Serjeant-at-Arms, ring the Quorum Bell.

Order, Hon. Members. We now have quorum to transact business.

Hon. Members, I have a Communication, but first, let us dispose of the other Orders up to Order No.7.

Member for Taveta, Hon. John Bwire.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I, Hon. John Bwire, Member of Parliament for Taveta Constituency, on behalf of the Pare Community of Kenya in Taveta Constituency; Draw the attention of the House to the following: THAT, the Constitution of Kenya in its preamble affirms the national pride in the ethnic, cultural and religious diversity as the bedrock of unity of sovereign nation; THAT, the Pare people referred to as Wapare, have been an integral part of the communities living in Taveta Constituency and constitute a significant portion of the population in Jipe, Mata, Marodo, Ngutini, Kitoghoto, Eldoro, Kitobo and Madarasani villages in Taveta Constituency; THAT, the Wapare are a bantu ethnic group who migrated to Kenya in the precolonial period of 1800s from the Pare Mountains in Kilimanjaro region in north eastern Tanzania. Their migration was primarily influenced by trade and social relations with the Taveta people; THAT, some Pare traders and small groups settled in Taveta to engage in commerce, particularly in iron-smelting, salt trade and agriculture. In the early 1900s, the Pare people increasingly migrated to Taveta region due to conflict in the Kilimanjaro region; THAT, the expansion of long-distance trade in ivory and iron saw more Pare traders and skilled blacksmiths moving to Taveta, where they found welcoming environments in the 19th century; THAT, the Pare people have been part of the social fabric of Taveta Constituency since time immemorial, contributing significantly to the local and national economic economies; The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

THAT, in recent years, Kenya has made important strides in efforts to resolve statelessness by recognising as citizens thousands of other previously stateless people, including those from Makonde and Shona communities and others of Indian descent; THAT, therefore, the recognition of Pare people would allow the community to be fully integrated into the country's legal framework, in consistence with national values and governance principles that prioritise inclusivity, equality and diversity; THAT, efforts to have this matter addressed by relevant authorities have been futile; and, THAT, the matter presented in this Petition is not pending before any court of law or any constitutional or legal body. Therefore, your humble Petitioners pray that the National Assembly, through the Public Petitions Committee: 1. Inquires into the matter with a view of securing urgent recognition of the Pare people of Kenya as a tribe of the Republic of Kenya. 2. Makes any other recommendations or actions it deems fit in addressing theplight of the Petitioners. And your Petitioners will for ever pray. Thank you, Hon. Speaker.

Thank you, Hon. Bwire. Hon. Baya.

Hon. Speaker, I would like to make some remarks regarding this Petition. First, I would like to express my support for Hon. Bwire, a young and vibrant Member for Taveta Constituency, on the recognition of the Pare people as Kenyans. The Pare are similar to the Makonde and Wanyasa from Malawi and Pemba who have been living in Kenya. Many of them came during the construction of the railway line and to work in sisal farms. So, they made Kenya their home. Their great-grandparents were here and children were born from relationships and marriages involving the Pare people. The Pare community has not been officially recognised as Kenyans. We also have communities such as the Rwandese who are Kenyans by birth, but lack formal recognition. The 12th Parliament made us proud because through a parliamentary process, the Pemba Community was recognised as Kenyan. I urge the Committee on Public Petitions to use this opportunity to bring honour to the 13th Parliament by ensuring that the Pare people, who reside in Taveta and have lived there continuously, are recognised as Kenyans and granted citizenship. I request the Committee to expedite this process of ensuring that the Pare Community is acknowledged as Kenyan. Additionally, I wish to propose an amendment to the Citizenship Act, to facilitate the automatic recognition of other communities, without them struggling for their Kenyan status, even though they have been identified as Kenyans. Hon. Speaker, as you assign this Petition to the Committee, please, encourage them to act quickly, so that the Pare people living in this country can become recognised as Kenyans. Thank you.

I commit the Petition to the Committee on Public Petitions to report back within 60 days. As a leader in the House, Hon. Owen Baya along with your colleagues, should work towards developing a framework to recognise communities like the Pare. We recognised our compatriots the Indian Community as a tribe in Kenya. I do not see why we should not recognise the Pare and other communities of African descent that are here to avoid statelessness among people in this country. We previously made significant progress with the Pemba, Makonde, Nubian and Indian communities. Having said that, you may also engage us on this matter through a Motion. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

Hon. Speaker, I have proposed amendments to the Citizenship Act, which are currently before the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Affairs. This aims to establish a framework for recognising all Kenyans.

Next Order.

Deputy Leader of the Majority Party.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I beg to lay these important Papers, which are part of the budget cycle, on the Table of the House: 1. Supplementary Estimates II for the Financial Year 2024/2025 from the National Treasury and Economic Planning and the following accompanying documents: (a) Programme Based Budget; (b) Recurrent Estimates; (c) Development Estimates (Vol I, II and III); and, (d) Memorandum on Supplementary Estimates No.II. 2. Draft Public Finance Management (Teachers Service Commission) (Staff Car Loan and Mortgage Fund) Regulations 2024, from the Teachers Service Commission; 3. Submission of Nominees for the following National Government Constituency Development Fund Committees: (a) Bonchari (t) Lamu East (b) Bondo (u) Lamu West (c) Dagoretti South (v) Magarini (d) Eldama Ravine (w) Makadara (e) Embakasi East (x) Mandera East (f) Endebess (y) Mandera North (g) Gilgil (z) Masinga (h) Igembe South (aa) Mathioya (i) Kabondo Kasipul (bb) Matuga (j) Kajiado Central (cc) Mwingi Central (k) Kajiado West (dd) Nambale (l) Kasipul (ee) Ndaragwa (m) Kiambaa (ff) Rarieda (n) Kibra (gg) Roysambu (o) Kiharu (hh) Samburu West (p) Kipkelion East (ii) Sigor (q) Kitui Rural (jj) South Imenti (r) Kuresoi North (kk) Starehe (s) Laikipia West (ll) Teso Sout Hon. Speaker, I beg to lay.

Thank you. Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Agriculture.

Hon. Speaker, I beg to lay the following Paper on the Table: Report of the Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock on its Consideration of the Agricultural and Livestock Extension Services Bill (Senate Bill No.12 of 2022).

Thank you, Hon. Yegon. Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning, Hon. (Amb) Benjamin. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

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

Reports of the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning on

its Consideration of: 1. The Public Finance Management (Amendment) Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 2 of 2024); and; 2. The Public Finance Management (Amendment) (No.2) Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 26 of 2024). I beg to lay.

Thank you. Next

Hon. Njeri Maina.

Hon. Speaker, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 44(2)(c), I wish to request for a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Education regarding the ongoing funding crisis affecting students in institutions of higher learning across the country. On 20th December 2024, the High Court in Kenya Human Rights Commission & 3 others versus the Attorney General & 4 others (2024) declared the new higher education funding model unconstitutional, and an order of prohibition was issued which barred the implementation of the model until the Government complies with the Constitution and necessary legal requirements. Thereafter, the Ministry undertook to introduce a new tertiary institution funding model to address the matter. However, this is expected to be implemented later in the year. Despite the Government undertaking to revert to the old Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) model, there has been an apparent lack of commitment to the timely disbursement of funds to students. This contravenes the provisions of Article 43(1) of the Constitution which guarantees the right of every person to education. At present, thousands of students continuing with their studies face financial distress as they are unable to pay tuition fees, which has left them locked out of examinations. This has triggered unrest in universities across the country, with students staging protests and in other cases, lecturers boycotting examinations. It is against this background that I request for a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Education on the following– 1. The total amount of funds disbursed by the National Treasury under the old Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) model, including specific dates for these disbursements. 2. The total number of students who have benefitted from the disbursed funds since the reversion. 3. Measures put in place to ensure timely and sufficient disbursement of funds to prevent future disruptions in learning. Thank you, Hon. Speaker.

Hon. Melly is two weeks enough?

Hon. Speaker, the information requested by the Hon. Member is very urgent and, therefore, two weeks is very far. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

Well done, Wednesday next week?

Hon. Speaker, I want to bring it on Tuesday next week. I will be ready with it then.

Alright, next week on Tuesday at 2.30 p.m. All chairpersons should be like that.

Hon. Machua Waithaka. Give him the microphone.

Hon. Speaker, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 44(2)(c), I wish to request for a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Lands regarding the erroneous classification of two parcels of land belonging to Mr Stephen Chege as illegal alienated Government land. On 17th July 2017, the National Land Commission (NLC) vide Kenya Gazette Vol. CXIX - No. 97, listed several parcels of land as illegally alienated Government land and ordered that their titles be revoked. Among them were two parcels of land in Kiambu County- land with House Block 2/80 and land with House Block 2/81, belonging to Mr Stephen Chege of Identity Card No.0551205, which he legally acquired in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Since then, he has consistently remitted required land rates to the Kiambu County Government without any dispute or challenge over the legitimacy of his ownership, which evidences rightful ownership. The arbitrary revocation of his title deeds by the NLC amounts to deprivation of property by the Government, which violates the provisions of Article 40 of the Constitution. Despite numerous appeals to the National Land Commission to rectify this error, no corrective action has been taken. This situation raises concerns regarding the fairness and reliability of land administration processes in the country. It is against this background that I request for a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Lands on the following– 1. The reasons for the cancellation of title deeds No.Block 2/80 and No.Block 2/81 in Kiambu County belonging to Mr Stephen Chege vide Gazette Notice No. 6864 of 17th July 2017, despite his lawful acquisition and payment of land rates to the Government. 2. Report on the status of revocation of the erroneous Gazette Notice to restore the land ownership rights to Mr. Stephen Chege. 3. The specific implementation timelines when the National Land Commission will resolve the error, including the re-issuance of valid title deeds to Mr Stephen Chege. Thank you, Hon. Speaker.

Hon. Nyamoko, how much time do you need to bring a response? Give him the microphone.

Two weeks, Hon. Speaker.

Two weeks, it is so ordered. Hon. Joseph Gitari, Member for Kirinyaga Central.

Hon. Speaker, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 44(2)(c), I wish to request for a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives regarding the mnagement of the Shirikisho la Wanawake Savings and Credit Cooperatives Society Limited. Shirikisho la Wanawake Savings and Credit Society (SACCO) Limited was established in 2001 with the objective of empowering women to be actively engaged in economic decision- making. Initially rooted in Embu and Kirinyaga counties, the SACCO has grown to include thousands of members from across the country and boasts a substantial capital base. However, in the recent past, concerns have emerged among members regarding the operations of the SACCO, especially following the unfortunate passing on of its coordinator, Ms Christine Ngare. Since her demise, there has been a breakdown in communication from the new management, despite repeated requests from the members for updates on the governance and financial status of the SACCO. This has caused anxiety amongst members, particularly noting the prevalence of financial mismanagement reported in various cooperative societies in the country. It is against this background that I request for a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives on the following– 1. Current status of Shirikisho la Wanawake Savings and Credit Society Limited including its financial and registration status with the Sacco Societies Regulatory Authority (SASRA). 2. Measures that the Ministry of Co-operatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development has put in place to ensure that the Sacco complies with established regulations, particularly in financial reporting and holding of regular meetings. 3. Steps being taken by the Ministry to enhance governance and oversight of cooperative societies in the country to protect the members’ savings. Thank you, Hon. Speaker.

Order, Hon. Denar, walk back to where you have come from. You have been here for two and a half years now and know what you need to do. Hon. Bensuda, induct him on what he needs to do. Thank you, Hon. Gitari. The Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Hon. Gakuya. Vice-Chairperson? How much do you require?

Two weeks, Hon. Speaker.

Two weeks it is, thank you. Hon. Members, before we go back to Order No.2 where I will make a short Communication, allow me to acknowledge the presence of a delegation of five staff members from the Office of the Leader of Opposition of the Parliament of Uganda, sitting in the Speaker’s Gallery to observe the House proceedings. The delegation is on a benchmarking visit at the National Assembly to foster knowledge exchange and share parliamentary experiences with our staff in the National Assembly. On my behalf and that of the National Assembly, I welcome the delegation to the National Assembly and wish them well during their visit. Hon. Members, also in the Public Gallery, I acknowledge the presence of the following institutions: Pan Africa Christian University from Roysambu Constituency, Nairobi County; The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

Mathauta Secondary School from Masinga Constituency, Machakos County; Kiambere School Complex from Mbeere North Constituency, Embu County; St. Clare Girls High School-Gatitu from Gatundu South Constituency, Kiambu County and Gilgil Day Secondary School from Gilgil Constituency, Nakuru County. On behalf of all of us, Hon. Martha Wangari has asked me to allow her to acknowledge a school from her constituency. She will do so for all the rest.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I must say it is very encouraging that our schools are back in full force during this Session. We should host many of them in the galleries so that they can observe the proceedings of this House. It also helps us to realise that we are pacesetters and must be good examples for the youngsters that we host here every time. Hon. Speaker, as I welcome all the students, allow me to pay special tribute to Gilgil Day Secondary School, one of the biggest day schools in Gilgil. It hosts over 1,000 kids without Form One students. They are so many such that we will have another delegation from the same school tomorrow. I want to take the opportunity to welcome them to the House. I want to encourage them because we are here for a while. They will be the ones seated on these seats in the next few years to come. So, on behalf of all of us, I want to take this opportunity to welcome all the students visiting the House. Thank you, Hon. Speaker.

Thank you.

Members on their feet, take your seats. Hon. Richard Yegon and Mrembo, take your seats.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. Allow me to join you in condoling with the families of the late Hon. Cheptumo and the late Hon. Malulu Injendi. I happen to have joined this House at the same time as the two Members in the 11th Parliament. I can attest to what you have said in your Communication, that the Senator for Baringo County and the Member for Malava were very dedicated public servants and leaders in their respective constituencies. When Hon. Cheptumo represented Baringo North Constituency and served in this House, all the way to serving as the Chairman of the Committee on Delegated Legislation…

Order, Hon. Members. This is a solemn moment where we have lost two of your colleagues at the same time. I would expect that you give it the solemnity it deserves. Go on, Leader of the Majority Party.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. Hon. Cheptumo served as a Member and later as Chairman of the Committee on Delegated Legislation with a lot of diligence. For those who were with us in the 12th Parliament, considering the numerous regulations for approval in the House, we will remember the dedication with which Hon. Cheptumo served this House as the Chairman of the Committee on Delegated Legislation. He did so with a lot of intellect. He happened to be a very good lawyer. After I served with him here, later I was privileged to learn that he had also worked with my wife, who was working in a bank then. Hon. Cheptumo happened to be in one of the panels of that bank. When Hon. Cheptumo and I met my wife somewhere, she attested to the diligence of Hon. Cheptumo in conveyancing and how much workers in the bank trusted his work. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

It is, indeed, a great loss, not just to his family, but also to the people of the greater Baringo County, who he served as their Senator, especially the people of Baringo North who he represented in this House for two terms, as their Member of Parliament. It is sad that we have lost him at a time when the people of Baringo needed him most. I was also privileged to serve with Hon. Malulu Injendi from the 11th Parliament when we first joined this House. The late Hon. Malulu is a leader who exemplified a true servant of the people and a true believer. Many Members bear me witness that the late Hon. Malulu never left his rosary wherever he went, to a point Members of the Catholic faith who served with him in this House nicknamed him “bishop”. Indeed, he had a permanent sitting position just behind where Hon. Ikana is seated. We would say hi and call him bishop every time we walked out. It is, indeed, a great loss, not just to the people of Malava and his family, but also to us as a nation. The late Hon. Malulu Injendi was not just a true believer. He was also a dedicated educationist. As a former teacher, he moved on to serve as the Vice-Chairman in the Public Investments Committee on Education and Governance. The Chairman of the Committee will tell you of his dedication.

Thank you, Leader of the Majority Party. Hon. Junet.

