Senate Majority Leader? Is the Senate Majority Leader not here?

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

What is it, Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale?

Mr. Speaker, Sir, this is very serious. In the history of Parliament, this has never happened. The Senate Majority Leader---

He is here!

Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is serious when the Senate Majority Leader, who is the equivalent of the former Leader of Government Business, does not present himself, not only to move a Motion, but a Motion on the Exposition of Public Policy by His Excellency the President. I want to urge the new coalition to reconsider their leadership!

I am very serious because this is a very critical position. It will make or break Government business in this House.

Order, Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale! I am sure the Senate Majority Leader has a reason for running a bit late. He is already in the House.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, but the House should not wait for him.

Proceed, Senate Majority Leader. I am sure you have heard the sentiments of the Senator for Kakamega County.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki): Mr. Speaker, Sir, I have walked in when my colleague, Sen.(Dr.) Khalwale, was making those remarks. I have noted them. But I wish to quickly mention that we are all in the business of building this The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

What is it, Sen.(Dr.) Khalwale?

Mr. Speaker, Sir, you have heard the hon. Senator say that I am defying my own party and that what I was doing here were theatrics. With all due respect to him, may I kindly remind him that I was elected on the United Democratic Forum (UDF) and I will remain a member of the UDF until the end of this term. May I also remind him that he cannot shepherd me, because, again, with all due respect to him, he is my junior in politics. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

(Sen.(Prof.) Kindiki): Mr. Speaker, Sir, the sentiments are noted with a lot of humility and respect. I am his junior in politics, he is my junior in this House!

Proceed and move the Motion, Senate Majority Leader.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki): Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to move the following Motion:- THAT, the thanks of the Senate be recorded for the Exposition of Public Policy contained in the Address of the President on the occasion of the opening of the Eleventh Parliament on Tuesday, 16th, April, 2013. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am greatly privileged to move this Motion before the Senate. This Motion will set the stage for debate of the Address that was given by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Kenya, hon. Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, during the occasion of the Joint Sitting of both the Senate and the National Assembly, on 16th April, 2013. I also want to register my personal appreciation to the leadership of the Jubilee Coalition headed by His Excellency the President and the Deputy President, the entire fraternity and individual Senators for bestowing upon me the very difficult responsibility of leading the business of the Government in this House. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this is an opportunity for Kenya to reconstruct itself. His Excellency the President, in my view, brought out a very extensive position from the Government side on what the Jubilee Government intends to do to rebuild our nation, recreate our country and put it on a path for reconstruction, renewal and prosperity. The Presidential Address started, and I say this with deep pride and appreciation to the Head of State, with salutations that placed this House where it belongs in terms of protocol. You may have noticed that in the last few days, there has been a bit of public debate in terms of the roles of the National Assembly vis-à-vis the Senate and the relationship between Senators and Governors. It gives me a lot of pride to note that His Excellency the President, with good legal advice, appreciates that constitutionally, the Senate is the Upper House. In terms of protocol, we cannot and will not compromise the position of the Senate in the pecking order of the legislature. Therefore, we hope that The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise to second the Motion by the Senate Majority Leader. I also want to take the earliest opportunity to, first, congratulate all our Senators who made it to this House and at the same time express my appreciation for the Address by His Excellency the President. First of all, I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate His Excellency the President and the Deputy President on their election. I would also like to take the opportunity to congratulate the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for the good and wonderful job they did during the elections. The reason why I am saying so is very clear. First and foremost, this is the only election and the only one under the new constitutional dispensation where six elections were being held in one single day. This is an institution that was set up barely a few months before the elections. With all the challenges that we know; financial, human resources, political intrigues and every other thing that we know, the Commission went out of its way to conduct this election and that is why we are all here. Mr. Speaker, Sir, We know that not everyone is happy with the outcome of the election, not only this one but any election. Some of our colleagues, with all due respect, obviously, theirs is a case of sour grapes. However, His Excellency the President and the Deputy President were validly elected by the people of this country and confirmed so, soundly, by the Supreme Court of this country. Therefore, that Commission; whose results were validated by the Supreme Court, stands to be commended, and I do so. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Address by His Excellency the President was remarkable in many ways because it addressed the many challenges that are facing this country. It also expounded on the manifesto and the objectives of his Government. In particular, I want to talk about two or three items. First, this is on the commitment by the President to fight corruption to ensure that there is accountability and transparency in his Government. You will appreciate that the major problem we have had in this country is not the lack of resources but the fact that the resources that are available in this country; money that is raised by hard working Kenyans as revenue for the Government largely disappears in the pockets of people who are involved in corruption. The commitment by His Excellency the President that his Government will address the issue of corruption is, indeed, a very welcome move. In fact, I want to urge the President that his commitment to zero-tolerance must be seen and should not just be a question of what we have seen in the previous Governments that they are going to do so. The President must walk the talk with regard to fighting corruption. I also want to join the Senate Majority Leader in congratulating the President again for his commitment to the implementation of the Constitution. He has already shown the signs by committing himself to a Cabinet of 18. I think that is remarkable. As The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

Hon. Members, as I do so, I would like you to look at the Order Paper about the limitation of debate on the Presidential Address. This is a Motion we resolved on 17th April, 2013 as follows:- “THAT pursuant to Standing Order 98(1), the Senate resolves that the debate on the Motion on the Presidential Address shall be limited to a maximum of three sitting days---” The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

(Sen. Wetangula)

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Is the hon. Minority Leader in order to imply that only one region of this country has roads when he knows very well that every part of this country benefitted from Kibaki’s Government through building of roads?

