National Assembly 2021-05-11: 19:00 to 21:01

search Hansard
Page 1 of Hansard Report - Tuesday, 11th May 2021 (E)
May 11, 2021 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEBATES _ 1 PARLIAMENT OF KENYA
THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
THE HANSARD
Tuesday, 11th May 2021
The House met at 7.00 p.m.
[The Temporary Deputy Speaker (Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya) in the Chair]
PRAYERS
QUORUM
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Hon. Members, we are short on quorum. I can see a number of Members walking in. Either way, I order the Quorum Bell to be rung for 10 minutes.
(The Quorum Bell was rung)
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

Order, Hon. Members! We are now good to go. We can start calling out the business.
(Loud consultations)
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

Order, Members. Business has started. Kindly, let us consult in low tones. Hon. Wanga, what is out of order?
Gladys Wanga (Hon. (Ms.) Gladys Wanga)

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I wanted to seek your guidance as to whether the Hon. Member for Tiaty is properly dressed to be in the Chamber. He is wearing a big kabuti. Could we be guided as to whether the Member is properly dressed?
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Hon. Member for Tiaty, I cannot see your chest. Do you have a tie on? I think he is properly dressed.
(Laughter)
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

He actually looks very stylish for the manner and where he comes from. Let us go on.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
May 11, 2021 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEBATES _ 2 PAPERS LAID
Amos Kimunya (Hon. Amos Kimunya)

I beg to lay the following Paper on the Table of the House: Hotuba ya Mhe. Samia Suluhu Hassan, Rais wa Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania, alipohutubia Kikao cha Pamoja cha Bunge na Jamhuri ya Kenya, Nairobi, tarehe 5/5/2021. The Reports of the Auditor General and Financial Statements in respect of the following institutions for the Financial Year ended 30th June 2020 and the certificates therein: (a) Commission on Revenue Allocation. (b) Tanathi Water Works Development Agency. (c) Outstanding obligations guaranteed by the Government of Kenya. (d) The Rural Enterprise Fund. (e) The Kenya Institute of Supplies Management. (f) The State Department for Housing and Urban Development. (g) The Contingencies Fund. (h) The State Department for Cooperatives. (i) The Land Settlement Fund. (j) The State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Next Order.
PROCEDURAL MOTION
REDUCTION OF PUBLICATION PERIOD OF A SPECIFIED BILL
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): The Chairperson, Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning.
Gladys Wanga (Hon. (Ms.) Gladys Wanga)

I beg to move the following Procedural Motion: THAT, notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order 120, this House resolves to reduce the publication period of the Finance Bill (National Assembly Bill No.18 of 2021) from 14 days to 6 days. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, given the anticipated recess that the House will be proceeding on this Thursday according to our House Calendar, if this Bill waits for the 14 days publication period, we will not be able to carry out the necessary public participation in good time. This is because the Bill must be concluded by 30th June so that the taxes collected from 1st July are in accordance to the Finance Bill. This is just to enable us to have adequate time to carry out public participation so as to incorporate the views of Kenyans and deal with the Bill as quickly as possible. I beg to move and request the Leader of the Majority Party to second.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): The Leader of the Majority Party. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
Amos Kimunya (May 11, 2021 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEBATES _ 3 Hon. Amos Kimunya)

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I agree with Chair of the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning that we have these changes in the Calendar. It is a money Bill that does not have a lot of issues. If we do the First Reading, we can have the Bill debated in the Committee and public participation during this recess period. I second the Procedural Motion and ask Members to support to unlock the necessary steps and have this Bill discussed alongside Budget Estimates so that we are able to see the supply and the demand sides concurrently.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Order!
(Question proposed)
Hon. Members

Put the Question!
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Should I proceed to put the Question?
Hon. Members

Yes.
(Question put and agreed to)
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Next Order!
BILL
First Reading
THE FINANCE BILL
(Order for First Reading read - Read the First Time and ordered to be referred to the relevant Departmental Committee)
MOTIONS
REPORT ON FORMULATION OF PARLIAMENTARY BROADCASTING CHANNELS
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): The Chairperson, Select Committee on Parliamentary Broadcasting and Library.
Justus Kizito Mugali (Hon. Justus Kizito)

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, please allow me to speak without a mask because of my glasses.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): I understand that because of vaporization you will not be able to see. The Members around you should ensure that they have their masks on.
(Hon. Jeremiah Kioni moved away from Hon. Justus Kizito)
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
May 11, 2021 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEBATES _ 4
Hon. Kioni, you do not have to do that. You will be stigmatizing the Chairman.
Justus Kizito Mugali (Hon. Justus Kizito)

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I beg to move the following Motion: THAT, this House adopts the Report of the Select Committee on Parliamentary Broadcasting and Library on the Formulation of Parliamentary Broadcasting Channels, laid on the Table of the House on Thursday, December 03, 2020. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the Select Committee on Parliamentary Broadcasting and Library is established pursuant to the National Assembly Standing Order No. 212D and is mandated to, inter alia, “advise the House on matters related to broadcasting of the Houseproceedings”. Since 2008, the Parliamentary Broadcasting Unit has played a critical function of disseminating information on the role of Parliament in legislation, oversight and representation. Through a contractual agreement with the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), Parliament has enabled the public to receive real time debates in the plenary House proceedings of the two Houses of Parliament. However, due to Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) limited scope of coverage and broadcast time, it has been noted that Parliament needs to explore the idea of establishing its own broadcasting channel to air plenary and Committee proceedings in both Houses, among other productions.
Justus Kizito Mugali (Hon. Justus Kizito)

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, in 2019, two delegations from the Committee visited Parliaments of Zambia and Korea to benchmark on the operations of parliamentary broadcasting and the reports of the visits have since been tabled in the House.
Justus Kizito Mugali (Hon. Justus Kizito)

Hon. Speaker, on Thursday 13th August 2020, following a written request by the Chairperson of the Committee to the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Clerk of the National Assembly appointed a working committee whose membership was drawn from the National Assembly secretariat and Kenya Broadcasting Corporation to work on the formulation of Parliament Signet Channels.
Justus Kizito Mugali (Hon. Justus Kizito)

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Terms of Reference (ToRs) of the working committee included, among others to: (i) Design a model television channel to include coverage of plenary Sittings, committee meetings, county assemblies and general content generation. (ii) Draft a seven-day programming schedule to ensure that there is adequate content to sustain the channels 24/7. Draft an overview of the type of content to be aired in the National Assembly Signet TV Channel. (iii)Draw personnel, production and technical budget of the implementation of the TV channels. (iv) Give clear guidelines on advertisements, programme sponsorship, and finally produce a comprehensive report with timelines on the process and requirements in the implementation of the TV channels for consideration and approval by the Commission.
Justus Kizito Mugali (Hon. Justus Kizito)

