Hon. Senators, let us, first, determine if we have a quorum.

Hon. Senators, I am informed that we have 14 hon. Senators in the House. Therefore, we do not have a quorum.

Someone has already walked in.

Okay. We now have 15 Senators, we have a quorum. Let us proceed with today’s business.

Madam Temporary Speaker, I beg to lay the following Paper on the Table of the House:- The Report of the Sessional Committee on Devolved Government and the Standing Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights on the joint county visit to Mombasa and Kilifi counties.

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.

Madam Temporary Speaker, I beg to give the notice of the following Motion which is directed to the Department of Industrialization and Enterprise Development:- THAT, aware that the textile industry in Kenya is crumbling following the closure of several textile firms due to unhealthy competition arising from cheap imports of textile and apparel products; concerned that the Government imports most of the uniforms for the disciplined forces and other uniformed staff, thereby, compounding the problem faced by the industry; noting that the national Government would provide the biggest market for these local products; concerned further that the closure of these firms led not only to loss of huge revenue, but also to loss of employment opportunities; the Senate calls upon the national Government to urgently formulate a policy and review the procurement regulations to compel all government departments and agencies to procure textiles and leather products locally with a view to redeeming the Kenya textile industry and creating more revenue sources.

Madam Temporary Speaker, I beg to give notice of the following Motion which is directed to the Department of Devolution and Planning;- THAT, aware that Section 7(2) of the Transition to Devolved Government Act requires the Transition Authority to carry out an audit of the existing human resource of the Government and local authorities and advise on deployment to either level of Government; further aware that Section 57 of the Urban Areas and Cities Act provides that every person who, immediately before the commencement of the Act was an officer, agent or member of staff appointed, seconded or otherwise employed by a local authority shall, on the commencement of the Act be seconded or otherwise deployed as may be provided by law; concerned that failure to absorb bona fide employees of the defunct local authorities will deprive them of their rightful means of livelihood contrary to the spirit of the Bill of Rights as contained in Chapter Four of the Constitution of Kenya and the principles of devolution; the Senate urges the Transition Authority to urgently finalize the audit of employees of the defunct local authorities 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. Murkomen, you can proceed to give notice of your Motion. ADOPTION OF REPORT OF DEVOLUTION/LEGAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEES ON JOINT COUNTY VISITS TO MOMBASA AND KILIFI

Madam Temporary Speaker, I beg to give notice of the following Motion:- THAT, the Senate adopts the Report of the Sessional Committee on Devolved Government and the Standing Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights on the Joint county visit to Mombasa and Kilifi counties laid on the Table of the House on Thursday, 10th October, 2013.

Is Sen. Wamatangi in the House? What about Sen. Lesuuda?

Order, Senators! Could you, please, consult in low tones? GOVERNMENT EFFORTS TO ENHANCE SECURITY FOLLOWING THE 2012 BARAGOI MASSACRE

Madam Temporary Speaker, I rise to seek a Statement from the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on National Security and Foreign Relations regarding the unfortunate tragedy that befell our police officers and residents of Baragoi in November, 2012 after an operation to recover stolen livestock which left over 40 police officers and police reservists dead. A number of police firearms were also stolen. In the Statement, the Chairperson should:- (1) Outline the steps that the Government has taken to recover the stolen Government firearms currently in the hands of civilians. (2) Explain the efforts the Government has put in place to ensure peace and security is restored in the area and to avert such unfortunate incidents in future. (3) Has compensation been given to the fallen soldiers and the Kenya police reservists who died in line of duty? 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.