No! No!

Order!

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. The Senate should not, indeed, allow Sen. Kagwe to get away with this. This is not a laughing matter. This is an issue that can cause national instability because Central Province has got 2,300 kilometres of tarmac road and Western Province has nil, Eastern Province has nil, Coast Province has nil. The hon. Senator should realize that he does not represent--- Once you The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I wish we could listen to every contributor to conclusion and if anybody is contributing in this House, they should address the document which was brought by the President instead of insinuations. It is very clear that the issue of roads, railways and everything was addressed by His Excellency the President.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

Order! Order! First, this is a Motion where each and every Senator can make a contribution. You resolved only last week that you will have a generous time allocation of 15 minutes. I am sure that most of these points of order are really points of argument, which should come at that particular moment. So, be guided.

On a point of order on procedure, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I want to seek your guidance and advice on this. To the best of my understanding, this is the first Motion and Sen. Wetangula is making his Maiden Speech. Our Standing Orders do not allow a Senator to be interrupted at all when making his or her Maiden Speech. Therefore, are the Senators rising on points of order in order to interrupt Sen. Wetangula when he is making his Maiden Speech?

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Sen. Khaniri is so senior in this House that if he comes up with an issue like this on the basis of a point of order, he should be thrown out. It is demeaning for a Senate Minority Leader to be told that he is making his Maiden Speech, when he has made so many speeches before in Parliament. So, this cannot be a Maiden Speech by the Senate Minority Leader.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, if I may continue---

Order! You may continue but before you do that, I think it is important to address the matter raised by Sen. Khaniri and, definitely, not in the terms addressed by Sen. Orengo. I think that Sen. Khaniri has a valid point. This matter was raised last week and we all agreed that during procedural Motions that we are engaged in, those were not opportunities for a Maiden Speech. So, the Maiden Speeches should really be starting with your address to this particular Motion. The point that Sen. Orengo is raising, which should not take it away from the issue Maiden Speech, is that the Senate Minority Leader is a senior functionary in the House. This is why you saw that immediately after the Senate Majority Leader spoke and the Motion was seconded, the Chair gave him the opportunity, because he is speaking in his official capacity as the Senate Minority Leader. That capacity allows him sometimes to engage in things that may not be appealing to the other side. So, let us just bear with him the way we understood the Senate Majority Leader.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, thank you for that very wise ruling. For avoidance of doubt, my very good friend, the Senator for Nyeri, should know that Lamu, where a Jubilee Senator comes from, there is not an inch of tarmac 50 years after Independence. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I have been to Kakamega many times and the road to Kakamega was made many years before any road was made in Meru. Could the Senate Leader of Minority apologize to this House for giving misleading statements?

Mr. Speaker, Sir, unfortunately, facts remain facts. Let me go on. Mr. Speaker, Sir, one other area that is completely devoid of policy is the lack of commitment---

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Is it in order for Sen. Wetangula to criticize the Government when he was a Minister in the former Government and a Member of Parliament for over 15 years and our current President, when he was Minister for Finance, channeled funds to each and every constituency through the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF)?

Order! Order, Sen. Sonko! Take your seat. In your own words, you said “former Minister.” So, you answered yourself. In his earlier life, he could not have done so, but now he is the Senate Minority Leader.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I will also advise Sen. Sonko for free that the CDF is not an individual fund, but a public fund from taxpayers. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I was saying that one other omission from this Speech is what the Government intends to do with the heavy investment that we have done in peace initiatives in the region. We sent our Forces to Somalia to stabilize that troubled country. I would want a clear vision and policy on how to reap the peace dividends from Somalia. It is completely lacking in this Speech. Our boys died in Somalia. What are we doing to consolidate the peace in Somalia? Look at the runaway crime in the country, what did the President say? He wants to increase the ratio of policemen to citizens. You can have a policeman to every citizen in this country, but if you do not have a proper policy in fighting crime, it is meaningless. There are countries that are less policed with less crime, but here in Kenya, crime has taken a turn that nobody can control. Look at what is going on in Garissa, look at the massacre of policemen in Baragoi and the muggings going on in Nairobi; I expected the President to come with a clean broom and say: “Criminals are put on notice and my Government is going to make sure that for us to embrace a 24-hour economy, like Uganda”---If you go to Kampala, shops are open from morning to morning. There are no thugs or criminals molesting people. Here in Kenya, look at our Central Business District (CBD) in the City centre. By 5.00 p.m., business people are barricading their shops for fear of muggings, robberies and petty thefts. Where is the policy on that in this Speech? It is nowhere. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this country relies very heavily on tourism. I have said before that the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) alone has no capacity to control, police and protect our national parks. It is very important and easy to say, like the President did, that tourism is very critical to our economy. But what are we doing about this runaway The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

That is a good example!

Mr. Speaker, Sir, the other thing that is lacking in this Policy Statement is the agrarian reform that is required in this country. If you look at the breadbaskets of this country, that is, Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Nandi, Bungoma, Trans Mara, Narok and so on, there is a serious undermining of agricultural land through reckless subdivisions and human settlement. I expected, for a country that is so heavily depended on agriculture, the President to commit himself to agrarian reforms. You cannot just make statements; that there will be land reforms. We want clear agrarian reforms, so that---

Your time is up!