Hon. Speaker, the working committee task force handed in their findings to the Committee on Parliamentary Broadcasting and Library during a retreat held in Machakos County from 13th to 17th September, 2020. During the same retreat, the Communications Authority of Kenya and the Chief Executive Officer of Constituency Development Fund board gave their The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
May 11, 2021 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEBATES _ 5
input on the same. During its sitting, the Managing Director of Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, Dr. Naim Bilal appeared before the Committee on Friday, 9th October 2020 in English Point Hotel, Mombasa and made presentations on the current status of parliamentary broadcasts and the possible areas of collaboration towards the realization of an independent parliamentary TV channel and radio station. Hon. Speaker arising from the foregoing findings, the Committee made the following observations: 1. In line with the provisions of the Constitution, the Parliamentary Service Act, 2019 and the PSC Strategic Plan there is a need for Parliament to establish its own TV broadcasting channels and radio with a countrywide reach to air uninterrupted proceedings of the plenary and committee meetings among other productions. 2. Two Signet channels ( Bunge TV and Senate TV channels) are available for use by Parliament. The two channels currently have a limited reach and only broadcast proceedings in Nairobi and its environs but have a capacity to offer coverage countrywide. 3. That the provisions of the Constitution, the Parliamentary Service Act, 2019, and the Public Finance Management Act among others, will enable Parliament to establish its own TV and radio. Existing contracts between the Parliamentary Service Commission and the KBC on the live coverage proceedings of Parliament only covers plenary proceedings with limited time allocated – 12 hours per week for live coverage of both the Senate and the National Assembly. The contract does not cover broadcast of proceedings of Committee meetings. You can see how much limited time we have to get proper coverage. Another observation is that the PBU needs modern equipment to roll out operational parliamentary TV channels. Currently, the PBU has only one staff while the rest of the staff members are employees of KBC, the contracted broadcast service provider. In Kenya, there are only two licensed broadcast signal distributers who are common carriers. One is called Signet, owned by the KBC; and the other one is PANG, which is privately owned by African Network Group. In terms of coverage, Signet has a national coverage while PANG covers clusters of urban areas. There is existing material archived by the PBU, which can be rebroadcasted through various programmes. Creativity and partnership with other jurisdictions will enhance the production of programmes to diversify the content for the channels. There is a need to come up with a legal framework under the PSC Act, 2019 to provide for the establishment of the proposed special purpose vehicle. This means we need to create a legal framework that will enable us to have these channels functionalised. That is something which can be done by this House. The NG-CDF Board is ready to partner with parliament in the utilising the broadcasting channels to communicate information regarding its mandate and programmes. Finally, the Committee recommends that within six months upon the adoption of this Report by the House: - (i) the PSC, in collaboration with the KBC, establishes a short-term broadcasting outfit where the Corporation will provide technical support, equipment, production and staff while the PSC will provide some equipment and skeleton staff. (ii) the PSC reviews the existing contract with KBC to take into account the additional proposed broadcasting services. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
May 11, 2021 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEBATES _ 6
(iii) this House develops the legal framework upon which a special purpose vehicle will be established to run the independent Parliamentary TV Channels in the long term. (iv) the PSC commences the process of acquiring technical broadcasting equipment and employment of required technical staff to implement the long-term goal of establishing fully fledged Parliamentary television channels and radio. Hon. Members, we are saying this because we found that we are inadequate in terms of coverage of the proceedings of the House and Committees. This is due to the limited time we have with KBC from the contract that we have. The contract limits us to only 12 hours per week for the two Houses of Parliament. It is against this background that we believe it is imperative to have our own independent Radio and television stations so that we can have our proceedings aired uninterrupted. It is difficult for people out there to know what we do because the contract time is limited. Kenyans would like to see people they pay salaries as their representatives at work. They would like to see and be exposed to what they do. It is because of this that we say we want radio and television stations that will follow MPs wherever they are so that what they are doing is known. For example, during this COVID-19 Pandemic, in the new normal, it is difficult for people to know what we were doing. Some people believe that we ran away from Parliament and Parliament was closed despite the fact that we were actually performing other duties in the Committees, international excursions and in the villages. It is difficult for such activities to be covered. It is against this background that I ask this honourable House to adopt this Report, so that the PSC can move with speed to have the TV and Radio channels to broadcast us out there. I am sure that by doing this, many good things will come our way. Kenyans will have been well informed as they decide whether to vote us in or not. Some of them do not know what we do in Parliament. There has been a lot of misinformation about how we do our work. There was heated debate on the pollsters who said that some Members do not speak in Parliament, and that they do not do good work on the ground. That was misinformation. We want Parliament to tell its own story. We would like Members to tell their own story so that in case they are misconstrued, we go back to the original informer’s record to get what they said. We have had misinformation all over and that is why we are saying we need to tell our own story. If a hyena is asked to tell a story about a lion, it will tell lies. If you asked the lion to tell its story, it will tell something else. Therefore, it is good for us to inform the public so that the public can know what we are doing and we can be seen. We went ahead in this Report to ask the PSC to help each Member to have a media house in every constituency or county so that we can transfer information to the villages so that we can see where we are going. Ladies and gentlemen, I do not want to go into many stories but ask Members to read the Report in detail. It has a lot of what you are looking for. This is something that will help us, as Parliament, and we will move well. With those remarks, I beg to move and request the Vice-Chairperson….
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Hon. Kizito, I did not want to interrupt you. At one point you went into public rally mode and referred to Members as ladies and gentlemen.
(Laughter)
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
May 11, 2021 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEBATES _ 7
In this House we have Hon. Members only. You need to put it on record that you are moving.
Justus Kizito Mugali (Hon. Justus Kizito)

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, being an educationist, I am used to that. A lot of the time I refer to people as ladies and gentlemen. Nevertheless, you are Hon. Members. Above all, you are also ladies and gentlemen. I beg to move and ask Hon. Jerusha to second. Thank you.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Hon. Jerusha.
Jerusha Mongina Momanyi (Hon. (Ms.) Jerusha Momanyi)

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity to second the Report on the formulation of PBU. The work that we do as parliamentarians needs to be known out there. Of course we have the Bunge Signet and Senate Signet which give information to our people on what we do in this honourable House, but the time we are allocated by KBC is so limited that our people are not able to follow all that we do, specifically what we do in Committees. Most of the work that we do is at the Committee level. That is where we interrogate in details all the issues that we deal with. But the Committee level proceedings are never covered. When we are in this House, it may not be possible for everyone to contribute and be covered so that the voters out there can see or understand our contributions. That is why we urge this House to support this report so that Parliament can have its own channel, which will enable it to cover all the proceedings that take place here. What is also good here is that if we get the Bunge channel, it will cover the Senate and the National Assembly. It will also cover what the county assemblies do. This is going to enable the general public to understand exactly what Members of Parliament do. The two hours in a week by KBC are not enough. We want to urge Members to support this report so that we are free to tell our story. When people look at what we tell them, they will be able to make their own informed judgement on us based on what we do. Since the inception of Parliament, there are many materials in the archives which need to be broadcasted. It is hard for them to be broadcasted because of the little time we are given by the Signets we have contracted. If we have our own Signet, we will be able to broadcast these stories to be known very well to our people. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I second this report and urge the House to support it so that we can have our own channel. Thank you, Miss Speaker.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Hon. Members, I think it would suffice to just say Madam Speaker.
(Question proposed)
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Let us have Hon. Nyasuna.
George Peter Opondo Kaluma (Hon. (Ms.) Gladys Wanga)