Hon. Speaker, I also stand to condole with the family of the departed Members of Parliament. I know Hon. Malulu Injendi well because we joined the 11th Parliament together. He was a very dedicated servant of the people and spent most of his time in his constituency. He was rarely in Nairobi. He spent any time he had in his hands with his constituents. He was a man who knew what he was doing. The love he had for his constituents was immeasurable. I remember when we were campaigning during the elections, as a party, we had a candidate against him. However, when we visited his constituency, we were categorically told that Malulu Injendi was the most popular person in the constituency regardless of the party ticket he used to contest. That is the information we were given on the ground. I would like to ask God to stand with his people at this trying moment. We were also together with Hon. Cheptumo in this House. He was a very dedicated servant of the people. He was in the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs where as a House, we benefited from his knowledge of the Constitution and the law immensely. I served with him in Parliament and the House Business Committee. The two were servants of the people who have left us at a time when Kenyans really require their service. With those few remarks, I condole with the families. May God rest their souls in peace.

Hon. Melly.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I take this time to condole with the families of our two honourable colleagues - Hon. Cheptumo and Hon. Moses Malulu Injendi. We came to this House with Hon. Malulu Injendi in 2013. As my colleagues have said, he was very humble, diligent, honest, religious and a good educationist. I served with him in the 11th Parliament as a Member of the Public Investments Committee on Education and Governance where Hon. Sabina Chege led us ably. Hon. Malulu Injendi gave us his mind on educational issues during that time, ranging from primary school education all the way to university. Hon. Speaker, he was a man who loved his constituents a lot. He did not fail to go to his constituency every weekend and every month. He served his people with a lot of diligence and integrity at all times. He built many schools, colleges and other institutions in his place. Hon. Cheptumo was a senior Member in this House. He mentored us because we found him in Parliament. He was the Member for Baringo North from 2007 all the way to 2013. He 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.

was a Member of the Committee on Delegated Legislation and several other committees. He worked with a lot of humility and taught us parliamentary legislative processes. We learned a lot from the two Members. May the good Lord rest their souls in eternal peace. Asante sana . Thank you.

Hon. Shinali.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I rise to pay tribute to Hon. Malulu Injendi Moses who was the Member of Parliament for Malava Constituency in Kakamega County. Hon. Malulu has been a good and very close friend, a relative and a man of humility. He was down to earth. Being a relative, despite my age group, Hon. Malulu always called me uncle since he married from my clan. Our political trajectory took the same path in 2017 when we found ourselves in the corridors of justice defending election petitions in the High Court of Kakamega. Despite that, both of us won and we were re-elected for the third time in 2022. The late Hon. Malulu transformed education in Malava Constituency, both the infrastructure and learning. I take this chance on my own behalf and that of the people of Ikolomani Constituency and Kakamega County to eulogise with the family and pass my condolences to the people of Kakamega for losing such a committed leader who transformed Malava Constituency and left a legacy.

Hon. Keynan.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I had the privilege of interacting with Mr and Mrs Cheptumo as legal practitioners, long before he joined politics. I found him down to earth and a brilliant legal practitioner. I also had the privilege of being with him in Parliament from 2007 as a representative of the people of Baringo North. Right now, he was serving as a Senator. Death is a must. As Muslims always say qullu nafsin zaikatul maut. That every soul shall taste death. It is a must. Only the owner of life gives and knows when to take away. Therefore, all of us must be ready to submit to the will of God when we live, so that we will be welcomed in the bounties of heaven after we die. I know many friends will miss Hon. Cheptumo. I also interacted with Hon. Injendi and he always carried the rosary. In my culture, when you see a man or a woman of God always with a rosary, it is a sign of forgiveness, atonement and always appreciating the presence of God around you. I know that the people who Hon. Injendi and Hon. Cheptumo represented will greatly miss them. Hon. Speaker, as our head, I urge you to give them a dignified and decent send-off. That is the only way we can remain true to the service they offered to their respective electorates. Thank you, Hon. Speaker.

Hon. Sabina Chege. Serjeant-at-Arms, check the system because it is malfunctioning.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I want to offer my condolences to the people of Malava and Baringo following the passing on of Hon. Injendi and Senator Cheptumo. I worked with both Members. I worked with Hon. Injendi in the 11th Parliament where I chaired the Departmental Committee on Education. He was a great supporter who contributed immensely to education. He was also a lecturer and a staunch Catholic. We will all remember him for wearing the rosary. He was a very humble man. I also served with Hon. Cheptumo in the 12th Parliament and he was a Senator in the 13th Parliament. I send my condolences to the people of Baringo County and his family. 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 leaders, we should know that life is not permanent. As we make decisions and work together in the House, let us not carry heavy burdens. Let us serve the people because God has appointed us and nobody knows what tomorrow holds. I wish the people of Baringo County and Malava Constituency God's grace at this time.

Hon. Makilap.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. Let me join you in paying tribute to our late Senator William Kipkiror Cheptumo who passed away on 16th February 2025. First, I endorse whatever you read as being the truth regarding the life of Hon. William Cheptumo, our Senator and immediate former Member for Baringo North. He is the man I took over from in 2022. I want to make it known that Senator Cheptumo was not only the Senator for Baringo County, but was also my maternal uncle. I have lost a mjomba . A man that was first in many things. He joined school too late. For those of us who were not born in hospitals and lived in rural areas, we joined school too late. It has been said that Hon. Cheptumo was 57 years old, but the truth is that he was not. For those of us who were not born in hospitals, we always chose Christmas Day as our birthday. He did a good job in Baringo North Constituency. I will ensure that whatever Cheptumo started in Baringo North Constituency will be completed within the shortest time possible. Since my time is limited, I wish to inform the Members that Hon. Cheptumo will be laid to rest in his home in Bartabwa on 1st March 2025. Additionally, there will be a requiem mass on 27th February 2025 at AIC Milimani. I also knew Hon. Injendi as my Registrar at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), where I studied double mathematics. May their souls rest in peace.

Hon. Nabii Nabwera.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I rise to condole with the families of Hon. Cheptumo and Hon. Malulu Injendi with whom I shared many things. Our mothers were angled in the same home. We belonged to the same circumcision age set -

. We were in school at the same time. While he was in Mumias High School, I was in Musingu High School. I knew him well for over 30 years. He was not just a friend and a relative, but also a barometer for many things. When I wanted to check on something I wanted to contribute on, I would speak to Hon. Injendi. On behalf of the Western Parliamentary Group Caucus and the people of Lugari, I want to send my sincere condolences to the family, children, and the people of Malava Constituency. Hon. Speaker, you remember you tasked Hon. Wangwe and I to take care of Hon. Injendi when he was in hospital. It was a very difficult journey for Hon. Wangwe and I. We saw him while he was sick. We saw him rising up…

Wind up.

We saw him lose the battle. It has not been easy. I want to thank you, Hon. Speaker, and everyone else who joined us in this journey. I condole with the family.

Hon. Bedzimba.

Ahsante sana, Mhe. Spika. Nasimama kwa niaba ya Eneo Bunge la Kisauni kusema pole kwa ndugu, jamaa na marafiki wa Eneo Bunge la Malava kwa kifo cha Mhe. Injendi ambaye aliishi na watu vizuri. Anachohitaji sasa ni maombi. Tumuombee Mungu amsamehe dhambi zake na amuweke mahala pema peponi. Kifo chake kinatukumbusha kuwa duniani, tunapitia tu. Unalohitajika kufanya duniani ni mambo mema. Hayo ndiyo yatakayokusaidia mbele. Kifo hakijali ikiwa wewe ni mtu mzima, mtoto, wala cheo ulichonacho. Hakuna mtu aliye na uhakika wa kuishi dakika mbili 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.

kutoka sasa. Wale walio hai wajue kuwa kuna safari ambayo wanaelekea na watende mema. Sisi tuliopewa jukumu la uongozi tuwasaidie waliotuchagua. Ahsante, Mhe. Spika.

Hon. Jematiah.

Thank you very much, Hon. Speaker. I also want to take this opportunity to condole with the people of Baringo and Malava for the loss of our colleagues, Senator Cheptumo from Baringo and Hon. Injendi. Baringo County has lost a great leader. Hon. Cheptumo served this House for 15 years. As young leaders, Senator Cheptumo’s death has left a huge gap in terms of the counsel he offered us, not forgetting his continuous fight against insecurity in Baringo. We thank every Member who has helped us. We are still mourning. We will miss him very much. His legacy will live on. I also send my condolences to Hon. Injendi’s family. I knew him well because he voted for me when I campaigned to go to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA). He was also a great colleague for the last two years. Thank you, Hon. Speaker.

Hon. Waluke.

Thank you very much Hon. Speaker for giving me a chance to also contribute on the two leaders and Members of Parliament that we have lost. I knew and worked with the two Members, Hon. Injendi and Hon. Cheptumo. Hon. Speaker, I have known Hon. Cheptumo since 2007 and interacted with him for a very long time. We met in this House during the 11th Parliament. He was a very able, honest and hard-working leader. Hon. Injendi was a very strong and honest Member. Pole to the people of Malava Constituency. He was a very strong Member of the Western Regional Caucus and a good adviser to us. We are going to miss them. I used to crack jokes whenever I met Hon. Injendi calling him “The Bishop of the Catholic Church.” He was a very jovial Member of Parliament. Nobody in this House can complain and say that he was rough. We will surely miss Hon. Injendi and Hon. Cheptumo.

Thank you. Hon. (Dr) Makali Mulu.

Thank you very much, Hon. Speaker. On behalf of the good people of Kitui Central, I convey my deepest condolences to the family of Hon. Injendi Malulu and the family of Senator Cheptumo. I had a chance to work with Hon. Cheptumo for two terms and three terms with Hon. Injendi. These two Hon. Members were very serious with their work. I am sure their constituents will miss them in a big way. Even as we send our sympathies to their constituents, my prayer to the Almighty God is that their souls rest in eternal peace. Amen.

Thank you. Deputy Speaker.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker for giving me this opportunity to pay tribute to two great people. I first met Hon. Injendi Malulu when I came to Parliament. One of the most important things I remember about him is that he was kind, very amiable and a gentleman. When I arrived in Parliament, I felt like I was fish out of water, but he was one of the people who made me comfortable. He was always polite and kind. He always gave you way when you walked on the corridors or when people jostled in the corridors. Most importantly, when he wanted to speak, he requested to be given a chance with such humility and grace despite being very senior. As for Hon. Cheptumo the Senator, he was my classmate at the University of Nairobi, School of Law. I remember he also stood out because he was sober, calm and very wise. There was a time I asked somebody, “Why does he behave like my father?” I was later told that he was admitted and joined school at a very later age. He was nicer than all the other men at the university. He was very polite. He was like a father. When all the young men in first year were 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.

chasing after girls, Hon. Cheptumo was focused on studying. He was always telling the others not to behave like that. We will always remember our two colleagues.

Were they chasing girls or seducing girls?

Courting them. Nevertheless, I stand here today to condole with both families on behalf of the people of Uasin Gishu County. May God rest their souls in eternal peace. Amen.

Hon. Mishi Mboko.

Asante Mhe. Spika. Kwa hakika ni pigo kubwa sana kwa Taifa letu la Kenya na pia kwa Mabunge yetu mawili kupoteza viongozi wetu wawili mashujaa. Mhe. Cheptumo alikuwa Seneta wa Baringo. Alikuwa kiongozi mwenye busara sana. Alikuwa kiongozi mwadilifu na hata wakati alipokuwa akichangia Miswada na Hoja katika Bunge hili la kitaifa, ungemwangalia na ungejua alikuwa kiongozi ambaye anajielewa na anajua kwa nini ako katika Bunge hili la kitaifa. Mheshimiwa huyu alitoa mchango mkubwa sana hata kule nyanjani. Tumezungumza na watu wengi sana kutoka sehemu ya Baringo na wanasema ameliacha pengo kubwa. Kwa niaba ya watu wa Likoni, poleni sana. Mwenyezi Mungu apatie familia na Taifa la Kenya faraja. Ndugu yetu Mhe. Malulu Injendi pia alikuwa kiongozi muadilifu na shupavu. Kakamega ni sehemu ambayo Chama cha Chungwa kimebobea lakini alichaguliwa akiwa katika Chama cha UDA. Kwa hivyo, ni kumaanisha ni kiongozi ambaye alikuwa anatenda mema na anafanya mambo zaidi haswa katika mambo ya miradi. Ni Mheshimiwa ambaye alikuwa mpole. Hata kwa kumuona, alikuwa anavaa msalaba shingoni ishara kuwa yeye ni mkatoliki. Kwa hivyo, Taifa la Kenya na Mabunge yetu yamepoteza viongozi shupavu. Haswa Hon. Malulu alichangia pakubwa katika elimu. Na Mhe. Cheptumo alichangia sana katika zile kamati alizokuwa mwanachama, haswa ile Kamati ya Maswala ya Kisheria.

Mhe. Mishi, wakati wako umekwisha. Hon. Ferdinand.

On behalf of the people of Kwanza in Trans Nzoia, I take this opportunity to send my condolences to my brother, Hon. Moses Injendi’s family. He came to my place in 2019 and helped me in a fundraiser. He was a very dedicated man. We always met in the church down here. He was a devoted Catholic. He always had a rosary. We have lost someone who was very intelligent. When it comes to education matters, he would offer very good advice. Therefore, I take this opportunity to say pole to the family. I came to this House with Hon. William Cheptumo in 2013. He was very educated and contributed to most of the issues in this House. The people of Baringo have lost a very intelligent person. I take this opportunity to send my personal condolences to the family of Hon. William Cheptumo. We have lost very important people. May the Lord rest their souls in eternal peace.

Thank you. Hon. Naisula.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I rise to also pass my sincere condolences to the families, relatives, friends and the constituents of Hon. Malulu Injendi of Malava Constituency and Hon. William Cheptumo, Senator of Baringo County. I was privileged to work with the two gentlemen. I worked with Hon. Malulu Injendi when I was the Chairperson of the Select Committee on Regional Integration in the 12th Parliament. Later, I also served under Hon. Cheptumo when he was the Chairman of Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs. This country and their constituents have lost very dedicated legislators in the Houses. They are some of the people who worked in silence. They were never noisemakers. They used to work silently in their areas where they The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

were elected. They practised clean politics based on issues. In committees, both gentlemen were dedicated. It is not only their families who have lost. It is not only the people who elected them, but the entire country has lost two great gentlemen. In condoling with their families, Hon. Speaker, you gave a true tribute of who the two gentlemen were. We shall dearly miss them, and we will also remember and learn a lot from their leadership. May their souls rest in eternal peace.

Thank you. John Makali.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker, for the opportunity. Let me take this opportunity on my own behalf, and on behalf of the great people of Kanduyi Constituency, to eulogise the late Hon. Malulu Injendi. Hon. Malulu Injendi was a true representative of the people and he was a man who never shied away from his faith. Hon. Malulu Injendi was our senior, and he was my neighbour here in Parliament. We could consult at a very short notice. Hon. Malulu Injendi was a humble man and an icon of humility, and the only thing we can do as we send him off is to remember what he adeptly stood for. He adeptly stood for passing legislation to assist the village managers and elders so that they can also get some money arising from the service they give to our people. So, as we eulogise and send off Hon. Malulu Injendi, Hon. Members, we must send a gift to Hon. Malulu wherever he goes by passing the legislation which he adeptly pushed for in this House. He also contributed immensely in the education sector, and this House is poorer by the passing on of Hon. Malulu Injendi. I take this opportunity to say pole sana to the people of Malava and may he go in peace. We also eulogise the Baringo Senator. I wish to say that although I never had an opportunity to work with him, from the records held in this House and in the Senate, he was a very sharp and fine legal mind. May the people of Baringo also be consoled on the loss of Hon. Cheptumo. May their souls rest in eternal peace.

Hon. Murugara.

Thank you very much, Hon. Speaker. Allow me, on behalf of the people of Tharaka Constituency, Tharaka Nithi County, and on my own behalf, to condole with all the primary school teachers for having lost their Chairman, Mr Nzioka, a great guy who served teachers diligently. Allow me also to condole with the people of Malava Constituency for the loss of one great gentleman by the name of Hon. Malulu Injendi who we would describe as a gentleman par excellence, because nobody in this House would say they crossed paths with him. He served so well. He was so humble, amiable and humane in everything he did. This, indeed, is a great loss to the people of Malava Constituency and we condole with them.