Mr. Speaker, Sir, with those many words, I want to reiterate that there is little policy in this Statement.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, first, from the outset, I rise to support this important Motion. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I have heard many Presidential addresses on policy and I think that this is one of the best. The way to test whether this Speech was good or bad is to check whether or not it touched on important matters of policy. If you read it, you would The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

On a point of information, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I do not need to be informed by younger Senators. I think I can inform them a lot. Mr. Speaker, Sir, if you recall, President Uhuru Kenyatta said that his Government is fully committed---

Order, Senator Hasssan! You are just confirming Sen. Murungi’s sentiments. When you request for a point of information, he has to allow you to inform him. So, since he has declined, the Chair cannot help you much.

Sen. Murungi): Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. You still have a lot of teaching to do. The President has said that he is fully committed to realizing the goals of the County Governments in this country. If you look at the debate at the Constitution of Kenya Reform Commission (CKRC), it was a demand by Kenyans from all over that we decentralize power and resources. Some of the things that are being said here are things which are already being implemented through the framework of the Constitution. It is up to us, Senators, to make sure that there is fair distribution of national resources through the devolved system of Government. Mr. Speaker, Sir, having said that, I think what is left for us is to see how the Government next moves. There is a whole difference between a good speech and the actions. I think for us, as Senators, we shall be watching the actions of the Government of President Uhuru Kenyatta to see whether it is very serious about implementation of The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

Not all!

Sen. Murungi): Mr. Speaker, Sir, it was your duty as an MP to go and harass those who were in offices to make sure that resources move to your constituency. You were moving all over the world not knowing what is in your backyard. You could not go for resources. Let us not complain about what we did not do but focus on what we are going to do, now that wananchi have given us opportunities to uplift them from poverty. Once again, let me say that, as Senate, we have a special responsibility to correct any historical injustices. We have a historic responsibility to make our counties great, we have a historical responsibility to make sure that all these issues we are complaining about are done but we should not rest. We should not allow the civil servants to undermine this great system which is now entrenched in our Constitution. I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity.

Mheshimiwa Spika, ninashukuru kwa nafasi hii niliopata ili niweze kuchangia kuhusu Hotuba ya Rais wa nne wa Jamhuri ya Kenya. Bw. Spika, nimemsikiliza kwa makini sana Kiongozi wa Wengi katika Bunge letu la Seneti. Ni haki yake kusifu na kuchangia yaliosemwa huko, lakini kuna kiini cha kuangalia ikiwa yaliosemwa ni ya haki na yanaweza kutumizwa au ni kurudia maneno yalioyosemwa katika taifa letu miaka 50 iliyopita. Bw. Spika, mhe. Rais alipokuwa akiwaniani kuwa Rais wa tatu wa taifa hili mwaka wa 2002, niliandamana naye kwa ndege kwenda kufanya kampeni za urais. Tulipaa juu ya Mto Athi, na tukiwa juu aliniuliza: Je, unafikiri kutatua tatizo la maji katika taifa letu na hasa sehemu za Ukambani na kuelekea Pwani ni nini? Nilimjibu kwamba kiini cha kutatua matatizo hayo ni kulinda Mto Athi na Mto Tana kwa sababu maji yanayopita pale kati ya miaka 50, tukikumbuka kwamba blueprint ya kwanza ambayo ilitoka na ilikuwa ya Rais wa kwanza ilikuwa ikisema kwamba mwaka wa 2000 kila nyumba itakuwa na maji ya mfereji katika taifa letu. Baada ya hayo, nilishangaa sana wakati Rais wa nne alipozungumza kutatua tatizo la maji na hakusema kwamba atafanya juhudi kuona kwamba maji yanayopita Mto Athi na Mto Tana hadi Mombasa hayatafungiwa yote, lakini yatapunguzwa kiasi na kutumiwa katika sehemu hizo. Alirudia maneno ya Rais wa kwanza, Rais wa pili na Rais wa tatu kwamba yuko tayari kutatua tatizo la maji, lakini bila kuonyesha vile atakavyolitatua tatizo hilo. Bw. Spika, ni kweli na ni dhahiri kwamba Rais alihutubia Taifa na kusema kwamba mitambo ya tarakilishi (laptops) itapewa watoto wa miaka saba. Ilikuwa ni kicheko, sarakasi na kasheshe ya maneno tu. Mheshimiwa Spika, nilifika kwako The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I think we cannot sit down and watch people criticising our President.

No, no!

Mr. Speaker, Sir, let me finish. This is a “digital” Government and we had all the time to prepare our people for this digital moment. What my colleagues are forgetting is that these laptops will be solar powered. They will not use electricity. If you will allow me to comment on this because everyone is criticising the President---

Order! Order, Sen. Sonko!

That is why we are here.

Senator Sonko, you will take note of the criticisms and when you have the opportunity, you will respond to them.

