Hon. Members, we do not have the required quorum. So, I order that the Quorum Bell be rung for 10 minutes.

Order, Hon. Members. Take your seats. We can now start our business.

Under this particular Order, we have a series of Papers to be laid by the Chief Whip of the Majority Party.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I beg to lay the following Papers on the Table of the House: Speech by His Excellency the President on his Address to Parliament on Tuesday, 30th November 2021; Eighth Annual Report on the Measures taken and Progress Achieved in the Realisation of National Values and Principles of Governance submitted in fulfilment of the provisions of Article 132(1)(c) of the Constitution; Annual Report on the Progress Made in Fulfilling the International Obligations of the Republic of Kenya submitted in fulfilment of the provisions of Article 132(1)(c) of the Constitution; Annual Report to Parliament on the State of National Security submitted in fulfilment of the provisions of Article 240(7) of the Constitution; Kenya Business Climate Milestone Report for the year 2020/2021; Legal Notice No.192 on the Tax Procedures (Unassembled Motorcycles) (Amendment) Regulations, 2021 and Legal Notice No.223 on Tax Procedures (Unassembled Motorcycles) (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations, 2021; Gazette Notice No.12325 on guidelines on share buy backs for listed companies; The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

The 2022 Budget Policy Statement; Programmes Outputs, Key Performance Indicators and Set Targets for the 2022/2023 Financial Year and Medium-Term Budget (Annex Table 4B - Volumes I and II); The 2022 Medium Term Debt Management Strategy; Legislative Proposal for submission to Parliament on Division of Revenue Bill, 2022; Legislative Proposal for submission to Parliament on County Allocation of Revenue Bill, 2022; Submission of Nominees to the National Government Constituencies Development Fund Committee for Ugenya Constituency; Reports of the Auditor-General and Financial Statements in respect of the following institutions for the year ended 30th June 2020, and the certificates therein: (a) Youth Enterprise Development Fund; (b) School Equipment Production Unit; and, (c) Kenya Literature Bureau. Report of the Auditor-General and Financial Statements in respect of Dagoretti North Constituency for the year ended 30th June 2020, and the certificates therein; Reports of the Auditor-General and Financial Statements in respect of the following constituencies for the year ended 30th June 2019, and the certificates therein: (a) Belgut; (b) Muhoroni; (c) Kisumu West; (d) Pokot South; (e) Nyakach; and, (f) Kasarani.

Very well. Next Order!

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I beg to give notice of the following Motion: THAT, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order No.24 (6), the thanks of this House be recorded for the exposition of public policy contained in the Address of His Excellency the President delivered in Parliament on Tuesday, 30th November 2021 and further, that this House notes the following Reports submitted by His Excellency the President, laid on the Table of the House on Wednesday, 1st December 2021: (i) The 8th Annual Report on the Measures Taken and Progress Achieved in the Realisation of National Values and Principles of Governance submitted in fulfilment of the provisions of Article 132(1)(c) of the Constitution; (ii) The 8th Annual Report on the Progress made in Fulfilling the International Obligations of the Republic of Kenya submitted in fulfilment of the provisions of Article 132(1)(c) of the Constitution; (iii) The Annual Report to Parliament on the State of National Security submitted in fulfilment of the provisions of Article 240(7) of the Constitution; and, The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

(iv) The Kenya Business Climate Reforms Milestones Report for the year 2020/2021.

Very well. Next Order!

Under this particular Order, I will temporarily re-organise the Questions. The Member for Kuresoi South will ask his Question. He comes from Nakuru City. He will be followed by the Member for Gilgil. I am informed that both of them will be going to participate in the inauguration of the new city. We will do it in that manner. Let us start with the Member for Kuresoi South, Hon. Tonui.

Kuresoi South, JP): Hon. Deputy Speaker, I beg to ask the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development the following question: (i) Could the Cabinet Secretary explain the reasons for the delayed construction of Lelechwet-Cheram Bridge in Kuresoi South Constituency since 2017? (ii) Could the Cabinet Secretary state the total cost of the project, the amount paid to date and the outstanding amount? (iii) Could the Cabinet Secretary also explain the scope of works which is yet to be completed, state when construction of the project will resume and provide the expected completion timelines?

Very well. That will be replied to before the Departmental Committee on Transport, Public Works and Housing. Next is the Member for Gilgil.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for the indulgence as we join the President as he delivers the charter for the fourth city in this country - Nakuru City. I beg to ask the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and Coordination of National Government the following Question: (i) What is the status of investigations into the disappearance of Mr. Boniface Njuguna Ndung’u of ID No. 20125197, a businessman and resident of Gilgil Constituency who was kidnapped in Churo area, Baringo County on 31st August 2021, while 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.

sourcing for chicken for his business as reported in Gilgil Police Station on 17th September 2021 vide occurrence book No. 21/17/9/2021 (ii) Have there been any arrests of those involved in the disappearance, particularly the suspect(s) who allegedly demanded for a ransom for the release of Mr. Njuguna on 2nd September 2021, but later reneged on grounds that the incident was a revenge mission? Thank you, Hon. Speaker.

Very well. That will be replied to before the Departmental Committee of Administration and National Security. As you go, I hope that you will take apologies from the Member for Kuresoi North, who is held up in Parliament. Next is the Member for Lamu, Hon. Captain Ruweida Obo.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity. I beg to ask the Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife the following Question: (i) Could the Cabinet Secretary provide a status report on incidences of invasion by wildlife in Shelah area in Lamu County? (ii) What steps is the Ministry taking to protect the residents from the recent invasions by hippopotamus and lions? Thank you, Hon. Speaker.

That will be replied before the Departmental Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. Next is the Member for Kibwezi West, Hon. (Dr.) Patrick Musimba. Sorry, I defer this particular one having been informed by the Member that he will not make it.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity. I beg to ask the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and Coordination of National Government the following Question: The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

(i) Could the Cabinet Secretary report on the status of investigations into the cause of death of late Mr. Muuo Muthengi of ID No. 27783855, a prison warden who was stationed at the Thika Prisons and mysteriously died on 13th October 2021 as reported at the Thika Police Station vide occurrence book No. 126/14/10/2021? (ii) Could the Cabinet Secretary explain whether any suspect(s) have been apprehended or questioned in connection with the said death? Thank you, Hon. Speaker.

That will be replied to before the Departmental Committee of Administration and National Security. Next is the Member for Mwala, Hon. (Eng.) Musyoka. He is not present.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I beg to ask the Cabinet Secretary for Education the following Question. (i) What is the implementation status of the Government’s policy on sex education in schools across the country and particularly schools in Kitui County? (ii) What measures has the Ministry put in place to address the high need for sexual and reproductive health education and information among students, particularly the adolescents? Thank you, Hon. Speaker.

Very well. That will be replied to before the Departmental Committee on Education and Research. I am informed that Question No. 515/2021 is also deferred.

Hon. Sossion, what is it?

Hon. Members, I am consulting on something. I am also deferring the Question by the Member for Suba South, Hon. Mbadi. I am consulting on a small issue; please exercise patience.

That will be moved by the Majority Whip. It was to be moved by the Leader of the Majority Party, but he will be joining us and he will have the preferred time. Majority Whip, please proceed.

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

THAT, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 24(6), the thanks of this House be recorded for the exposition of public policy contained in the Address of H.E. the President delivered in Parliament on Tuesday, 30th November 2021 and further, that this House notes the following Reports submitted by H.E. the President, laid on the Table of the House on Wednesday, 1st December 2021- (i) The 8th Annual Report on the Measures Taken and Progress Achieved in the Realisation of National Values and Principles of Governance, submitted in fulfilment of the provisions of Article 132(1) (c) of the Constitution; (ii) The 8th Annual Report on the Progress made in Fulfilling the International Obligations of the Republic of Kenya, submitted in fulfilment of the provisions of Article 132(1) (c) of the Constitution; (iii)The Annual Report to Parliament on the State of National Security submitted in fulfilment of the provisions of Article 240(7) of the Constitution; and, (iv) The Kenya Business Climate Reforms Milestones Report for the year 2020/2021.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I am grateful to my colleagues for the very cordial interaction we had with the President yesterday, as he delivered his Eighth Speech to the House. I must thank my colleagues for enduring two hours and 15 minutes listening to a 249-page document that was delivered by His Excellency the President. I must also thank him for taking his time because most anchors in our national television stations normally sit down. But he endured, made it good and stood throughout as he read his Speech. This is something to applaud him for and thank God because it was successful. The message to the country was very clear and in black and white. The President’s Speech covered a wide range of issues which he has delivered to us to date. 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.

At the outset, the President took cognisance of the realities that are facing us, like the existence of COVID-19 pandemic, and took us through how he was able to handle the situation. On 30th November 2021, we welcomed the President to fulfil his constitutional duty under Article 132(1)(b) of the Constitution which requires that the Head of State once every year addresses a Joint Sitting of Parliament. In respect to such address, the Constitution requires the President, among other things, to report on the measures taken and progress achieved in the realisation of the national values referred to in Article 10 of the Constitution.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, it also requires the submission of a Report to debate in the National Assembly on the progress made in the fulfilment of international obligations to the Republic. Yesterday, the President addressed this House on several critical matters of the state. I have summarised them as follows: (i) The COVID 19 pandemic and the role the government has played in combating the effects of the pandemic and the lifting of the containment measures; (ii) The government progress in achieving the National Transformative Agenda and Economic Development; (iii) The progress made in fulfilment of Kenya’s international obligations and cooperation with our international partners. (iv) The big push investments, enlarged road network with 10,500 kilometres of roads built across the Republic since 2013; nearly matching the mileage of 11,200 kilometres of tarmac road built by all his predecessors - the colonial government, Jomo Kenyatta, Hon. Daniel Moi, Hon. Mwai Kibaki; and, (v) The Standard Gauge Railway, the on-going Nairobi Express Way, dual carriage way from Rironi-Mau Summit and households’ connection to power estimated at 6.3 million were captured. Hon. Deputy Speaker, there is also the role of Parliament in assisting the Government to achieve its agenda, especially the Big Four, towards the ultimate realisation of Vision 2030. On improved healthcare, the objective is to have 100 per cent Universal Health Care by 2022 and increased Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) campuses from 28 in 2013 to 71 in 2021. There is the issue of Linda Mama Program introduced in 2016 which has increased birth and reduced maternal mortality rates and has so far benefitted 5,843,307 women. Also, there was the issue of political stability. He stated that the country must break the cycle of poll chaos that the nation has experienced since 1992 with loss of lives, populations displaced, loss of economic growth and the 2017 nullification of Presidential elections. The leaders - Hon. William Ruto, Hon. Raila Odinga, Hon. Kalonzo Musyoka and Hon. Musalia Mudavadi - should not take the country back to such dark days but rather focus on development projects. On devolution, the national Government has disbursed an estimated Kshs2.44 trillion to county governments over the last eight years. The resolve of the constitutional dilemma facing our country with an attempt by Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) to enhance the devolution dream was shattered. This denied Kenyans an increased county allocation from the current 15 per cent to 35 per cent. Today, we all celebrate Nakuru Town for becoming the fourth city. Hon. Deputy Speaker, as you sit in the Chair, and you are a member from Nakuru County, we also celebrate you for this achievement. Of importance to this House are the Bills that the President requested we fast-track since they are of significant contribution to the development and betterment of our great Republic. Those Bills include: (a) The Huduma Bill which institutionalised the reforms on the National Identity System; 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.