Allow me also to condole with the people of Baringo County for having lost one of my best friends, Hon. Cheptumo. We crossed paths with Cheptumo at the A-Level as he studied in Kabarnet High School while I was in Kabarak High School. We would occasionally meet for debates which were very fruitful. We then entered the University of Nairobi in 1988 and shared a class with him and also with the Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Gladys Boss. Let me put a disclaimer that I was not in that class of those young men she has described. I was in the class of Hon. Cheptumo and we were quite serious with studies and Hon. Cheptumo actually did very well. Eventually we were admitted as advocates and practised law with him. When I came to the House in the 12th Parliament, I served under Hon. Cheptumo when he was the Chairperson of the…

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

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. On behalf of the great people of Navakholo Constituency, on my own behalf and that of the Catholic fraternity, allow me to pass a message of condolences to the family, friends and relatives of the late Hon. Malulu Injendi. Hon. Speaker, I share a religion with Hon. Injendi. I also share family issues with him, in that his wife and my wife happen to be sisters and when I was called upon to be with him at his hour of need in hospital, I felt close to my brother. Indeed, I saw the tough times Mhe. Malulu went through and also when he rested. I want also to thank the Parliamentary Service Commission for the good work they did for us up to yesterday. It was immense, they persevered, and it cannot go without being appreciated for their input. Hon. Speaker, I worked here very well with Mhe. Malulu and he is a person who understood the people of Malava Constituency, whom I neighbour with. As a neighbour, we were very good friends. We worked together and the greatest moment I wish to remember Mhe. Malulu with is in 2017 when the entire region was in the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD). However, we came through a very difficult time and held each other's hands and went through as Jubilee Members. In that moment, we would spend a lot of time with him and he would pray for us. Hon. Speaker, on the issue of Hon. Cheptumo, allow me to send my condolences to the people of Baringo County. Indeed, we served with Hon. Cheptumo twice - in the 11th Parliament and the 12th Parliament - and many times we used to refer to him as a walking Constitution. Whenever the Speaker then, Hon. Muturi, would want to raise an issue of constitutionalism, he was there to help interpret the Constitution.

Thank you. Hon. Rachel Nyamai.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. On behalf of the people of Kitui South and on my own behalf, I would like to join you and the House in condoling our two colleagues, Hon. Malulu Injendi and Hon. Cheptumo. It is a very sad moment for all of us to lose two great gentlemen who have served in this House. I served with the two of them in the 11th Parliament, 12th Parliament and also in the 13th Parliament. As much as Hon. Cheptumo was in the Senate, he would cross over to this side and consult us. As other Members have said, Hon. Malulu Injendi was a very respectful person, a person who was committed to his constituents, to his family, very humble and God-loving. Hon. Speaker, it is hard to forget the position Hon. Malulu Injendi sat. Whenever he wanted to speak, I would observe when I got an opportunity to sit where you sit, that he would approach it with great respect. He always walked to that seat with a lot of respect. Hon. Malulu's contribution to education in his Malava Constituency, in this House and also in the country, is worth noting. I remember when we were dealing with the Sugar Bill, Hon. Malulu Injendi participated immensely and passionately for his people. I take this opportunity to condole with his family and ask God to keep him in a safe place which he worked hard for. Hon. Speaker, give me a chance to say a word about Hon. Cheptumo. I have interacted with Hon. Cheptumo in this House. We served together in the 12th Parliament in the Liaison Committee when I chaired the Departmental Committee on Lands and he was also in the Committee on Delegated Legislation.

Hon. Rachael imekwisha . Hon. Lelmengit.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I want to join the National Assembly team in eulogising the lives of Senator William Cheptumo, the Baringo Senator and also Hon. Malulu Injendi. It is a great loss for this country and the people of those constituencies and counties that the two represented. I knew them as very mature leaders in this House especially with institutional memory. Hon. Malulu Injendi would sit along the way while we entered this House. It would be very difficult to pass him, so you greeted him 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.

also received one or two wise words or statements from him. I sat with Hon. Malulu Injendi in the Committee on Parliamentary Broadcasting and Library Services and he contributed immensely during our committee sessions. Hon. Speaker, Senator Cheptumo has been more like a counsellor, a leader with a lot of experience. We shared a lot with him while he was alive. I join hands with this House in mourning the loss of their lives. I also want to condole with the people of Baringo and Malava, where these two leaders came from. Finally, I pass my condolences to the family of the National Chairperson of Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association (KEPSHA), the late John Nzioka, for their loss. I want to tell the leadership of KEPSHA that we are very sorry for their loss.

Hon. Omboko Milemba.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. On behalf of myself, the people of Emuhaya, the now-dissolving Amani National Congress (ANC) Party and the UDA Party, let me take this opportunity to condole with the family of the late Johnson Nzioka, a teacher of repute who was the Chairman of KEPSHA. The KEPSHA is a professional body that voices the professionalism of teachers. On behalf of myself and the groups I have mentioned, I send my condolences to the family of the late Johnson Nzioka, an educationist and a person with vast experience. Let me also condole with the family of the late Baringo Senator, William Cheptumo. Sen. Cheptumo carved out his place as a unique legislator when he was here. He was the kind of legislator who, when he stood to speak, the whole House would just go quiet and listen to his explanations, especially on the Constitution, constitutionalism, and things that related to law. He was a great guy, with great respect, and a mentor to many of us. Finally, the demise of Hon. Malulu Injendi is in itself a memento mori that sounds a warning to all of us in Parliament and those who are not here that death is definite and it is coming for us. A few days ago, he was just seated there, always catching your eye to express his views on education and other matters, but he is now gone. He was a very calm legislator. The late Hon. Injendi was a legislator who knew how to reach the people minus the political parties. Though a member of the ANC party, in which I have been the Secretary-General, Hon. Injendi could have still made it in any political party. No wonder in your eulogy you indicate him as having come on a party that was little known even when he had been denied the favour.

Yes, Hon. Mayaka.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. Let me also take this opportunity to condole with the families of our two colleagues, the late Hon. William Cheptumo, the Baringo Senator, and the late Hon. Injendi, the Member for Malava Constituency. I would like to extend my condolences on behalf of the people of Nyamira and on my own behalf. Secondly, I would like to pay a special tribute to the late Mwalimu Johnson Nzioka, because he taught me mathematics in Donholm Primary in Class 5. He was also our Head teacher before I left. He had been the Head teacher there for more than 24 years. I would just like to send a special tribute to his family, all the teachers, KEPSHA, and the community and families of Donholm Primary because that is a community primary school in Embakasi East Constituency. I pass my sincere condolences to all the three families. I thank you.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I would also like to pass my condolences to the families of our colleagues who have passed on. This is a moment when we need to be prayerful because we know what the families are undergoing. I sat with the late Hon. Malulu in the Departmental Committee on Education and Research 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.

only three days. He was always prompt and early enough for the meetings. His contribution was amazing. I thank and appreciate that you have already set aside an Ad Hoc Committee that will look into their befitting send-off. I pray that everything will be done accordingly and prudently. On the day of the requiem mass, parliamentarians should go there in solidarity. As women, we feel the large gap that their spouses are undergoing. As this House, when we go to give our last respects, we should establish if there are students or children who are still continuing with their education. I want to request that something be done as a legacy for their contribution to these Houses.

Member for Westlands.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I also wish to condole with the families of the late Hon. Cheptumo and the late Hon. Injendi. I served with the late Hon. Cheptumo in the 11th Parliament in the Committee on Delegated Legislation. He was my Chairman. He was a very intelligent and committed man who provided leadership. We did a lot of work together. I also pass my condolences to the family of the late Hon. Malulu Injendi, a man that I came with to this Parliament at the same time. I served with him in the Select Committee on Parliamentary Broadcasting and Library. We were also members of the Catholic Members of Parliament Caucus (CAMPC). He was a very honourable man.

Time is up. Hon. Ikana, you only have one minute.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. On behalf of my constituents, the great people of Shinyalu, and myself, I wish to extend my sincere condolences to the families of our departed colleagues. I confirm that the tribute you read about the late Hon. Malulu Injendi was 100 per cent accurate. The late Hon. Malulu Injendi was very passionate about his people of Malava. He served them even when he was very sick in hospital. This can be confirmed by the fact that he was able to push for the tarmacking of the Malava- Samitsi-Navakholo Road, even when he was very critically sick. I owe a great deal of my election to this Parliament to the support I received from the late Hon. Malulu Injendi, who was my teammate in the Kenya Kwanza Coalition. We did joint rallies and campaigned together, and he guided me.

Hon. Dan Wanyama.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I condole with the families of our departed colleagues. The late Hon. Malulu Injendi is one person I have known since our childhood because I went to school with him at St Peter's Mumias. At some point, I was his class prefect in Form Five and Six. The late Hon. Malulu was a very truthful and sincere person. I know the family and the people of Malava will miss him. May his soul rest in peace.

Thank you.

Ahsante, Mhe. Spika. Najiunga na wenzangu kutoa rambirambi kwa niaba ya wakaazi wa Kaloleni kwa familia za Seneta Cheptumo na Mhe. Injendi. Mhe. Injendi alitetea sana mambo ya elimu. Pia, tumekuwa tukienda kanisa moja. Mimi na yeye ni Wakatoliki. Kila siku ya jumatano, tulikuwa tunaenda kanisani naye. Tunaiombea roho yake ilale mahali pema peponi.

Hon. Tongoyo.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I join the rest of the Members who have already spoken to pass my condolences to the families of the two great leaders. They were, indeed, great leaders and committed servants of the people of this nation. I was privileged to have interacted closely with both of them. The late Hon. Injendi Malulu, as has been said by the rest of the Members, was a very committed leader, a man of the people, and a down-to-earth leader. More importantly, Hon. Speaker, you had rightfully 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.

mentioned that this man was so passionate about the issue of the village elders, and he sponsored a Bill, the National Government Administration Bill. The Bill intended to look into the welfare of village elders to have them recognised in law and be remunerated.

Hon. Pukose. Dakika moja tu .

Hon. Speaker, I worked with Hon. Cheptumo when I worked as a doctor in Baringo and when we joined Parliament in 2013. He was a gentleman and somebody you could consult for advice. I met him about a month ago, I looked at his health and he was not doing well. I join the people of Baringo and Malava in mourning both Sen. Cheptumo and Hon. Malulu Injendi. We joined this House together in 2013. He was a gentleman, and a committed servant of his people and the House in general. May their souls rest in eternal peace.

Next is Hon. Oundo. Hon. Katana, switch off your microphone.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I send my sincere condolences to the families of our two departed colleagues on behalf of Funyula Constituency. I served with Hon. Injendi since my first term. He visited my constituency sometime in November, after the demise of his Fund Accounts Manager and we shared a lot. It was a shock to learn that he was unwell. It was even more shocking to learn that he had passed on. We were involved in his National Government Coordination (Amendment) Bill regarding village elders. Unfortunately, as Hon. Tongoyo wanted to bring it up, he was asked to drop it awaiting comprehensive review. In his honour, I hope Hon. Tongoyo will conclude the process. With those few remarks, I wish the families well in these hard times.

Hon. Emaase.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. On my behalf and the great people of Teso South, I rise to pay tribute to the bereaved families of our two departed colleagues. I am privileged to have served with both Hon. Cheptumo and Hon. Injendi in the 11th Parliament and this 13th Parliament. It is a sad week for Parliament. I sat with Hon. Injendi on this same row. I would consult him on Bills and Motions on education while he consulted me on issues of the budget. The two gentlemen were very humble and dedicated in serving their constituents. Their contributions will be greatly missed by us, their families, and the country at large. At this point, I pray for the bereaved families, the widows, and the children. On behalf of the teachers, I also pay tribute to the chair of the Kenya Primary Schools Head teachers Association (KEPSHA) who lost his life in a road accident.

Next is the Member for Mwea, Hon. Maingi.

Thank you for giving me this opportunity to condole with the people of Malava Constituency. I first met the late Hon. Injendi when he was a Registrar at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa where I studied for my MBA. Hon. Injendi was kind-hearted. He was compassionate, caring, selfless, respected, and so uplifting. I was surprised to meet Hon. Injendi Malulu when I joined Parliament. He was also pleasantly surprised. He was a diligent and dedicated member of the Catholic Members Association.

Thank you. Hon. Ng’elechei.

Thank you so much, Hon. Speaker. On my behalf and the people of Elgeyo/Marakwet, I convey my condolences to the families of the departed Members. Hon. Injendi was known to me. I interacted and bonded with him because we were both members of the Catholic Members of Parliament Spiritual Support (CAMPSS). The Catholic Members of Parliament have lost a very dedicated member. 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.

Nonetheless, Hon. Cheptumo was a ranking Member and an advisor especially to our community where most Members of Parliament are young. We often went to Hon. Cheptumo for advice and direction. He always gave us direction and advice. I pray that their souls rest in eternal peace.

Hon. Mwafrika.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. On behalf of the people of Roysambu in Nairobi County, allow me to convey my heartfelt condolences to the two bereaved families. We heard about Hon. Malulu Injendi’s illness when you gave his apology at the Naivasha retreat. May their souls rest in peace.

Thank you. Members, we are coming to an end. We want to move to something else. How many are still interested?

Proceed, Hon. Nyakundi.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. On my behalf and that of the people of Kitutu Chache North, I also take this opportunity to convey my heartfelt condolences to the families of the departed. Hon. Malulu Injendi was a very soft-spoken and good-hearted simple man. I remember him for always wearing his rosary necklace. We also convey our sincere condolences to Hon. Cheptumo’s family. We say pole sana . As the UDA Party and the Kenya Kwanza Coalition, we have lost people of dignity. We pray and hope that their souls rest in eternal peace.

Hon. Chikati.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. As the Secretary-General of the Catholic Members Caucus, we have lost someone who added value to the work of Catholic Members of Parliament. Hon. Malulu Injendi was very committed in serving Kenyans and had networks across board. He also belonged to the Western Caucus, through which he mobilised resources for the people of Malava. On my behalf, that of the people of Tongaren, and Ford Kenya, I say pole to the families. May their souls rest in peace.

The Woman Representative of Kericho County.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I join Members of Parliament in passing a condolence message to the families of our Members, Hon. Sen. Cheptumo and Hon. Moses Malulu. We have lost great legislators, professionals, and leaders. Hon. Cheptumo, a Senator from our region, was a very humble person. He gave great and wise counsel to us. This is a great loss. I pray that the family be comforted. Hon. Malulu supported sugarcane farmers. As someone from a sugarcane farming region, we have lost a great man. I believe he was a part of the great improvement in the sugar industry.

Hon. Aseka.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I also join my colleagues in eulogising our departed colleagues. Hon. Malulu Injendi, Member of Parliament for Malava, will be remembered as a champion of education in his constituency. He has really supported vulnerable students to access basic education. He put up infrastructure in schools. He was a champion of regional unity and sugarcane farmers. On my behalf, my family, and the great people of Khwisero, we condole and wish the family well as they mourn this departed hero.

The very last one, Hon. Naomi Waqo. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I add my voice to the condolence messages that my colleagues have already sent. It is a very sad week. I am sure the families of Hon. Injendi and Senator Cheptumo are very affected. I have known both of them since the 12th Parliament and they were both very dedicated, passionate, visionary leaders, and great legislators. It is a sad moment for us, especially the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) fraternity. Our prayers are with them. I hope the Lord will comfort their loved ones and the entire Parliament. May their souls rest in peace.

Thank you, Members. We will end there. Those who have not had a chance to send their condolences should enjoin themselves with their colleagues who had an opportunity to do so, and with the Statement made by the Speaker. There will be opportunities to go to church when their services are held. We are advised that Senator Cheptumo will be laid to rest in Baringo on 1st March 2025, and Hon. Malulu Injendi in Malava on 4th March 2025. I am sure there will be requiem masses in Nairobi where we will have an opportunity to send our condolence messages. Many of you will also visit the families at their various residences. We condole with the families. Allow me to acknowledge the following in the Public Gallery, Baret Scholars, Global Work and Travel.

Okay, they were in the Public Gallery. I also acknowledge students from the University of Eldoret, Moiben, in Uasin Gishu County. We welcome them to Parliament, even if they have left. I am sure they are still within our precincts. If you look at the Supplementary Order Paper, there is a Special Motion co-sponsored by the Leader of the Majority Party and the Leader of the Minority Party. Can somebody look for the Leader of the Majority Party and invite him to move the Motion? I hope Hon. Junet is in the House. Leader of the Majority Party, you now have an opportunity to move the Special Motion.