Bw. Spika, Rais wa nne wa Kenya katika kampeni zake alisema kwamba laptops hizo zitafika baada ya siku 100 kutoka siku atakapoapishwa. Taarifa yake na mazungumzo yake hapa inasema laptops hizo zitaingia katika mwezi wa Januari. Huu ni ushauri ambao unaona kwamba Wakenya hawajui hesabu. Ningetaka kumwambia kwamba tangu aapishwe, mwezi wa nne, mpaka Januari mwaka ujao, itakuwa zaidi ya siku mia mbili. Hii ni kusema kwamba siku 100 zitakuwa zimepita. Mheshimiwa Spika, ni dhahiri kuwa yeye ni kiongozi ambaye ameteuliwa na wananchi wa Kenya na ametoa ahadi zake. Mimi sikuchaguliwa na watu wa Machakos County ili nije hapa kusikiza maneno na kuwapelekea. Hivi sasa, tunataka uwezo wa kufanya na kuona kwamba mambo yanafanyika. Kiongozi wa Wengi katika Seneti amezungumzia kuhusu uchaguzi ambao ulikuwa wa maana na ulifaa sana. Alizungumza na kusema kwamba upanuzi wa Serikali ya Muungano iliyopita ulitokana na tamaa na watu kutaka kushirikishwa katika Serikali. Ni dhahiri kwamba muungano wa Serikali iliyopita ulitokana na ulanguzi wa kura na kura kufanyiwa ukarabati. Kama kura zingewekwa sawa sawa, hakungekuwa na muungano wa Serikali iliyokuwa awali. Mheshimiwa Raila Odinga angekuwa rais wa nchi hii na hakungekuwa na Serikali ya muungano. Muungano ulitokana na wale waliokarabati kura. Tunajua Serikali iliyoko sasa iliingia kimungu mungu kwa sababu tulishuhudia na kuona kwamba wale ambao walikuwa na akili na uwezo walikuwa na waakilishi The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

Hoja ya nidhamu, Bw. Spika. Hii hali ya kulia kila siku itabadilisha nini? President ameapishwa na Serikali kuundwa! Kwa hivyo, tuzungumze yale ambayo yanafaa kuzungumzwa na tuwachane na hayo mengine.

Bw. Spika, walio wengi wana nguvu za kupita lakini walio wachache wanaweza kutumia sauti zao. Hapa tunatumia sauti kuelezea kwa uwazi kwamba kuna kudhuluma na kufanya yale ambayo hayafai. Naomba tuachwe kwa sababu walio wengi wamekuwa wengi na kuwachukua walio wachache. Nafasi tuliyonayo sasa ni kulia tu. Kwa hivyo, wacha tulie tu!

Basi, lia!

Ikiwa taifa letu litaongozwa hivyo na kila tunapopiga kura, kutakuwa na kunungunika na mambo ambayo yasiyo wazi, tumeona korti akiamua - kama korti kwamba wasimamizi wa Tume la uchaguzi la (IEBC) wachunguzwe na kupelekwa kortini---

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise to object the line that Sen. Muthama is using. He is supposed to confine himself to the Speech of the President.

No! No!

Bw. Spika, wale ambao wanasimama kwa hoja za nidhamu ni----

Mr. Speaker, Sir, when the hon. Senator for Nakuru County stood up on a point of order, he raised his hand.

Bw. Spika, naona kwamba wengi wetu hapa hatuelewi demokrasia ni nini. Rais katika Hotuba yake, ukurasa wa 18, alisema kwamba sisi tunaweza kuwa na mawazo tofauti. Unaruhusiwa kusema unavyofikiria. Hiyo haiwezi kutufanya tukawa maadui. Ni lazima tuungane na kuwa taifa moja. Mawazo hayo, kwa wengine, ni wimbo ulioimbwa na kasuku ili wengine wafurahi. Serikali iliyoondoka ilikuwa na msimamo wa maneno kama hayo. Nasikitika sana kwa The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. The Member is telling untruths in this House. I have just driven from Masinga this afternoon. I passed through the road he is talking about and it is tarmacked. Could he tell us whether he is telling the truth?

Hoja ya nidhamu, Bw. Spika. Je, Seneta Muthama yuko sawa vile anavyoendelea kupotosha Bunge hili kwa kusema kwamba Serikali iliyopita imepuuza eneo la Ukambani bali yeye mwenyewe alikuwa Kinara katika Serikali iliyopita? Makamu wa Rais, katika miaka mitano ya Serikali iliyopita alitoka sehemu ya Ukambani. Kuna viongozi wapya kutoka sehemu ya Ukambani ambao wamechaguliwa ambao watatatua shida hiyo. Mimi natoka Ukambani. Kangundo kuna stima na barabara sawa. Kwa hivyo, tusifanye unafiki. Rais Uhuru hajamaliza miaka miwili katika Serikali. Kwa hivyo, hatufai kumsulubisha Rais Uhuru kwa makosa yaliyofanywa na rais wengine. Kila Wizara ilikuwa na bajeti yake. Wizara ya Barabara ilikuwa na bajeti yake.

Order, Sen. Sonko. Fursa hii ni ya Seneta Muthama na sio yako.

Bw. Spika, barabara ninazozungumzia ziko nilivyosema. Huo ni ukweli wa mambo. Kwasababu tumeingia katika Serikali ya ugatuzi, tumeona dalili za kutaka kuziharibu Serikali hizo ya Ugatuzi. Ni katika kupitia Serikali za Ugatuzi ambapo sehemu unayowakilisha itafaidika na kuijenga Serikali. Hadhari tunaoyoona na ambayo tunafaa kuitoa kwa uwazi ni kwamba atakaye dhubutu kucheza na Serikali ya Ugatuzi ambayo inawakilisha muafrika ambaye hana wa kumujalili, kutakuwa na kizaazaa kikuu. Kwa hivyo, wanaozungumza hawafai kuona hii ni kama siasa za mzaha. Tumechaguliwa kufika hapa kutetea na kuweka uwazi masilahi ya watu waliotuchagua. Kwa hivyo, anayebabaika na kuona hayo hayawezi kusemwa atakuwa katika shida kubwa.

Muda wako umekwisha.