(b) The Political Parties (Amendment) Bill, 2021; (c) The Political Parties Membership Regulations, 2021; (d) The Government Contracts Bill; (e) The Kenya National Blood Transfusion Bill, 2020; (f) The Irrigation (Amendment) Bill, 2021; (g) The Kenya National Library Service Bill, 2020; and, (h) The Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering (Amendment) Bill, 2021. Hon. Deputy Speaker, despite the effect of the pandemic, the President demonstrated to us that it is not all doom and gloom. He was also keen to address the nation on the status of the Government National Transformative Agenda and Economic Development. He discharged his solemn constitutional duty by articulating the achievements of the Government under the Big Four Agenda, which is anchored on the four intentions which the Government pursues relentlessly. The first to be liberated is the urban dwellers from poverty of dignity caused by poor housing and inadequate services. Second, is the transitioning of young people from being just earners of wages to owners of capital. Third, is ensuring food safety, security and finally jump-starting our economy from consumption-based economy to production-based economy. It is not news that some Kenyans are living in deplorable conditions and many do not have basic needs; that is food and shelter. The President recounted these challenges as the foundation for his development agenda. In respect to housing, the Government has made key milestones with the pilot housing project which was a backbone project delivered ahead of schedule and within the budget. Additionally, last year, the Government also concluded the incorporation and successful capitalisation of the Kenya Mortgage Refinance Corporation which is aimed at: Improving mortgage affordability and increasing the number of qualifying borrowers which results in the expansion of the primary mortgage market and home owners in Kenya, while also deepening the capital markets through large-scale medium to long-term refinance options. Hon. Deputy Speaker, the President also highlighted about the reforms that have been achieved in the land sector, especially the processes of digitalisation to improve access to land as a factor for development. Additionally, most critically, he addressed himself on the digitalisation of the courts, with the full operationalisation of the Small Claims Courts which has seen disputes involving Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) being resolved within a record of 60 days, thus freeing up capital locked up in legal disputes. The highlight of the Speech was the Third Economic Stimulus Program which the President stated that there no more locking of the economy to avoid disrupting the economic recovery witnessed after lifting the restrictions with the Third Stimulus Package of over Kshs257 billion as follows: The tea sub-sector: Aiming at safeguarding the gains made in the tea sub-sector, the National Treasury will allocate Kshs1 billion in support of fertiliser subsidies for our tea farmers. The sugar sub-sector where I belong in terms of farming, is aimed at safeguarding the livelihoods of the farmers within our nation’s sugar belt. He directed the National Treasury to allocate an additional Kshs1.5 billion in aid of the sugar sub-sector. That amount will be appropriated towards the maintenance of factories and payment of farmers. Towards the coffee sub-sector, he acknowledged the space of the ongoing reforms in the sub-sector. He directed the National Treasury to allocate Kshs1 billion to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries. It will be appropriated towards the completion of ongoing targeted interventions in the coffee sub-sector. 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.

On the livestock sector, the President noted the effects of the ongoing drought. In that regard, he directed that the National Treasury allocates Kshs1.5 billion in support of the communities affected by the ongoing drought in ASAL counties. That is part of our national livestock off-take programme. Additionally, and in a bid to secure reduction in the prices of animal feeds, he directed that the CS of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, jointly with the National Treasury, issues a framework that will facilitate the reduction of the cost of animal and chicken feeds. In respect to education, the President noted the success of his administration’s policy on 100 per cent transition from primary to secondary education. He directed that the National Treasury will allocate Kshs8 billion to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology for the CBC infrastructure expansion programme. As pertains to health and to increase access to medical coverage across our nation, and as part of our universal health coverage programme, he directed the Ministry of Health to establish additional 50 new Level 3 hospitals in non-covered areas and densely populated areas across our nation. Further, he directed the National Treasury to allocate Kshs3.2 billion for immediate construction of the medical facilities. On matters of national sanitation, the President recounted that, that programme has started to harness the energy of young people and given them a buffer against COVID-19 related unemployment. He noted the success of the Kazi Mtaani Programme and its effect in enhancing opportunities for the youth across the country. He directed the National Treasury to allocate Kshs10 billion for the third phase of the Kazi Mtaani Programme. In respect to energy and petroleum, he appreciated the positive strides that have been made in our economic recovery. However, the gains stand the risk of being eroded by high energy prices. To address the plight of our people, he indicated that the prices of fuel and energy should be reviewed by December 2021. On banking, he addressed himself to the transformation of our economy and the emergence of our nation as a financial hub. It is because of the efficiency secured by technology. He also spoke about the effects of the moratorium on not listing defaulters in the CRB for a period of 12 months that is to end in September 2022, with a capping of Kshs5 million. The positive effect is that this will contribute to the growth of our small businesses. On digital financial services, he recognised the importance of digital financial services, especially to small scale traders and the households at large, and the review of the Kshs1 million ceiling on deposits and withdrawals. Hon. Deputy Speaker, in respect of vaccine production, the President indicated the importance of the vaccines in capping certain diseases. The underlying message from the President to this House is that we need to support the Government in a bid to achieving its vision under the Big Four Agenda. In many instances in the Speech, the President lauded the efforts of this House in supporting efforts of the Executive thus far. To ensure our safety and that of our loved ones, I encourage Members to be vigilant in the fight against the pandemic. I hope this House continues to support the Executive in achieving the Government’s agenda. Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I beg to move and ask my very good friend, Hon. Muturi Kigano, who is my Chair of the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs, to second.

Actually, you have helped the House without knowing because Hon. Muturi Kigano was going to be among the three Chairs who would be first to contribute. They are the Chair of the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs, the Chair of the Departmental Committee on Administration and National Security and the Chair of 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.

Departmental Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations. Those three were going to be the first to contribute because most of what is being done is directly touching on their Committees. So, you have actually saved us that trouble. Hon. Muturi Kigano, make sure to encompass everything, including what you were supposed to do as the Chair of the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs. What did you say, Hon. Kigano? That you want two bites? I can assure you that you have all the bites. You have 10 minutes.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to give brief comments on the State of the Nation Address and to second the Whip of the Majority Party on this Motion. At the outset, I wish to herald and laud His Excellency the President for getting time to expound Government’s able consideration or the concern through that interaction on the social contract. In this respect, we as a Committee, commend His Excellency for complying with the constitutional imperatives under Article 132. He has done that fully, throughout his tenure of office. That demonstrates fidelity to the Constitution. This was demonstrated when I saw the two other Arms of Government represented by Mr. Kinyua for the Executive, and the Chief Justice for the Judiciary. That demonstrates a unity of purpose and that the Government has nothing to hide. It was commendable on the part of the President to attribute just about one-third of his Speech to the COVID-19 pandemonium. This was right. All the measures that have been taken against COVID-19 have been stated by the Whip of the Majority Party. I also commend His Excellency on the way he elaborated the massive infrastructure developments, particularly roads, and a new initiative on the Port of Lamu to enable it compete with Shanghai and Rotterdam, and other transit ports. There is something that has not emerged quite well. It is the benefit to be derived from the new jetty on Lake Victoria. We were informed that barges are now the in thing. This is what developed the Germany Ruhr River, the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp, and other ports. The barges ferry goods from far flung areas. To now have a jetty in Kisumu, being used by barges to transport oil to Port Bell in Uganda, alleviates the time spent. Equally, the new berths that have been put up in Mombasa will affect the turn-around of ships at the Port of Mombasa and alleviate the demurrage that the country is incurring. The 10,500 kilometres of road that have been constructed by His Excellency’s Government over eight years are not a small effort when compared to the roads that were constructed by the British Government and the three previous governments. When put together, those governments constructed about the same length of roads. It is commendable that the agriculture sector, particularly the coffee, tea and sugar sectors were also considered. Enormous investments were made in those sectors to reform them to be conducive to farmers. On the benefits of the Kenya Meat Commission (KMC), I would like to remind the House that we developed Botswana into the fourth-highest beef producing country in the world. Botswana was developed by the KMC and that is why their commission is called the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) just like the KMC. We developed them and they are now the fourth-highest beef producing country in the world. We are still lagging behind. We are not even admitted to the European Union. Our meat cannot be accessed. However, with this new investment in KMC, we are now ready and we know we will be able to access other markets. 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.

We also heard His Excellency the President speaking confidently about the handshake initiative between himself and Baba . There are no illusions about this initiative. The peace that is prevailing in the country is because of the handshake. It was also absolutely an opportune time for His Excellency to reassure the House that the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) is not off course and will be on course soon. The benefits that were derivable from the BBI were also set out. For some prophets of doom, even if His Excellency was to state the obvious about nature, for example, that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, they would still say that it rises in the west and sets in the east. Those are the prophets of doom. They were disabused. We have been reassured by His Excellency. We will not allow them to take this country through ethnic cleansing in the footsteps of the Third Reich under Hitler. We have started hearing certain slogans which, in all respects, follow the same pattern that Hitler and Mussolini used to categorise classes of people; that these are the poor and these are the rich. They were also used in Rwanda where the Tutsi were called cockroaches and the Hutus were called hustlers. I am confident with the contents of the State of the Nation Address. We are on the right path to…

On a point of order, Hon. Deputy Speaker.

What is your point of order, Hon. Nkatha?

I do not have my card.

Sorry! Then.

Her point of order will be considered when she traces her card. I am sure her point of order is not reasonable. I am confident with the contents of the State of the Nation Address. We are on the right path to take on the Asian tigers.

(Spoke off-record)

Hon. Nkatha, now that you have admitted that you do not have a card, it becomes difficult for me to help you. I had noticed you because I thought I had seen your card. Now that it has disappeared, there is very little that I can do.

I am just about to finish. I am confident with the contents of the State of the Nation Address. We are following in the footsteps of the Asian tigers and China, which developed their industries within the past 25 years.

Order, Hon. Members.