Subject to interest in the Motion, I will allocate Members two hours to debate it. So, we will finish it at 6.30 p.m. Call it out.

Leader of the Majority Party.

Hon. Speaker, I beg to move the following Motion: RECALLING THAT, the African Union (AU), the successor of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), was launched in 2002 as a continental body consisting of the 55 member-states that make up the countries of the African continent with the vision of creating an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena; AWARE THAT, the African Union Commission (AUC), established as the secretariat responsible for the day-to-day operations and activities of the AU, is headed by the Chairperson elected by the Heads of State and Government from member-States; RECALLING THAT, on 27th February 2024, Kenya formally announced that the former Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga, EGH, would be vying for the position of Chairperson of the AUC, building on his previous service as the African Union Special Envoy for Infrastructure Development in Africa from 2018 to 2023; APPRECIATING THAT, in recognition of the immense Pan-African ideals embodied in the candidacy of the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga, his dedication and leadership in advancing the cause of the African continent through various initiatives and positions held over the years, including his previous service as the African Union Special Envoy for Infrastructure Development in Africa from 2018 to 2023, H.E. the President endorsed the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga as Kenya’s candidate for the Chairperson of the AUC; NOTING THAT, the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga's candidacy for the position of Chairperson of the AUC was not only his personal ambition, but also a symbol of Kenya’s deep commitment to the goals of the AU and its desire to actively participate in shaping the continent’s future; COMMENDING the Government of Kenya, led by His Excellency the President, for the Pan-African campaign in support of the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga, reinforced by Kenya’s commitment to regional and continental integration and co-operation and guided by Kenya’s Foreign Policy; FURTHER COMMENDING the remarkable achievement by Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga for emerging the runner-up in the election of the Chairperson of the AUC on Saturday, 15th February 2025; RECOGNISING the need to sustain Kenya’s growing prominence on the continental stage and advocacy for a more united, prosperous, and self-reliant Africa in resonance with the aspirations of millions of Africans who seek to see the continent empowered to chart its own course in the global arena; NOW THEREFORE, this House— 1. Records its thanks to His Excellency, Dr William Ruto, CGH, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces of the Republic of Kenya for endorsing the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga, EGH, as Kenya’s candidate for election as the Chairperson of the AUC and for coordinating the continental campaign in support of his candidacy; 2. Expresses its profound thanks to the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga, EGH, for demonstrating his unwavering commitment to the service of Africa by offering himself as Kenya’s candidate for the position of the Chairperson of the AUC, for his leadership in advancing Pan-African unity, for his dedication to the development and integration of the African continent and for his distinguished attempt at the election, in which he emerged as the runners-up; 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.

3. Records its congratulations to H.E. Mahamoud Ali Youssouf on his election as the Chairperson of the AUC on Saturday, 15th February 2025. It is a long Motion, but we are seeking to do three things: First, to record our thanks to the President for his dedicated support and vigorous campaign across the continent for the candidacy of the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga as the Chairperson of the AUC. Second, to congratulate and express our thanks as a House and on behalf of Kenyans to His Excellency the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga, EGH, for demonstrating unwavering commitment to the service of the African continent. We cannot mention enough the dedication with which we saw the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister and His Excellency President William Ruto work together throughout the campaign, not failing to mention our dedicated foreign mission officers at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I want to mention our dedicated foreign mission officers at the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs led by the Principal Secretary, Dr Korir Sing’oei and the Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, who dedicated immense time and resources across the continent in campaigning for the candidacy of the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga.

The Rt. Hon. Prime Minister Raila Odinga, and his ideals as a Pan-Africanist need no introduction to anybody in the continent. And indeed, we must take this opportunity to thank the many nations across the continent that stood not just with the nation and the Republic of Kenya in this campaign, but also with the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga, the Pan-Africanist par excellence in the campaigns and the election in Addis Ababa over the weekend.

Let me also take this opportunity to congratulate the winner of this election, Hon. Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, a good African from our neighbouring country, Djibouti. As we celebrate Youssouf’s victory, I cannot fail to note with immense gratitude to former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. Despite leading in the first, second, and almost the third vote, when he reached the sixth vote, he opted, in the spirit of Pan-Africanism, not to subject the assembly to another round of campaigning and election. He had a choice to fight on. Because there were many countries that were supporting Raila Odinga, our brother Mahamoud Youssouf, probably, would not have got the two thirds. But the former Prime Minister opted to allow the assembly to go ahead and vote and see if the person who was leading then in that round could achieve the two thirds that was required for the chairperson’s seat. That is how Ali Youssouf Mahamoud was elected as the Chairperson of Africa Union Commission (AUC).

Therefore, I congratulate the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister for that commitment, dedication, spirit of Pan-Africanism and for knowing that Africa and our unity as a continent is paramount and putting Africa and Pan-Africanism ahead of his own personal interests. He put the interests of the continent ahead of his interests. That is commendable. That is the spirit in every competition because there is a winner and a loser. Raila Odinga did not leave Addis Ababa as a loser, but he left Addis Ababa as a winner who exemplified his leadership in the African continent and the world. On behalf of Kenyans, we commend him and note our thanks as a House for his commitment to Africa. I encourage him to continue serving not just Kenya, but the African continent and the world with the same commitment and dedication that he has shown over the years.

The Rt. Hon. Prime Minister is not just a Kenyan leader, but also a continental leader as we have said in this Motion. He has served in continental bodies. I know in the future, he could even serve in world bodies because the world needs his experience, and the world needs his ideals and leadership in many aspects. We also need them in this country. As he continues to serve us and the world, we wish him well.

We wish Hon. Mahamoud Youssouf well in his service. Let him understand that we were all in a competitive election and the people of Kenya remain committed to the ideals of the African Union and to the integration of Africa as one united continent. Even the regional blocks like the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the East African 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.

Community (EAC), and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) all seek to integrate. As we have said, with the EAC partner States, we are not just widening, deepening and tightening our cooperation within the East African region, but we also seek to deepen, widen and tighten the integration of all these bodies under the African Union, under the leadership of Youssouf Mahamoud, but also with the support of Pan-Africanists and great leaders like Raila Odinga. Of course, also under the able leadership of President William Ruto who is the Chairperson of the EAC, and has a role in the reform agenda of the African Union (AU).

We look forward to working together with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, the Chairperson Mahamoud Youssouf and President William Ruto as we seek to reform the African Union. I believe under the leadership of President William Ruto and these two other great leaders, the AU will be reformed into a body or an organisation that addresses the needs and aspirations of all African people so that we speak as one people.

Some years back, Africa was seen as a dark continent of want and poverty. Today, the world over, everybody appreciates that Africa is the continent of the present and future. The resources, expertise and human capital we have in this continent, I will not be surprised if in the years to come, we see more great African leaders like Barack Obama who led a country as big and as powerful as the United States of America. We have seen many Kenyans today including the young lady from Nyamira, who is now a Senator in one of the State assemblies in the United States of America. We have also seen a Kenyan of Somali origin become a congresswoman because Africa is the future of the world.

With the resources that we have in human capital, with an ageing population in America, the West, in Asia and the Far East, and with our emerging productive and well- educated youth, we are here to conquer the world. And we can only conquer the world under the able leadership of leaders like Raila Amolo Odinga with his Pan-African spirit, with the able guidance of leaders like Mahamoud Youssouf who is now a Chairperson and with the support of all African presidents. We must respect these presidents.

Hon. Speaker, in conclusion, as I move this Motion and ask the Leader of the Minority Party to second, allow me also use this opportunity to express the disgust of this House on the actions and words of one of us, the Member of Parliament for Juja Constituency, Hon. Koimburi. As much as the police have taken action and I hope they will charge the Member for Juja, even within our own Standing Orders, it is stipulated that one cannot disparage or even discuss a foreign president especially a president of a friendly country. It is unfortunate for the Member of Parliament for Juja to have uttered the unfortunate and careless words over the weekend and shamelessly in a church, on a pulpit, saying that other African leaders were bribed.

The Member of Parliament for Juja should know that former Prime Minister Raila Odinga did not run for chairmanship of AUC under the instigation of President William Ruto. The former Prime Minister Raila Odinga chose to run as Chairperson of the AUC on his own volition because he is a Kenyan and an African statesman who deserved that position. President William Ruto did not choose to support Prime Minister Raila Odinga because he was his competitor in the last elections or because they have served in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) together. You know President William Ruto is a founder member of the ODM. He chose to support the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga as a deserving Kenyan and African statesman. The many presidents who voted for Raila Odinga to be chairperson did not do it at their instigation or because they were influenced by anybody. We must at the same time express our disgust at the action of a Member of Parliament who claimed that the Republic of Kenya had spent Ksh13 billion. From where? Money that we have not appropriated! Members of Parliament are supposed to sit here, but some are never in the House and do not even understand how money is appropriated. One of them is probably in 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.

a police station now. I do not know where he is and I do not care. I hear someone asking me where he is. I want to propose that the Member for Juja be named in this House because he has formed a very bad habit. You will recall last year when Members voted for the Finance Bill, the same Member claimed that they were paid, I think Ksh2,000,000 to vote for the Bill. He came, stood there and apologised. Out of our magnanimity, we chose to forgive him. When the Impeachment Motion came, he then went again to claim at some funeral somewhere that Members were paid during the Impeachment Motion. He is fond of following some other man there. He claimed that the 282 Members who voted in the Impeachment Motion were paid. He mentions figures from his head and I see the person he follows in funerals repeating the same things. That is how you know that birds of a feather flock together. Now he has moved from Members of Parliament on the Finance Bill and Impeachment Motion, to heads of States of friendly countries. We cannot and we must not allow that kind of habit to take root in this House. We must take action and I want to invite one of us to move a Motion to name this Member. This is what makes this House be treated with a lot of contempt and indignity, because of the things that we not only say inside our House, but the ones we have taken outside saying disparaging things about our country, presidents and heads of State of other friendly nations who are friends of Kenya. How do you think those friends of ours who supported the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga would feel if they heard that their heads of state were being paid to vote? It is so annoying. I want to end it there, but we must name this Member. We must!

Yes!

If we do not, he will make it a habit. Tomorrow, he will make all manner of allegations against any one of us here or the President. They have made it a sport to move around the country in funerals insulting the President. I hear they call themselves itungati. Itungati in French means people or heroes who have given their time, resources, time and energy for the sake of the nation. If you find yourself following a man at funerals and elsewhere calling yourself itungati, you are not a hero, but a slave to a man. Those who are following that man are slaves and not itungati . They are lost slaves who are disparaging heads of nations of Africa. Shame on them! I beg to move and request the Leader of the Minority Party, Hon. Junet Mohamed, my good friend, to second this Motion to appreciate the Government of Kenya, His Excellency the President, His Excellency the former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, and His Excellency Mahmoud Ali Youssouf.

Hon. Junet, proceed.

Hon. Speaker, I stand to second the Motion that has been moved by the Leader of the Majority Party, Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah. First, I take this opportunity to thank His Excellency the President of the Republic of Kenya, Hon. William Samoei Ruto, for his efforts and his immense contribution towards the campaign of our Kenyan candidate in the African Union Commission Chairmanship contest. The President of this country and his Government have done everything possible to campaign, lobby, and do everything possible to make sure that we win this contest. It was not a secret that the President visited African capitals and met presidents to lobby and campaign for our Kenyan candidate and at the same time also received presidents in this country to talk and tell them that we have the best candidate in the contest. We will not forget that. As a party, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), and as people, we will remind everyone who wants to forget that the President campaigned and lobbied for our candidate. I also want to thank the Rt. Hon. former Prime Minister, Raila Amolo Odinga, for stepping out because it requires a lot of courage and determination to come out and declare that you want to represent your country at a very high level of the African Union. Many Kenyans 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.

will want to contest for that kind of position, but it requires courage. It requires somebody who has the stamina to come out and declare intention to run for the position. This country could not have a better candidate than him because his credentials are known. He has served the African Union, at the level of high representative on infrastructure before, for a period of about three years. He had performed exemplary very well. He had done a good job and had all the credentials as a Pan-Africanist to contest for that high office. In an election contest, there must be a winner and a loser or you can also go on a draw. It is not easy to raise the confidence of over 20 presidents of a country. You saw that in the first round, he got 22 votes. Those are 22 countries that have faith and confidence in the candidature of Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga. Many of us, if we were to contest, might not even get votes from three, two, or even one president, but he managed to raise those numbers because he is a Pan- Africanist and he is known in this continent. He has done and participated in solving many things affecting this country. The elections for the African Union chairmanship took place, but before our candidate left for Ethiopia, his last speech at the Bomas of Kenya, in a conference that was held by the ODM Party, said that he would be very happy if he won and in the event he lost, he has a home to come back to where life continues as usual, and he would do his business and other things. What has shocked me as a Kenyan and up to now I am still in shock, is not the loss that we had in Addis Ababa, but the celebrations that happened in some parts of our country after we lost that election. This was not a Kenyan contest.

Some of the people who are celebrating are keeping the Leader of the Majority Party busy here. Can they sit down so that they can hear what I am saying?

Order, Hon. Wamaua and...

These are some of the people who are celebrating. She celebrated, but that is fine because in a contest you cannot...

Order, Hon. Wamaua. You cannot cross the aisle like that. It is immaterial what you want to do. Go on.

Kenyans knew very well that this was not an election that was going to happen within the country. It was not an election that is normally announced at the Bomas of Kenya. This was an election that was happening in the African Union. Some of the Kenyans became so unpatriotic by supporting a candidate against Kenya and even campaigning for him openly in social media and all kinds of spheres. I cannot be so unpatriotic. If today Kenyans of any colour, race, religion or creed come out to contest for international positions, I will support them. In the spirit of being Kenyan, that is all that matters. The first thing we need to look at is being Kenyan, regardless of the community you come from, your colour, religion or anything else. How unpatriotic can some Kenyans be that they fought the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister for the one year he has been campaigning? After losing, they celebrated. We shall revisit. I can assure you. We will revisit that one at the right time. 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 will also have our day to laugh and celebrate. It is not very far. It is coming. You can take that to the bank. I will remind you on the day we will celebrate, that you also celebrated your day. Insha Allah, Bismillahi Kareem. I also congratulate the winner. In a contest, someone must win. A country that is within our eastern African region won the election. So, we have every reason to also celebrate and congratulate them because in any contest, we expected to have a winner and a loser. We expected to win. We did not win, and we cannot be sore losers. Many things happened. I was in Addis Ababa. I do not want to talk about them now, but that is part of the election. You do not have to complain or begrudge anyone. Hon. Speaker, all of us defeated someone to be in this House. We had opponents in the election. To be elected Speaker, you also had opponents. As Azimio, we had a candidate. The Kenya Kwanza Coalition proposed you, and you got the biggest number of votes. Today, you are presiding here as our Speaker. You are a Speaker for all of us. We are not saying, ‘We lost, another Speaker must sit next to you - the one who lost to you.’ We cannot work like that. Therefore, in a contest, it goes that way. I want Kenyans to get experience from this contest because this will not be the last time a Kenyan will contest for an international job. I encourage the Government of the Republic of Kenya to nominate and support qualified Kenyans when seeking international positions. The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General position is coming up next year. If there is a Kenyan who feels qualified to become the Secretary-General of the UN, they should go for it, and Kenyans will support them. It does not matter whether you win or lose. Go for it. Many countries in this region have done very well - much better than our country - in terms of positioning their people in multilateral organisations. We have not done so well as a country in that sphere. We have to pull up our stocks and make sure that many Kenyans go out there to seek international positions. Even the ones who are celebrating, instead of holding people in villages somewhere in Nyeri, they should release them to participate in such contests. Let them go for international positions if they are qualified. Do not hold people there, buying them uji every day when they are qualified with bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Take them out. ‘wamunyoro’ is not a church, unless it is another Shakahola, where people go with the intention of dying inside. On behalf of my party, constituency and on my own behalf, I thank the President for showing leadership and supporting the candidature of our party leader. I also congratulate my party leader. He is a strong man - a very strong man - and he always gets a second chance. If there is any other position to serve in on the continent, he will be available. In the world, everywhere, he has been available. He has served the African Union before, and we will continue supporting him. He is my leader, and we will ensure that we provide our services to the people of this country and continent at any level and in whichever capacity that we can.