Bw. Spika, asante lakini nimesumbuliwa sana.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, thank you very much for noticing me. I stand here as a senior citizen and as a mother in this country with a lot of experience. I thank the Almighty God and my party for nominating me to the Senate. I feel it is the most senior House and I promised through my oath to serve diligently and support this country to better prospects. As I stand here, I support the Presidential The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, thank you for giving me a chance to contribute to this Presidential Speech. First and foremost, I would like to thank the people of Samburu for having elected me to the Senate. Secondly, I would like to thank the people of Kenya who have peacefully elected all of you and elected President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy, Mr. William Ruto, to guide us for another five years. Thirdly, I would like to thank the people of Lagdera for having elected Mr. Mohamed Shidiye and also the people of Kamukunji for electing Mr. Yussuf Hassan. I also thank the people of Westlands, where I live, for electing Mr. Wanyonyi. Mr. Speaker, Sir, in the Presidential Address, the President articulated many things that he is going to do for Kenya. I know him and I know that he means well for Kenya. Let the likes of Mr. Wetangula criticize because that is their duty. They must keep them on their toes. I believe that all of us, as Senators, we are there to support the President so that he can give Kenyans what he is able, especially regarding devolution. I remember very well when we were in Bomas of Kenya, very few of us wanted this country, especially resources to be devolved to the counties. I am happy that President Uhuru Kenyatta has stated in very clear terms that he is going to do that for Kenyans. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I just want to talk about one issue regarding the security of Kenyans. All of you know that 13 years ago I was like you, I was like Mr. Wetangula. I was walking and I was a warrior. I know Mr. Wanyonyi and I know he was a warrior. I was not involved in cattle-rustling, I was not a poacher but an hon. Member of the august House. The people of Samburu would like to know what happened. I am lucky that the former Attorney-General is here. The people of Samburu would like to know what happened to that file. That file should be re-opened and be given to the Director of Public Prosecutions so that he can find out what happened to me. The people of Kenya would like to know what happened to Mr. Wanyonyi, the people of Kenya would like to know what happened to Mr. Yussuf Hassan, the people of Kenya would like to know what is happening in Garissa. Why are there so many innocent people being killed in Garissa? The people of Kenya would like to know why police officers were killed in Baragoi. Were there external forces involved? The people of Kenya would like to help President Uhuru Kenyatta so that he could tell Kenyans what is happening and improve the security of Kenyans. I believe that Kismayu is now safer than Nairobi. We need peace in Garissa, Nairobi, Baragoi, Turkana and so on. The people of Kenya have seen President Uhuru Kenyatta take oath to protect and defend them. I would like this House to assist him so that he can deliver what he has promised in his Speech. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the Address by the President. When that Address was being read, I think that it was music to my ears. But at the same time, I think that the President and the Deputy President would be very impressed if they were in this House, to know that not only are we supporting but also critiquing positively for the good of this country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to speak for two constituencies that I represent; the young people of this country who constitute over 70 per cent of the population and the young women of this country. When I listened to the President, there are several things that caught my ears. The first thing is what Sen. Zipporah talked about, which I will not repeat. Secondly, there was the issue of the national television local content that would be raised from 40 per cent to 60 per cent; in line with what has been stipulated as a Cabinet Secretary position for arts and entertainment. As the youth of this country, I think that this will be a great step. So, as we criticize this Speech, I want us to look at it positively and be able to offer advice to the Government. This is because the President cannot implement this alone. He will need all arms of the Government to be able to carry out the mandate that has been given to him by the Constitution and the people of Kenya. Mr. Speaker, Sir, free primary education was introduced in 2002 and free secondary education has followed suit. When I talk to the managers in this room – and I know that they are many - there is something called change management. Change management is not easy because it involves leaving a comfort zone. The reason it is called a comfort zone is because it is comfortable. So, I think that the people who were skeptical about implementation of free primary and secondary education are now looking back and acknowledging that it was not impossible. It only needed us to make the first step, and we did as a country, and are still moving forward. When I listened to the President talking about 18 years of education for any child in this country, as a young mother, I could only smile and hope that I will be able to increase the number of children that I wanted to have from two to four or five because I will be taken care of. So, we applaud the President for that and offer all the support that he needs to implement the same. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the other thing that I would like to talk about is the Youth Enterprise Development Fund. As we go through the transition and the devolution structures, it would be---

Sen. Wangari, are you sure that, that was the intention of the President?

Not really, Mr. Speaker, Sir, but I think that it will be my personal decision, now that education will be taken care of and maternity is free. So, you can be sure that we will be able to up the game. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

Sen. Khalwale!

(Sen.(Dr.) Khalwale): Mr. Speaker, Sir, I have taken that trouble to cross over because it is not yet clear who is supposed to speak at the Dispatch Box and who is supposed to speak on the right side and left side of the Dispatch Box. Maybe in due course, you will be guiding us.

Then why are you trying to make it clear? It is still not clear and so, you can use either. You will also notice that your Speaker does not bow to the two sides. We just bow once because the two sides are not distinguishable in the current sitting arrangement.

(Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale): Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I was thinking that it is because of the awkward way that the Chamber is made. But all the same, I concur. Mr. Speaker, Sir, may I thank you for allowing me to speak on this very important Motion. I wish to use this opportunity to congratulate, first and foremost, hon. Uhuru Kenyatta for winning the Presidency and, of course, my colleagues, Senators, the Speakers, Governors, Members of County Assemblies and other elected leaders. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would also like to use this opportunity to thank the voters of Kakamega County who voted for me overwhelmingly. I would like to use this opportunity to assure them that I am going to deliver at the local, county and, indeed, the national level. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as I make my Maiden Speech in this Senate, it is saddening to remember that the wife of the first man to be a Senator in Kakamega, the late hon. Clement Lubembe, passed away and we shall be burying her on Saturday. I, therefore, want to use this opportunity to send my condolences to the family of Sen. Clement Lubembe whose wife we shall bury. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I went and listened to President Uhuru during his victory speech. I also went to the inauguration ceremony at Kasarani Stadium and listened to him. I also listened to him when he came to talk to us at the Joint Sitting. I was, indeed, happy to note and very impressed with his optimism. It was clear that he was reconciliatory in the way he approached his Speech and that he has grand plans for this great nation, Kenya. It was so clear that he confirmed his commitment to devolution. If he is committed to devolution, it goes without saying that hon. Uhuru knows the importance of the Senate in the current set up. I want to say: “Thank you and congratulations, Mr. President.” The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

Your time is up!