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I rise to support this report by the Committee. I want to thank the Chair, Hon. Kizito; the Vice-Chair, Hon. Jerusha; and members of this Committee. The matter they have brought is long overdue. One of the most misunderstood institutions is Parliament. The public feels we are overpaid and underworking. This is because the work that each Member does and the work that we do collectively do not get to be seen by the public. What the public sees is what the The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
May 11, 2021 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEBATES _ 8
mainstream media want them to see. This is when there is a discussion on the Salaries and Remuneration Commission and Members are talking about terms of service. And these are few times. This is what is blown out of proportion. The other day when Her Excellency Samia Suluhu Hassan addressed us, the cartoon in the Nation was somebody telling Her Excellency, “Please wear your mask, you are going to very dangerous people.” This is the perception that the media continues to sustain out there so that we are demonised. No wonder the rate of re-election is low; the turnover in this House is almost 77 per cent, higher than in most countries in the world where experience is valued. In Luo, we say that the waking up of the bull is what shows its maturity. It is what enriches that bull. This Parliament spends a lot of resources in capacity building for Members, such that if you keep changing Members then you do not retain that experience. Every single term you start to build capacity of Members afresh. I feel that these parliamentary broadcasting channels will give an opportunity to Members to showcase their work. When I served in the Parliamentary Service Commission in the last Parliament, I was the Chair of the ICT, Public Relations and Outreach and we saw how much misunderstood Parliament was. We did have a chance to visit the Parliament of South Africa, for example—the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces. They do have an elaborate public outreach programme to make the public understand what Parliament does, and not just on the Floor of the House. If 349 of us sit here, we tried it with the BBI Bill, only 20 or 30 Members were speaking every so often. These broadcasting channels should give full coverage to our committees and to what Members do when they go on field trips. Committees of this House go out there and visit with the people. When I served on the Departmental Committee on Labour and Social Services, we would go out there to see whether or not the elderly receive the money they are supposed to be given. But none of this is covered in the mainstream media. So, I really support this move. The only thing I would urge—and I am happy that the Vice-Chair of the PSC is here with us—is speed so that this happens as quickly as possible in the term of this Parliament. Come to our constituencies and see what people do there. Display it on the channel 24 hours. We should just run our work and feed Kenyans with what we truly do. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I support.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): The Leader of the Majority Party. And Hon. Members package your thoughts into five minutes.
Amos Kimunya (Hon. Amos Kimunya)

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. Let me begin by commending the Committee for the detailed report they have presented and for the work they put in. This report basically puts into focus the details of what we need to do, where we are and where we have come from. I believe nothing can stand in the way of an idea whose time has come, somebody said this and I agree with it. If Members may recall for those of us who have been around for a while, you may remember the days of Voice of Kenya (VOK) before it became Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC). After news there used to be some caption, ‘ Leo katika Bunge’ and we would listen to hear who said what in a very abridge version. Obviously, there were political interferences and if you were not aligned you would never be covered.
Amos Kimunya (Hon. Amos Kimunya)

We have come along way, fast forward to the time we joined. We did not have live coverage and we depended on televisions to pick and show what they wanted. I believe when Hon. Marende was the Speaker, he started some initiative with some funding from the State The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
May 11, 2021 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEBATES _ 9
University of New York (SUNY) a project of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to start looking at modalities of enhancing broadcasting of parliamentary proceedings. This came in against the backdrop of the 2007 hostilities and what Parliament needs to be heard as a unifying voice of the people. This Committee continued working and I believe we have seen this is part of what has culminated in all this.
The bottom line in all this is the public out there needs to know what Parliament is doing. They elect, send us here and the only feedback they get is the bashing by the opponents in terms of that guy went to Parliament, you do not hear him, he is from Mzalendo. But because they cannot come here, they are not in a position to make an informed decision, so we are bashed for all the wrong things. The public then starts assessing MPs not from their contribution or core job which is representation and oversight. They start looking at MPs from their development, yet we are not developing regions. That is the work of the Executive. We are here to legislate, represent the people in decision making and oversee the Government. This is done here and not out there in the field.
Partly, because of that invisibility of the work we do, you find that this chamber is always empty because people want to be on the ground on the microphone in funerals where you can start articulating policies, saying what you want to do but do not say it here on the floor of this House. First of all, I think this move will help with the structural framework so the people understand what exactly an MP is expected to be doing as a development agent. I am glad this is coming after the Bill we just passed on regulation of public fundraising. This is because if you are not a regular fundraiser, people look at you as an enemy of development. Yet, you are not elected for fundraising but to be in this House.
The stars are aligning that we sought out the fundraising issue and then we sought out how MPs will be more visible in terms of their work in Parliament and Committees. As Hon. Wanga has mentioned, their work in visiting the public and looking at their issues, so we can know what needs to be brought. This is not new and happens out there. I am glad the Committee has taken cognisance of the happenings in Europe, United Kingdom (UK) and United States of America (USA). We would want to see ourselves benchmarking when we start and getting better.
I want to thank the Committee and say we get on with it. At least we should ensure that within Article 118 of the Constitution obligations, we conduct our business in an open manner and not just here but in the Committees and the people will get to understand what we are doing.
With those remarks, I support.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Hon. Nyenze Edith.
Kitui West (WDM-K (Hon. (Ms.) Edith Nyenze)

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. Let me support the Motion on the Formulation of Parliamentary Broadcasting Channels. These channels will cover the proceedings of the House and Committees. In Parliament we are very many and most times Members contribute in Committee meetings. These channels will help members of the public know what parliamentarians are doing.
Kitui West (WDM-K (Hon. (Ms.) Edith Nyenze)

You will also note that many schools visit Parliament to learn and apply in their education the proceedings of Parliament. But not many schools are privileged to visit this House. So having channels where proceedings will be covered will be very beneficial to our students because they will learn what we do in Parliament and apply it. What is covered in the The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
May 11, 2021 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEBATES _ 10
proceedings is very educative because there is a level of information on what we cover. So, having channels will educate the public and we will move at the same speed.
You will note that the current coverage by KBC is very limited. Sometimes when you want to know what National Assembly is doing maybe that time the Senate is being covered and you cannot follow. It will be very beneficial to separate the two so that whoever wants to follow what the Senate is doing can do so, and whoever wants to follow what the National Assembly is doing can also do so. I have also noted what the Committee has recommended after having sittings with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) Board who are interested in covering what they do. So, they can educate the public on what that Board does. In the same breath as they cover what they do, they can also cover what individual parliamentarians do on the ground. We are also doing a lot of work which most times is not covered. So, we can have a showcase in these channels to show what we are doing on the ground. This will encourage and educate us by comparing what other MPs are doing on the ground. So, it is very beneficial to have these channels. This is a thought whose time is overdue, I support it, thank and congratulate the Committee for the good job. Thank you.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Hon. Sankok.
David Ole Sankok (Hon. David ole Sankok)

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to also inject my voice on this very important Motion. I congratulate the Committee led by Hon. Kizito for such a very important and timely Motion. This House is a political gathering in accordance with Article 1 of our Constitution where we exercise sovereignty of our people who delegated it to us as the light of this country. It is a light of this country. According to the Bible in the book of Mathew 5:15 or Luke 11:33...
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Hon. Sankok, you said the House is a political gathering. That is according to whose gospel? What interpretation were you making?
David Ole Sankok (Hon. David ole Sankok)

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I was saying that we exercise the sovereignty of the people in this House which they delegate to us in Article 1 of the Constitution.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): That is true, but certainly not a political gathering.
David Ole Sankok (Hon. David ole Sankok)

Actually, we are supposed to be speaking to them directly so that they know that their authority and sovereignty that they delegated to us is not going in vain. I said according to Mathew 5:15...
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): You are so good in meandering and painting a black wall white, but at least we need to agree that this is not a political gathering.
David Ole Sankok (Hon. David ole Sankok)

Okay, I have agreed. I am well guided. According to Mathew 5:15 and Luke 11:33, you cannot light a light and put it under the table. You light a light and put it somewhere that all people will see. The light of this country is actually within this House of Parliament because this is where laws are made. This is where The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
May 11, 2021 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEBATES _ 11
representation and oversight is done. We oversee those who implement projects, that is, the Executive arm of Government. Hon. Wanga has just said that 70 per cent of Members of Parliament are not re-elected. Why? This is because those who will be re-elected, the 30 per cent, who come back are those who are very popular in giving handouts, attending fundraising and burials, which is not part of the sole responsibility of this House. The 30 per cent who come back are mostly those who give into political blackmail so that they can appear in social media. We have realised that nowadays the medium of communication is mostly geared towards social media. So, if you do not give into blackmail from those bloggers, you are in the blackout politically and people will say that you disappeared to Nairobi. This is because what you do in this House and in our committees is not covered. That is why it is very important and imperative that we have a television station. Even private companies are using 30 to 60 per cent of their earnings for publicity. I do not see the reason why we do a lot in this House and those people who delegated us their sovereignty and gave us the mandate to oversee, represent and legislate on their behalf do not know what we are doing in this House, simply because I do not know whether we do not want to use money or we do not want to be seen. Apart from Mzalendo which ranked me as second only after Hon. Millie Odhiambo, some of these Members were ranked last and they will be punished accordingly when it comes to voting. Sometimes I may have spoken so many times, but we need to know the substance. What have you been speaking about? Some Members here have spoken once but they have spoken something that has changed this country. That is why we really need this Motion to be passed. Currently, we only have one employee from Parliamentary Service Commission and others are from KBC. We need to employ our own skeleton staff in broadcasting. I support.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Hon. Osotsi.
Godfrey Osotsi (Hon. Godfrey Osotsi)

