that we can sustain that game in Kenya. I want to say that this Committee will do what is necessary, through lobbying for a lot of funding for sports activities. In fact, from tomorrow, we are visiting the Mount Kenya region and the Upper Eastern region of Kenya, including Marsabit; because there is a stadium there. We want to see the status of development of those stadia and request the National Treasury to fund and complete the construction of the ongoing stadia. Thank you very much, Hon. Keter. The Committee stands with you.

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Thank you, Member for Machakos Town. Hon. Members, we have a proposed amendment to this Motion. Just a moment.

There is an amendment to the Motion by Hon. Ngeno. Procedurally, we allow him to move his amendment.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for this opportunity. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

I beg to move that the Motion be amended by deleting the word “Union” appearing immediately before the phrase “stadium in the country”. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the Motion intends to create stadia for use by rugby players. As we all know, most of the rugby teams are normally registered under the unions but the stadia which are to be created are not meant for the unions themselves. From the Motion, it looks like we are creating the stadia for the unions themselves or to be owned by the unions. Instead, we intend to have the stadia so that they can be used by all the rugby players regardless of their status or whether they are registered as unions or not. In that same mode, the intention of this Motion is very important in the sense that this is one of the most serious games in this country. This is a game that most of our players play in the international arena. This is one of the sports which have put this country in the limelight and on world map, not only at the national level but in the international arena. It is only Kenya and a few other African countries like Zimbabwe and South Africa who normally participate in the international matches. Kenya has always proved to be one of the toughest countries in the world. On the same note, I wish to propose that this country especially…

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Order. Hon. Kipyegon Ngeno, Member for Emurua Dikirr, you have an amendment but you are supposed to move it. You are just debating your amendment but you have not moved it. Please, can you move the amendment as it is?

I stand guided. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I beg to move that the Motion be amended by deleting the word “union” appearing immediately before the phrase “stadium in the country”.

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): You can now conclude your debate on the Motion.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for guiding me. The reason why we created the Ministry of Sports and Culture is because there are particular sports in this country which put Kenya on the map. Sometimes, we would wish to have our country participate in the World Cup or many other activities in the world but maybe our country is not good in football. Therefore, when you look at the sports which our country is good in, rugby is number one. Athletics have always made Kenya shine in the whole world. We also have cricket. Those are the sports where, when the Departmental Committee on Sports, Tourism and Culture is making its proposals in the Budget during the budget-making process, we should put a lot of money into. We should not put so much money into football while we all know that football is not our thing. Football belongs to West Africa, South America and Europe. We need to invest in the sports that we know. My brother was debating on the situation that is facing our athletes in Nigeria. It is very sad.

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Again, for guidance, I know you have a lot of information but your amendment does not limit you from debating on the main amended or unamended Motion. I advise you to be relevant to your amendment so that the Members can get the gist of it, namely, the omission of the word “union”, so that we can debate the amendment and then go back to the amended or unamended form of the Motion.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I do not want to dwell so much on many other things but the point has been driven home. I urge Members to support this particular amendment in the sense that we will allow a variety of activities to happen in those particular stadiums that we will create. We will create The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

stadiums in every county. We will also have an opportunity to train our youths who want to venture into rugby so that it is not just a game or sport for one particular region. Like my brother said, it could be considered elitist in that only some particular areas will participate in it. If we create these stadiums and not as unions, every county will have a stadium for sporting activities so that many youths can enrol as players. I beg to move the amendment.

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Do you have a Seconder?

Yes, I wish to ask Mheshimiwa Tobiko to second the amendment.

(Kajiado East, JP)

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): For the sake of the Speaker, can I see the Seconder? I was consulting. Hon. Tobiko has done it. The Speaker did not see.

(Kajiado East, JP)

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): The Motion is seconded. Having listened to the proposed amendment by the Hon. Member, which was procedurally seconded by Hon. Tobiko, I propose the Question.

Let us have the Member for Vihiga.

(Vihiga, ANC)

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): He is rightly speaking on the amendment. There is a Motion in the House which has been amended. If you want to speak on the amendment, please put your intervention card in the slot. Carry on, Hon. Member.

(Vihiga, ANC)

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Let us have the Member for Nakuru Town East to speak to the amendment. This does not limit you from speaking to the original Motion.

(Nakuru Town East, JP)

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Member for Samburu East. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I would like to contribute to the amended form of the Motion. Sports are very important activities for the youths in Kenya. The youths are always crying for stadia in our constituencies. They want to be supported to have these facilities. We know that it is not possible to have them in every region. As the Member proposed in the amendment, it is important and necessary to have at least one national rugby stadium for the teams in the country, so that we develop the sport. It will help us.