(Sen.(Dr.) Khalwale): Mr. Speaker, Sir, I wish to take this opportunity to thank the President and support this Motion.

I thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for giving me the opportunity to contribute to this Motion. Let me start off by congratulating you for being elected as the Speaker because this is the first time that I am having the Floor. I would like also to congratulate my colleagues for being elected to represent certain counties of this Republic and those who were nominated. I also want to thank the people of Kitui County for doing me the honour of being their Senator. As Sen. Murungi has pledged to serve the people of Meru, I also want to say that I pledge to serve the people of Kitui County with all my energy and, indeed, as I will be directed by the will of God. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the role of the Senate as it is in Article 96 of the Constitution is very clear, particularly, 96(1); the Senate represents the counties and serves to protect the interests of the counties and their governments. I have chosen to deliberately speak about devolution knowing very well that the hon. Senators here have some concerns and also those who have contributed have talked about what they think about devolution. I want to lead and appeal to my fellow Senators that this matter of devolution must be approached in a bipartisan manner. This is not a matter of Jubilee, CORD or anybody else.

Tell them!

Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is a role that the Senate has been given by this Constitution. I chose to talk about devolution because the recent events have not augured well to give us comfort that devolution is getting support of even the previous Government, and we are yet to see how the current Government will behave towards devolution knowing very well that this is not the first time Kenya has gone the devolution way. We had devolution of the regional assemblies; we had a Senate, but because we did not have the goodwill of the Government, it died miserably. It is incumbent upon every one of us here today as Senators, as a second attempt of the Republic of Kenya, 50 years after Independence, to go the devolution way. We must all join hands together and ensure that never again will the National Government kill devolution in this Republic. I say this because, sadly, recent events have shown that the Government, particularly the previous Government was not committed to devolution. It started during the inauguration of Governors. These fellows called County Commissioners took over and it appeared to everyone that they were in charge. Mr. Speaker, Sir, even there was no colour in that ceremony. The Senate Majority Leader will bear me witness that the Governors, other than the swearing in, were even denied the opportunity to inspect a simple guard of honour as people who were now taking authority as Governors. But it was just watered down to a very minor ceremony conducted by the Country Commissioner who, apparently, the Executive arm of Government wanted to take the limelight. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. It is my pleasure this afternoon to thank you because I finally caught your eye. I also thank the President and his Deputy President for being elected to serve this country. In 2010, Kenyans promulgated a new Constitution because they wanted it to address challenges of development, distribution of resources and marginalization. That is why the President in his Address came out strongly in support of devolution. This is the only framework within which we can realize development in this country. He also talked about economic pillars which will be the guiding principles for us to achieve development in this country. That is why I support the policy on the Free Primary Education (FPE) and the provision of laptops to our children. In Rwanda, for example, each child in a primary school has a laptop. If a country like Rwanda is able to provide laptops to children in primary schools, I believe Kenya will even do much better. We have public schools in Nairobi and other places where children have laptops. Parents are paying Kshs2,000 for their children to access this very important service. I am happy they will now have their own laptops. We know for a long time children in public schools have been disadvantaged in many ways. Those in academies have the best facilities because their parents are able to pay. So, let us give children in public schools the opportunity to learn like other children in academies. Kenya is one and that is the advice that the President is giving us. If, indeed, Kenya is one, then our children in public schools deserve better infrastructure and better access to technology. One of the economic pillars highlighted in the Presidential Address was job creation. Many of us are worried that some people, in the process of procuring of these laptops, will be out to make money. This is not true because laptops will be locally assembled by our universities. I believe that will reduce the cost of each laptop and create job opportunities for our people in universities. I want to applaud the President for emphasizing the issue of two-thirds in his Address. This is an issue that I know he will take into consideration when he will be appointing Cabinet Secretaries. He also promised to serve all Kenyans. I am sure Kenyans will look back after five years and appreciate the role of women in this country because God has blessed us with the best brains in the Senate. We will develop this country. We will positively criticize the President because we want him to steer this country to greater heights of development. However, we would not like to be drawn into political ambitions, as we saw in the Tenth Parliament, at the expense of serving our people. Kenya is bigger than all of us. Let us build this country because God has given us the opportunity to do so. We must address all injustices in this country. Everyone is crying about the roads in their counties. But if we were to be honest to ourselves, Kenyans will be shocked because many Senators here have served in successive governments in various capacities. Most of the leaders here were part and parcel of the development agenda of this country. If it is within the purview of public service that we have challenges, then the President promised to address. I am sure there are guidelines in the CORD manifesto, the President The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