Some people thought that the contest that has just been concluded was political. They thought that if we lost, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) would get annoyed. Why should we be annoyed? If there are people we should be annoyed with, then it should be Djibouti, the people who took our cup. Why should we be annoyed with someone who was not contesting against us? We should be annoyed with the people who defeated us, and yet we are not annoyed by them. We are congratulating them for doing a good job because the African Union belongs to all of us. As a nation, we are part of the African Union. I would like to warn the naysayers that they should avoid that kind of behaviour going forward. If you are going to oppose a Kenyan because of his political affiliation in this country, or other domestic issues, that is a very primitive way of looking at things. Although the charge of primitivity was not in the impeachment motion, we impeached some people because of primitivity. Some of them are very primitive people with village mentality. When Kenyans vie 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.

for positions in international organisations, instead of supporting them, you judge them based on what happens in a village. I am very sad about that. I did not expect people to celebrate the loss of a Kenyan in an international contest. It is a shame. You cannot celebrate the loss of a Kenyan in an international contest. You cannot do so. If our athlete loses in a contest in the New York or London Marathon, do you expect me to celebrate because he is not from my community? Or because he is not from my region, religion, village or ward? Shame on you. The people who did so must desist. They must never repeat that. I must say this on the Floor of the House because this is where we address issues of concern to the people, and that is an issue of great concern to the people. You cannot tell Kenyans that they cannot contest for positions outside Kenya. Even when we contest for positions in Kenya, they will not vote for us. We have taken this matter seriously and we do not want it to happen again in this country. We must always support our fellow Kenyans wherever they are. We impeached certain individuals who were telling us that we were not shareholders of this country. That is what they told us. We have not forgotten. They told us that we were not shareholders in this country. I do not know when the shareholding certificate was issued in this country. At Independence, everyone was there. You should call for annual general meetings so that we know which shares we have. If you have been impeached over that kind of nonsense, why should you continue to celebrate the loss of a Kenyan in an international contest? We will stand firm and hold our heads high. We have not lost anything. On the contrary, we have gained because we have registered the name of Kenya in the international arena.

Hon. Speaker, with those few words, I thank you and urge all Members to support and register their thanks to the President and the former Prime Minister, who put his head on the line for Kenya.

Thank you.

Hon. Jared Okello.

Hon. Speaker, let me thank you for giving me this opportunity. I would like to bring to the attention of the House the fact that I was nominated to be the chief agent in a closed auditorium in the course of that election. That is a very controlled and heavily guarded compound with a controlled number of people getting in and out. I was privileged to sit with our President, Dr William Samoei Ruto, alongside a few Members representing the Republic of Kenya during that election. I specifically thank the President of this country. Seldom does a person you have previously subjected to a very fierce contest come back to lift your hand in an attempt to put you into an important position you are vying for. The President went beyond the call of duty. He launched the candidature of the Rt. Hon. Raila Amollo at State House, Nairobi, despite the fact that the two persons were fierce rivals in the 2022 Presidential Election. History will judge Dr William Samoei Ruto very positively. I come from a community that never forget those who do good to them. Perhaps it is the only such community in Kenya. I am very proud to hail from it. As is the norm, there is victory in defeat many times. We left Addis Ababa together with ‘Baba’ with our heads high. The President, together with the former Prime Minister, can embark on the duty of uniting this country. There is more work to be done in Kenya than there is in Addis Ababa. Therefore, I join my brother, Hon. Junet, in saying that those who think this The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

was a defeat against ‘Baba’ are in for a rude shock. The mission to unite this country regardless of where one comes from is a journey we can never miss. As ‘Baba’ comes back to join hands with his brother, President William Ruto, those who celebrated much earlier will be shocked as we go into the future. ‘Baba’ will give us more direction as to where we will go, both as a community and as the Republic of Kenya. There could be factors that played out in the auditorium. We will not delve into some of them. If I counted correctly, less than 10 presidents stayed behind for that election. However, their ministers in charge of foreign affairs represented them. I would be remissed not to make it clear that even the one who was elected is a foreign affairs minister of his country. Therefore, those who were given the task of voting on behalf of their leaders were his contemporaries and colleagues. He has worked with them in foreign affairs offices. The vote was by secret ballot. It was secret to the extent that presidents or voters were given empty papers. There was no name. They were expected to write those names and bring them to where we were to count. The rumours being spread by people castigating other countries for dropping the ball against us are not true. It was very difficult to tell who wrote what on each piece of paper. Unless you know the handwritings of all the presidents in Africa, you can never know who voted for who. I can say unequivocally that apart from Kenya, 20 countries stuck with ‘Baba’ throughout the exercise - even as we went to the last round of the voting process.

Twenty countries out of 49 that were present in the auditorium is not an easy achievement. They stuck with us. We are very thankful to the entire African continent because ‘Baba’ went all the way to the seventh round. In the spirit of Pan-Africanism, he chose to withdraw himself to avoid the stalemate that would have ensued. It is only him who can do such a thing. The rest of the candidates would have subjected themselves to rounds and rounds of voting that would have led to nowhere. Do you remember when our South African sister Dlamini Zuma won? They went all the way to the seventh round. There was no ultimate winner. The election had to be suspended for six months. In the intervening period, Mali had to be taken out because of the coup. In the Pan-Africanism spirit, ‘Baba’ chose to withdraw himself from the contest to avoid subjecting our African continent to the stalemate witnessed when Dlamini Zuma became the chair. These facts will govern the elections of the African Union Commission (AUC) going into the future. At such times, there is no point holding onto an election process that would subject the whole continent to a stalemate. It was only Baba who could do that in the particular instance. Hopefully, somebody else can also do so in future if circumstances demand. A clarion call has been made by both the President and the former Prime Minister, that we unite our country first, then move to unite the African continent. This is not a small journey. To unite a country that has always been divided across ethnic, religious and tribal lines, you need the kinds of ‘Baba’ and President Ruto. For this country to come together, we need both of them.

As we prepare for elections to be held in two-and-half years’ time, the hyperbolic political temperatures that we have continued to see must stop for the sake of this country. We only have one country called the Republic of Kenya. If we destroy it, we will have nowhere else to go to. 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.

In the north-eastern part of our country, we are playing good host to refugees who left their countries because of wars. That is not something you would wish on anyone else. The conditions that people live in, in those shanties in the camps, is not something to write home about. Therefore, if there are people who are beating drums of war and laughing at the top of their voices because Kenya did not succeed, then they do not belong to this country. Perhaps they do not understand the history of war and genocide that other countries have been subjected to. So, let us all in this House - as important as it is to this country - rally behind the President and the former Prime Minister to bring unity that will withstand the test of time in this country. Finally, the Bible, from which I draw a lot of lessons, says, “My people suffer because of lack of knowledge.” There are people who laughed due to lack of knowledge. Soon, that revelation will come to pass and this country will be reunited once and for all. Thank you.

Deputy Speaker.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker for giving me this opportunity. I will start by thanking His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Kenya.

On a point of order, Hon. Speaker.

Hon. Gikaria, what is your point of order?

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. As you know, this is a very important Special Motion. I really wanted to indulge you before my brother started speaking. You had given instructions that by 6.22 p.m., the debate on this Motion will end. I wish you can give fewer minutes to Members speaking, so that everybody can have an opportunity to contribute.

How many minutes do you propose?

Maybe three minutes. Thank you.

Hon. Members, three or five minutes?

Three.

Three?

Five.

Five? Let us do five minutes and see how well we will do. Proceed, Deputy Speaker.

Hon. Speaker, I said I am glad that you gave me the opportunity to speak on this Motion. I, first, want to thank His Excellency the President for leading the campaign of the Kenyan candidate, the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga with a spirited fight. I also appreciate the Members who put in their support and acted as his agents. It is important for us to know that the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga was not the candidate. Kenya was the candidate. That is what many Kenyans forgot. So, any Kenyan who was against the candidature of the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga is unpatriotic. It is very prestigious for a country to hold the position of the African Union Chairperson. That position is a symbol of continental unity in Africa. It is the envy of every country to have a person from their country holding that position. So, anyone who made disparaging remarks did a disservice not to the person of the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga but to us all as a country and must be frowned upon. It seems like during this conversation, many Kenyans never understood the significance of the position of the African Union Chairperson. When you have that position as a country, you will literally have the ability to shape the economic and trade policies of the entire African continent. You will have the ability to champion the continental free trade agreement. That has been very difficult for Africa to achieve. You will also promote the unity of Africa even in Inter-African movement. Today, if I am to travel to an African country, I will have to get a 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.

visa. However, if you want to travel to the European Union (EU) and you have an EU visa, you can practically transverse the entire EU without any border stops. Their trade movement also happens like that. So, it is upon us as Africa to ensure that we have free movement of Africans within Africa. Kenyan could have been in an enviable position had we won the AU Chairmanship. We almost clinched that position. If we won, we could have championed the free movement of Africans within Africa as a country. We must remind ourselves that visas were created by the Global North to keep off Africans or the Global South from the Global North. However, today within Africa, we have visas to keep ourselves out of it. As a country, we pledge that we shall continue to try promoting ourselves to get the position of the Chairperson of the African Union. However, it will not just be that position. There are many other positions that are available in the United Nations (UN) and other international bodies where Africa, especially Kenya, can showcase herself. I want all Kenyans to know that when such positions arise and we front a Kenyan candidate, that candidate will not be an individual candidate, but a national candidate. It will be upon us to support them all through and ensure that the country gets that position. I saw the joy of Germans when Ursula von der Leyen became President of the European Commission. That country took great pride in it. I desire to see a situation where Kenyans become more patriotic.

Hon. Millie Odhiambo.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. Let me take this opportunity to congratulate ‘Baba,’ Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga, for the good work he did at the African Union. I have just finished reading a book called Ikigai, which talks about the Japanese secret to long life. One of the things they talk about that contributes to a long life is, never retire. I will never retire. The book states that you never retire when you have discovered your ikigai, which is your purpose for living. Very few people in life discover their purpose in life. One of them is Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga. His purpose in life is a service to humanity. It does not matter how much people want to pour dirt on him. Younger generations who do not know what he has done over the years can never take away his ikigai . I want to encourage those who are busy talking a lot of nonsense about him to find their purposes in life, live it fully and never retire. When you find your purpose in life, you will always be happy regardless of circumstances. So, when you win or lose, it will not matter. There are many of us at the ages of 20, 30, 40 and 50 years who are not brave enough to go for such a position. Can you imagine that a person of 80 years dared to go for such a position? Whether he won it or not, it does not matter. It is inspirational enough that he went out there at that age. I also want to congratulate and thank His Excellency President William Ruto for the work he has done for Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga in this regard. I went there feeling very cautiously optimistic not because I had less faith in the capabilities of the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga, but having worked in the Pan-African region with the Pan-African Parliament and other fora, I understand very well the geopolitics, including issues of regions and language blocs, amongst other issues. They sometimes come into play, including the prevailing circumstances in the region. There were other issues including the fact that the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga was a towering figure that some people may have found a bit intimidating. One writer said that his strength may have been his weakness because some people cannot deal with strong characters. It is also an opportunity for the AUC to introspect.

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Hon. Deputy Speaker, it is an opportunity for the AUC to introspect because issues of equity and barriers based on language, religion and other factors always keep coming up. They need to solve those issues at that level, like they did in the Pan-African Parliament. I have also seen people trying to sell the narrative that Raila always loses. He was the Member for Langata Constituency for many years. He even resigned his position, ran in a by- election and won. He has served as Prime Minister. Those who say that he will never win anything have never even won a village elder’s position and never will. Be factual and wish your fellow Kenyan well. That is how God will bless you. There are many naysayers in this country, who are noisier than the people who have goodwill for this country. I was impressed by the large number of Kenyans who came to Ethiopia using their own resources. People from all tribes came in buses, bicycles, by air and by other means. My time is up. I thank them and say that God works in mysterious ways. What you thought would work for ill has actually worked for good. We were fighting last week, but we are now sitting calmly as the Minority Party.

Hon. Farah Maalim.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I also want to join my colleagues in congratulating our Head of State, His Excellency William Samoei Ruto, and the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga. I have had the fortune and experience of working with Raila for over 30 years. Regardless of whether you like him or not, one thing you must acknowledge is his energy and passion for transformational politics. As one of the original founding members of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party, I campaigned with His Excellency President William Ruto during the 2007 elections when we were in the same party. He has a lot of energy, passion, wisdom and good intentions for this country. I did not have the opportunity of meeting the President's late father, but I had the opportunity of working with the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga's late father in Parliament. Until when he took his last breath, he was working with us in Parliament like any other young man. Even in his advanced age, he would still discuss with us current matters in our political sphere, including all the Bills in Parliament because we were from the same party. It is a pity that we see ourselves as “hyphenated Kenyans.” We demonise hard work, wisdom, aspiration, ambition and achievement by looking at where a person comes from. We suffer from the same things. When we work very hard as a community, it is said out there that the Somali Community is taking over the country and that they are doing very well. This endeavour should have made every Kenyan proud. People should appreciate that other Kenyans are doing very well in terms of development, entrepreneurship, athletics and academia. I represent a constituency which houses in excess of 450,000 refugees. Those people are from the same tribe, ethnicity, religion and religious denomination within Islam. There are four denominations within the Sunni Muslims. One of them is the Shafi’i . Even then, the amount of mayhem, destruction and suffering in a failed State is unimaginable and incalculable. I want to warn my Kenyan brothers and sisters, starting with Members of Parliament, not to divide our country. Look at the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Since Mobutu Sese Sseko was overthrown, they have lost about six million lives, and there is no light at the end of the tunnel. Hon. Deputy Speaker, I beg you to give me two more minutes if you can. We have 44 nations in this country with different languages, looks and in different regions. I have travelled from one end of Somalia to the other.

I will give you one minute. 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.

You cannot tell the difference between one clan and another unless you ask. If you ask, they will tell you the clans they belong to, many of which are related to each another. Even then, we have in excess of 800,000 Somali refugees in the country. Out of those 800,000 refugees, 450,000 are in my constituency and an additional 270,000 are in urban centres across the country, including Kakuma and other places living as aliens. I implore my Kenyan brothers and sisters to respect the leadership of this country. Raila Odinga is a leader of immense repute. Let us respect him. Let us also respect leaders who have held positions in this country as ministers, vice presidents, and presidents. The nature of democracy is diversity of opinion. The fact that somebody does not agree with your political opinions does not necessarily mean that you have to demonise them. This country needs to heal. We should not turn this country into the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Somalia, Syria, Lebanon, Libya or Yemen. As Kenyans, let us celebrate our own brilliant scientists, athletes and political leaders. Whenever we contest for positions outside the country, we do so as Kenyans. The candidature was Kenya, not Hon. Raila Odinga; he was secondary. Kenya lost and Djibouti won. Sometime back, Kenya ran for the United Nations Security Council against Djibouti and we won. At that time, Djibouti lost. So losing and winning is neither here nor there. We would love to win, but if our brothers on the other end won, we congratulate them, give them a good handshake and try again another time. However, going forward, there is need for this country to be united. My advice to the President and the former Prime Minister is to implore and plead with them to unite this country. They should keep up with the good work that they are doing right now. Let the naysayers understand that Kenya is bigger than their political differences.