We need to support any activity that will help the youths. It is very bad when we have so many youths who are not employed and they also lack the facilities. Sports will help the youths to grow economically. They will create some jobs for the youths. It is a very important activity that will help our youths. We pass so many things here but they are not implemented. There are youth centres which were supposed to be put up for the youths according to the Constitution. However, we do not have them. After we support and pass this Motion, it is very important for the Committee on Implementation to take it up and ensure its implementation. If it is not implemented, it will not help the youths. It will not serve the purpose which was intended. I support this Motion because it will help our youths. It will help the youths to get something to do.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker.

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Member for Rangwe. Is he in the House? Can we be relevant when we are debating the Motion? This does not deprive you the opportunity to contribute to the Motion. Member for Nyando.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I rise to support the amendment which has been proposed by Hon. Ngeno. It is true that we needed to tinker a little bit with the body of the Motion to read “national stadium”.

All sports must be given due attention in this country. It could be rugby, athletics, soccer or singing. I remember that in 2013, the Jubilee Government had proposed in its manifesto to build five stadia in the Republic of Kenya. That was just a political pronouncement. One of the reasons it did not take off is that there were no legal instruments to safeguard such pronouncements. This Motion is key to the execution of certain issues that fall within the prism of sports. Therefore, this kind of amendment, and the Motion as a whole, will safeguard the execution of sports stadia in the Republic of Kenya. The proposed amendment seeks to have a stadium in every region. This will help harness various talents that our people have. It is true that Kenyans are talented in various ways. Rugby is one of it because of our physique and diet. Rugby is a testament that you need a lot of ugali and some other good food. In order to utilise properly the physique that is utterly given by God, we must have this kind of stadium to help to build the talents in rugby. If you hear what our international players are paid out there, it will definitely blow your mind. We have backpedalled on the backbone of our economy which is agricultural intervention and tourism. Let us diversify our talents to embrace sporting as one of our foreign income earners. If you listen to international footballers, I do not want to mention them because they have not paid me to advertise them; you get really surprised at the amounts of money they make every week. This is going to be a way for Kenyans to also export various talents to improve our Gross Domestic Product. We know how much our Diaspora injects into our economy yet they do not make very much money out there. We know how much money is made courtesy of sporting. So, that will be a very good boost to the economy of this country.

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Hon. Member for Rangwe. She is not in. We will have Hon. Nyaga Nkatha, Member for Tharaka Nithi.

(Tharaka-Nithi CWR, JP)

Hon. Wachira Kabinga, Member for Mwea.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I also rise to support the Motion that has been proposed by Hon. Gideon and amended by Hon. Ng’eno. As I do so, I would like to correct my colleague, the Member for Nyando. The Jubilee Government did not just talk about stadia in each of the counties, they are doing it. I am sure he is aware that the Jubilee Government is already doing that. In supporting this Motion, I also take note that we have passed so many other Motions in the past relating to sports. I hope the Committee on Implementation will take some of these Motions seriously and ensure that they are implemented. Rugby and other sports remain The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

untapped opportunity in this country that would not only help our youth but also earn revenue in terms of exporting our sports talents out there. It came to our notice while we were doing business in our constituencies that we have a number of our youths who are talented in different fields but they are not able to execute those talents because of lack of opportunities. In my own constituency of Mwea, while seated in my office, I receive not less than three talents each day, ranging from athletics to football and other sports, including canoe rowing in our famous River Tana. The resources that we have been given through the NG-CDF are not enough to support those talents to the extent we would want. So, as we support this Motion, it would be good for the sports committee to see if they can push for a special fund for each constituency to be able to support the talents that we notice in our constituencies. I take note that different regions have different talent. Rugby has not migrated to my constituency but if this Motion is passed and we have a rugby stadium, we will definitely start seeing our youth getting much more interested in that sport. I saw the sports committee the other day going around the country. They were in Kakamega, and I could see a beautiful stadium. I hope when they visit Mount Kenya region, they will visit my county of Kirinyaga to note that we do not have any stadium that can promote sports. I hope when we go there, they will find it necessary to talk to the relevant Ministry to speed up the development of such a stadium in Kirinyaga County. If possible, we should have it in the populous areas of Wang’uru in Mwea, where we have all the talents. Once again, I urge the Committee on Implementation to take this House seriously so that all the Motions that we pass here do not remain in the archives. We want to start seeing the fruits. With those remarks, I support the Motion, hoping that my colleague from Nyando will take note of the stadia that are being done by the Government.

Hon. Members, I see no further interest in this Motion.

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

Member for Emurua Dikirr, what is your point of order?

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I wish to stand on a point of order on Standing Order No. 53(3) where I would wish to request for the deferment of putting of the Question to another day.

Very well. I think that point of order is quite in order. For obvious reasons, we do not have the necessary quorum to proceed in that direction. I, therefore, direct that the putting of the Question be deferred. After that, the reply by the Mover is also deferred to that time when the matter will again come up for deliberation. It is to be noted that the balance of time for this Motion is 12 minutes. When it is listed down again, it will be available to Members for 12 minutes.