Let us now hear the request of Statement from Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale. STATUS OF ONGOING CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS SINCE COMMENCEMENT OF DEVOLUTION Madam Temporary Speaker, I rise to seek a Statement from the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Energy, Roads and Transport on the status of all the ongoing road construction projects in all counties which have stalled since the commencement of devolution. Madam Temporary Speaker, in the Statement, I would like the Chairperson to clarify the following:- (1) What the Government is doing to reverse the stalling of Sigalagala-Butere- Sidindi Road which has become unmotorable cutting off transport between Sigalagala, Butere and Sidindi leading to loss of livelihood to thousands of business people and the general public. (2) To clarify if the Government is aware that as a result of this stalling of construction of roads across the whole country, the local contractors, who employ over 100,000 Kenyans have been forced to lay off around 5,000 people thereby declaring them redundant. (3) What is the Government doing to stop this plight that young Kenyans are faced with, some of whom have been forced to move to South Sudan where they face serious challenges, including being killed? (4) When is the Government going to pay these contractors, who are owed over Kshs20 billion for certified works on fully completed and or ongoing road contracts? (5) What is the Government doing to ensure that construction machines belonging to these contractors, who have liabilities with financial institutions are not seized due to failure of the Government to pay them? (6) Since the function of roads has been devolved to counties, could the Government clarify whether this money that they owe these contractors in the respective counties will be taken to those particular counties specifically for the purposes of settlement of these dues? Madam Temporary Speaker, I am talking about 70 contracts that have been cancelled. Since I cannot go through all of them, I would like hon. Senators to realise that I only cited Sigalagala-Butere-Sidindi Road because it is in Kakamega County. However, we have other roads like Keroka-Kebirigo, Keroka-Nyangusu roads in Kisii County; Kamukuywa-Kaptama-Kapsokwony-Sirisia Road in Bungoma County; Mumbuni- Kathiani-Thwake River Road in Machakos County; Kima-Insutsi Road in Vihiga County; Kakuswi-Tawa-Kikima-Makutano Road in Makueni County; Kendu Bay to 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.

And in Mandera County?

It is true there is a road in Mandera County, but my time is up. Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker.

Order, Senators! Before we proceed, the Chairperson of the Committee on National Security and Foreign Relations, are you ready with the answer to the request made by Sen. Lesuuda?

Madam Temporary Speaker, since this incident took place a long time ago, it should not be difficult for the Ministry to give us the answers. I intend to give the Statement on Thursday, next week.

Sen. Lesuuda, are you comfortable with that?

Much obliged, Madam Temporary Speaker.

Very well! What about the Chairperson of the Committee on Energy, Roads and Transportation?

He is not here.

Any person from that Committee? Could you give an undertaking?

Madam Temporary Speaker, I would like to give an undertaking on behalf of the Chairman and the Committee that we will give the response to Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale in the next one month.

Are you comfortable Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale with that?

Madam Temporary Speaker, probably, the distinguished Senator who comes from Murang’a County did not listen to me when I was raising this issue. I was saying that these projects have stalled and some of the roads are not motorable. The loans of local contractors are being recalled. So, if we give this issue a month---

Hon. Senators, now that you are not able to agree, the Chair orders that, that Statement be brought to the House in two weeks. Is that okay? We now have Sen. Wamatangi in the House. It would be in order to give him an opportunity to request for his Statement before we proceed.

Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker, for this opportunity. MEASURES TO ENSURE EFFICIENT NATION-WIDE MIGRATION FROM ANALOG TO DIGITAL SIGNAL First, I wish to request a Statement from the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Education, Information and Technology. We know that on 13th December, 2013, just shortly before Christmas, this country will be switching from analog to digital. 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.

Are the chairmen of the relevant committees in the House? Could we have undertakings on these two issues, one chairperson at a time?

Madam Temporary Speaker, I beg for your indulgence that I pass the request for the Statement to the Chairperson of the Committee on Education, Information and Technology. We will revert on this in two week’s time.

Sen. Wamatangi, are you okay with two weeks time?

It is okay.

What about the Chairperson of the Committee on Health, Labour and Social Welfare? 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.

Madam Temporary Speaker, this is a very sensitive issue and it affects the health of very many people. I would like to assure the hon. Senator that we will take up this matter very seriously. We will make an effort to visit the areas that he has mentioned where sewage is being allowed into the rivers. We will give a comprehensive report by Thursday, next week.