Hon. Keynan.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I join my colleagues in commending the President for the manner in which he approached the African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson election this year. I also appreciate the amazingly gingerly manner in which Hon. Raila Odinga exhibited himself after the loss. The Odingas have always been magnanimous and patriotic. Let me remind Kenyans that in 1962, when the white colonialists declared Mzee Jomo Kenyatta the leader of death and darkness, it is the Odingas who said that there would be no internal self-rule without Kenyatta. In 1992, when Mzee Moi had a problem immediately after the election, it is Hon. Raila Odinga who came to his aid. In 1997, when Mzee Moi had a problem, it is Raila Odinga again, under the grand co- operation, who came to his assistance. In 2002, it is the Odingas who said ‘Kibaki tosha’. In 2007, when we had a serious national challenge, it is the Odingas who saved this country. In 2018, it is Hon. Raila Odinga who joined Uhuru under the infamous handshake. In 2024, when everybody expected Kenyans to fight because of tribal politics-driven entitlement based on a ‘shareholding’ perception of the country, it is Hon. Raila Odinga who said that we all belong to one country. What does all this demonstrate? It demonstrates that the Odingas have always been there for this country. When you decide to join an election, you should be prepared to win or lose. In the continental politics, Kenya is a leading economic and diplomatic hub. Under the leadership of President William Ruto, we have demonstrated that Kenya is not just a country per se, but a diplomatic hub. That is why many countries decided to stick by us and support Hon. Raila Odinga. The little challenge that assisted our colleague and friend from Djibouti to win the election, should be seen as a gain. At the end of the day, we also live in a democracy. The naysayers, who are tribalistic and ethnic chauvinists, must be reminded that this country belongs to all of us. Their biological nationalism has no place in the modern day Kenya. They must accept that this is a country of many nation-states that have contributed towards determining and defining our national borders and heritage. People should know that a majority 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.

of Kenyans do not believe in tribal bigots. We cannot live by an ideology that has been overtaken by events. I request His Excellency the President to work with Hon. Raila Odinga in determining and working out the 2027 and 2032 elections, and even into the future, so that at one time, the Odingas can also get an opportunity in the history of this country. However, there are certain things that we need to go back and determine. We need to recalibrate our foreign policy and fill the pitfalls. We have literally assisted many African countries in many ways. In the Horn of Africa and East Africa, Kenya is the only country that has not gone through militarism. As a country, we have been a host to many refugees from Somalia, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, South Sudan and Ethiopia. Many countries in the region must celebrate the dynamic nature of Kenyan politics and its contribution to not only continental peace and stability, but also to democracy in the region. In the first instance, that is why I expected Hon. Raila Odinga to win. However, sometimes diplomacy is very tricky. In diplomacy, we have track one and track two. In track one, nations just sit on the table and discuss niceties, but in the evening, they resort to track two, which is called ‘lies’ diplomacy. It is discussed under the table and that is what determines how you relate with other nations. This is a defining moment and we have learnt our lesson. I ask the managers of our foreign policy to go back to the drawing board and determine the genuine friends of the Republic of Kenya and ensure that we chart out a path with them that will not only take care of their economic and political well-being, but will also safeguard our national pride. That is what will help the people of Kenya.

Congratulations to President Ruto and Hon. Raila Odinga for standing firm for the well- being of this country. Wherever we are, we will support them in their endeavour to take this country forward.

Next is the Member for Homabay Town, Hon. Peter Kaluma. We are sticking to the five-minute allocation to each Member. Should we reduce it to three minutes? Hon. Kaluma, you will be the last one to have five minutes, then we can move to three minutes for each Member.

I am being informed that we are few and, therefore, five minutes is okay. Let us continue.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I hope my one minute is still there. I stand to support this Motion. I am one person who is under the leadership of the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga. Let me confirm to the nation that he shared with me the intention to run for the AUC chairmanship well before most people knew about it. Therefore, I am going on record to say that it is not President William Ruto or anybody else who persuaded Hon. Raila Odinga to run for this seat. It was his choice based on what he believed he would do for Africa. The fact that Hon. Raila has not succeeded to be the Chairperson of the AUC is a loss to Africa and Kenya. We know him and his leadership credentials as a Pan-Africanist and leader who is very passionate about unity, prosperity and peace across Africa. We know this because of the sacrifices he has made for this country. Due to time constraints, I will be brief. I thank Hon. Raila Odinga for stepping into the space to represent Kenya in that continental competition. We should not forget that barely two years ago, the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister, Raila Amolo Odinga, had a contest with President William Ruto, which went all the way to the Supreme Court. Therefore, I cannot end my The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

remarks without thanking His Excellency the President for the magnanimity he showed in stepping forward to support the former Prime Minister, Hon. Raila Odinga, in the manner he did - in word and deed. In so doing, the President has confirmed that he understands his role as the Head of State for all Kenyans and as a symbol of national unity. He has taught us that as a constitutional democracy, once we have elections and you take reins, you stand with every Kenyan wherever they are and in whatever bid they make continentally. Through this contest, these two leaders, who are great sons of Kenya, have seen how some Kenyans believe that we can be a divided people. However, we have always participated in athletics. I can confirm that even in the midst of the post-election violence in 2008, when Pamela Jelimo won, although we were in different seats as Kenyans due to the times and temptations that we were going through at the time, we stood up and embraced her win. I request the two great leaders to appreciate that the opportunity for uniting the country and creating the Kenyan nation that has eluded us for far too long is before them. I will be happy to witness that day to come. As we have been doing with sports, when contesting for anything outside our borders, Kenyans should forget about where the contestants come from and what communities we belong to, and we all rally behind them. I request the Rt Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga and President William Ruto to ensure that we build on the AU contest momentum to unite this country and create one prosperous, equitable and fair country in which all of us will be proud to live in. When I returned to the country from Ethiopia, I met some media people who asked me if I was going to stop supporting the current administration. It is the patriotic duty of all Kenyans to support the government of the day. I want to tell those people that I happen to be from the community of the Rt Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga. I can tell you that in the enterprise of building one Kenya, count on the Rt Hon. Raila to join hands with President William Ruto and to continue to the end. For those who think that there will be any squabbles between us out of this contest, I have seen the naysayers thinking so. We are going to hold the hand of President William Ruto more firmly to build one united country where all of us will be proud to live in.

Hon. Kimani Kuria, Member for Molo, if you can speak and conclude in under five minutes, it will be good.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. At the outset, I would like to congratulate this great son of the Republic of Kenya, the Rt Hon. Raila Odinga. We do not speak enough of the sacrifices that this great Kenyan has made to put Kenya where it is today. The freedom of speech and the multi-party democracy that we celebrate in this country are some of the fruits that were fought for with very painful losses by one Raila Amolo Odinga. His coming out as such a successful candidate for the African Union Chairperson position clearly demonstrates the energy he has and the confidence that the 20 Heads of State gave to this son of our soil. That is one of the reasons why I am a very proud Kenyan today. I celebrate this great Kenyan. During the campaign period and the launch of Baba's bid for the AU, we had a meeting with young legislators across Africa at the same time. I took those young legislators to the campaign launch of the Rt Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga at Addis Ababa. As the Chairman of the Africa Young Parliamentarians Network, I thought I was introducing the young legislators across Africa to our former Prime Minister. I was shocked that speaker after speaker, Members of Parliament from across the African continent talked about how the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga had mentored them. Many of them talked about personal encounters they have had with the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga. They talked about the history that he taught them and the commitment he gave them of his support. Some of them attributed the positions they hold in their respective countries to the encouragement he gave them. With that, I admired this great Kenyan. Many Hon. Members in this House, including some young legislators, have been mentored by the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga. That is why we really need to celebrate. The likes of The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

CPA Hon. Mayaka and nominated Senators and Members of Parliament in this House are a result of this great Kenyan. People are saying that it is Africa that lost and I believe it because Kenya had a person who had the vision, the history, and knows where Africa needs to go in the future. I hope that in the future, there will be another stage in the continent or globally, that the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga will get to serve. I miss the days when Kenyans were patriotic - like the way we celebrate our athletes when they win in marathons. We do not care where they come from, and we do not care about the communities they come from. All we know is that we have a Kenyan carrying a Kenyan flag in a marathon in London and has won. A few years ago, we had one of our greatest teachers, a man from Njoro, Mr Tabichi, who won a global prize for being the best teacher globally. We all congratulated him because he was carrying the Kenyan flag in the global arena. I do not know what happened to some people when it came to the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga. This is a very sad state of affairs in our country. We continue to experience toxicity in the country where the success of anyone else apart from oneself is demonised. We saw the Government of the United States of America (USA) cut the funding for USAID. It is fine, that is their policy. I saw a number of Kenyans celebrate because the guys who were working for USAID were rendered jobless. How does it benefit another person when someone else becomes jobless? Even the person celebrating will not get that job. I really wish we could get back to our previous levels of patriotism. If a Kenyan is competing in a global space or in a continental place, we should forget about our political differences, ethnicity and family issues and support that person. That is being Kenyan and that should be the Kenyan spirit. With those remarks, I support.

Next is the Member for Kitui South, Hon. Nyamai.

Thank you very much, Hon. Deputy Speaker for giving me an opportunity to support the Motion, which was ably moved by the Leader of the Majority Party and seconded by the Leader of the Minority Party, Hon. Junet Mohamed, the biggest cheerleader of the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga. I would like to start by congratulating the President for standing with Baba. He needed his support and he needed him to cheer him on. We are very grateful for that. When the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga went for this position, he knew that it would involve 55 countries of the African continent. He also knew that it would be a very competitive encounter - that it would require his time and brains to stand on the international arena and introduce himself to the people of Africa and the world. I would like to congratulate him and thank God for him. At the age of 80, he has a sharp mind. He still has the strength to compete with young people and come second. I would like to tell him to keep going because God has given him the grace. Hon. Raila Odinga has a gift. He has been in leadership for over 30 years. He contested for this country’s president against the late President Moi. He contested against the late President Kibaki. He contested against the Uhu-Ruto coalition for ten years and he is now working with President William Samoei Ruto. Love him or hate him, the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga is blessed for his age given the work he has done, the courage he has shown and the strength he has exhibited. Those of us in positions would only like to say that may God give us many people like him and can that put our country to the level that he has. It is not the first time that the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga has given himself to lead the continent. From 2018 up to 2023, as the Leader of the Majority Party said, he was the special envoy for infrastructure and development for Africa. He did not do it for anybody, but for this country. The position that he went for was not for himself, it was for us. It is time we loved our country. It is important for those who may have celebrated this loss to go back and reflect on what they are doing to our country. This is a position that would 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.

have given Kenya a footprint in the continent. Having the former Prime Minister leading Africa would ensure that we have peace and development in Africa, and we would play an important role at the global arena.

I congratulate His Excellency President Dr William Samoei Ruto. It is hard. He had a very tough competition with the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga, but for the sake of this country, he kept everything aside bearing in mind that this is the only country we have, where we live and raise our children and grandchildren. Your Excellency President William Ruto and your Excellency Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga, unite this country for us. We are right behind you. We will make sure that we pray for you that everything goes as planned.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister knows the right time to say, ‘stop it’. We have a continent that needs proper leadership.’ When realised that there would be a stalemate, and he decided to pull back so that he could give an opportunity to the current chairman. As we congratulate the current chairman, we thank God that the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga managed to come second. We thank the countries that supported us. These were, and remain, our genuine friends.

Hon. Sarah Korere.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I also join my colleagues in congratulating the former Prime Minister in his attempt to vie for the chairmanship of the AUC. I also sincerely thank the President of this nation, His Excellency William Samoei Ruto, for his statesmanship and patriotism.

Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga is a man to be remembered and celebrated for many things. If there is one person who has paid the price for democracy in this country, it is the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga. He is so consistent to an extent that for more than 40 years, he is still standing for what he believes in.

On a point of order, Hon. Deputy Speaker.

What is your point of order?

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. We need to be serious and follow the timelines. We passed in this House that we will each contribute for three minutes. Because we all want to contribute, why can we not stick to three minutes? Some Members are going for five minutes.

When the substantive Speaker was here, he asked the House whether we should do three or five minutes each. Most people said five, and then he said we would start with five minutes and see how it goes. Is it your suggestion that we now reduce the time to three minutes?

Yes, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Let us reduce the time to three minutes for every Member speaking.

Okay.

Korere, you can proceed with five minutes. We will then move to three minutes.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. Truly, this would have been a win for Kenya. Even as the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga comes back home, he comes back a winner. He is a man who has lived to his word. Many naysayers are castigating him because every time he loses an election, he works with whoever has won. There is nobody else in Africa who can do that. It is only the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga. What is bedevilling our neighbouring countries is that people want to ‘win’ even when they have not won, and they would not care what would happen to their countries thereafter. We have seen people being 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.

misplaced because of egos and the fight for power. The Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga is one person who has proven that Kenya comes before everything else, even before himself. I implore upon this country that this is the time for our President and the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga to lead this country to unity. I first got into politics through the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party. At some stage, I was the ODM Chairperson in Laikipia. Even the President was once an ODM member. I want to say that it is possible for Kenyans to work together regardless of which region, religion or community they come from. It is very sad that some of the utterances that were made about the Heads of States and our candidate were made on church pulpits. We need to pray for our churches and our men and women of the cloth. In the Catholic Church, we say that the church is a moving church, but I just pray that everybody does not move and leave the church in the world.

You will soon get an opportunity. Unless you are raising a point of order, please, hold on. The next speaker is the Nominated Member, Hon. Irene Mayaka. Thereafter, we will come to you.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity. I join my colleagues in congratulating the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga for conducting himself as the true Pan-Africanist that he is, and for offering himself for the African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson position. The Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga is one of those people who are very resilient. When we were in Addis Ababa, feeling very sad about this particular loss, he spoke to us while smiling and assuring us that it was not the end of the world. I really want to salute him for that. I also take this opportunity to thank the President, His Excellency (Dr) William Samoei Ruto, for leading the campaign on behalf of Kenya. Truly, what the President did was magnanimous. His efforts, going across the whole of Africa and hosting us at State House to launch the campaign for the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga, is something that, as young people, we will never forget. We want to thank him for that. Hon. CPA Kimani Kuria alluded to the fact that many of us have been beneficiaries of the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga through mentorship. If you notice, on my right hand, I always wear two wristbands. One is the Kenyan wristband for my patriotism, and the other one is a blue wristband with the initials ‘‘D.O.R.’’, which stands for Daughters of Raila. I wear it because I am one of the beneficiaries of the mentorship of a great statesman of this country. The Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga did not see me as the daughter of so-and-so. He saw me as a young girl who was passionate about politics, and who wanted to be in this space. He mentored me to get to where I am. It saddened and disgusted me when I saw so many other young people on social media trying to castigate the candidature of the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga. I want to say that we are also at fault because we do not educate our young people about the history of some of the great Kenyans we have. They need to be told that when a Kenyan is out there competing for a position, we must put aside our tribal cards and stand up for him or her. I want to tell the people who were celebrating this loss in Nyeri that it was a show of lack of patriotism. We should not be allowing such actions as a country. As we introspect and look at Kenya’s role in Africa, and even as we congratulate Djibouti for winning this particular contest, I want to say that Africa lost an opportunity to be led by a great man and a Pan-Africanist who would have taken this continent to the next level.

I submit.

Next is the Member for Kaiti, Hon. Kimilu. Your name has dropped to the bottom of the list on my screen because you rose on a point of order. We are The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

coming to each Member whose name is on my list. I can see your faces. I can see Hon. Wamboka and Hon. Naomi Waqo. I can see you, Ferdinand. I know you are next. Everyone will have an opportunity. You may proceed, Hon. Kimilu.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity. Before I contribute to this important Motion, I wish to send my condolences to Hon. Malulu’s family and the people of his constituency for the loss of our colleague. I want to say that Baba's loss is also a loss for Kenya. We all lost as a country. This should teach us a lesson going forward. It is a big shame to Kenya for this loss. Baba was a strong candidate. We congratulate him. Emerging second in such a stiff competition is no joke. Going forward, we need to see how to operate with some of our friends. Although you cannot know which country voted for which candidate, the body language and reaction of the electing persons can speak louder than the voting itself. Some guys pretend to be our friends, but they are not. I do not think Museveni is a friend of this country. These are the people we need to be serious about. We need to know our true friends are not those who just lie and claim to be working with us when they are not. As a country, it is very important to be united. We should forget what has happened and move forward. I request Baba to come back to the country and see how we can move our country forward.

I do not agree with statements made by some Kenyans although it is their right to make such statements. This is a time when we need to give Baba moral support and stand with him. It is not easy. I am a politician and I know how it feels. We need to support him and give him moral support as a country. With those remarks, I support the Motion.