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for the opportunity to also support this very important Motion. This is very noble idea of parliamentary broadcast project. I have read through that big Report and I can tell you that there is a huge business case for this project because this particular project will go a long way in strengthening the functions of Parliament. As you are aware, Members of Parliament have three critical functions, that is, legislation, oversight and representation. A lot of our work, that is 80 per cent of the functions of a Member of Parliament, is undertaken in the committees. Probably, we only do 20 per cent here in the plenary. That is where we have been misunderstood because we are only judged by what we do here on the Floor and even when Hon. 001 talks about
Mzalendo
Godfrey Osotsi (Hon. Godfrey Osotsi)

, Mzalendo does not go into what we do in the committees. They only come and watch the live coverage of this plenary and then they are able to judge people by their contributions even when they say nothing on this Floor. However, I think with this live broadcast we are going to communicate well with the people we represent and we will be understood better. Most importantly, even attendance of parliamentary sessions like committees will improve because no Member of Parliament will want to be absent in a parliamentary committee that is being broadcast live. So, that again will improve on the challenges we face within committees of punctuality, quorum, attendance and all those things. I have some wealth of experience in this area and you will allow me to just pick a few things which are captured in the Report. I also think that the Report tried to capture all the The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
May 11, 2021 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEBATES _ 12
salient issues involved in a project of this magnitude. I thank the Chair of the Committee, my good friend Hon. Kizito. Indeed, Hon. Kizito has breathed some air into this Committee because many of us have always regarded this Committee as one of those small committees that do not do much. However, with this kind of Report, I think this is good and congratulations my friend, Hon. Kizito. For a project of this nature to succeed, four critical success factors are key to this project. One is the content management. Having read through this Report which recommends a 24-hour broadcast channel, the Report has gone into details of the content that they intend to air on this television channel. I am impressed with that because managing a 24-hour broadcast channel without having a proper content management plan can be very tricky. That is why you have seen some of our local television stations keep on bringing Nigerian movies during the day because really they do not have content. However, I am sure, with the Report that I have seen, they have enough content. The other very important issue is the technology.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Hon. Osotsi, you have one minute.
Godfrey Osotsi (Hon. Godfrey Osotsi)

Maybe you can add me one more. The issue of technology has also been captured, especially integration with ICT, which will be very clear. No media station will survive without integrating with ICT. Then there is the advertisement and sponsorship plan. Most importantly is the business case where in short term they intend to run with KBC and then in the long term there will be a special purpose vehicle. However, even as we engage KBC, we must be alive to the challenges that KBC is facing.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Hon. Kiarie.
John Kiarie Waweru (Hon. John Kiarie)

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I am really honoured to be contributing to this very important debate. I would like to first say a big thank you to this Committee for preparing such an amazing and timely Report. What is being proposed here is indeed long overdue. This is what we should have done as far back as the 9th Parliament. It is said that if you do not tell your story someone else will tell your story and the way they will tell your story might not be to your liking. It is the people of Ghana who tell us that until the lion tells his side of the story, the story about the hunting will always glorify the hunter. This explains why this institution has become the punching bag of this Republic; we are not telling our story as it is. Our story is being told by other people out there. It is said that he who controls the media controls the mind. The people who are broadcasting the story of Parliament out there are actually controlling the psyche and the thinking of the population. We all agree that in Parliament we do a lot of work behind the scenes. The unglamorous and unreported work is actually the heavy lifting. When we go back to look at the television in the evening, we see three minutes of a plenary engagement between the Leader of the Majority Party and the Leader of Minority Party. That is all the reporting that we will see that day from Bunge . What is being proposed here is fundamental? I am glad that the chairman talked about the formulation of parliamentary broadcasting channels. In these channels what we are getting into is the business of content creation. We shall be broadcasting ourselves to the world in the way we would like to be seen. The tenets of communication are such that you need to have a message, a channel and an audience. The message is there, we are churning out content after content in this House through our parliamentary debates, in committees and even in the field. The audience is The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
May 11, 2021 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEBATES _ 13
hungry to know what we are doing here. So what has been missing is the channel. That is why I am grateful for what has been brought to the House today.
As we do what the committee is proposing, it will be important to say the kind of product we want to produce shall be competing for eyeballs. If you look out there, people have a choice, they vote with their eyeballs and they will watch what they want to see. Even as we are proposing channels from Bunge, we have to know how we shall package our message so that it competes with the finest of the content that is being broadcast. As we do this, we have to understand the nature of the consumption of media. Remember that back in the day we would go to watch films out there in the field; in big screens, theatres in the silver screen. That screen has become smaller; it went to the size of a television. The television became smaller, we went to the computer and that is where we are consuming media from. Today as we speak, the screen has grown way smaller. This is where people are consuming media from. As we are talking of these channels, I would wish for this committee to understand that we shall need to package our content in such a way that it can be consumed in the media of today. What we shall be doing is brand building. We shall be building a good brand for this institution because if we get it right, then the story of the lion shall finally be told and we shall stop glorifying the hunter while the lion is the king. Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Well said. Let us have hon. Masara Francis.
Peter Francis Masara (Hon. Peter Masara)

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I rise to support this Report. Firstly, I want to congratulate the Committee for doing a good job. Establishing of Bunge channel is long overdue. In our Constitution, the right to access information is fundamental. Therefore, we cannot allow other people to be reporting on our behalf. If we allow this channel to be established, I am sure we are going to lower the cost of public participation through Parliament because those who elected and nominated the 290 elected MPs, the 47 elected women representatives and the nominated Members of Parliament, are always expecting return for their investment. The return on their investment is showing them what we are doing in Parliament. Some reports have been given out here. A Member of Parliament may have spoken several times in Parliament, but when it is reported, they say that the Member spoke only twice through their lifetime in Parliament. With such a reporting, most Members are losing their seats because the electorates will say they are not able to speak and articulate issues affecting their constituencies.
Peter Francis Masara (Hon. Peter Masara)

Another reason I am supporting this Report is because information is power. However, accurate information is more powerful. Majority of the people are viewing this House as the enemy of the people, yet we are all elected. When you get reported by other media houses, you will realise that they are talking as if we are not doing any work. I belong to Public Accounts Committee. In this Committee, we usually sacrifice our time and holidays to sit in the committee so that we can table a report in this House. The other reason why I am supporting this report for establishment of Bunge channel is, 290 constituencies are being given money for development and county women representative are given money for affirmative action. If we do not get a channel where we can give feedback to the people on the usage of these monies, we are doing disservice to the public. If this channel is established, we will create time for each and every constituency so that they can display and show the public what they have done with their money. If this channel is established, I am sure even the level of The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
May 11, 2021 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEBATES _ 14
corruption will go down because each constituency will be allocated time so that they can display what they are doing with their money. Therefore, those who are siphoning money or those who are reporting negatively about NG-CDF will not get the opportunity and space any more, in this country. You cannot allow somebody somewhere to market you better than you can market yourself. I am sure when we have this channel, we will have the opportunity to market ourselves as an institution which many people believe in and have delegated their rights and their powers to come and represent them. So, it is important they get feedback on what we are doing in this House. I support this Report and urge Members to fast-track establishment of this channel so that we can move with the changing world.
Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Hon. Member for Ndaragwa, Hon. Jeremiah Kioni.
Jeremiah Ngayu Kioni (Hon. Jeremiah Kioni)