(Sen. (Prof.) Lonyangapuo): Mr. Speaker, Sir, I stand to support this Motion. At the beginning of the Presidential Address, I realized that he was candid enough to say that we have come out of an election and Kenya needs to begin to put itself together again and work as a people. He was calling upon all of us to be united in terms of the way we take the issues of our country and the way we also put his Government on its toes. He mentioned about the Constitution and the spirit in which we must all support his Government to implement it. I saw that he had a lot of good will in his Address, especially when he talked about the position of the Senate, that is, the Upper House. For that purpose, whatever we will be discussing and passing here should have the weight and attention required to build this nation. We should look at the calibre of people that Kenyans bestowed upon the mandate of running this House. It is, indeed, genuinely true that we are here to take care of 47 counties. These 47 counties make the total sum of Kenya. Mr. Speaker, Sir, he talked about having a lean and effective Government. In fact, we have seen the structure of 18 ministries. The reason he mentioned this is the issue of overlapping responsibilities. I am hoping that there will be order in the way in which we will do business in this House. There was competition particularly in the last Parliament where we had about 40 Ministries. Some of them were doing the same work. He also talked about agriculture which is the back-bone of the nation’s economy. I want to mention that we have depended on rain-fed agriculture for a long time. It is a pity that when the rains come, we are never prepared to harvest water. Sometimes we do not have the requisite inputs like fertilizers and seeds. You may be surprised that even as it is raining now, in some parts like West Pokot where I come from, the first lorry of fertilizer arrived last weekend. Just imagine the first rains came a month ago. I want to say that we have been planning all this time and there is money set aside for agricultural activities in this country. As I support this Motion, I call upon the new Government to fast-track and make sure that there is enough fertilizer in the depots. They should also start purchasing fertilizers for next year so that as we go to November and December, the cereal boards should have them. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the President also talked about manufacturing. What do we manufacture if we cannot add value to our farm produce? I have just mentioned that the farm is not in order. I have a lot of hope in the new Government with the promise that they have given. Our people are watching in the county to see whether this will be addressed. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

Your time is up!

(Sen. (Prof.) Lonyangapuo: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the President’s Address. My name for the record is Mong’are Bw’Okong’o, the Senator for Nyamira County. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the President’s Address was broad. However, I need to just pick a few issues on what he said. Specifically, I have to start from health. I have seen what he intends to do with regard to the health sector. I come from Nyamira which has a population of about 600,000. We have a hospital which was started four years ago called Nyamira District Hospital. It is a sub-district hospital according to the records at the The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, first, I would like to thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to address this House and make my comments on the President’s Address, which I think was very important for this nation. For anyone to doubt what he was saying or whether he will implement it or not, I think we will not be doing service to this nation. This is because the President has said what he had and wanted to do in this country. It is now for the Senators also to say their plan of action. What are we going to do for this nation? We should not just wait to criticize what other people are saying. What the President has clearly said is entirely in his docket and he will do as much as possible to accomplish some of the points that he mentioned here. We also need to understand that he is a new President and has been in The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

On a point of information, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

I think I have been here longer than you and so you should wait for me to finish, then something else will happen. But you are a great man. Can you proceed!

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to inform my very good friend Sen. G.G. Kariuki that, in fact, in the United States (US) the kind of people he is describing, the State takes them as enemy combatants and deals with them as such. I also want to confirm to the House that he was, indeed, a very powerful Internal Security Minister. He made Sen. Orengo flee to Tanzania.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is not only Sen. Orengo who had to flee---

It is not only Sen. Orengo who had to flee to Tanzania, but many others because they interfered with the established Government. The established Government is always there for the people and is made by the people. Therefore, we are here to protect the people of this country. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

I thank you Mr. Speaker, Sir, for having caught your eye after a very long time. I will start by congratulating those who played a role in drafting the Kenyan Constitution and to all Kenyans who said “yes” in 2010. It has given me a chance to represent the youth in the Senate. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I will start by commenting on the issue of youth unemployment which is at 70 per cent. I recommend that the President should come out with a systematic framework that will be used to to curb this issue rather than just saying that we should join hands to ensure that the youth do not engage in drug abuse. An outlined framework should also be put in place. I am concerned about the Youth Enterprise Fund (YEF) that has been merged with the Women Entreprise Fund The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

Thank you Mr. Speaker, Sir for giving me this opportunity. I also want to thank the people of Uasin Gishu County for giving me this chance to represent them at the Senate. As I stand to support this Motion, one thing that I must say that the President addressed was that of agriculture. We all understand that agriculture forms the backbone of Kenya’s economy. I come from Uasin Gishu County, a place where we do intensive The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am Liza Chelule, Nominated Senator from Nakuru County. I stand to support the President’s Speech. Before I do so, I want to thank my party for nominating me to this House. I want also to thank the people of Nakuru County for their prayers. I want to take this particular minute to support the Speech by the President simply because he talked about two main issues touching on women. This is about abolishing fees in dispensaries and maternity. I am saying this because many women have been suffering and others detained in hospitals because they have not been able to clear their bills. This has discouraged other women from going to the hospitals which leads to loss of babies at birth. The mothers fear going to the hospital because they do not have The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, first of all, I would like to congratulate you for being elected to this august House. We have been in the House for quite some time and you were our speaker for a long time before you were formerly elected. I have confidence that you will discharge the duties of the Speaker for the best interest of this House and the people of Kenya. I also want to thank my fellow Senators for having fought hard to be elected by their counties to this House. I am thankful to the people of Homa Bay for having found it fit to give this responsibility of discharging the duties of the office of the Senator as prescribed in the Constitution for the benefit of Kenyans. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I cannot start without speaking about the Constitution because it is the new Constitution that created this Senate. It has brought various interests and age groups into this august House to deal with two things that the Constitution sought to address; equity and justice. This is written in almost every article of our Constitution. In fact, when Sen. G.G. Kariuki speaks of us complaining, it is not complaining when we speak of equity or justice. It is reaffirming the spirit of the new Constitution. It is our role to reaffirm that we wrote the new Constitution because there were problems in this country. We wrote it because we wanted to address the issues of equity and justice. So, when we talk about equity in education, equity in road coverage, equity in water, equity in education and all those things, we are talking about the new road map of this written in the Constitution. Devolution is the centre piece or the heart of our Constitution. So, we will be defending it as by law granted and we will defend it and facilitate it. So, if there is anybody somewhere, whether in high or low office who thinks that he or she may undermine devolution, we need to warn them that this House’s primary responsibility is to protect devolution. This is for good reasons. We already know the reasons why we did The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