I will give the first opportunity to the Vice-Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations. You have 10 minutes. I noticed that Hon. Sankok is top on the list as usual. I will try and follow the queue. Unfortunately, if I find that it is too skewed to one side, I will have to look at the other side.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker for giving me the opportunity to also contribute to the President’s Speech. On behalf of the Departmental Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations where I serve as the Vice-Chair, I appreciate the support the President has given our Committee, particularly on the Foreign Service Bill, which he assented to in a record time. That Bill had been pending for eternity. It had been in the works for more than 30 years. By having it assented to by the President, as a country, we will have a career path that can be explored by both civil servants and career 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.

diplomats. Anybody who is interested in understanding Kenya’s foreign policy will be able to pick it up and read. It will also ensure that there is professionalism in the way that we handle our foreign policy issues. The Bill in many ways explains what it takes for one to grow through the system. It also explains pillars of the country’s foreign policy. As a Committee, we appreciate that that which is not measurable cannot be rewarded. We figured out that the best way to address that anomaly which we have had over the years is to come up with this Bill. We are grateful to the House for the support you gave us. You provided good criticism and enrich the Bill to make it more acceptable and comprehensive to serve Kenya better. The President spoke to a number of issues, including the foundations upon which we are going to build a better Kenya tomorrow. He also spoke about infrastructure. I am grateful on behalf of my constituents who got tarmacked roads. We have seen changes and benefits in several constituencies. We have seen the benefits accrued to Kenyans. When roads are fixed, people are able to access markets. Those of us who practise agriculture are able to take our goods and services to markets in a more convenient way, hence saving on time. Wastage that comes by way of spoiled harvest on farms is avoided. In Kisii, and particularly in my constituency of Nyaribari Chache, we have had serious challenges. God was gracious to us and He gave us good soil and good climate. We receive a lot of rains. When it rains, it becomes impossible to drive across the constituency. So, harvest from our tea farms mostly get spoilt because we are not able to take it to the market and tea buying centres. With the support of the government and the infrastructure that has been put in place, more particularly the one that we launched a couple of months ago, I am sure we will address some of the challenges we have been experiencing. That is replicated across the country. I am sure it will help our economy to grow. In the history of Kenya, we have had challenges with water. In some parts of Kenya where water has been installed in a more scientific way, water usage has not been organised. I have in mind Kisii County, where the last time water was fixed is more than 50 years ago, when I was barely one-year-old. The water was meant to help the community and Kisii town and its environs, where the population then was about 100,000. Over time, the population has grown in leaps and bounds. In a day, Kisii town has more than a million people. During the night, there are about 500,000 people in the CBD only. If you factor in the environs, we experience water shortage. We thank His Excellency the President for graciously granting us an opportunity and the resources to upgrade the Kegati Water Project. In my first tenure in Parliament, the President was gracious enough to give us almost Ksh3 billion, which was used to upgrade the water system in Kisii town. The challenge of water shortage is now a thing of the past. That confirms the President’s speech yesterday. Among many things that he spoke of having achieved is water supply and ensuring that we have a more organised system of water harvesting for the good of the country. Water is a basic requirement. When not used well, it becomes an embarrassment to the country and, of course, it affects investors who would have come to create employment opportunities to our youth. Among factors that influence investors to a location are electricity and water supply. When we have fixed water supply, it is easier to negotiate with investors to come and set up industries. That way we create employment. The President also spoke about electricity. We all know that we have had electricity being supplied on the basis of friendship. We know so many families that never used electricity. Hon. Deputy Speaker, you are one of the friends who helped me when I had that concern in my constituency. During the last Parliament, you accompanied me with the Cabinet Secretary for 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.

Energy and we had a meeting in one of the locations where we addressed electricity challenges. Since you came there, we have been able to connect more than 2,000 families. That has improved their livelihoods and quality of life. Children in those families are able to go to school and do their evening studies in a more organised way like children in other parts of the country who have access to electricity. So, the President was spot on when he spoke about electricity and the impact it has to the economy and the quality of life for Kenyans. But we should not sit back and say that now we have electricity because growth and development are a continuous process. We should continuously endeavour to upgrade electricity to ensure that all families are connected to the national grid. It will be a benefit both to the economy and to Kenya Power, who will be able to make some money from the bills we pay. At the Kegati Water Project, we are now constructing the second phase, which is reticulation—ensuring that the water is pumped to households. We are engaging the National Treasury so that we can get the water to homes. That way we will be able to address the initial intent of ensuring that there is water in people’s homes to improve their quality of life. The President spoke of Kenya Army. As the Vice-Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations, I want to attest that it is true that Kenya Army is one of the most professional bodies we have in this country. The training they get prepares them to serve Kenyans in a very special way.

Your time is over. I want to name four Members who will speak next so that we simply move without wasting time. They are Hon. Sankok, Hon. (Dr.) Makali Mulu, Hon. Wamalwa and Hon. Raheem, in that order. And be as brief as you can.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to the President’s Address yesterday. He scored an A in terms of legacy, especially on infrastructure. He has constructed 10,500 kilometres of roads. Everybody who has eyes knows that in every constituency in this country there have been new tarmac roads. There are lot of ongoing projects, including the Nairobi Expressway and Waiyaki Way. In Narok, we have benefitted from new 350 kilometres of tarmac, including the Narok-Maasai Mara road which is 89 kilometres. In terms of electricity connectivity, in the past it was only the area Member of Parliament and a few friends and those who were known by the District Commissioner (DC) who could get electricity. Now, we have been connected to electricity even in our Manyatta. If you talk of fighting for hustlers, electricity connectivity is one of the ways to do that. Even if you have a stone house, you will enjoy electricity services just like that person in a Manyatta because we are all Kenyans and Kenya belongs to all of us and not to a few individuals. We are witnesses to the issue of free maternity. If we could have heard from the many Members of the female gender, they would have witnessed. Free education, medical equipment in our county referral hospital including renal dialysis machines and others is a taste that the President have worked and secured his legacy. As to devolution, that is an increase from 15 to 32 per cent. I was among those who negotiated with the Senate, and I am sure it has been achieved. The President also mentioned the Ewaso Nyiro Tannery. We produce 3 million hides annually as pastoralists and most of it go to waste, thanks to Ewaso Nyiro tannery where we are also producing shoes. This country imports 25 million pair of shoes annually. We need to up that game so that we can have ternaries in every pastoral county. The President’s legacy is so rich that he even forgot a few. I did not hear him mention the issue of TVETs which we currently have more than 200. Any economy of a country is run by 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.

technical skills. For every building, you may have an engineer and an architecture, but the technical skills are the ones that will run in thousands. There is an ongoing construction of more than 200 TVETs in this country. He also forgot the issue of Uwezo Fund which has assisted so many youths; upgrading of NYS from an intake of 2000 annually to almost 30,000 during his term and disability mainstreaming. Before 2013, Kenya was number 15 in terms of disability rights in Africa but number one in 2017. That is why we were given the opportunity to co-host a World Disability Summit in the UK together with the super powers like UK in 2018. Hon. Deputy Speaker, economic empowerment to PWDs like arch pore access to Government procurement opportunities where a certain percentage of tenders is set aside for PWDs; cash transfers; and education for PWDs. He also mentioned the issue of post-election violence from 1992, 1997, 2007, 2013 and 2017. In full shot of explaining, he said he accepted the outcome of election in 2002 and was peaceful, yet it was a transition. So, there is something, a trend and a denominator that do not miss in the 1997, 2002, 2007, 2013 and 2017 post-election violence –the provision rejecter of the outcome of election who coined the 41 against one genocide political mantra and that is what we should mention; that people should accept the outcome of election so that we can become peaceful. The President did it once and ---

Hon. Mulu Makali, Daktari .

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. Let me join my colleagues in appreciating the presentation. Majority of us have said it was too long however, it had some good things and gaps. The good things have been said by my colleagues and will not dwell much on that. I will pick the highlights and slightly focus more on what missed in the Speech which I wish was there. The presentation on the issue of Covid-19 was excellent. He focused on mitigating measures and more so, the economic stimulus package which was offered by the Government. The punch line under that was seizing opportunities during disasters. As an economist, I was impressed by the presentation. He put the presentation into two categories: Economic acceleration and the Big Push. A number of initiatives were presented under Economic acceleration. Under the “Big Push”, big projects like Lamu Port, Kipevu Oil Terminal and tarmacking of a number of roads was presented. What is still not clear in my mind is the trickle-down effect of those developments. Have they reached to Kenyans wherever they are? Do feel them? The second point under that, which we need to analyse is the issue of if they are skilled or not? Some of these initiatives are skilled when it comes to the way they are distributed in this country. We need to think about fair distribution of some of these good initiatives. On the topic of political stabilization, he reminded us that the contentious issues which were addressed by BBI are still outstanding. We cannot bury our heads in the sand and assume they have been resolved. As Hon. Members, we need to pick from where he has left. It can be done by Hon. Members or the next President of this Country. This is because unless these things are sorted out, the issue of national unity will be challenged. On matters which I thought I would have given space to, it was unfortunate that in a speech of 249 pages, he could not spare a page on matters corruption. Corruption is killing this country. How I wish he would have spent more time to tell Kenyans more on matters corruption for the time he has been in power since 2013. The other issue which is the critical to me is public debt. 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.

Order? Who is this Member? Please, proceed.

The President came out clear and spoke about how he has doubled the GDP of this country in the eight years he has been in power. However, he should have also reminded Kenyans that he has multiplied public debt during the same period by five times. When you multiply public debt by five times, it means you are overburdening the future generation of this country and it is important Kenyans start thinking about how to make sure we do not overburden our future generation? There is what we call intergenerational equity in terms of distribution of public debt. The third point which to me is critical is that this country has undergone a serious drought as we debate today. I am sure Kenyans were expecting him to address it. My fourth point is analysing the basis of general growth. There should have been an attempt to do “per capita” analysis. Our population have grown and it would have been good to hear how this is impacting an individual and not the about 48 million Kenyans. Despite the fact that the speech was long, these are the four areas he should have found space in that 249-page speech so that Kenyans are also able to see what is being planned for their future. I wish we had more time so that we go into details, but my time is running short. With those many remarks, I support the President’s Speech.

Sorry, Hon. Daktari. We now go to Hon. Daktari Wamalwa.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I take this opportunity to thank His Excellency the President for coming to Parliament. It is his constitutional obligation particularly, under Articles 132 and 247. This is a critical moment. When he came here, there were three main objectives. One was on matters of international obligation. We have heard it from the Departmental Committee of Defence and Foreign Relations. Kenya does not exist in isolation. There are many treaties and conventions that must be ratified by this Parliament. Unfortunately, the report was not detailed. Maybe, he should look into that and see to what extent? The Report was not detailed. We should look into that and see to what extent. Secondly, the President was specifically supposed to report particularly on Article 10 of the Constitution on National Values and Principles of Governance. This is the aspect of corruption. This is because Article 10 of the Constitution highlights the “dos and the don’ts” and issues of the rule of law. In this country, the Government has been disobeying court orders. We are aware of the issue of Miguna Miguna and many that are still active in courts of law as we speak. Therefore, we expected the President to have mentioned matters of the rule of law because it is under Article 10 of the Constitution. On the issues of corruption, the President has been on record that we lose about Kshs2 billion per day. This is serious. When you come up with many projects, we need to see the costing. Has it been effective? Has it been realistic? Therefore, on the element of corruption, the President let us down. This is because this country is losing a lot of money because of the loopholes. You cannot fight corruption in isolation and this is where the Judiciary, investigation agencies and the prosecutions come in. Thirdly, I want to speak to matters of security and Article 247 of the Constitution talks about that. Food security is also an issue. In this country, we have a lot of drought. When you go to Kilifi, North Eastern and even the parts of Ukambani, Kenyans are suffering. I wish 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.