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for giving me an opportunity to support this Report on Departmental Committee on Broadcasting and Library, for the work they have done. As we do this, we should agree that the Committee and the Government should not abandon the KBC. We have abandoned KBC, we are underfunding it and that is costing us a lot. As we speak, the employees of KBC are out there without a pay. I think it is important even as we seek to move to other areas, we ensure that we do not abandon KBC because their staff will suffer. We must make sure that the station functions and helps the country to move forward. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, even as we dabate today, it is important we remember that we are here in the night and Kenyans are watching movies from Nigeria now through the private stations. Nobody knows that we are seated here working for them. So, even as you are lamenting, they are still not with you, they are doing other things. Look at this Report. It was done by the Public Accounts Committee. How many Kenyans know that Parliament produces these kinds of reports? How many institutions in this country produce these kinds of reports within the time that, say, PAC produces its reports? Like others have said, if we do not tell our story, others will tell it in the way they have done it over the years. This is yet another Report done by the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC) within a very short while and we dealt with it but nobody will get to know these things unless we get this done. We have again done ourselves in. After we debate here and pass this Motion, like we did the Bill on Public Fundraising Appeals a little earlier, we then subject ourselves to the Senate. The Senate may not have the urgency that we have here. So, good things could easily be lost within the one year that is lost here. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, another thing that we need is to challenge the courts for having misled the institutions that we must subject our work to one another while the Constitution is very clear as to what needed to go to the other side. We commend the Royal Media Services, Kenya Television Network (KTN) and the others, but they are in the profit- making business; they are not here to help us grow ourselves. They are not here for anything else. So, they will only cover us if we make an interesting and a populist statement; that is what will find its way into the media because they are looking for money and they want more viewers. They are not interested in what comes after that and they do it the way they want. If we allow this to continue, we can only blame ourselves. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
May 11, 2021 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEBATES _ 15
I support this Report. As I do so, it is important to state that... I cannot believe that the Jubilee Government and even The National Alliance (TNA) Government have not picked on this matter. How is it that we have abandoned KBC?
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): What is TNA Government, Hon. Kioni?
Jeremiah Ngayu Kioni (Hon. Jeremiah Kioni)

Well, I hope we have been together here, unless there are Members who may have come...
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): I thought we only have one Government: the Jubilee Government.
Jeremiah Ngayu Kioni (Hon. Jeremiah Kioni)

Yes, we do but it is the question of having been there and being students of history. I know memory cannot be failing you so quickly. We had the TNA Government a short while ago, but now we have Jubilee Government.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): You are suffering from political hangover.
Jeremiah Ngayu Kioni (Hon. Jeremiah Kioni)

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the Constitution says that KBC is supposed to balance time among political parties. We have completely abandoned that aspect of the Constitution and we have run to the private media. They have been very useful to their programmes and to their objective which is to make profit, but not what we should be doing as Members of this House. I thank the Committee for what they have done and ask that we make sure that even as we subject this Report to the Senate, it does not die during this remaining one year. It would be very unfortunate for us if this is not picked by us before the end of this term. I thank you.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Member for Funyula, Hon. (Dr.) Wilberforce Oundo.
Wilberforce Ojiambo Oundo (Hon. (Dr.) Wilberforce Oundo)

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for this opportunity. I stand here to support the Report by the Broadcasting and Library Committee of the National Assembly concerning establishing a dedicated channel or channels to disemminate activities and information concerning the National Assembly and the other House, the Senate. As we always say, what people do not know has not happened, what people have not heard has not been said. Parliament, ordinarily, looking at the pecking order in the Constitution of Kenya, is an exalted House. What it does, any activities it undertakes, it needs to go out there to the people. I can surely say, and very many of my colleagues will agree with me, a number of Kenyans do not know the job description of a Member of Parliament. A number of Kenyans do not know what a Member of Parliament does. Many Kenyans only know a Member of Parliament with regard to the distribution of the NG - CDF and undertaking NG - CDF projects. Many Kenyans only appreciate the work of a Member of Parliament when they get involved in social activities and community projects. Yet, looking at the Constitution, the National Assembly legislates on behalf of the people of Kenya. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the National Assembly protects the interests of the people of Kenya. Where does those activities take place? They takes place in Parliament, in the Chambers, in the committees and other related activities. That particular aspect is never taken outside there. What we normaly see is those many of us who I want to call mavericks, who stand The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
May 11, 2021 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEBATES _ 16
in political forums, political podiums, funerals over the weekend and specialise in abusing national party leaders. That is what the national newspapers, and the media in general, cover. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, when we talk about detailed technical issues on the Floor of this House, none of the media will ever cover that. If you stand here and accuse Members of Parliament for taking bribes, you can rest assured that will hit the headlines. However, when you talk of the Finance Bill, when you talk about very technical issues, when you talk about the Committee of Supplies, none of the media houses ever cover that. We have no choice. If nobody can tell our story, we have to tell it ourselves. If nobody cares, we have to care and project the true image and the true face of the National Assembly and Parliament by extension. Many of the Members of Parliament here are hardly known beyond their constituencies. They are hardly known beyond their colleagues here, simply because they have declined to get involved in divisive politics outside there which is normally the best attraction for members of the Fourth Estate. So, for us as a House, we believe this is the right direction we have taken. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, however, we must make a business case for this dedicated broadcasting channel. I would hate a situation where this particular broadcasting channel or system becomes a drain on the little funds that Parliament receives, or becomes a drain on the Exchequer. I, therefore, urge that those who will finally go to the implementation stage of this reform, to fine-tune the business case. There is a lot of media content there. Indeed, there is a lot of need for advertisement, and I believe that they can make a business case out of this. All in all, it is the right decision, it is the right direction, and many of us are still nolstagic about “ Leo katika Bunge” . We wish we can get back to that level so that whatever we discuss here gets out to people there. Even my mother, when she is seated after her dinner, should be able to listen to what her son has talked about in Parliament today. With those few remarks, I support.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Hon. Jackson Lekumontare.
Lentoi Joni L Jackson Lekumontare (Hon. Jackson Lekumontare)

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I support this Report. This Report is very important to this House. Many people do not understand what we do just as my colleagues have said. If you look at what we are doing at our constituencies, when those young guys post what Members of Parliament are doing, people really appreciate what we are doing. It seems that so many Kenyans do not understand the work of a Member of Parliament. That is why we are suffering. It is because they lack information and yet information is power. The nation will come to appreciate what we do as Members of Parliament. If you look at those channels which usually broadcast what we say and do, sometimes they do not show everything we do. We need a channel which will give Kenyans the right information. Everybody has a right to get that information. We engage in a lot of activities but nobody gets to know that. It is very important for this Report to be implemented because people will understand what we usually do. The activities that we engage in are not viewed by the electorate. As the Parliamentary Broadcasting and Library Committee, we benchmarked in very many areas. I was in the delegation which visited Zambia. In Zambia, there is a direct link from Parliament to the constituencies. In Kenya, we are only in the House and the view the public gets The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
May 11, 2021 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEBATES _ 17
is very limited. Sometimes, you do not even get a chance to speak on the Floor of the House. This will solve that problem. This is a very important and well-detailed Report. If implemented, many of those problems will be solved. The people we represent will come to understand what we are doing. If you look at the committees, you only get to view the ones that are referred to as the “important ones”, for a very limited time, during the budget process or the vetting of a very important person. That is the only time you view them. They only show what they want to show. If you want to make history in this House by saying something very important, nobody will view that. If you say something less important such as abusing someone else, that will be shown to the public. If you say something very important, that does not matter to the media houses. We do not know what is going on. This will help the country to get information from this House. Otherwise, I support the Motion and urge Members to support it.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Let us have the Member for Kanduyi, Hon. Wamunyinyi.
Athanas Misiko Wafula Wamunyinyi (Hon. Wafula Wamunyinyi)