I direct that we move to the next Order.

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Hon. Chris Wamalwa is not in the House. I direct that, that Order be deferred and we move to the next one.

The Hon. Jessica Mbalu.

I beg to move the following Motion: THAT, aware that every person has a right to freedom and security which includes the right not to be subjected to any form of violence from either public or private sources; recognising the crucial role of women in the preservation of African values based on the principles of equality, peace, freedom, dignity, justice, solidarity and democracy; determined to ensure that the rights of women are promoted, realised and protected in order to enable them to enjoy fully all their human rights; recalling that international laws and conventions such as The Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), United Nations (UN) resolutions 1325 and 1820 abhor violence against women as it hinders the progress of women and perpetuates their subordinate status; noting that The Maputo Protocol on the rights of women which states that parties shall adopt and implement appropriate measures to ensure the protection of every woman’s right to respect for her dignity and protection of women from all forms of violence, particularly sexual, physical and verbal violence; deeply concerned that most survivors of sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) continue to lack post-trauma care due to lack of adequate shelters/safe houses; acknowledging that despite enactment of various laws addressing Sexual and Gender Based Violence such as the Sexual Offences Act, 2006, The Witness Protection Act 2006, The Female Genital Mutilation Act, 2011, The Victim Protection Act, 2014, The Protection of Domestic Violence Act, 2015; there is high rate of sexual and gender based violence crimes with an equal or higher number of survivors all over the country; this House urges the National Government to set aside funds to facilitate the construction of post- trauma care facilities and ensure existing ones are rehabilitated and equipped to offer temporary stay for survivors of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (GBV) across the country. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

We are urging the Government, we need a resolution of some of the Motions that we passed in this House. I must also pronounce myself that I will be bringing an amendment to propose a change to the Gender Based Violence (GBV) Act to ensure that even as we do Motions, we make laws in the House.

As a background, sexual and gender based violence is an umbrella of any harmful act that is perpetrated against person’s will. It is based on socially ascribed gender differences between men and women. The nature and the extend of specific GBV vary across cultures, countries, regions and examples of this include rape, sexual exploitation, false prostitution, issues of domestic violence, forced or early marriages that we experience in our country and harmful tradition practices such as the famous FGM. As we speak to this we have pupils and students from schools that are going through such harassments. Such acts of violence though defined mostly in respect to women, include acts that inflict physical, mental or sexual harm or suffering threats, coercion and other deprivations of liberty, whether occurring in public or occurring in private life. These acts amount to violations of human rights. It is often linked to unequal gender relations within communities and abuses of power. I come from Makueni County and I represent the people of Kibwezi Constituency. There was a clip from Makueni County that went viral of one Mr. Nzomo who was brutally beating the wife. He was telling the wife that he was going to cut her throat and kill her. I felt for the children and the wife of Mr. Nzomo. We are calling upon the DCIO, that such brutal acts should not be encouraged.

According to the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) reports, domestic violence stands out as one of the most prevalent forms of GBV. Violence occasioned by male partners in relationships…When I speak I refer to both male and female gender. Hon. Kioni can also testify that men suffer quietly. However, there are cases that have been reported and I want to give statistics. About 70 per cent is about wife battering. I am a wife. I do not want to say that I have been battered or not, but I want to speak for other women who are battered for no reason. We are married, but it does not give a right to either of the spouses to fight their partner. Mr. Nzomo caused me sleepless nights. I am speaking for the women of Makueni and Kenya. The wife of Mr. Nzomo looked like a school girl. He accused his wife of going to join other men in the field in taking care of the cattle. I asked myself why the man did not go to take care of the cattle. He then assumed that she might have been engaging in other activities while there.

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, 70 per cent of reported cases is about wife battering. I understand that 85 per cent of it is about cultures. In Kenya an estimated 45 per cent of women aged 15 to 49 years have experienced either physical or sexual violence. The National Crime Research Centre provides a clear picture. It indicates that the centre has supported over 21,341 survivors of SGBV of whom 56 per cent are women, 36 per cent are girls, three per cent are men and five per cent are boys. These cases mostly affect women; or is it that men keep quiet and die quietly? In one of my vernacular stations last week, there was a debate on the issue that when women are battered, most of them report to the police, but when men are battered most of them do not report. It was a very interesting debate because men said when they report to the police they look weak. All said and done, we shall not allow any form of GBV. In my own county of Makueni we have had disturbing situations. For instance, 145 cases of SGBV have been reported. The reported cases are below the national average. Issues of defilement and domestic violence have been a major concern in the Ministry of Interior and Co- ordination of National Government and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

We have legislative policies that we have made in this Parliament. Members of the 11th Parliament are aware of some the laws that we passed, thanks to the National Assembly that has been doing a very good job in trying to ensure that such laws that were not in our Constitution at the time of promulgation are now there to take care of the GBV.