President would have gone further and highlighted on the issues of drought. This is because drought has been declared a national disaster. What has the Government done? What mechanisms has the Government put in place to mitigate drought? That was actually missing. I saw the comparison of figures and I do not understand why the President would even compare the current Kenya to the colonial days. I did not know the significance unless there was something that we need to analyse to see the value that the colonial time is adding. I want to agree with my colleagues that it is possible for you to increase the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) but what about the public debt? Every Kenyan is born with a burden on their head. When President Mwai Kibaki took over power in 2002, he came up with the Economic Recovery Strategy (ERS) and from that point, there was wealth creation and employment. The ERS transformed to the Vision 2030. When Kibaki was in power, the percentage of the GDP to the public debt was 48 per cent. As we speak now, the percentage of the public debt to the GDP is at over 80 per cent. The borrowing has gone up and we were forced to increase the ceiling. Therefore, as you say you have increased the GDP, you have also increased the public debt and the net effect is zero. We need to evaluate these figures. Hon. Deputy Speaker, we also expected His Excellency the President to pronounce himself on matters of the General Election. It is very critical. As we speak now, we have a new monster called the Multi-Sectoral Election Preparedness Committee interfering with the independence of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). We salute Chebukati, Chairman of the IEBC for pulling out of that. This is because it affects the independence of the IEBC. Kenyans want peaceful elections and they are going to be free, fair and credible. In 2017, a similar technical committee was in place and the High Court pronounced itself that it was…

Your time is up. You should have planned yourself better but you have had your say. Let us have the Hon. Dawood. Hon. Members, please plan yourself within the five minutes.

Asante, Mhe. Naibu Spika. Kwanza, Ningependa kumpongeza Rais Wetu, Mheshimiwa Uhuru Kenyatta kwa yale aliyotuletea jana. Nikimuunga Rais mkono, nashukuru wenzangu ambao wamezungumza wakimuunga Rais na nimeshangaa leo Mhe. Sankok amemsifu Rais. Hicho ni kitu ambacho singeamini kabisa kama singemwona hapa. Kama ni sauti, ningefikiria ni ya mtu mwingine. Lakini, vile Rais alizungumza jana, nashindwa mtu aliye na macho haoni na aliye na masikio, hasikii. Kwa miaka minane, kazi ambazo amezifanya zimepita zile ambazo zilifanywa kwa zaidi ya miaka mia moja. Kama ni barabara, miaka mia moja tulikuwa na barabara kilomita elfu kumi na moja. Katika Uongozi wa Rais Kenyatta kwa miaka minane, tumekuwa na zaidi ya kilomita elfu kumi. Umeme umeunganishwa kwingi kuliko miaka hizo zote. Sisemi kuwa hatuhitaji umeme au barabara. Bado tunahitaji. Wakati Rais alichukua uongozi mwaka wa 2013, alisema kuwa iwapo hawatarudia kura tena, bilioni sita ambayo ingetumika kwa kura itawekwa kwa Uwezo Fund. Mhe. Naibu Spika, baadhi ya Wajumbe waliokuwa kwenye Bunge lililopita waliwaambia watu wao kwamba pesa hizo ni za bure na wasilipe. Lakini kuna wengine ambao wako hapa na wengine wapya waliokuja na kupata pesa ziko nyingi. Kwa mfano, katika eneo Bunge letu, tulipatiwa milioni kumi na sita lakini tumepeana zaidi ya milioni arobaini. Ikiwa Rais Kenyatta hangependekeza maneno hayo, hatungekuwa na pesa hizo za Uwezo Fund . 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.

Vile vile, katika Uongozi wa Uhuru Kenyatta, National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) imeweza kulipia wagonjwa zaidi ya laki tano ama zaidi ya watu wakiwa wanafanyiwa oparesheni na hata wakati wa kwenda ng'ambo. Kama sio Rais Uhuru Kenyatta, ni nani? Nimeskia mwenzangu akilalamika kwamba tumeongeza deni. Ni ukweli kuwa deni limeongezwa. Lakini ukimuuliza deni limeongezwa limeenda wapi? Atakuambia hajui ilhali anataka maji, umeme, barabara na kila kitu. Kwani hizo zitatoka bila pesa? Lazima pesa zikopwe ndipo vitu vitengenezwe? Wengine wamesema kuwa mambo ya ufisadi hayakuzungumziwa. Lakini wale ambao wanafaa kuangalia mambo ya ufisadi wanataka kumfunga Director of CriminalInvestigation (DCI) wetu, Bwana Kinoti kwa sababu ya kushika bunduki. Hana ile bunduki na wanataka ashikwe afungiwe Kamiti. Afungiwe kwa nini? Yeye ndiye anafanya ile kazi ya kushika. Hawa ni wale wafisadi wanaotaka afungwe. Mhe. Naibu Spika, nimeskia mambo ya Independent Electoral and Boundaries

yakiongelewa kuwa ni tume huru. Ningependa kusema kuwa Judiciary pia ni tume huru au independent Arm jinsi wanasema Kimombo. Watu waachane na Chief Justice wetu, Martha Koome. Wakati huu Chebukati ndiyo analalamika lakini wakati uchaguzi utatupiliwa mbali, atasema hakujua ni nini kiliendelea. Kwa hivyo, ningesema tunampongeza Rais na tutamuunga mkono mpaka mwisho. Wale ambao wanasema hajafanya kazi, wangoje wapate wakati wao. Vile tunasema Mheshimiwa Kibaki alifanya kazi, vile vile Mheshimiwa Uhuru amefanya kazi ya kutosha na tutamuunga mpaka mwisho. Asante, Mhe. Naibu Spika.

Next is Hon. Kabinga Wachira.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker.

If that pleases you, we can then have Hon. Majimbo Kalasinga, Hon. Nyikal Wambura and Hon. Abdi Yusuf.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I hope it is noted that my minute is gone.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I rise to support the Speech by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Kenya and applaud him for being candid. Since yesterday, I think I have heard two speeches that have really pleased me: One was by the President and today, I have also heard one from Hon. Sankok who has decided to open up and not to live in a bondage of not being truthful. I was keen to listen to the Presidents’ speech yesterday from the beginning to the end. There are lessons that I learnt from the speech. That is what I would want to dwell on because he pronounced himself on the various things that the Government has done. One of the things that I learnt is about making timely choices and standing with those choices. At the times that there were challenges in this country, the President has had to make choices and out of those choices, there are those that took advantage to pursue their own interest and depicted a picture of a President that was not making the right choices. Due to those choices, we did not end up in what we would have ended up in as a country. That is why we managed the corona and the election violence that was emanating from 2017 elections, did not escalate to war in this country. Unfortunately, since the violence did not escalate to war, people take it lightly. However, some of us take it seriously that at that time of challenge, the President was able to make a choice The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

and the choice was either to create havoc in this country, or to reach out to one Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga, to ensure that there was peace in this country. As a conflict advisor, I can say that this country was not heading the right direction but out of the choice that the President made, we are able to now talk about what we have achieved as a country. The President went ahead and converted the various challenges that we had during that time including the election violence, corona that followed into opportunities. He was articulate enough to tell us what this country has done, highlighted a lot of successes in Kilifi, Kitui and Makueni giving examples of opportunities that we have had to take out of the pandemic that we were in. The President went ahead and highlighted some of the interventions that he has had to make. These interventions were criticized by a section of this country and people really wanted the President to fail. We thank God that he stood by his choices, his interventions and that is why we are where we are. If the President listened to those that were criticizing him, this country would be somewhere else and not where it is now. We had interventions that touched on the tax reductions, economic stimulus activities in various sectors including tea. I can attest to the fact even rice sector had interventions that helped our farmers get out of the problems that they were in. There were many things that the President talked about. On security, most people in this country have never sat to ask themselves the problems that we have had, the threats from al-Shabaab, al-Qaeda, Isis and other outlawed groups. How did we manage it in the midst of corona pandemic? If people can get into that thinking, then they would understand and know how much the President has had to put in especially the interventions, including motivating the security sector. It is, therefore, important as a country to stop taking advantage of the problems that we have to perpetuate politics of self-interest that are unsustainable and more so taking advantage of the youth.

Hon. Majimbo Kalasinga.

I thank you very much, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I rise to support the speech that was well planned by His Excellency the President yesterday. When I keenly listened to the speech of the President, I also observed that on the Speakers gallery were Cabinet Secretaries who must have heard the same speech from the President. When you look at the vision of the President, it is one that is in the hearts of Kenyans. The President has a very good vision of assisting the farmers in this country, by allowing farmers in Nzoia Sugar to be paid their money and releasing Kshs 500million. However, in the last three weeks, the Cabinet Secretary has not released the money to the farmers. The President has given his heart of the people and he wants Kenyans to enjoy the life in this country. When we were having Mashujaa day in Kirinyaga, the President said, that sugarcane farmers in this country must be given their money. I was very happy when the President was addressing us here, the Cabinet Secretary, Hon. Munya was up there. We want the farmers in Nzoia to receive their money because they were given.

Without forgetting, there is the issue of security. His Excellency the President talked very well about the security. I was impressed when he said that we must build houses for the police in this country. It was well planned. The only problem is how we recruit them. Recruitment of police officers in this country has remained a preserve of the rich. How they come to become police 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.

officers is questionable. It is a nightmare for the fastest athletes who qualify to become police officers in this country. I thank the President for his speech and for exercising his mandate as the President. Look at how he was trying to prioritise the Coffee Cherry Funds. In his planning as a President, the Coffee Cherry Fund has never assisted a coffee farmer. Hon. Deputy Speaker, this money is supposed to assist the farmers to pluck the coffee, grade it and transport the coffee to the factories. However, you find that those who give this money go and give it at the tail end. They ask you how many kilograms you have supplied so that you get the money. What is the purpose of that money? When you look at the Presidents’ vision about power…

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Order! I can see your intense spirit in this debate. However, I am not a Mr. Speaker. You should notice change of chair.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I am happy that you changed the Chair when I was speaking. I hope you will be kind to me for my minute lost. I was not keen. I apologise. Now that I have seen you well, I will proceed. The President said that we have moved from the 12th richest country to position six in Africa. When you talk of that and people on the ground have no money, they might not agree with him. There are people who want to fail the President of this country. They include his Cabinet Secretaries. They must wake up and agree with the vision of the President. Finally, it is the issue of connectivity to power in this country. In my constituency, poles have been erected and some wires have been connected in areas like Kabuchai, Chebukwan and Muyekhe. However, there is no power. You will find that a lot of resource has been put on the ground and they are not being put into use. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I was the happiest man yesterday to have experienced the first address of the President in my lifetime. The President has about seven months left. I want to support his speech. The President told us that he accepted the results. We only have one person in this country who does not accept results. When elections are held, baba must accept.