Before we proceed, the Senate Majority Leader was supposed to give a Statement on the business of the Senate for next week. Chief Whip, were you given that responsibility? If so, proceed. BUSINESS FOR THE WEEK COMMENCING TUESDAY, 15TH OCTOBER, 2013

Madam Temporary Speaker, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order No.43(2), this is to present the Senate business for the coming week starting, Tuesday, 15th October, 2013. The Rules and Business Committee will meet on Tuesday, 15th October, 2013, at 12.00 noon to schedule business for the Senate for the week commencing 15th October, 2013. The Senate will continue with the business in today’s Order Paper that will not be concluded including the Motion by Sen. Elachi urging the Transition Authority to finalize the audit of employees for the defunct local authorities and put in place a framework to absorb them in their respective county public services. The Senate will consider a report of the joint visit to Mombasa and Kilifi counties by the Standing Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights and the Sessional Committee on Devolved Government. In addition, the County Governments Public Finance Management Transition (Amendment) Bill, 2013 will be introduced in the Senate by way of First Reading. On Wednesday, 16th October, 2013, morning sitting, the Senate will continue with business that will not be concluded on Tuesday, 15th October, 2013. The Senate will also commence debate on a Motion by Sen. Kittony on water harvesting. In the afternoon sitting, the Senate will continue with the business not concluded on Tuesday and Wednesday morning and consider any other business scheduled by the Rules and Business Committee. The Senate will also consider a report of the visit to Level Five Hospitals in Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo-Marakwet and Nandi counties by the Standing Committee on Health, Labour and Social Welfare. On Thursday, 17th October, 2013, the Senate will continue with the business not concluded on Wednesday afternoon. The Senate will also consider a report on the visit to Nyeri, Laikipia and Kirinyaga counties by the Standing Committee on Education, Information and Technology. I hereby lay the Statement on the Table. Thank 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.

Hon. Senators, today is also the deadline for several statements requested by various Senators. Is there any Chair ready with a Statement? Proceed, Sen. Wangari. CONTRACT FOR CONSTRUCTION OF MAKUTANO-TAWA-KIKIMA ROAD

Madam Temporary Speaker, I wish to give a Statement on behalf of the Chairperson of the Committee on Energy, Roads and Transportation that was sought by the Senator for Makueni County, Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr. on the Floor of this House. The Senator had requested for the Statement regarding the contract for construction of Makutano-Kikima-Tawa Road as follows:- (a) He sought to know whether the Chair is aware that the contract for the construction was awarded to Victory---

On a point of order, Madam Temporary Speaker.

Yes, Senate Minority Chief Whip. What is out of order?

Madam Temporary Speaker, with all due respect, you will notice that Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr. is not in the House yet he is the one who sought this Statement. I do not know how appropriate it will be to receive the answer in his absence. He needs to be here to ventilate and query the Statement.

Well, your concerns are valid. However, you realise that this Statement is now the property of the House. It is not in order to keep delaying business of the House because the Senator had an obligation to be in the House to receive his Statement. I order that we proceed and get that Statement. He can get a copy and interrogate it later. The Senate must have business. Proceed Sen. Wangari.

Madam Temporary Speaker, the Statement is regarding the contract for construction of Makutano-Tawa-Kikima Road. The Senator sought to know whether the Chairman is aware:- (a) That the contract for the construction was awarded to Victory Construction Company at a sum of Kshs1,895,094,559; (b) Whether he is further aware that the contract period of 24 months started on 12th September, 2007 and lapsed on 13th September, 2009? (c) Why six years later the work is incomplete, yet it should have been completed within two years? (d) How much money has been paid so far for the work that has been completed and whether there has been an allocation this financial year? (e) Why the contractor has left the site, yet the work is far from being completed? (f) How long it will take for the portion that is not completed, to be completed, in particular Kikima Market and Kyambalasi-Makutano Junction. 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.