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for the opportunity to speak on this Report on the Formulation of Parliamentary Broadcasting Channels, tabled by Hon. Kizito, the distinguished Member for Shinyalu and Chair of the Committee. From the outset, the Committee has done a good job and deserves to be commended. I also served on the Parliamentary Broadcasting and Library Committee between 1997 and 2002, when the idea of a live broadcast was mooted. We had the popular “ Leo Katika Bunge” Programme which came after the news, every time we had a session of Parliament. It was a very popular programme. We needed to do more because back then, it was only KBC reporting “ LeoKatika Bunge” . We came up with the idea of having a live broadcast. That is where the current live broadcast came from. We have seen KBC doing a good job but the hours are limited. There are only six hours for each House for the entire week. Not much of the business that we transact here is broadcast. Furthermore, reports of committees or the business of the committees of the House are not broadcast. Most Members who do not get time to speak on the Floor speak during committees because the numbers in the House make it very difficult for all Members to speak. When different committees are sitting and are broadcast, even Members who do not speak in the House are very active in committees. It will give a chance for the public and constituents to understand that their representatives are doing their work towards implementation of the mandate given to them to oversee. Oversight is mostly done at committees where witnesses are summoned, appear before committees, are questioned by Members and respond to issues. That is where accountability takes place. The proposed formulation of the parliamentary broadcasting channel will allow for more time and coverage. Members will be seen throughout the session of business of the House. If we had our own channel, it would currently be broadcasting the business of the House up to this moment. Today, we only had one hour or two of broadcast time before they moved to the Senate. It is very difficult for Members, even if there is a live broadcast of Parliament. As someone said, people only see Hon. Kimunya, the Leader of the Majority Party and Hon. Mbadi, the Leader of the Minority Party. Whenever there are issues, they are given priority. There is nothing wrong with that because that is the tradition. That happens everywhere. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
May 11, 2021 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEBATES _ 18
The private media has had to cover Parliament. Apart from the need to make money and profits, sometimes they also influence opinions in their reporting. Sometimes it is not fair. A Member says one thing but it is interpreted in another way by the media house, which reports contrary to what the Member intended to put to the public in the course of debate. Therefore, I express my happiness with the work of the Committee and the intention of ensuring that we have this channel which will enhance coverage and knowledge to the people. With those few remarks, I support the Motion.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Let us have Hon. Nanok.
Daniel Epuyo Nanok (Hon. Daniel Nanok)

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for the opportunity to add my voice to this debate. From the outset, I rise to support this Report. I thank my colleagues who have spoken before me and have already lent their support to the Report. That speaks to the agreement and factuality of the Report that the Committee has tabled before the House today. I happen to be a Member of the Committee. From the outset, I remember our stories in 2013 in the 11th Parliament when the public were made to believe that we were not MPs but “M- Pigs”. That word has remained in the public domain. We have been called liars, thieves and all manner of words describing a Member of Parliament. That is the reason why Parliament needs to catch with both hands this opportunity to tell their story on their own. These channels will give us that opportunity. I do not understand the parameters used in the ranking of Members of Parliament that we keep on seeing in the Press.
Daniel Epuyo Nanok (Hon. Daniel Nanok)

Article 94 of the Constitution is very clear about the roles, functions or responsibilities of Members of Parliament. They are just three: oversight, legislation and representing the people of our constituencies. There is no function called giving funds to all Harambees that you are invited to in your constituency or in other places, or attending all the funerals. The public has been made to believe that these are the functions of the Members of Parliament. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I believe that these Parliamentary Broadcasting channels will give us the opportunity to say our story the way we understand it.
Daniel Epuyo Nanok (Hon. Daniel Nanok)

These broadcasting channels will be our medium of educating the public on public policies. Public participation will be enhanced because these channels will be dedicated 24 hours, seven days a week. They will say the story of what happens in Parliament. I led the delegation that went to visit the Parliament of South Korea on broadcasting issues. What we saw there in Parliament is special. The Parliament of South Korea sits in the Chamber once a week. It broadcasts committee sittings four days of the week. All the committees of South Korea Parliament are broadcast live. That was a very educative and informative engagement with that Parliament. Our substantive Speaker states here that Parliament in the Chamber is Parliament in exhibition. However, Parliament in committees is Parliament at work.
Daniel Epuyo Nanok (Hon. Daniel Nanok)

I believe that these broadcasting channels will accord us the opportunity to become the Parliament at work because that is where most of the work is undertaken. If these channels will be there, they will give us the opportunity to be known that we are a working chamber or arm of Government like the other two.
Daniel Epuyo Nanok (Hon. Daniel Nanok)

With those remarks, I support the Motion.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Hon. Wanyonyi Kevin. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
May 11, 2021 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEBATES _ 19
Ferdinard Kevin Wanyonyi (Hon. Ferdinand Wanyonyi)

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to thank the Chairman, Hon. Kizito, because this Committee has been there. I want to thank him for coming up with the Motion on Formulation of Parliamentary Broadcasting Channels. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, you are part of us. People misunderstand the work of Parliament and the Members of Parliament.
Ferdinard Kevin Wanyonyi (Hon. Ferdinand Wanyonyi)

First of all, the public misunderstands the work of the National Government- Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF). I am sorry because the Chairman of the NG-CDF has left. They think that work is for people to put money in their pockets.
Ferdinard Kevin Wanyonyi (Hon. Ferdinand Wanyonyi)

Secondly, I can see that this House is not even full. If we had these broadcasting channels, I am sure that this House would be full. Every Member would try to do his or her best. This would solve the problem of lack of quorum which leads to ringing the bell and wasting time for our debates. Members would be enthusiastic to come to this House, debate and make the best presentation for our country.
Ferdinard Kevin Wanyonyi (Hon. Ferdinand Wanyonyi)

Thirdly, as somebody said, the objective of this particular Motion is long overdue. Somebody showed us some documents here. People do not even know what we do here. The media broadcasts bad things only. For example, we had a serious issue this afternoon on a Member who said that Members of Parliament were bribed, so that they can vote for the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill 2020. That is what will hit the headline tomorrow. If we had our broadcasting channel, I am sure that we would do a better thing than what we will see tomorrow.
Ferdinard Kevin Wanyonyi (Hon. Ferdinand Wanyonyi)

My other point has been talked about by three Members of Parliament. When I was in school, I used to listen to the programme “ Leo Katika Bunge ”. I waited keenly to see who said what like the late Hon. Martin Shikuku and Hon. Cherono. These are people who talked very well. Everybody was interested to listen to what they said. The formulation of Parliamentary Broadcasting Channels is long overdue. Chairman, go ahead and give us the bill of quantities for whatever things you require and we will pass them, so that we can move forward. People need to understand the work of Members of Parliament. As you mentioned, the Members of the County Assemblies (MCA) will be covered in this Motion. Therefore, this programme is very good. I expect people not to vote for Members of Parliament because they attended funerals and gave out money for Harambee . That is what exactly happens out there. People say that they do not see a certain Member of Parliament because there was a funeral somewhere and he was not there and yet he was supposed to be here.
Ferdinard Kevin Wanyonyi (Hon. Ferdinand Wanyonyi)