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): No wonder, the Hon. Member for Kabuchai could not notice the change of Chair. You have spoken very well. Thank you. Let us have the Member for Seme Constituency.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I stand to support the Motion to record thanks for the President’s State of the Nation Address. The truth be said, the President recognised and elucidated very clearly the challenges the nation is facing. He also came out with clear responses some of which results have been seen. He covered the areas of challenges of COVID-19 pandemic, the state of devolution with increased funding, infrastructure, manufacturing, improvement of health, reviving of the dead assets which he referred to as dead capital, Kenya Meat Commission (KMC), Meter Gauge Railways (MGR) in Kisumu and Nanyuki, ports, tunnel in Athi River and marine processing in Mombasa. He also clearly elucidated the Big Four: Infrastructure, roads, ports, focus on Universal Health Coverage (UHC), manufacturing and housing. He also looked at the connectivity within Africa by putting in place structures that will facilitate the movement of people and goods across the continent. This is extremely important, like the Mombasa-Bagamoyo Road, the road to North Eastern areas connecting with Ethiopia and Central African countries that are landlocked. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I will focus on two points. One, is the challenge of COVID-19. I must appreciate how this country handled the dilemma we are faced with of either having lockdowns, other containment measures and hurting the economy severely or keeping it 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.

open so the economy goes on and people would die. I think that was a great challenge this country faced. I must appreciate the delicate balance this Government put in place of opening on-off and enforcing the containment measures, so the economy would go on and the health of the people was taken into consideration. I must also appreciate the opportunities recognised during the pandemic, particularly the improvement in the health structure like, the increased number of Intensive Care Units (ICU) beds in place and the opportunity to have oxygen. Even after the pandemic, this will be a great improvement towards the UHC we are looking at. We must also appreciate the business opportunities seen during this pandemic, to mention just a few like, manufacturing of needles and protective equipment. Again, that was a great achievement in a difficult situation. It is also important for us to note that overall, the economy eventually grew and this is something we must appreciate. Also, the vaccination effort that was made and is still going on even with the challenge of the new variant. I think vaccination and availability of vaccines is still important. In my view, this was a great thing that came out in the President’s speech. The second and the final issue I want to mention is the realisation the President brought out that for this country to progress and develop, we must have unity and peace. There are issues of the handshake and the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) which we need to address. The need for all people to feel represented and having a mandatory increase of county funds, not just leaving this at less than 15 per cent to the whims of the people; but putting a minimum amount which we think the country needs. When they shook hands and I also saw this in 2008, it was amazing how by two people shaking hands all the violence in a place stops. Therefore, expanding the Executive so that everybody…

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Hon. Members, I must remind you so that at one point, you do not speak to yourselves. On limitation of debates, the resolution of the House on Wednesday, 10th February 2021, was that notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order No. 97(4) and of course, in furtherance of the provisions of Standing Order No. 24(6), the House orders that the debate on the Motion on the Address of the President be limited to no more than 30 minutes for the Mover - off course it was moved, 20 minutes for the Leader of the Minority Party and 10 minutes each to the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs, to speak to the Report submitted under Article 132(1) (c) (i) of the Constitution, relating to the realisation of the national values and principles of governance. For the Members debating to that resolution, we have five minutes for any other Member speaking and 10 minutes before the expiry of the time, the Mover shall be called upon to reply. Hon. Members, I just wanted to bring this to your attention so that you do not have a lot of information for debate, as the Hon. Member. Hon. Members, you have only five minutes - plan yourselves. Let us have the Member for Kamukunji, Hon. Abdi Yusuf.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for the opportunity. I stand here to contribute to the President’s State of the Nation Address. I thank the President for his speech and executing his constitutional requirement and obligation. I want to point out the key areas that he spoke about in terms of infrastructure, roads, railways, ports, energy and electrification. In fact, the President’s administration has done very well and he has laid the foundation for Kenya’s industrial development. This will be one of his key legacies and his vision to leave behind a developed infrastructure that will lift this country up in its economic development. This is because infrastructure is the key element in any nation’s development. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

I also would like to applaud the President’s contribution in terms of health and the major achievements we have made under difficult conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. I must say here we saw our ability to do things for ourselves, to be independent, develop and meet the challenges of this particular crisis. At one point, I remember the predictions that Africans would be the most affected by this particular pandemic. Some of them were predicting millions of Africans dying as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. But somehow because of the interventions and policies of our Government, we were able to sustain our ability to keep ourselves up to speed and mitigate the devastating effect of this particular problem. We must say no to vaccine apartheid and move away from the dependency on medicines from outside countries. I was very pleased to hear the President mentioning that, in fact by early next year, we will be able to produce our own vaccines. This is a major step forward as far as the development of our country is concerned. On education, I welcome the President’s and Government’s intervention in making education accessible by allowing more Kenyans to go for primary, secondary and university education than any other time. I would also like to praise the President on his efforts for national reconciliation and cohesion, addressing historical injustices, healing the wounds of the past, working towards a fair, just and equitable Kenya. The President’s strong commitment towards reconciling with his former adversary, the Right Hon. Raila Odinga, and the handshake has significantly impacted the cohesion, stability and peace of the country. I also fully agree with the President that perennial politically-driven violence, chaotic election campaigns and permanent political campaigning are a threat to peace and security and are damaging to our economic development and wellbeing. We must learn from our past and develop a more civilised way of conducting our political campaigns and elections. I support the President’s efforts in making sure that we reach those goals. The President has also done well in Africa and international affairs. He has effectively played his role as the chief diplomat of the Republic of Kenya. Under his tenure, Kenya has become a rising regional power and a major diplomatic player on the African and global stage. The President has played a big role in making sure that Kenya is a member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) during this term. He has been a Chairperson of the African Union Peace and Security Council and the President of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS). He has also played a big role in European Union (EU) relations as well. The role of the African Union (AU) is recognised by Kenya, particularly in maintaining peace and security and bringing the continent together. I am delighted that the President is committed to a borderless Africa which will lead to this great continent realising its full potential. With a dynamic population of 1.3 billion people, the future is for Africa’s integration.

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Let us have the Member for Trans Nzoia County, Hon. Janet Nangabo. You have the Floor.

Asante sana, Bi Naibu Spika wa Muda kwa kunipa nafasi hii ya kuchangia Hotuba ya Mhe. Rais. Ningependa kumshukuru Mhe. Rais kwa kutoa Hotuba yake kulingana na Katiba ya nchi hii. Nitagusia sehemu kadhaa za Hotuba hiyo ambazo zilinipendeza. Kwanza, tumekuwa na changamoto ya virusi vya Korona nchini na kote ulimwenguni. Namshukuru Rais na Serikali yake kwa kujitahidi na kuhakikisha kuwa wanahudumia wananchi wa Kenya na kuzuia maambukizi tele ya virusi hivyo. Alibuni sehemu nyingi za kupimwa kwa walioadhirika na wasioadhirika, na hata kutoa chanjo ya kuzuiia maambukizi. 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.

Pili, kiwango cha walimu walioajiriwa katika muhula wake ni kikubwa mno. Sisi pia tunataka kumwunga mkono na kumshukuru kwa sababu watoto wetu waliohitumu kama walimu nchini, wamepewa nafasi zao. Namshukuru Rais pia kwa kazi yake katika sekta ya ukulima. Alizingatia mambo ya wakulima wa chai waliokuwa wanapata pesa duni. Sasa hivi, wakulima wa chai wanapata haki yao. Aidha, Rais alisahau kuwa pia kuna wakulima wa mahindi kutoka sehemu kama Trans Nzoia. Ni kweli kuwa mbolea ilisambazwa kwa bei nzuri lakini wakulima kutoka sehemu ya Trans Nzoia wanahitaji usawa na wakulima wengine. Kwa mfano, Mhe. Rais alisema kuwa wakulima wa miwa wamepewa fedha. Wanastahili kuongezewa fedha zingine kwa sababu wakulima kutoka upande wa magharibi wameumia mno na hata watoto wao hawaendi shule kwa sababu ya mambo ya sukari. Nilipendezwa pia na mambo ya maternity . Nashukuru kwa sababu akina mama ambao hupata matatizo wanapolazwa katika hospitali zetu wakati wa kujifungua, wameongezewa pesa kutoka Ksh2,500 hadi Ksh30,000. Hilo lilinifurahisha kwa sababu akina mama, hata wale wanaotoka katika eneo langu, wamekuwa wakijifungua katika mazingira yasiyo bora. Pia, watoto wetu wanaopata mimba wakiwa wangali wachanga walikuwa wanapata shida sana wakati wa kujifungua. Sasa hivi, nafurahia kwa sababu watapata nafuu. Nikirejelea pesa za wazee, nitokako, kuna wazee ambao walikuwa hawapati pesa za uzeeni. Sio wote walikosa na kwa wale waliopata, nashukuru na kumwambia Rais aendelee kufanya yale yamebaki. Pia, namshukuru Rais kwa kufanya Nakuru iwe Mji Mkuu. Hii inamaanisha kuwa hata sisi tunaotumia barabara hiyo, tutasema kuwa tuna mji mkuu katika eneo hilo. Asante sana, Bi. Naibu Spika wa Muda, kwa kunipa nafasi hii ya kuunga mkono Hotuba ya Rais.

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Asante kwa kuunga mkono

. Let us have the Member for Samburu East, Hon. Jackson Lekumontare.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for giving me a chance to say something about the President’s Speech. It was a very long speech which cut across all sectors in our country. The President made himself clear on our territorial boundaries. I was very happy when he said, “Not an inch more or less.” That was an encouraging and inspiring speech. The President’s Speech elaborated so much on infrastructure and the road network. He mentioned that there are many roads that he started during his term, which is very good. The only issue is that it could be that these developments are not equally distributed in the country. Other parts also need to realise these developments. There are also issues to do with insecurity in some parts of the country. The President failed to tell the nation what will be done in areas with many insecurity issues like Suguta Valley. Many lives are lost in that part of the country. The President ought to have elaborated on the issue of insecurity. There are many things happening even in Laikipia County. We have witnessed many livestock killings in Laikipia. I think the President ought to have, at least, said something about that. Some parts of Kenya are seriously affected by drought. Despite what the President said, that people are receiving some cash transfers, things are really different on the ground. There are very few people who are benefitting. It will be bad if the Government will not intervene. There are so many people who are suffering because of drought. On the issue of health, there are some parts of this country where people are not getting health services. What I heard from the speech of the President is that some parts of this country The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

are benefitting a lot. Maybe those who plan these developments have to consider all parts of Kenya in these very good developments which were achieved during the term of our President. The President mentioned almost all sectors. I appreciate that although we only have to consider all parts... Thank you for the chance, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker.