Order, Sen. Kajwang! Are you referring to Sen. (Prof.) Lonyangapou?

Yes, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

He is my neighbour that is why I know him.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, when I went to see him in his office in Moi University I could not read his name from the door because it was very complicated for me, coming from the lake. But we will have to employ more policemen in this country. There are no two ways to it. If we do not employ more policemen, there will be insecurity and no investment, and people will just run away. Nairobi is very insecure. I thank the Senator who said that it is more insecure than the port capital of Somalia, which we just secured the other day from those young men called Al Shabaab . In fact, let me just remind hon. G.G Kariuki that I was one of the people who made the decision that we go into Somalia. We achieved great things. In fact, that is the biggest achievement for the Kenya Army since it was established in 1963. Why is this so? It is because you cannot sustain a reckless and dangerous warlike neighbour who attacks you at will, your tourists and ships and destroys your economy; and you say that because of international relations and good neighbourliness, you will not go into that country and deal with the problem. I think the former President made the correct decision. We now have a neighbour whom we can talk to sooner or later. In fact, I am glad that their President came to visit us when we were swearing in our new President. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we will need to employ extension officers in veterinary services and crop husbandry who disappeared. There are no two ways about it. If you want to deal The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Let me take this opportunity to thank the people of Kenya for voting “yes” to the new Constitution which has enabled almost 20 of us to sit in the Senate and participate in this political arena. Let me also applaud the President for his support for devolution, improvement of the tourism sector, empowering the youth and women, improvement in the health sector, provision of water, electricity and the rest. It is my hope that the country will achieve that. My concern is when he says that he will provide laptops to Class One pupils. In my opinion, that is too ambitious because where I come from in North Eastern Province, access to education is a problem. You will see a school going age children looking after animals because their parents cannot afford to take them to primary schools. The environment is also not conducive for learning. For example, before the campaigns, I visited a school by the name Hudhile Primary School in Wajir. What I saw there was very pathetic. That school goes up to Class Six and it only has one classroom. That classroom is divided into five portions; one portion is reserved for Class Six students, the other portion for Class Five and Four, one part is used as a staffroom and the other portion is used as a store where the maize and beans are kept.

In one classroom! The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

Yes, in one classroom!

Aiyaah Yaah!

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I thought the provision of basic requirements for education should have been the first priority instead of going to the secondary needs. In Wajir where I come from, learning materials like books, desks and chalks are not available and the basic infrastructure is zero. For example, the first time I saw a tarmac road is when I was travelling from my home to join university in Nairobi in 2007. When the lecturer talked about zebra crossing I thought that along the highways there were zebras. I did not understand what the lecturer meant.

When the lecturer talked of traffic lights, we could not conjure what he was talking about. So, I think the basic needs should be addressed before the secondary needs are addressed.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the Presidential Address. First of all, I want to appreciate the party that is sensitive; that does not thrive on tribe and a coalition that believes in belonging; that you do not have to be part of numbers, so that you become part of it. I would like to thank the ODM party for having recognized the potential in some of us and giving us the opportunity to be part of the nation building actors and, especially at this time of the new dispensation in our country. I also want to thank, not only the CORD Coalition, but the people of Kenya who in 2010 decided to vote for the new Constitution. This Constitution has given us a place and space not only as a minority or marginalized group of persons, but the special interest groups to be here. I represent persons with disabilities. Mr. Speaker, Sir, 50 years after Independence, we have been able to realize that there is a section of people that might not have the numbers as our friends somewhere would believe, to threaten people with the tyranny of numbers. But after 50 years, we can belong even if you are one. That is the opportunity I want to take and appreciate. As a Senator, I would like to remind my fellow colleagues that this is the House that will change this country. This is the place where the wisdom of this nation lies. This is the equilibrium of the land. This is where jokers do not dare. The Senate is the place that holds the heartbeat of this nation. I would wish to appeal that we take ourselves seriously because there are many people; mothers, fathers, daughters and sons who unfortunately have been disadvantaged by the issues of inequality in this land that will look upon us as their hope. This is the place where hope shall come to the land. Mr. Speaker, Sir, looking at the President’s Address, especially the last part, I just pray that they believe and mean what they said. I quote:- “May you be instruments to bring peace where there has been strife, security where there has been fear, unity where there has been division and prosperity where they lack.” He mentioned of strife, conflict and insecurity. We are praying that we become those instruments, but we must have the will. We must live it. It is about what we value. It is about what our spirit believes in, because I believe security is within the people. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

Order! Sen. Kipchumba, you have ten minutes to proceed when we next resume. Hon. Senators, it is time for the interruption of business. The House, therefore, stands adjourned until tomorrow morning at 9.00 a.m. The Senate rose at 6.30 p.m. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.