Somebody called me this morning and told me that they had a funeral. He also asked me where I was. He does not know that this is the time that I am supposed to be here. They do not even know when we are supposed to be here. With these Parliamentary Broadcasting Channels, we will inform the public on some of these issues. The Chairman said that we only have one person from Kenya Broadcasting Corporation. This will also offer employment to our youths. Because of the presentations, most of our youths will be trained and then take part. Ten or 20 youths will be employed from this particular broadcast. On behalf of my people in Kwanza Constituency and Trans Nzoia County, I want to take this opportunity to say that this is the best legislation that we have ever come up with. Heko to Hon. Kizito who did very well to come up with this idea.
Ferdinard Kevin Wanyonyi (Hon. Ferdinand Wanyonyi)

I support the Motion.
(Applause)
Ferdinard Kevin Wanyonyi (Hon. Ferdinand Wanyonyi)

The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
May 11, 2021 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEBATES _ 20
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Member for Garissa County, Hon. Anab Gure.
Anab Mohamed Gure (Hon. (Ms.) Anab Gure)

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for giving me this golden opportunity to contribute to this important Motion. It intends to make the parliamentary proceedings open or transparent to all Kenyans who elected us. This is good for our democracy.
Anab Mohamed Gure (Hon. (Ms.) Anab Gure)

When Parliament establishes its television and radio stations, the citizens will have a platform where they will share their concerns effectively with Parliament. Lastly, establishing independent television and radio stations will ensure that Parliament reaches directly to the citizens without information being twisted by other media stations.
Anab Mohamed Gure (Hon. (Ms.) Anab Gure)

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I support the Motion.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Let us have the Member for Kilifi South, Hon. Kiti Chonga.
Richard Ken Chonga Kiti (Hon. Ken Chonga)

Asante, Mhe. Naibu Spika wa Muda. Nataka nigeuze lugha kidogo, kwa sababu watu wamesikiza kimombo cha kutosha. Sijasahau vile Rais wa Tanzania, Mama Suluhu Hassan, alipotembea hapa….
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Tafadhali rudisha barakoa mahali panapostahili.
Richard Ken Chonga Kiti (Hon. Ken Chonga)

Asante, Mhe. Naibu Spika wa Muda. Rais wa Tanzania alituchekesha na utamu wa Kiswahili chake.
Richard Ken Chonga Kiti (Hon. Ken Chonga)

Kwanza, nataka kumpongeza Mwenyekiti wa Kamati hii, Mhe. Kizito, kwa kazi safi ambayo ameifanya. Mhe. Naibu Spika wa Muda, mimi pia ni mmoja wa wanakamati ya Utangazaji na Shughuli za Bunge na Maktba. Lakini kabla hata nichangie chochote, kuna jambo ambalo limekuwa likinivunja moyo sana. Sasa ni mwaka wa nne tangu niwe katika Kamati hii. Cha kushangaza ni kwamba Kamati hii ambayo kwa sasa imeleta Hoja hii, ambayo inapongezwa na kila Mbunge, ni Kamati ambayo imechukuliwa kama Kamati hafifu ambayo wanaoadhibiwa na wale ambao wanaonekana kwamba hawafai kuwa katika Kamati kubwa kubwa huletwa upande huu. Hata tunapozungumza saa hii, ni juzi tu ambapo Wenyekiti wa Kamati kadhaa, kwa sababu ya malumbano waliokuwa nayo ndani ya vyama vyao, walitolewa kule na kutupwa huku. Walikuja na ule msimamo wakifiria kuwa hii ni Kamati ambayo haina mwelekeo. Lakini tazama ile kazi ambayo Mhe. Kizito na Wabunge wake wameifanya.
Richard Ken Chonga Kiti (Hon. Ken Chonga)

Kusema kweli kabisa, sisi sote tunafahamu kuwa Bunge ndio mahali ambapo sheria na mwelekeo wa tasasi za Serikali zote hutoka. Iwe ni mahakama au hospitali, kila kitu lazima kiweze kutungwa kama sheria kupitia Bunge hili. La kushangaza ni kwamba katika yote yanayoshughulikiwa katika Bunge hili hakuna lolote ambalo mwananchi analifahamu. Ninapongeza Hoja hii na hatua iliyochukuliwa. Kwanza kabisa, linalonitia moyo ni mbali na kuwa kazi na jitihada za Wabunge kwenye Kamati na kwenye Bunge, pia mwananchi wa kawaida ataweza kuelewa ni kitu kipi kinaendelea Bungeni. Mbali na michango yetu, mwananchi ataweza kufahamu mambo ambayo yanaendelea Bungeni pia.
Richard Ken Chonga Kiti (Hon. Ken Chonga)

Pili, Wabunge wengi wamesema hapa kuwa angalau, kazi za Wabunge zitakuwa zinaonekana. Lakini, mbali na hilo, pia hii itapatia mwanachi nafasi ya kuchagua kati ya stesheni zinazotangaza jumbe, ni stesheni ipi angetaka kufuatiliza ili kuelewa yanayojiri na The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
May 11, 2021 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEBATES _ 21
yanayoendelea katika taifa hili. Mimi na wewe tunafahamu hivo. Kuna stesheni zingine ambazo yale wanayopeperusha ni mambo ya aibu, ya kuvunja moyo na ambayo huwezi keti na watoto wako kama familia kutazama. Lakini hii ni stesheni mmoja ambayo wengi wataitazama. Kwa mfano, mimi kama Mbunge sasa hivi, nafikiria kuwa familia yangu ingetaka kujua ni maswala yapi ambayo nayafuatilia ndani ya Bunge.
Ingewezekana, Mhe. Naibu Spika wa Muda, ungeniongezea muda manake naona muda wangu umeyoyoma. Hata hivyo, langu mimi ni kuwaomba na kuwasishi Wabunge kama vile wameunga mkono, tafadhali tuzidi kuipatia Kamati hii motisha ili yanayohitajika haswa fedha, bajeti inafaa kuanganzia hili ili kuhakisha kwamba kituo hiki kinazinduliwa. Kusema ukweli, Mhe. Kizito ameweza kupiga hatua kubwa sana na ingekuwa bora kama hatua hii …
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Member for Gatanga.
Joseph Nduati Ngugi (Hon. Joseph Nduati)

Thank you very much.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Hon. (Ms.) Sahal, what is out of order?
Nominated, FORD-K (Hon. (Ms.) Nasir Ibrahim)

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for giving me this opportunity. I rise on Standing Order No. 95; can you call the Mover to reply? Thank you.
Joseph Nduati Ngugi (Hon. Joseph Nduati)

Let me just finish.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Actually, I had already given the Member for Gatanga the opportunity. So, let him finish then I will put the Motion to a vote.
Joseph Nduati Ngugi (Hon. Joseph Nduati)

Thank you. I have been here for a long time; it is also good to allow us to contribute.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Hon. Members, that is a proper Motion moved by Hon. (Ms.) Sahal but since I had already called the Member for Gatanga to make his contribution, after his contribution, we will put it to a vote.
Joseph Nduati Ngugi (Hon. Joseph Nduati)