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Very well. Member for Nambale, Hon. Bunyasi John. You have the Floor.

I can see he is consulting. Member for Nyando, Hon. Okelo Odoyo.

I thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. The President attended a Session of this House yesterday. In line with the Constitution, he enumerated all the gains he has made for the last eight years he has been in office. He created a pathway for his exit from office next year. He laid a very clear ground for his transition. For that reason, I think all stakeholders in the election exercise next year need to work as one unitary body. It is puzzling that the IEBC, the electoral umpire, disengaged from a committee that was going to create an enabling environment for elections to be carried out next year. Whereas we acknowledge that the IEBC is an independent body, it also must practise interdependence. When the IEBC meets the National Treasury, it is premised on the fact that they do not print their own monies. Additionally, they do not create any money. This is a consumer. For the longest time, they have said how they do not get what is required for them to do their transactions. Therefore, you wonder why they chicken out of such an important exercise involving the National Treasury when they entirely depend on the National Treasury to give them monies. The IEBC does not recruit police officers. When the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government becomes part and parcel of a committee that will look into a peaceful transfer of power next year, you wonder why the IEBC chickens out. The apex court in this country, the Supreme Court, harshly indicted the IEBC for transgressions of electoral laws. They were found to have been culpable of illegalities and irregularities in the elections of 2017. But now, from the letter they wrote while chickening out of this committee, they were lecturing us on these same laws - Article 81 and Article 86, on purity of elections. They were at the same time mentioning the Elections Act. These are things they failed to do in 2017. Therefore, they need to step back and reconsider that position so that we have a peaceful election coming up next year. The President alluded to the diplomatic tiff that exists between Kenya and Somalia. It is good he made it clear that no inch shall be ceded to any country. It shall remain intact as our ancestors gave it to us. On security, I was glad to hear that additional police officers have been recruited ever since he came into office, so that the gap that has continued to exist on representation, particularly that which is recommended by the United Nations (UN), will be breached. I was glad to hear that the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has continued to meet their targets amidst COVID-19. They have now reached trillions of Kenya shillings every year. That is a good indicator that tax evaders have finally been netted. Even though Nyando has not benefitted from the road networks that he was hailing, much has been done. 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.

He talked about the enhancement of our social fabrics. It stems from the Handshake that he had with the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga. This is the direction that this country needs to take. On electricity, it is true that they have made gigantic steps. Most of our schools have since been connected with electricity. That is something that we need to step up a little farther so that we light this country and make it a 24-hour economy. In the interest of time, I thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for the opportunity.

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Now I will call upon the Member for Tharaka, the Hon. Murugara Gitonga, who is in the House.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. Allow me to contribute to the debate on His Excellency the President's State of the Nation Address which he gave to us yesterday. From the outset, let me say that the speech was full of content. There is a lot that His Excellency the President gave to us regarding the state of the country in the various sectors. It was a bit too long. Possibly, it should be slightly abbreviated next time so that he is able to read it in time and that we also are able to comprehend every bit of it without getting tired. The President dwelt on various matters that touched on the state of roads in the country, electricity supply, water supply and food security. In my view, while we are making strides towards these, the rural constituencies continue to suffer. I always speak for my constituency, Tharaka. While we are proud to say we have done 10,500 kilometres of tarmac roads, the only single road I have in my constituency stalled a long time ago. It is now six to seven years and we are still to see it complete. I think the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing, Urban Development and Public Works should now look into this to ensure that these stalled projects are completed. On electricity, we have been able to move from 9.5 per cent towards the 30 per cent mark, but this is still not good enough for our rural constituencies. My plea is to the Ministry of Energy to ensure that Tharaka, like all the other constituencies in the country, is supplied well with electricity and connected to the national grid so that we are towards the 60 per cent to 70 per cent mark. The same applies to water. Tharaka is a semi-arid constituency where water is paramount and prime. Again, in spite of the fact that a lot was said about water, we are yet to see this trickling down to Tharaka. It is the same for food security. There is a drought that is ravaging the country. It has not spared my constituency. I would have loved to hear something regarding this in the speech which could be carried forward by the relevant Ministry to safeguard the lives of the people. Allow me to say more about what I expected and what I expect from the Government. Next year is an election year. All of us are anxious to have free and fair elections. We are concerned with what is happening as we move towards the election year. We are also concerned with the forum that was formed by the Government in which the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and the Chief Justice were invited to sit in. We saw the IEBC pulling out citing various reasons, including interference with its mandate. Its mandate is constitutional. I am in agreement with the IEBC that it is the only entity that is supposed to prepare and conduct elections. I am also concerned that the Chief Justice has been invited. In my view, she should be the one inviting them to the forum and soon after the 9th August 2022 elections, she will be presiding over petitions regarding the elections. Part of the petitions will be that the elections were not conducted well. The net effect here is that we are worried about impartiality when it comes to elections. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

As I conclude, the President in his concluding remarks talked about the BBI ghost which we thought was buried and remained in the Supreme Court. It is likely to be exhumed one day so that we proceed with it. I have no problem whatsoever with its exhumation. However, let us do it when we are done with elections when we will all be sober and ready for it. We can talk without having any partisan interests that are likely to come along. Those are my remarks regarding the speech.

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Very well spoken. Let us have the Member for Karachuonyo, Hon. Okuome Adipo.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to support the President’s Speech. It was a long and useful speech. In fact, he justified why the speech was long. Although he said he was tired, he managed to get across what he wanted through the speech. I was impressed with the president’s Speech on the economic situation of the country. He managed to tell us the past and the present; what happened before Independence and what his predecessors achieved up to the time he took over. He was convincing. At times, I struggle in my mind wondering about what I have been hearing, especially from those who do not want him. They said that in his second term he has not done anything. The President has proved those people wrong. I am sure if they do not accept that they were wrong in making the statement that in the second term the President did not do much, today, if they read the newspapers, they have changed their minds. So, I congratulate the President for his speech and for what he has done. I recognise that he is operating under a difficult situation in his second term. The COVID-19 pandemic is there fighting what he was trying to do and what he had done. People were suffering but he still recorded the achievements that he narrated to us. I congratulate him on that. On politics, especially on his comments on the Building Bridges initiative (BBI), he mentioned those who missed that opportunity and comforted them with a remark that we may still have the BBI so that that opportunity does not go away. The one man, one vote and one-shilling arrangement was a big opportunity for those who rejected the BBI. I am sure if the BBI comes back, they will support it wholeheartedly because that will be the beginning of fairness to everybody in this country. Thank you.

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Very well. Let us have the Member for Muhoroni, Hon. Oyoo Onyango.

(Muhoroni, ODM) Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to this good speech that I had an opportunity to listen to. I take this opportunity to commend his Excellency for giving us a rational speech. It covered almost all the aspects of our life in this country. I want to compare it with his bold speech that he gave during Madaraka Day. He covered his tenure by articulating well how he started, the challenges he had and the achievements he has made. From his speech, it came out clearly that he has made a lot of headway since he conceived and executed the “handshake”. The country has remained calm and everything is going on well. The President talked about education. It is true that in his tenure, he has done everything to make sure that education is pushed forward for the interests of today and future generations. He talked about health facilities and espoused the steps the Government has taken in driving the agenda of free health for everybody forward. I am happy with the achievement he has recorded so far, and more so, in the last two years. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

He talked about agriculture. I want to dwell on this because it is dear to my heart. He mentioned the gains registered in the tea industry and other agricultural sectors. On the sugar industry, he talked about the consideration that he gave during Madaraka Day to the sugarcane farmers. I want to thank him for coming up with these incentives. I had an opportunity to visit him at State House when I escorted school girls to go and collect a bus that he gave out of his heart. Once more, I thank him. During that occasion, I had an opportunity to petition him. One of the issues that I articulated, was the wish that my two sugar industries be injected with little funds to keep the smoke billowing until when the grand programme of leasing will take place. This was done and I thank him. Unfortunately, as I am talking on the Floor of this House, the farmers have not received debt concentration. My worry is that the concentration was about Ksh1.5 billion. Nzoia Factory has already received Ksh0.5 billion, meaning that there is one billion remaining for Chemelil, Muhoroni and South Nyanza Sugar companies. So, it means that they are likely to get below Ksh0.5 billion which has already been given to Nzoia. So, I want the Minister to think outside the box and ensure that he does not bring disorder or chaos to the sugar industry by giving Nzoia more money than Muhoroni, Chemelil and Sony sugar factories. If that will be done, it will do little work. That money is a drop in the ocean. While this is being done, I want to urge the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture to take containment measures that will mitigate against careless sugar imports to the country. It will be pointless to give Muhoroni Ksh250 0r 300 or 500 million and then tomorrow we have influx of contraband sugar from Brazil. That will make the prices to drop or make the industries untenable. So, the first big challenge we have in the sugar industry is the careless influx of imported sugar. Whatever considerations you give to farmers, unless you take time to stop this the careless exercise of importation, we will not head anywhere. Lastly, I was happy because the President gave us the impression of how the country has economically spanned in the last two years. So, those who are not mischievous know why the country has grown economically. There has been peace and tranquillity. I want to thank the Rt. Hon. Former Prime Minister for being brave to shake hands with his brother, His Excellency the President.

The Member for Nyando, of course, I can hear you from where I am. And that is not parliamentary language. It is a different language. I do not know if it is Dholuo, Kikamba or French. It is not allowed here. I consider it noise. The Member for Sirisia, Hon. Koyi Waluke.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me a chance to contribute to this presidential speech. At the outset, I thank the President for yesterday’s Address. He touched on almost every corner of this country and every department. He talked about roads and infrastructure. I agree with the President that the Jubilee government has done a lot in terms of infrastructure. Roads are open almost everywhere. When you go to Kwale, Lodwar, Migori or Garissa, you will find tarmacked roads. He also talked of Level 4 hospitals for the Defence Forces. It is good that I used to belong there. There was only one memorial hospital during my time. The President has tried to make sure that every region where the military is has a Level 4 hospital. In terms of health, indeed, many medical equipment have been bought. Good hospitals have been built and others elevated to Level 5. We did not have them before. When somebody was sick, it was only Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) that was a referral hospital. Imagine the distance from Mandera or Busia to KNH. We need to call a spade a spade. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

The President spoke about industry and housing. Uniformed officers have had housing problems. Yesterday, the President mentioned efforts that he has put in place to make sure the military and police officers have modern equipment to take care of security in the country. He promised that he will not let go even an inch of this country. He mentioned that following the recent ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding the Somalia border. He stood firm and said he would not let even an inch to be interfered with. As the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, he should stand firm. I support him. I always feel that some people in this country interfered with Migingo Island in Lake Victoria. We have lost many of our people on that island. One day the truth will come out that Migingo was sold.

Yes, one day the truth will come out.