Member for Emuhaya.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I take this opportunity to support the Motion. Firstly, I begin by congratulating President William Samoei Ruto on my own behalf, on behalf of the people of Emuhaya, and on behalf of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Party. I support and congratulate the President because he made sure that Raila was supported for this position. Ordinarily, it would not be easy for a person who you had been competing with. I saw him exude the spirit of brotherhood and Kenyanhood. I also thank him for taking us to that space. A new-born Kenyan would imagine that that was the first time we were having the African Union Commission (AUC) elections. It is a space to which Kenyans had not been exposed to. The publicity, the campaigns, and the aura it was given set the stage. Secondly, let me congratulate Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga. He has now risen beyond being a leader of a small area in this country. He is now a statesman. He now joins Pan- Africanists like W.E.B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, Kwame Nkrumah, and others. He has shown very clearly that he is above the ordinary small politics of Kenya. Nevertheless, he rises beyond that level to support Kenya whenever there is need. A Member came up with a list of milestones that he has achieved, but I want to mention the most recent one. We recently had a situation where everybody thought that Hon. Raila should use the available opportunity to destabilise the country after the Gen Zs riots. He stepped up and calmed the waters. That is a statesman. The two leaders went through a very rigorous session of praying together in Addis Ababa, surmounting certain challenges and even 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.

discussing what to deal with. This is not the end. It is just but a start of big things to come. I encourage the two leaders to work together as Statesmen to bring unity and development to the country. We have common challenges and problems which should make us work together, strengthen our bonds, and not divide us.

Member for Mwingi West.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker for giving me the opportunity to add my voice to this Motion, which I support. First, I congratulate His Excellency, the President for championing the candidature of Raila Amolo Odinga. This was not a matter based on any tribal or political affiliations, but a national issue that should have been supported by each Kenyan regardless of tribal affiliation. A win for Hon. Raila Amollo Odinga would have been a win for Kenya. If he lost, he lost as a Kenyan, not as a Luo, a member of the ODM Party, or an Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Alliance leader. We are very proud of him. He put the name of our country on the international map. Going back to what happened, this is the first time that I saw an election where a candidate won in the first and second rounds, but still lost. We need to change the format of determining the winner of the AUC chairmanship. I suggest that in future, we should borrow a leaf from the European Union (EU) where the chairmanship is on a rotational basis. We have to rotate the chairmanship. Otherwise, it will become a preserve of countries in the North of Africa. They collude at the last minute and vote for a candidate they want, who always comes from northern Africa.

I would like to challenge the incoming Chairperson to address the issues of loss of biodiversity in Africa, and climate change. He should work hard to address the perennial issues facing the African continent, in particular, economic pressures and the conflicts we are witnessing in different parts of the continent.

Let us unite as a country and work in unison for the prosperity of our nation. Let us forget what happened in Addis Ababa.

Hon. (Dr) James Nyikal.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker for this opportunity. I appreciate and thank the Government of Kenya for endorsing and supporting Hon. Raila’s quest for the chairmanship of the AUC. May I also congratulate and thank Hon. Raila for his courage, commitment and selflessness to pursue the chairperson of the African Union Commission Chairperson (AUC) position. This was not for his own benefit, not even for the benefit of Kenya, but for the benefit of the whole of Africa. Hon. Temporary Speaker, the local political discussions that we are seeing after this election completely miss the point. The bigger objective was the future of Africa. We know and we all agree that Africa is the richest continent in terms of resources and potential, yet it is the poorest continent in terms of utilisation of resources. Therefore, in this election, in my view, as we congratulate the winner, it is only Hon. Raila who had the political clout to get the African Heads of State for once, hopefully, if we leave the 1957 when we were all clamouring for a united Africa, to speak with one voice and put Africa’s agenda on international discourse. This is particularly necessary because of the leadership in America today. African leaders need to talk together in one language. This is what is going to protect us, and in my view, this is what I know and everybody perhaps knew Raila Amolo Odinga was capable of doing. Africa has a youthful population. What happens to it? We are afraid of the youth. Many are dying crossing the Mediterranean Sea because they say they would rather die while trying to go abroad than live in Africa. We have the largest potential in minerals. We have the largest potential in hydropower, and we have the largest potential even in gas. Despite all that, we are The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

still poor. In fact, countries with the highest potential are those with the biggest turmoil in politics.

Hon. David Gikaria.

Asante sana Mhe. Spika wa Muda kwa kunipatia nafasi hii. Kwanza, ninachukua nafasi hii kumpongeza Mhe. Raila Amolo Odinga kwa kujitokeza kuwania kiti cha kuongoza Afrika nzima. Pili, ninachukua nafasi hii kumshukuru sana Rais wetu William Samoei Ruto kwa kujitolea na kuwa kwenye mstari wa mbele kumpigia debe Mhe. Raila Amolo Odinga. Sijawahi pata nafasi ya kukaa karibu na Mhe. Raila. Ninafikiria kuwauliza ndugu zangu Mhe. Atandi na Mhe. Gogo wanipeleke kwake. Hapo mbeleni, tungeenda kwake, ingesemekana tunakuwa

Mimi ni shabiki wa Mhe. Raila sana kwa mambo mengi tangu nikiwa c ouncillor . Aliniongoza kwa njia ya kuleta watu pamoja na kufanya mambo mengi. Kama ndugu yetu Mhe. Junet alivyosema, atarevisit, kwa niaba ya jamii ambayo inasemekana walisherekea, ninaomba msamaha. Sio jamii nzima ilifanya hivyo.

Ni watu wachache katika kona fulani. Kwa hivyo, isichukuliwe ni kana kwamba ni sisi sote. Ni mtu mmoja ambaye anajulikana kwa mambo hayo. Mambo ya zile sheria zimewekwa pale, ndugu yangu, Mhe. Charles Nguna Ngusya (CNN) amesema ni lazima tuanze kuziangalia. Sijui kama nitakuja kuchaguliwa Rais siku zijazo, pengine nitaweza kuuleta mswada ili tubadilishe sheria. Ya kwanza, chairmanship iwe ni kitu cha kuzunguka. Ikiwa South Africa, ikuje West Africa, East Africa, iende kule chini na kule kwingine. Kama sivyo, wakubali kuwa yule atakayepata majority votes first round akuwe mshindi. Raila wetu aliongoza mara mbili lakini kuendelea mbele, watu wakaanza siasa na mambo mengine.

Tunampongeza sana Rais wetu kwa kumpigia debe, na zaidi, kwa ndugu yetu Raila Amolo Odinga kwa kujitokeza mhanga. Katika hata ile miaka yake, watu wanasema, sio uzee. Mhe. Millie amesema usije ukastaafu kama unajua lengo lako.

Hon. Samuel Atandi.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Let me join my colleagues in, first of all, congratulating the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga for stepping out and declaring his candidature for this position. Kenya may have gone without a candidate in this election had Baba not come out and said that he was offering himself. Secondly, I thank and congratulate Hon. William Ruto, the President, for embracing the candidature of Raila Amolo Odinga and using all available opportunities and resources to ensure that the campaign took off. The campaign for the chairmanship of the African Union is not a mean activity. It requires travelling and movement across the length and breadth of Africa. This is not a campaign that you can do from your resources, even if you are a dollar billionaire. Therefore, the President was very bold in coming out and embracing this candidate. I was thinking about the support the President gave Raila, and I was even thinking that maybe, if we had another President, God forbid, maybe this wamunyoro guy, I do not think Kenya would have presented a candidate. He would have said no, this is not a priority for Kenya. The fact that the President said this is important for Kenya, and came out of his way himself to campaign and to offer resources is something that we will never forget. I heard some people complaining that Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga was using a particular chopper to travel across the length and breadth of Africa while he was campaigning. I do not 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.

know whether those Kenyans wanted Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga to use a tuk-tuk or the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) as a means of movement to those African capitals. Lastly, this candidature was not Raila's. As most people have said, it was Kenya's. When presidents were voting, they were doing so for the country. Therefore, Kenya has won because Raila Amolo Odinga, using his global profile, has been able to market the country. Kenya is now known. Kenya is respected. The debate that Kenya has a weak or poor foreign policy is something that I want to dismiss. If Kenya's foreign policy was weak, I do not think those 22 presidents would have supported us. We know the African politics. We know the politics of Anglophone, Francophone and many other factors.

Thank you, Hon. Samuel Atandi. Hon. Members, I only have 12 minutes. I do not know whether we still have time to speak for five minutes. Hon. Ferdinand Wanyonyi, procced.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker for allowing me to have this moment. First and foremost, thank you very much, your Excellency, for endorsing Hon. Raila for this particular job. He did not endorse him as a person, but for Kenya. As mentioned elsewhere, Kenya is the one that stood for the election. He was the right candidate for us. We, as a country, did very well. We won the first round. I do not know why they had to go to the second, third, fourth, to seventh rounds. In the first round, Hon. Raila had 22 votes against 19. In the second round, again, he had more than that. I do not know what happened. As somebody mentioned, I do not want to say that, maybe, votes were stolen or anything else, or there was corruption, but I can tell you that Hon. Raila Odinga won this. His Excellency did well by endorsing Hon. Raila Odinga because he endorsed Kenya. Secondly, had Hon. Raila Odinga not conceded after he lost, they would have suspended this election. Many people are saying that it would have been very expensive for the country because we spent so much money to send people there, of course on tax payers’ money, while some were self-sponsored. If Hon. Raila had not accepted the defeat, the whole process would have been suspended, and we would have spent even more. He truly represented our country, and I accept that he was the right candidate. I have worked with Hon. Raila Odinga, and I know he is a statesman. We are looking forward to him joining the Government and working with President Ruto so that we can move forward. I support.

The Member for Migori County, Hon. Fatuma.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker for this opportunity. First, I congratulate His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Kenya. He did what only great men would do. As other Kenyans are talking, we want Africa to know that Raila Odinga was the best candidate. Kenya won, and Africa lost because we gave them the best of the best. If w amunyoro thought that Hon. Raila was not fit, why did he not vie as a candidate so that we could see how many votes he would have garnered? I also want to congratulate my Baba, my father, the father of this country, and of Africa. Only a strong man like him could go for this position. Having gone through an election two years ago, and also went for the African Union chairperson, only a God-given man would do such a thing. I, therefore, congratulate him. As he comes back home, we celebrate him. We will slaughter all our chickens for him. We love him from the bottom of our hearts. Many Kenyans said that we used tax payers’ money. Hon. Temporary Speaker, here is a form of the Parliamentarians Sacco Ltd (PACOSO) where I took a loan of Khs600,000 to go and see Baba win in whichever way. The Government did not pay for me. I will be struggling 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.

to pay this loan. To the newspapers and Kenyans castigating us for taking taxpayers’ money, I want to make it clear that the National Assembly only paid for two Members of Parliament. The rest went in the same way or worse than I did. Some Kenyans took loans while others sold their cows. Some Kenyans travelled by bus for four days just to be in Addis Ababa, regardless, of their tribe, party or age. When those Kenyans and media houses speak, they should remember that we are all Kenyans. Shame on the w amunyoros who were dancing. We are waiting for you. We love President Ruto. We will pay him back because he loves our son. I swear we are waiting for you. We will embarrass you. You will not even get a vote in this country. Shame on you. You are not even a Kenyan. In fact, I voted ‘yes’ to his impeachment. If you bring the Motion again, I will still vote ‘yes’. Shame on you, w amunyoro.

Hon. Members, we only have seven minutes to go. Hon. (Dr) Lilian Gogo.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker. First and foremost, I congratulate Baba for being Baba, and for being Raila Amolo Odinga. We can never in the history of the Republic of Kenya have another copy of Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga. I stand in this House through the mentorship and guidance of Baba . I thank him for the space he has given women leadership. This is what Africa has missed. To His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Kenya, Hon. (Dr) William Samoei Ruto, may the Lord bless you. I saw you holding Raila’s hand like a son of Kenya. I was there. Many Kenyans from all walks of life were in Addis Ababa. Very many were there. We had a watch party and the hall was full of Kenyans of all walks of life. People gave themselves out. I thank the President of Kenya for his humility and for holding on to Baba's hands. For all I care, William, any time you are going to call on us, William, William, I am telling you this William - any time you are going to call on us William, William, William, I saw you. Nobody told me. I saw with my two eyes. William, I saw you riding in the same vehicle with Baba - our Baba, wuon wa . William, thank you very much.

When you want us, William, when you call on us, William. William, we saw you. We saw what you did to our very own. Somebody we value somebody Kenya values, somebody who has gone through so much for this country, somebody who sacrifices, somebody who is not a tribalist, and somebody who has given so much for the great Republic of Kenya. William, you came. William, you were there for Baba. William, you talked to us. You were so humble. William, Nyasaye achiel, William. Willy.

Willy, I am telling you. What you did to Baba! What you did to our son! William, William, William, we saw you. The way you were there. The way Kenyans were mourning. The way we were grieving. Both of you stood and talked to us in the evening in Addis. William, William.

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Leave that gender thing alone first. I am just congratulating William. I want to tell you something, William - just unite Kenyans. William, please, put Kenyans together. That is the only direction we want. I am talking to President William Samoei Ruto, Wuod lan’go.

Hon. Githinji Gichimu.

Thank you. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Let me also stand to support the Motion and happily thank the President of this Republic, Hon. (Dr) William Samoei Ruto, for leading a very vigorous campaign for our candidate as Kenyans, namely, the Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga, who was very bold to offer his candidature to Africa for the chairmanship of the AUC. Addis was a Kenyan moment. It was not a personal or an individual moment. It was Kenya’s moment. It is very sad to see that some people could come out celebrating when a Kenyan lost an election at a continental level. I believe these leaders can do better. I congratulate Hon. Raila Odinga for showing himself and coming out courageously to run for this elective position in Africa. I believe the two leaders - Hon. Raila Odinga and Hon. (Dr) William Samoei Ruto, who is the President of this country, will also come together and bring more unity in the country. The unity is already there. They could strengthen it for the benefit of all Kenyans and every part of this country. I call out the prophets of doom. This country is headed to greatness. If these leaders unite because they care for all of us as Kenyans, I am sure every part of this country will get its rightful share of development. I support. For the benefit of the Members who have not contributed, let them contribute. Hon. Temporary Speaker, I pray that you use your discretion under Standing Order 1 to extend time so that the few Members remaining, can contribute. You have the liberty under Standing Order 1 to extend the Sitting Time by about 15 minutes.

We are talking about a patriotic matter where the substantive Speaker, whom I assist, will allow me to invoke the provisions of Standing Order 1 without being punished. Standing Order 1 is accordingly invoked to extend the time for debate on this Motion so that the interests shown are duly registered. This is because we are talking about a very patriotic matter. Is that Hon. Kakuta Maimai? The Maa must speak for balance.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the Motion. I would like to congratulate the Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga, Baba, for representing our country in the recently concluded AUC election. Baba’s transformative leadership has been an inspiration, not only for Kenya, but for Africa at large. Baba is bold, brave and courageous. There is no doubt that given the opportunity, he has the ability to unite Africa for peace, sound economic growth, and development. In fact, the African continent would have been a better place with Baba at the helm of its leadership.

To many of us, Baba Raila Amolo Odinga is the ultimate African statesman. As a Kenyan, I am proud of our country and its citizens for continuously, putting Kenya on the global map in various ways. To the naysayers, I say shame on them. We must always stand by our fellow citizens when it comes to global contests.

Most importantly, I would like to thank His Excellency, Dr William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, for standing firm with Baba during the AUC election. I was touched when I saw him walking with Baba, holding hands, and entering the same vehicle, as they headed to the Commission headquarters. I was touched to see him representing our candidate on the global stage. We, truly, appreciate our President for standing firm with one of our own. It is time for Baba and President William Samoei Ruto to continue bringing our country together and to foster unity amongst our people. 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. Joshua Mwalyo, you have the Floor.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I thought you had forgotten me, but God has remembered me. I want to thank the President of our great nation…

I have not stopped you, proceed.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

I want to thank the President for what he did in supporting one of our own, the former Prime Minister, as he vied for the chairmanship of the AUC, and for standing with him until the election’s conclusion. After the election, I saw them sit together and speak, maybe, good words of encouragement and not to give up because there is still a future. I thank the people who went to Addis to support Baba. They took their time, and spent their money to travel by air while others did by road. I, sincerely, thank them. When the books of history shall be written, they will note that the former Prime Minister vied for the chairmanship of the African Union Commission (AUC). He fought a good fight. But in every contest, there must be a winner and a loser. Losing the seat does not mean that we lost as Kenyans. Kenyans won because our candidate was number two, and he fought a good fight. We are going to celebrate him when he comes back. We encourage him to continue serving this country diligently as he has always done. Thank you very much. May God bless the former Prime Minister, Hon. Raila Odinga.