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. From the outset, I want to thank the Committee for doing a great job. It is high time we established our own television and radio station, so that we can broadcast the right information. Currently, unless it is negative news, it is really hard to get covered. One of the challenges we have with the media currently is that sometimes journalists are paid on what they submit to those media stations. And unless you get to the headline, the way to get to the headline is to submit negative news; it is very difficult. That is why I want to support the Chairman and his Committee. It is high time we established our own television and radio station. It is not expensive. Hon. Wanyonyi has said that we need to get the Bill. However, it is quite cheap to establish a radio or television station currently with the digital technology. I also want to encourage Members, even at the constituency level, it is important and you can establish your own community radio station and a television station so that you can also broadcast whatever you want. In Gatanga, we are known for music and we are already applying for a licence. In Central Province, we want to establish our own television and radio station where we will be able to broadcast whatever content we have to our people. This will be a great way of supporting our youth. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
May 11, 2021 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEBATES _ 22
In terms of running the stations, I know that Members here can support the Chairman through advertising for NG-CDF tenders there or even allow Members to advertise whatever they are doing in the constituencies through subsidizing the fees.
Again, as Parliament, we spend a lot of money weekly on the advertisements run by Parliament in our local dailies. It is quite expensive to run the advertisements. For instance, a coloured one-page advert would cost more than Ksh1 million. Instead of losing that money out there to the private sector, we can use it to run our own station.
Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, this would really assist. You can see I have been here since morning and I have not gotten a chance to speak. If we had that station, maybe I would be going there in the evening to make my contribution. In terms of content, we are many here. In this National Assembly, we are 349 Members. In one year, we may require only one of us to be there for a whole day. One day, you are in Gatanga and someone else is in a different area covering their project. So, content is not a problem.
We also do a lot of work in the committees which is not covered. Some of us do not come here, we attend the committees faithfully. Maybe, we might get coverage there and in the many foreign trips that we undertake. We also participate in other things apart from debating. Some of us are great sportsmen in this Parliament. It would be good to cover that kind of talent so that we are not criticised every day of being “M-pigs”. Some of us might even get the opportunity to defend ourselves on some of these things that Members are saying here.
Thank you very much.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Order Members. Hon. Sahal has moved a Motion for the Mover to be called upon to reply and the decision is upon you Members. So, I am going to put the Question.
(Question, that the Mover be called upon to reply, put and agreed to)
Justus Kizito Mugali

(Shinyalu, ODM) Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I beg to reply.
Justus Kizito Mugali

First of all, I thank the entire leadership of the National Assembly – the Hon. Speaker and the Office of the Clerk – and my Committee Members who have worked tirelessly with the secretariat. I have senior and ranking Members in the Committee, and they have been very cooperative. We have worked very well.
Justus Kizito Mugali

With those few remarks, I beg to reply.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Hon. Members, for obvious reason, we will move the putting of the Question when the Motion will be in the Order Paper next time.
(Putting of the Question deferred)
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

Let us move to the next Order.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
May 11, 2021 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEBATES _ 23
ADOPTION OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE REPORT FOR FINANCIAL YEAR 2017/2018
James Opiyo Wandayi (Hon. Opiyo Wandayi)

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, allow me to remove the mask for me to talk properly because of my glasses.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): That is okay.
James Opiyo Wandayi (Hon. Opiyo Wandayi)

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I beg to move the following Motion: THAT, the House adopts the Report of the Public Accounts Committee on the Examination of the Report of the Auditor-General on the Financial Statements of the National Government for the Financial Year 2017/2018 (Volumes I and II), laid on the Table of the House on Tuesday, 23rd March 2021. As I do so, I want to ….
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Hon. Wandayi, I am sorry for interrupting you. You have 60 minutes but we only have eight minutes before we adjourn. So, be guided.
James Opiyo Wandayi (Hon. Opiyo Wandayi)

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I draw the attention of Members to the provisions of the Constitution upon which the work of the PAC is hinged. Article 203(3) of the Constitution is clear that the equitable share of the revenue raised nationally and allocated to the national Government and county governments is to be calculated on the basis of the most recent audited accounts of revenue received as approved by the National Assembly. I need to emphasise this because, as we know, this is a Report concerning Financial Year 2017/2018 and we are in Financial Year 2020/2021. One may want to ask why we are dealing with Financial Year 2017/2018 in Financial Year 2020/2021. This is, indeed, the last audited Report that was received by Parliament. As a matter of fact, the PAC of the National Assembly in the 12th Parliament has been able, through diligence, to clear the backlog that it inherited upon assumption of office way back in December 2017. What I mean, therefore, is that we have been able to be up-to-date with the Auditor-General in so far as examining the Audit Reports is concerned. The Public Accounts Committee has embarked on examining the Report of the Financial Year 2018/2019 which is now the latest report which has landed here. In fact, we have not even received the reconciliation books for all the Ministries, State Agencies and Departments. So, we are emphasizing that we are doing a good job as a Committee, and this is because of the commitment of the membership of that Committee. We have a wonderful Committee comprising of very dedicated Members. Some are serving their third terms like Hon. (Dr.) Eseli Simiyu and Hon. Aden Duale. Others are serving their second terms like Hon. Justus Kizito. Others are serving their first terms like Hon. (Dr.) Oundo and Hon. (Dr.) Eve Obara, but they are very committed as well. It is a Committee comprising of very eminent Members of Parliament who are extremely committed. Therefore, we owe it to those members that this Committee has been able to achieve what it has achieved to date in terms of clearing all the backlog and coming up to date with the Auditor-General’s Office. My presentation will be broken down into subsections, and I will be dealing with the matter of glaring irregularities and blatant illegalities that have been apparent and are manifest in the procurement process within the public sector such as Ministries, State Departments, The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
May 11, 2021 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEBATES _ 24
independent commissions and independent offices that we oversee. This will become clear once I am through with my presentation when time allows. I will also talk about the vexing question of absorption of budgets. Tied to this is the big issue of pending bills. These two factors have a great bearing on budget implementation. As you know, the budget of the national Government is prepared by this House. Therefore, it is of interest this House knows how that same budget is implemented by the respective Ministries, State Departments, independent commissions and independent offices. I will also talk about project implementation, that is, the projects that have been earmarked for implementation through these budgets and issues around them. I will eventually delve into the matter of revenue collection, and ultimately, revenue sharing. It is going to be important for this House to take note of the fact that, overtime, this country has had to deal with budgets which are premised on projected revenues whose targets have continually been unmet. That has brought a lot of challenges. We are also going to highlight areas of weaknesses in so far as controls are concerned within the public sector. In some cases, we shall highlight laxity or wilful negligence on the part of public officers especially accounting officers. This Committee has gone ahead to propose or derive recommendations which come as a result of observations. So, they have made specific recommendations on specific issues that concern the management of public resources.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Hon. Wandayi, wind up.
James Opiyo Wandayi (Hon. Opiyo Wandayi)

Yes, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. Therefore, I will seek to highlight all these issues when, God willing, we resume next time. Thank you very much for now. I hope I will get more time to conclude.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): You surely will. Hon. Wandayi, you have a balance of 52 minutes.
James Opiyo Wandayi (Hon. Opiyo Wandayi)

Thank you.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): You have just had a tip of the iceberg of your time. Debate on this Motion by Hon. Wandayi will continue when it will be next slotted in the Order Paper. He has a balance of 52 minutes.
ADJOURNMENT
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

(Hon. (Ms.) Soipan Tuya): Hon. Members, the time being 9.01 p.m. this House stands adjourned until Thursday, 13th May 2021 at 10.00 a.m.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

The House rose at 9.01 p.m.
The Temporary Deputy Speaker

The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.
search Hansard

THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

THE HANSARD

PRAYERS

QUORUM

PROCEDURAL MOTION

REDUCTION OF PUBLICATION PERIOD OF A SPECIFIED BILL

BILL

THE FINANCE BILL

MOTIONS

REPORT ON FORMULATION OF PARLIAMENTARY BROADCASTING CHANNELS

ADOPTION OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE REPORT FOR FINANCIAL YEAR 2017/2018

ADJOURNMENT