It is a House of debate, but do you have proof? Your time is running out. Members, when you make claims ensure you have proof so that you do not turn the House into a baraza. This is a House of debate. You need to have proof of the things that you say in the House. Hon. Waluke, I may not be in a position to give you one more minute. Allow me to give opportunity to the Member for Wundanyi, Hon. Mwakuwona Mwashako.

On a point of order.

There is a point of order by the Member for Gem.

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I have noticed that when Hon. Mwashako entered into the Chamber, he did not show respect for your seat. This is a Parliament of procedures, so it is important that he complies unless he was not inducted properly. Thank you.

Very well, Member for Gem. As the Speaker, I never noted. But I could tell he was rushing to take his seat. I hear you and I respect you. Hon. Mwashako, before you speak to the Motion, because Members are concerned, please state whether you bowed or not.

Asante, Mhe. Spika. Nilitoa heshima zangu kwako.

Did you do it? You know we have cameras in the House.

Yes, I did.

Before you speak, allow me to confirm the same. There are cameras in the House.

That was a very good observation by the Member for Gem. I think we are doing very well. It is important for us to observe rules of the House. Allow me to report to you that the Member for Wundanyi, in fact, showed respect to the Chair. I have a lot of eyes. I saw it and I have confirmed The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

the same. He bowed, though he was in a hurry. I know you wanted to speak before him. You will still have your chance. Thank you so much. The Member for Wundanyi, Hon. Mwashako, please carry on.

(Wundanyi, WDM-K)

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Please, carry on. We have confirmed you did it. You do not need to defend yourself more.

(Wundanyi, WDM-K)

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Very well and thank you, Member for Wundanyi. Again, congratulations for being elected as the Deputy Secretary General, WDM-K Party.

Member for Gem, you have the Floor.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for giving me the opportunity to make my contribution to the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency. As we may all be aware, this is a constitutional imperative that requires of him that he must address Parliament and brief us on the issues facing the nation. This was introduced in Articles 132 and 10 of the 2010 Constitution. Allow me to congratulate him for having exuded confidence in the indomitable spirit of the Kenyan people and for having set his transformative agenda in this House yesterday. Listening to him, I have confidence that the future of this country is bright. He gave us figures, for example, the GDP growth that has risen from 4.7 to 11 trillion. I have feelings that this country will see a better tomorrow. In his speech, he mentioned that we are just about to join the Asian Tigers, that is, Malaysia and China so that we can have a better country for generations to come. Allow me to comment on a few issues that came up during his speech. He mentioned that this country has realised growth in terms of electricity generation rising from 1,300 megawatts to 26,000 currently. What he did not mention, which is important for the country to know, is that this year alone, the manufacturing sector has expanded to the extent that the consumption of electricity has risen from 1,787 to 2,035 megawatts. What I believe the technocrats in the energy sector should do is they must create traction for the manufacturing sector to consume the balance of 565 megawatts that is lying idle. Two, it is important they work around the cycle to ensure that Kenya Power charges ordinary Kenyans per kilowatt. We can actually transfer majority of Kenyans to the lifeline that charges about Ksh5 to Ksh12 per kilowatt an hour. This is so that the households can feel the impact of what the President has done over these years. Other than growth in generation of electricity, he mentioned that we have 70 per cent of our energies, green. It is imperative that the technocrats in the ministry are able to help the country earn carbon credits because this is what is required to spur economic growth for this country. I was happy that he mentioned that a number of hospitals have been built and that Kenyans have better access to hospital services and treatment. This is good if you want to have a healthy nation, but more importantly we as Members must insist that the county governments invest much more on medicine in hospitals and dispensaries. We can build these huge projects and buildings but they will lack medicine. That will not help at all. Finally, the President gave a final compelling remark on a constitutional moment that Kenya missed. He said we missed the 35 per cent revenue that was supposed to be anchored in the Constitution that was going to go to the counties. We equally missed an opportunity for equity in terms of creating more constituencies so that representation in this country is improved. 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.

We do not have drugs in hospitals. We do not have basic equipment for use in a normal hospital. If that is stepped up, it will help this country. We are approaching the electioneering period. As much as we appreciate the handshake, it was not all inclusive. That is a common fact. If it was all inclusive, it would have cut across all stakeholders who needed to be in that handshake. The handshake was haphazardly done as much as it has brought a bit of improvement in terms of having peace as we approach the general election.

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): For the benefit of the Members who are coming in or came in after the Motion under Order No.8 was moved, we are debating the Presidents’ Address, First Allotted Day. It was moved by the Leader of the Majority Party. It is important that I brief the Members who are coming in. Let us have Hon. John Bunyasi, Member for Nambale.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I rise to contribute to the debate on the Presidents’ Speech. I must say that the President was in his element…

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Hon. Bunyasi, there is a point of order by the Member for Kikuyu. What is out of order, Hon. Ichung’wah?

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I really did not want to interrupt Hon. Bunyasi. That is why I was seeking your indulgence before he started. He is a very good Member and a former colleague in the Budget and Appropriations Committee. Thank you for your guidance on what was on the Floor. I am sure you saw some of us walk in a few moments ago. That is why you gave us guidance. I am, therefore, seeking your guidance as to whether a Member is at liberty to correct a statement of fact in the Presidents’ Speech. As Members, we have an obligation to not only have statements of fact tabled in the House, but also to ensure that documents that have been tabled in the House reflect the actual truth. They should, indeed, be accurate. If you go through what has been tabled in the House and, indeed, the Speech that His Excellency the President read to Parliament yesterday…

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Do not debate the Speech. Just inquire what you need to inquire.

I am going to the issue of particular concern.

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Do not go to the Speech.

I am not going to the Speech.

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Hon. Ichung’wah, can you make your statement short?

My simple question is, for instance, where the President has made a clerical mistake and used statistics that are not correct, are we at liberty, as a House, to correct those statistics?

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Thank you. Hon. Millie. Please, can we have Hon. Ichung’wah protected? This is a House of debate. Before I reply to Hon. Ichung’wah, Leader of the Majority Party, do you want to comment on this?

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I believe it is every Members’ right to rise on a point of order, however superfluous. However, it is up to you. The matter has been placed before you. You will guide the House accordingly. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Hon. Millie, was it a point order? I will not give you the Floor because Hon. Ichung’wah is right in rising on a point of order.

Hon. Ichung’wah, do not guide me. You cannot guide the Speaker. You are out of order. The Leader of the Majority Party was not rising on a point of order. It is Hon. Millie Odhiambo who is on a point of order. I wanted to dispense with your point of order first.

Hon. Ichung’wah, you have been in this House for long. This must be your eighth year. Congratulations. You are serving your second term. We are debating the President’s Address. This is a House of debate. In fact, you are right to seek guidance. When you catch the Speakers’ Eye to debate on the same, as long as you prove your facts, you can say anything. You can even table evidence. You will have your chance to speak to this matter. It is not compulsory for you to support the Motion. You can oppose it. That is why we call it “debate”. I said it is a debate on the Motion under Order No.8, First Allotted Day. So, when you get your chance, you can air your issues. You will say what you want to say and no one is forcing you to oppose or support the Motion. I know you just wanted to have the Floor to speak. So, my guidance is that when you get a chance to speak to this…

You cannot amend the Presidential Address. You are not the President. You cannot amend it, but you can debate.

( Off-record)

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): You cannot change it. You cannot amend the President’s Address, but you can debate it.

(Off-record)

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Order, Hon. Ichung’wah! I have already ruled on that one. You are right in asking for guidance, but I have guided you. Allow me to, again, say that you cannot change the President’s Address. I am also a politician. So, I know where you are coming from. Again, let me guide you. This is a debate. Can you, please, look at Order No.8 on the Order Paper? It is good for Members to be guided. It is a debate. Can the Member carry on? Thank you, Hon. Ichung’wah.

Hon. Millie Odhiambo, nothing is out of order. Hon. Ichung’wah, Hon. Millie wanted to answer you, but since I have the answer at my fingertips, she will not do so. I will not allow her to do so. Let us hear Hon. Bunyasi.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker...

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Hon. Millie Odhiambo, you are not on record. In fact, you are just a noisemaker in the House. I will not allow that debate. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

I will not allow Members to do that. Please, let us take our debate to the barazas. I will allow you to talk if anything is out of order. Hon. Bunyasi, please, carry on.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. Finally, I can start. I hope the clerks…

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): No, you are not starting. Just carry on with your debate.

Yes, but my minutes should be counted from now rather than all that…

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): No, Hon. Ichung’wah had a right to seek clarification.

Absolutely, but not on my time. That is the only thing.

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): No, not on your time. He had a right. Hon. Ichung’wah is protected. Carry on.

I have no difficulty with that at all. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I listened intently as the President delivered his Speech to this House yesterday. Let me start with the positive side. He was eloquent. On the eloquence scale, he gets an A or an A+. The credit goes to his very good speechwriters and spin-doctors. The presentation was eloquent, but with tremendous amount of spinning, which is not unusual for a political statement of that kind. It was after all a marketing statement. He is completely within his rights to say exactly how he graded himself. I had some concerns on the things that were not sufficiently brought out or not brought out at all. Let me start with the challenge we currently have in the education sector. We have a major crisis in education. The Teachers Service Commission (TSC), which is the employer of teachers, is acting like the 19th Century industrial revolution era England and suppressing the trade union movement of teachers. That is not a good thing. It does not augur well for us. More importantly, there is a crisis in tertiary education, particularly university education. University education is in a big crisis. Many universities are highly destabilised. Moi University, Egerton University and others are grumbling. Something needs to be done. Under his watch, he should ensure that the leadership in education stabilises that particular factor. It is a major concern. The second major area that he did not even touch is our economy, which is in a crisis. He did not mention it. He mentioned a number of good things that have happened, including the growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which included rebasing. Rebasing is simply when you adjust the base year and, therefore, get a slightly better series than you had before. In this case, the effect of rebasing was at least a 30 per cent growth in our economy since 2014. That did not come out. It only came out as if it was a policy-driven growth rate that changed the economy. I call that bit the “spinning effect.” Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, more importantly is the issue of the public debt that is glaring before us. Public debt is important not just as a macroeconomic matter. You can even ignore that aspect. Currently, nearly 75 per cent of the revenue collected goes towards debt repayment. Look at it from a budget perspective. When we say in relation to exports and so on, people do not know the export figures and it does not even seem to touch them. However, the commitment on the money that we collect is heavy. Therefore, the capacity of the economy to do other essential things will be lacking. That is a matter that needs to be addressed. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

The other day we saw the information that was released by Pandora Papers. I watched the episode on television. I heard the Former Prime Minister say that there was nothing wrong in that in law. There might be nothing wrong in law, but I do not know whether that is accurate. We go to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other foreign lenders to borrow funds. We have our begging bowl around the world yet we are keeping our own money outside the country. It cannot be that all the money kept in those secret off-show accounts is legal. I thought there would be a substantive statement on what should be done about that kind of thing. Even from the point of patriotism, this is a serious matter that needs to be looked at. I did not hear any comments on it.

Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, two days before the President’s Address, the residents of Mukuru kwa Njenga were brutally displaced to pave way for a road. That was the least uncaring thing to do. They live in a difficult environment. I wish the State had provided tents because it rained on that day and we could see blankets and torn mattresses being dried in the rain or used to cover up sewers so that people could sleep. That is not the kind of Kenya we can glow about because it was actually a major contrast. We should not be depending on poverty-related programmes. Those who think that the word “poverty” is treasonable, should go back to the dictionary. We must begin to get a balance. Otherwise, we cannot get the broth and benefits that we think we should have. Finally, the issue of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is coming to light again. We must remember that unless the IEBC does its job properly, and uninterrupted, we will go back to where we were. In 2002, nobody from outside the IEBC messed up with its work, and that is why we had successful elections.

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Can I have one more minute for the Member given that we interrupted him at the beginning of his speech?

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker.

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): You have one minute.

We must allow the IEBC to be truly independent. The problems that come out of electoral mess do not necessarily originate intrinsically from the IEBC. It is because there are serious players out there who try to manipulate the elections in their own directions leading to the kind of mess we found ourselves in previous elections. The year 2002 was a more difficult period in this country’s quest for political change, but there was no violence because there was no one from outside the electoral body trying to manipulate what the Commission was doing. In all subsequent general elections, the IEBC was manipulated. When we get to a point where the stakes are high and everyone thinks they can control the referee, we will have problems. Lastly, the presence of the Chief Justice on the Elections Preparedness Committee is bad. It does not matter whether the former Chief Justices Mutunga or the former Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) Chairman, the late Kivuitu, sat in that committee. They should be kept out of that committee. Let the court wait for dispute that…

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(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Very well. Hon. Members, I need to guide the House. Let us have some respect for the House. You cannot just come in and start rising on points of order yet we have Members who have been here since morning. However, since you want to be heard and seen, you just rise on a point of order. In fact, in future, we will be requiring you to state the Standing Order under which you are raising a point of order or seeking information. We must save the image of this House. It will not be acceptable that you walk in late and you want to rise on a point of order just to be heard.

Allow me to have the Member for Suba North for contribution. This is the Member for Suba North, Hon. Millie Odhiambo Akoth.

Thank you for giving me this opportunity, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I hear a Member saying that I have just walked in. I have not just walked in.

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): I can confirm that you have been here.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I want to, very briefly, say that I congratulate the President on his Speech on issues of national security, international obligations, national values and climate reforms. Because of the short time, I just want to say that in a way, it was the President indicating his legacy and the steps he has taken. I challenge his speech writer to, in future, shorten it so that we can get the gist of the issues. The President had very important issues which were getting lost. I commend the mention of reproductive rights and healthcare in terms of progress for women. We have seen it live. We do not need to be told. We are seeing hospitals coming back. It is only a tragedy that we have to use the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to do that when our civilian institutions should already be equipped to do the same. Because of corruption, it has become a challenge and we need to deal with this situation. Of course, on devolution, it is unfortunate that the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) collapsed. It would be good if we could consider reviving it at one point in time. I thank the President for alluding to a possibility of the revival of the BBI at whatever time. We lost a lot on the issue of the two-thirds gender principle and allocation of money to devolution, that would spur economic growth. I also thank him on the realisation of the fight against COVID-19 and economic growth even at a most difficult time. Those were issues that are pertinent. As leaders, especially those of us who are here, we know that there will always be people who are unappreciative of work done. None of us came here to save the world as Jesus Christ. Even when Jesus came, he was disowned even by his own people. So, there is nothing very unique when we hear people like Hon. Ichung’wah casting aspersions on the President. One of the things I wanted to tell him earlier on is that the Abaluhya say “vindu vichenjanga”. On vinduvichenjanga, he is now there in the Opposition and I am here defending the President. We will defend the President when he has done work and people like Hon. Ichung’wah want to raise issues.

I was in Nyeri just the other day, and I saw the state of the road network in that area. The President has done a lot. I just wish they appreciated him more. Some of us are still begging for those resources. I wish the President would facilitate and enable the resources to also come to our areas. I know he has been trying to do equalisation. People should not pretend when they get resources for development in their areas by casting aspersions on the President. 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.

On the last issue that Hon. Bunyasi has spoken about regarding the Chief Justice sitting on the panel that the Chair of the IEBC walked out on, it cannot be a fault now when it was not a fault back then. Sometimes when we are talking about independence, let us be careful when we are discussing what independence is. Personally, I do not care whether he is there or not. I think there is a level of independence that is bordering on ridiculousness. The Chair of the IEBC wants to be so independent yet he will at one point be engaging with people who are responsible for security when he needs security to conduct elections. At what point, and in what forum, will he with other bodies that he must, of necessity, engage with? There is a difference between independence and an island. He was not given a mandate to be an island, but to be independent. It means working with other agencies, but maintaining authority and identity. So, let us also not create a perception that we are singing to the tune of a political party. We have confidence in him and we are asking him to ensure that he steers this country to a path of peace and fairness. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I congratulate the President because I see the time is up.

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Very well. I am nonpartisan from where I sit. So, when you say vindu vichenjanga, I do not know what it means. It is your language. Let me have the Member for Marsabit, Hon. Safia Adan.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity. I thank His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta for the great report he presented to Parliament yesterday. The Speech covered many development issues during the eight years he has been in leadership. There is a lot of development that took place like the COVID- 19 vaccines, healthcare facilities, helping citizens affected by drought and many others. He also emphasised the importance of peace and unity in our country. Lastly, there is a need for more security personnel in pastoralist communities. They experience frequent tribal conflicts in their counties. I support.

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Member for Likuyani, Hon. Kibunguchy Wamalwa, you have the Floor.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me this chance to also say one or two things about the Speech that the President presented here yesterday. To begin with, I would like to join my colleagues in congratulating the President for all that he said. It was rather a long Speech, but it covered most of the areas that are pertinent. Let me start off with what we, as the people of Likuyani, have benefitted from. When he talked about roads, for the very first time in Likuyani we have three roads being tarmacked, namely, the road from Turbo to Soy, the road from Lukusi to Fafaro and the road from River Nzoia to Matunda. As residents of Likuyani, once these roads are tarmacked, we are planning to embark on a major programme of planting trees along the road reserves. We will also try to put up lights along the roads. They are not very long roads. That is what we want to do so that we can empower our people to do business even at night. The next thing I would like to talk about is health. I know the President spent quite a bit of time talking about the expansion of the health infrastructure, but something that has bothered me since the promulgation of the Constitution - and I have to say it again and again because it is an area to which we need to put in a lot of thought - is devolution of health services. I think it was a mistake and we have to accept it. The county governments do not have the capacity to handle health issues. They might have capacity to put up buildings, but they cannot handle health as a profession and a service. For the very first time in this country, we are seeing sparks of strikes 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.

everywhere. As we sit here today, lecturers in the health department at Moi University in Eldoret are on strike. Strikes are everywhere. As much as we say that we have put up infrastructure, we are forgetting that the most important aspect of health is human resource, which needs to be handled centrally. We need a health service commission to handle the issue of human resource in this country. The other areas that the President glossed over is the mounting debt, corruption and the increased cost of living in this country. I would have expected him to spend a little bit of time to let us know how we are going to handle these issues, especially corruption. I want to join him in commending the people of Kenya. Kenyans played a big role in protecting themselves against the COVID-19 Pandemic. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker.

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Very well. Member for Soy, Hon. Kositany.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for giving me this opportunity. I want to make a few observations which I noted during the State of the Nation Address. One of them is very fundamental. The Session was gazetted to begin at 2.30 p.m., but we began one hour and 15 minutes late at 3.45 p.m. and no explanation was given. It would be important for us to know why there was a delay and if it was proper. During parliamentary sittings, the quorum bell is rung for ten minutes and, maybe, some extra ten minutes. If still we do not have quorum, then the session is postponed. I represent farmers. The President made observations on how they have handled and given money to the tea

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Very well. Member for Bomachoge Borabu, Hon. Ogutu Abel.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I want to make my observations on the Speech presented to this House yesterday. I want to start by saying that the Address was passionate. I could read from the President’s face that it carried exactly what he had in his heart. To reflect the kind of items covered in the Speech and channel them within that time limit, to me, was very impressive. The Speech covered exactly what I have witnessed in my constituency, but there could be areas that need to be rectified. A new road is being constructed in my constituency for the first time since Independence. So, I am in the cluster of those who have benefited during the tenure of His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta. However, that road has not been completed despite the construction works having been started in 2016. It is 47-kilometre road and is halfway done to date. So, when a report reflects on the number of roads constructed over a certain period of time yet some roads are not complete, such report is mostly likely biased. I was very impressed to see the President bring in the element of devolution to demonstrate to this august House how the two levels of government have worked together, especially in the areas of healthcare and other social amenities like water. To those who will succeed the President, in future, we need to see more drugs and less strikes in hospitals. Medical staff should be properly remunerated and have good terms of service negotiated through their trade unions. We also need to see more high-end medical facilities in the rural areas. I was impressed to see the President talk about the number of new classrooms that have been constructed because of the 100 per cent transition from primary school to secondary school. I confirm that my constituency is a beneficiary. However, compared to the number of students that we have under the new system of education - what we call Junior Secondary School - the number of classrooms constructed is by far minimal. So, the President has to do more in terms of investing more resources to absorb the students who will, for the first time, join Junior Secondary School. Finally, there are areas that ought to have been captured at the outset. In the agricultural sector, for example, farmers are struggling to get livestock feeds. I know the President mentioned how taxes have been relaxed in the other sectors, including the sugar and tea subsectors. However, we needed to have something within the livestock industry now that livestock farmers in the country are adopting zero-grazing system. Most of the highly populated areas have adopted zero- grazing. Zero-grazing can best be supported by an active livestock feed industry. I expected that to be captured as part of tax-free components within his administration. Overall, the President’s Speech was immensely passionate and it captured what any ordinary Kenyan would expect. I know we have had challenges about debts, but the debt crisis we are dealing with can be accounted for in terms of the number of roads, the number of medical 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.

facilities and other infrastructure projects. We are comfortable with this investment. We must accept the pain we are going through, but at the end of it, the country is moving to a higher level. With those remarks, I support.

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Thank you, Member for Bomachoge Borabu. Hon. Members, I must admit that we have many requests on the debate on the President’s Address, today being the First Allotted Day. Many Members wish to speak to it. We have Members from Lamu, Laisamis, Matayos, Mathioya, Rabai, Kikuyu and Kuria West constituencies who wish to speak to the President’s Speech. I wish to inform you that the debate on the same will continue during this afternoon’s sitting. So, it is important for you to be in the House if you wish to debate it.

(Hon. (Ms.) Jessica Mbalu): Hon. Members, the time being 1.02 p.m., the House stands adjourned until this afternoon, at 2.30 p.m.

The House rose at 1.02 p.m.

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