Article 2(6) of the Constitution read out together with the Treaty-making and Ratification Act of 2012 provides that all international and regional legislative policy frameworks adopted and ratified by Kenya have become part of the domesticated laws to ensure that we fight the SGBV. Within this context, Kenya has taken steps in ratifying international treaties and regional conventions on elimination of SGBV and gender equality. It has also put into place national policy and legislative framework that support the campaigns against all forms of SGBV in practice. Globally, the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted a set of priority areas in which Kenya needed to accede to.

The UN Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women encompassing SGBV has also been addressed. We also need to look at the UN Declaration on Elimination of Violence against Women which affirms that violence against women constitutes a violation of rights and fundamental freedom of women. From where I sit, I will also add the fundamental freedom of men because this is a House of women and men although we have seen from statistics that these cases are happening more to women. We are yet to be proven otherwise.

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, further the African Union adopted the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights which was ratified by Kenya in 2010. The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, Article 4 entirely on the topic on the rights to life, integrity and security of the person calls for a range of measures to address violence which takes place in private or public as stated. The Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security was adopted on 31st October, 2000.

Some of the resolutions were to reaffirm the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts. It also calls on all the parties in conflict to take special measures to protect women and girls form gender based violence particularly rape and other forms of abuse in conflict situations. Also referring to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1820 which was unanimously adopted on 19th June 2008, it condemns the use of sexual violence as a tool of war. It declares that rape and other forms of sexual violence can constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, especially with respect to genocide. We have as a country some of the statutes that take care of this gender based violence.

Your time has run out. I will allow you two more minutes.

(Kibwezi East, WDM-K)

Time for you to move.

(Kibwezi East, WDM-K)

Hon. Kioni, you have five minutes to second.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for the five minutes. The issue of gender based violence cuts across countries and boundaries. It does not know race, culture or religion. It occurs in all places that we are familiar with like our homes. It happens in schools, workplaces, entertainment centres, detention centres and everywhere that people congregate. In seconding this very important Motion – and I thank the Mover for this wonderful thought – it is important to appreciate that this is a very complex issue. It is an issue that requires professionals to deal with. It is an issue that we cannot continue wishing away by keeping quiet. I think it is the opportune time that we ask the Government to construct these trauma care centres across the country.

We find that those who are vulnerable are from all forms of gender. We have them in different races, ethnic origins, disability or school status. It does not really matter where you come from. Nobody is immune from this and it does not matter how much money you have. All of us are exposed to this and it is important that these trauma centres are created. Statistics have been shared by the Mover but allow me to just say that the United Nations (UN) Report gives a statistical data that reflects that 35 per cent of women worldwide would have suffered from physical or sexual violence by a non-partner sometimes in their lives. Seventy per cent of women would have experienced physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner. In Kenya, the domestic household survey that was done in 2014 indicated that 38 per cent of women aged between 15 and 49 reported physical violence and another 14 per cent reported having experienced sexual violence. Again, in Kenya we have the Kenya Police Report of 2013. They received 3,596 defilement cases, 913 rape cases, 242 cases of incest and 124 of sodomy. The most affected are girls aged between 12 and 17 comprising of 41 per cent of the survivors. The The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

Report further tells us that this is followed by women aged between 18 and 49 years making 32 per cent of those who have been victims. Recovery centres are useful for quite a number of reasons which include a comprehensive quality care for survivors of gender based violence, that is, the rape, sexual violence and even sexual exploitation. They also provide medical management of the injuries that have been sustained. They provide treatment to ensure that HIV is not transmitted. We also know that it is possible to get emergency contraceptive pills provided to the victims. There is prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. They also serve as collection of physical evidence and samples necessary for the prosecution of perpetrators including the issue of having them as psychosocial care centres. The usefulness of these centres cannot be overemphasised. We need them across the country. This is happening. I worked in Nyahururu Law Courts sometime back and I can tell you, Hon. temporary Deputy Speaker that these cases happen every day. There are some courts where up to 65 per cent of their cases on a daily basis are related to issues of gender based violence. This is a very timely Motion. It is important that we make sure that the Government provides those trauma care centres across the country. They are better when they are linked to provincial Government hospitals or other Government facilities so that they become useful.

Give him the microphone to finish seconding.

(Ndaragwa, JP)

Hon. Members, I see interest in this matter but the time being what it is, I will defer debate on this matter to the next time that it will be set down. When it is set down, there will be a balance of one hour and 35 minutes. Hon. Members, the time being 1.09 p.m., this House stands adjourned until afternoon at 2.30 p.m.

The House rose at 1.09 p.m.

The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.