Hon. (Dr) Eve Obara.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to support this exceptional Motion. First and foremost, let me appreciate our President, His Excellency William Ruto, for standing with Baba. We are aware that Baba expressed his interest in the position, and the President supported him. He gave it his all. I repeat, he gave it his all, and we all saw it. I thank Baba, Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga, for the statesman that he is. As a county, he made us proud because this was not for his individual interest, but for that of the country. He reminds us continuously that in every contest, there is a winner and a loser. He demonstrated this as we were hurting at the dinner after the event. He stood there proud and tall as a Kenyan, and told us that it does not matter. He knew that there were only two outcomes, and that was his outcome. At this juncture, let me congratulate the candidate who won, Mr Mahamoud Youssouf from Djibouti. Let me also make a few observations. If we look at the leadership of the African Union, most of it is anglophone-heavy. What happened to the unity, inclusivity and equitable representation that the African Union stands for? Going forward, maybe this is an area that needs to be looked at so that there is rotational representation or something close to negotiated democracy. Finally, it is, indeed, sad for those who have been laughing and celebrating. This came at a time when we came back to the House to the loss of one of us, reminding us that we are all temporary in this world. Why then should we hate to the extent of celebrating the loss of a Kenyan candidate and the loss of Kenya in the contest for the African Union Commission chairperson? Shame to all of them. 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.

There is a Member who is looking very unhappy here. Would you give her the microphone to address the House on this? I cannot see her properly.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I take this opportunity to also contribute on the matter. I am very proud of the campaign that was done because it was an international campaign, and my party leader represented the agenda of Kenya at an international platform. We are very happy as Kenyans because this was a time that many Kenyans of different divide came together to stand for one thing. It was not Hon. Raila Odinga on the ballot, but it was Kenya, and we are happy and proud of the representation.

As for the naysayers, that does not stop our agenda from going forward. We have a big agenda which is to take Kenya forward. As young people, we are especially encouraged to never tire, but continue giving our best to our country so that we can go forward. I stand here because of the mentorship of my party leader where I started my political career in his office and yet he did not know me. I came straight from Garissa and he held my hand to come to this House, and we continue to serve as an example and preach a national agenda. For the naysayers and the few with dissenting voices, the President took a presidential stand on this. He did not take a party position, and for that, we thank him, and we continue to take cues and for those who have not seen them, the country has gone beyond clan politics. We are now moving together as one. With that, we want to encourage everybody to take the leadership that we have already been given.

Mover, you may donate a bit of your time.

I have seen the Member for Mbooni, Hon. Waluke, Hon. Kirima and Hon. Lang’at. I have also seen Hon. Sabina Chege. Only if you will, you may donate, if not, reply because when the time comes, the House has to move as per the Standing Orders.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I donate a minute to Hon. Mbooni, Hon. Waluke, Hon. Sabina Chege, Hon. Benjamin and Eng. Kiragu. One minute each.

. Okay, another one minute to you, but usiongee vibaya hivyo.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, and the Mover for giving me this opportunity to say one or two things about this event. First of all, Hon. Odinga was not an individual candidate, but a candidate for Kenya. That is one thing people should know. A win for Hon. Odinga was supposed to take Kenya to another level of diplomatic space and not only in Kenya or Africa, but in the world. Baba has extensive knowledge of the problems facing Africa and this knowledge should be utilised to sort out problems such as unemployment among the youth, trade barriers and poor infrastructure.

When you look at AUC staff, most of them are French-speaking. If you go to that secretariat, you may not find a Kenyan working there. But having an English-speaking 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.

candidate chairman, we are likely to get English-speaking youth and staff. So, for the people who are celebrating the loss of Baba, they should know that it is not about Baba, but it is about Kenya and we should love our country. Let me thank the President for the support. He did very well.

Next is Hon. John Waluke?

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker for giving me this chance. The former Prime Minister, Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga, fought as the son of this soil. It was just bad luck. Those other countries feared him because he had a plan to change the whole of Africa, and some of them did not want that. God will bless him because he had a good vision and mission for Africa and Kenya. His victory would have promoted this country to another level. I also want to thank the President of this republic for supporting the former Prime Minister. We love Hon. Raila. I, personally, like him for his politics. He is a man of his own.

Hon. Sabina Chege.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Let me also join my colleagues in congratulating the former Prime Minister, Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga. He is a man I worked closely with. I know him as a father and a mentor. Africa missed a man who had goodwill and the strength of Pan-Africanism, and was the person who would have taken Africa to the next level. Let me also appreciate the President of the Republic of Kenya, Hon. (Dr) William Ruto. He demonstrated in the way he took the Oath. Baba was his opponent, but he endorsed him. He went across the globe, hosted several Heads of State, and showed his commitment to Kenya. Finally, I want to apologise. I want this apology to go on record. I want to apologise on behalf of the people, especially from my region, who went out to celebrate when B aba lost. I want to send this message to Kenyans: Baba’s winning or going to AUC was not as Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga, but as a Kenyan. It was unfortunate to see people, especially from my region, celebrating and saying, ‘‘Come back so that you can go into the opposition.’’ We need to understand that there is time for everything. There is a time when people compete, and a time for seriousness when people need to work. We cannot politic from morning to evening. I want to apologise to Baba . We love him. Those were few people who were misled by an individual .Baba, we love you. Come back to Kenya. We will work together. I also thank His Excellency, the President Hon. (Dr) William Ruto. He stood with Baba and he is still standing with him.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker for giving me this opportunity. I want to go on record in support of this Motion. First of all, I thank the President for supporting the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga. He has proven that he is a man of his word. When he says that he will walk with someone, he does because he has demonstrated this commitment very well. I knew the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga when I was a student at the university. I saw him helping other students as an instructor, and I have seen him grow in the field of engineering and many other areas where he has offered his expertise in this country. For sure, his candidature was aimed at changing Africa. He was committed…

Hon. Lang’at.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Let me join my colleagues in congratulating the former Prime Minister for putting up a brave fight before the world. When the results for the first round came in, we all celebrated. He won in the first round. It is only in rounds two and three that geopolitics…

He won round two as well. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

It is only in the third and fourth rounds that other geopolitics came into play and countries supported other countries on that basis. However, I want to congratulate and thank the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister and the President. It is not easy to support somebody you have been competing with. The President did very well in supporting Kenya.

Hon. Kirima.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I will make it very short because I only have a minute. First, I congratulate the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister, Raila Odinga for what he did in standing for Kenya, and the President for standing up with the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga. He galvanised the country together, and that was a sign of unity. I am praying that what was shown in Addis Ababa be demonstrated in Kenya. The National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) Report discussed creation of vacancies and many other things. Let the position of the Prime Minister be created now, so that we can have Raila on that seat giving the advice that he could have given to Africa to Kenya. That will work well for us here.

Mover.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. As I reply, I want to congratulate every Member who has contributed positively to this debate. I also want to confirm that Members showed a lot of passion during the debate. A lot of truth has been said by the over 30 Members who have contributed to this Motion. I am sure if we gave more time to Members today or even tomorrow, many more will contribute by eagerly debating this Motion because it is a matter that is close to each one of us as the leaders of today in our country. We also know very well that God gave us this good opportunity. We are now placed at a very high and respectable position in Africa just because of what our leader, President, Dr William Samoei Ruto did. He was passionate and bold. I want to congratulate him for being bold enough, for bringing the entire nation together and for going beyond people's expectations. He embraced unity by holding hands of the former Prime Minister to work with him. He is a visionary leader. If he were not visionary, he would not have done that. He has a big heart. He went beyond the elections and his supporters in bringing Kenya together. That is the reason we are enjoying the spirit of the broad-based Government today. It is a spirit of working together as a nation. It is my prayer that our President will continue with that spirit. I am sure that after his 10 years tenure, we will all celebrate the development that we will have realised during his time. The Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga, needs to be congratulated. He did very well. If they were to look at his age and experience, he would have been the right person for that position. That came out clearly in the debate of the Members who have contributed. I am sure that many Members who are not with us today would say the same thing about the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga and congratulate him. During the campaign season, the President confirmed to us that the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga was strong enough. He moved from one place to another and from one country to another country to bring its leaders together and talk to them. That made us proud of our country. As a country, we felt that we have moved to another level. I am sure if the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga had been elected, Africa would have enjoyed. Unfortunately, that did not happen. However, that does not mean that we cannot use him in other ways. I am sure he is capable of taking any other position that we would be ready to release him to. That is why we stand together today, showing much patriotism, celebrating his life and everything. I congratulate and wish him well as we look forward to what else he can do. I also congratulate the new Chairman. He has the much responsibility of uniting the entire Africa and seeing how we can reduce the challenges affecting us—the high level of The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

poverty, sicknesses, natural calamities, and climate change. It is my prayer that Africa will unite, and that our President will remain focused and bold enough to lead this great nation. With those few remarks, I congratulate all the people who deserve congratulations. I pray that Kenya works together and remains united under the leadership of our President, the Deputy President, and the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga. Thank you.

Hon. Members, allow me to put the Question.

That is a unanimous vote. This is the first time the House has passed a Motion in unanimity. Thank you, Hon. Members. Next Order.

Mover.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I beg to move that The Equalisation Fund (Administration) Bill No.14 of 2023 be now read a Second Time. Article 204 of our Constitution provides that: (1) There is established an Equalisation Fund into which shall be paid one half per cent of all the revenue collected by the national Government each year calculated on the basis of the most recent audited accounts of revenue received, as approved by the National Assembly. (2) The national Government shall use the Equalisation Fund only to provide basic services including water, roads, health facilities and electricity to marginalised areas to the extent necessary to bring the quality of those services in those areas to the level generally enjoyed by the rest of the nation so far as possible. Therefore, this Bill seeks to provide for the administrative structures for the management of the Equalisation Fund, as established under Article 204 of our Constitution. It establishes the Equalisation Fund Advisory Board. Additionally, the Bill also seeks to outline the structure and responsibilities of bodies or officials tasked with administering the Fund. This Bill will help provide basic services including water, roads, health facilities and electricity to the marginalised areas to the extent necessary so as to bring the quality of those services to the level that is generally enjoyed by the rest of the country. Clause 4 of the Bill seeks to provide for source of the funds. The Committee noted that there was a typographical error in the wording of what that Fund should consist of. We propose amendments to the clause to include the word ‘one half per cent’ of all the revenue collected by the national Government. Clause 6 seeks to establish the Advisory Board to the Equalisation Fund. The Committee noted that as currently constituted, the Bill requires representatives of persons nominated by the Senate. The Committee proposed deleting ‘the representation by an individual nominated by the Senate’ as this is averse to the separation of powers between 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.

roles of the Executive and that of the Legislature, as envisioned in our Constitution. Instead, we recommend to replace the nomination of a person from the Senate to require that the Fund nominates persons with disabilities, interest groups and young people in the areas where these particular funds will operate. Additionally, the Committee proposes that individuals appointed under this section shall be gazetted. Further, they should serve for a term of three years, with the possibility of renewal. The board shall provide sufficient time to effectively implement and realise its vision. This is in line with the Mwongozo Code of Governance for State Corporations, which provides for the number of people that should be appointed to any board and the terms of service. Further, it recommends a three-year term, renewal for the board members. This Bill proposes to adhere to that provision. In Clause 13(4), the Committee noted the requirement that the officer administering the Fund opens a separate account at the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) in which all the money raised under Section 4 shall be paid to. The Committee observed that the Equalisation Fund is independent and not under the National Treasury’s mandate. The role of the National Government under Article 204 of the Constitution and Section 18 of the Public Finance Management Act (PFM) limits the operational aspects of the establishment and maintenance of an account for the Equalisation Fund. Section 18 of the PFM Act provides that the National Treasury shall administer the Equalisation Fund in accordance with Article 204 of the Constitution. This read together with Clause 29 of the Bill provides for withdrawals from the Fund, whose provisions are similar to those in Section 18 of the PFM Act. Therefore, the Committee was of the view that Section 18 of the PFM Act ought to be repealed to avoid conflict and overlap of those two provisions. The Committee also noted that there were inconsistencies in the Fund Administrator and officer administering the Fund in the Bill. Whereas Clause 2 of the Bill defends the Fund Administrator, this is not consistently applied and, therefore, the Committee will again be recommending amendments to the Bill to ensure consistency. The Committee noted that the Bill proposes the establishment of a County Technical Committee, a Sub-County Technical Committee and a Project Identification and Implementation Committee. We found those committees to be too many because having three committees for the implementation of particular projects could raise unnecessary bureaucracies that could eat into the Fund and, therefore, prevent the money from going to the role they are supposed to, which is implementation of projects that will see services being delivered to marginalised areas to a level that is equal to what other parts of the country enjoy. Therefore, we will again recommend the minimisation of those bureaucracies. We noted that majority of those well-thought-through funds that are supposed to facilitate poverty reduction, equalisation and ensure fair distribution of resources in Kenya are lost in bureaucracies where money which is supposed to go to projects end up sitting with people in committees in Naivasha, Mombasa and across the country. In Clause 17, the Committee noted that the Sub-County Administrator is one of the co- chairpersons of the County Technical Committee as provided in Clause 19 of the Bill. The Committee recommends that since the County Technical Committee is technical in nature, another person other than the governor should be proposed to serve on the committee. The Committee, therefore, proposes that the county secretary replaces the governor in the County Technical Committee at the county level. The Committee noted that Clause 9(1)(j) of the Bill provides that the Board shall undertake project public participation in line with Article 201 of the Constitution. Clause 22(a) of the Bill provides that the Project Identification and Implementation Committee shall undertake public participation in beneficiary counties. Clause 25(1)(c) of the Bill provides that the County Executive Committee Member shall, upon the identification of The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor.

projects and programmes, prepare a workplan setting out a report on the public participation undertaken during the process of identification of programmes and projects. The Bill, therefore, provides that the workplan shall be submitted to the Board. Therefore, the Committee recommended that Clause 9(1)(j) be amended to provide that the Board shall oversee the public participation. Again, this is a measure to ensure that the Board only oversees the public participation, but that the actual project identification and implementation is done by people at the county and sub-county level who are affected by a particular project and understand the needs of the societies in which the Equalisation Fund is supposed to benefit. Hon. Temporary Speaker, this Bill seeks to provide a robust framework for the effective administration of the Equalisation Fund and ensure that marginalised areas in Kenya receive the necessary resources to improve essential services. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Members of the Committee and the members of the public, who came in large numbers to provide their views that have improved the reports that we will table in the House on how to improve the Bill. In conclusion, it is unfair, unnatural and evil that whereas there are services that are freely enjoyed in some parts of the country where they have piped water, tarmacked roads and electricity, there are still other places in this country that have never seen an inch of a tarmac road. It is unfair that in 2024, there are many parts of this country where a whole constituency is not connected to the national grid. It is unfair that some parts of this country have never even seen murram roads, and only imagine how a road should be. Whereas we have large marginalised areas, it is also unfair that we also have pockets of marginalisation within areas that appear to be well developed. There are very many places in this country that do not have electricity and have never had water. We, therefore, hope that the actualisation of the Equalisation Fund will ensure equity and fairness in distribution of resources across the country.

With that, I beg to move. I request the Vice-Chairman, Amb. Lang’at to second.

Vice-Chairman, Hon. Lang’at, can you bow. We are way past time.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I beg to second.

Hon. Members, the time being 7.10 p.m., the House stands adjourned until Wednesday, 19th February 2025 at 9.30 a.m.

The House rose at 7.10. p.m.

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