Madam Temporary Speaker, I stand here to seek a clarification from the Statement read by the Chair. First, I would like to thank her for the statement. Those of us who went to attend the funeral of the Late Mutula Kilonzo will remember the road we are talking about. Madam Temporary Speaker, did you hear that the contract was given in 2007 to last for two years but now it has taken six years? Further, you have heard that the contractor is Victory Construction Company. This is a very notorious contractor known not to complete road projects. You have also heard the Chair say that the terrain was not anticipated and that they found a terrain which was rough. So, the clarification I am seeking is: Is the Ministry aware that Victory Construction Company never finishes its projects and that the escalation of the price from the amount given on the basis that the terrain was not anticipated cannot be accepted by this Senate?

Can we take several clarifications, then you will give a response?

Yes, Madam Temporary Speaker.

Madam Temporary Speaker, I seek clarification following the Statement presented here. The amount allocated for this contract was Kshs1,895,094,559. Already almost Kshs1.5 billion has been paid and the allocation this year is only Kshs300 million. That covers the whole amount for the tender. From the Statement, it is not even 50 per cent of the road that has been done but Kshs1.8 billion has already been paid. The work has now stopped and will never reach where it was supposed to reach. You also heard that 24 months have elapsed but 68 weeks have been added to the contract period but nothing is going on. This is one way of misappropriating public funds. You can see very clearly that a door has been opened for the contractor together with those working with him from the Ministry. This is actually twisted money and this is pure stealing. There is no way that Kshs1.8 billion would be spent and more time added but the work is not complete. Could we get a clear answer on what is going on over this road?

Madam Temporary Speaker, I seek clarification on the same from the Chairperson of the Committee. This company called Victory Construction Company is notorious for taking up Government contracts to serve the people of this Republic and not finishing them. I believe that this is a company that is not only intentionally shortchanging the Kenyan people but also doing a major disservice to this country. In my own county of Kiambu, Victory Construction Company took up a contract ten years ago to do a road. They were paid Kshs1 billion and up to date, they have only done 15 kilometres of the road between Thogoto and Kamangu. This road was supposed to go all the way to Limuru. They have done 15 kilometres for ten years at the cost of Kshs1 billion. We have petitioned them and they moved to the other end of the road but for two years, they have been working on a small section, yet you cannot make this company to move. What is the Committee doing about Victory Construction Company? 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.

Madam Temporary Speaker, we have heard the Chairperson say that they will put some money in the budget this current financial year and it was not very specific. From what we have learnt, the balance is about Kshs300 million and she mentioned that the cost is growing and growing. Could she give a firm undertaking inclusive of the anticipated budgetary increase because of expenses in a number of areas? Could she give a firm undertaking that the bit on the road that is left will be done in the current financial year.

Madam Temporary Speaker, I would like to respond to the issue of the contractor himself or the company itself. I would like the Senator to substantiate on the same because I do not have any information and the Committee has not received any information on the construction company as to whether it is blacklisted or not. So, I would not go into the evaluation of the contract because that was beyond the scope of the Statement. I am not a contractor by profession and the contractors in the House can help me but---

On a point of order, Madam Temporary Speaker. You have heard the Chairperson say that she does not have substantial evidence that can make her blacklist this contractor but we came out very clearly and gave evidence that the work done here is less than 50 per cent and the amount of money paid is about 84 per cent. What other evidence does she want to prove to her that this is a notorious contractor, several jobs have been cited and the contractor has failed completely to meet the requirements of the tender terms?

Sen. Wangari, treat this issue with the seriousness it deserves. We have three Senators from three different counties making the same allegation and the best you could do is to give an undertaking to come back to the House with appropriate answers in case you were not prepared because this is quite serious.

Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker, for the direction. I want to clarify that I take the issue very seriously and that is why I was reading the Statement on behalf of the Committee. These Statements do not come from the Committee per se but from the Ministries. All I can do right now is to revert back to the Ministry to get proper direction on Victory Construction Company and to find out what is happening and get back to this House with proper responses. I undertake to do that.

Very well, going by the mood of the House, you can see that Senators were not satisfied with the answer. Therefore, we give you an extra one week for a more substantive answer.

On a point of order, Madam Temporary Speaker.

Point of order on something that is proceeding?

On the same, Madam Temporary Speaker. Thank you for the direction you have made. I am a member of the same Committee and if you listened to what Sen. Wamatangi and other Senators said, actually this is cross-cutting and broad; it covers not only Victory Construction Company but by other contractors as well in other counties. I was requesting if the directive could be broadened so that the Committee looks at the pending and ongoing contracts so that a 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.

Very well. Is the Chairperson for the Committee on Agriculture, Land and Natural Resources in the House? There are several statements that are due. STATE OF THE SUGAR INDUSTRY AND CANE FARMING IN KENYA IN RELATION TO COMESA

Madam Temporary Speaker, this is the Statement sought by Senator for Kakamega and the answers are as follows:- As to whether the Government is aware that the sugar sector is at risk, given the impending lifting of Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) safeguard measures that has been cushioning the Kenyan sugar from cheap imports from COMESA member states, the answer to this issue is that; the Government is aware that COMESA safeguard measures will come to an end on 28th February, 2014. The current extension achieved during the 30th COMESA Council of Ministers meeting held in Lilongwe, Malawi in October, 2011 extended the safeguard measures to lapse on 28th February, 2014. Regarding the question as to what the Government has done to ensure that the locally produced sugar is competitive at the international market, the answer is that the Ministry has instituted measures aimed at improving Kenya’s sugar competitiveness and these measures include:- 1. Implementing the safeguard measures – the Government of Kenya issued a gazette notice in February, 2008 in respect of enlarging the size of quota and tariff rates as directed by the Council of Ministers and at the time of extension, the annual duty free quota in the two years was retained at 340,000 metric tonnes and the above quota tariff retained at 10 per cent until the end of the safeguard period. 2. Privatization of publicly owned mills – the public sector owned sugar companies earmarked for privatization and approved by the Cabinet are: Chemilil Sugar Company, Nzoia Sugar Company, South Nyanza, Muhoroni and Miwani sugar companies. The milestones in the privatization of the sugar companies were:- (i)The Cabinet considered and approved the detailed proposals and approval was in this connection granted for privatization of Chemilil Sugar Company, South Nyanza Sugar Company, Nzoia Sugar Company---

Hon. Senators, you are not interested in this answer so that you are able to interrogate it. Kindly consult quietly so others can listen.

Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker. Let me proceed. 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.

Madam Temporary Speaker, I am sorry that when the Chairman started issuing the statement, I was out doing a Press conference on a matter of grave national importance. However, I have listened to the latter part of his presentation, which unfortunately, to me, looks like an extraction from a thesis paper. What we are 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.

Madam Temporary Speaker, I border Migori which is a producer of sugar. But I will also be producing sugar soon in Homa Bay County. I have a lot of interest. Madam Temporary Speaker, first, I want to thank the Chairman for a thesis that is well researched. But if I was marking it, I would give him 20 per cent. Really, is the Ministry aware that the machinery and technology that we are talking about in all sugar companies are obsolete and belong to the other century? You can check what Mauritius is doing, just next door. Madam Temporary Speaker, the Chairman has talked about Miwani, Chemelil, Muhoroni and other companies being put under receivership. Have you ever seen companies that are perpetually in receivership and, somehow, still continue to survive? Madam Temporary Speaker, we have talked about the seed varieties for many years now - almost 20 years. I do not know where these seed varieties are going to be imported from. How come we have never brought the fast-maturing high-sucrose content varieties that we have been talking about for so many years? Madam Temporary Speaker, lastly, on importation of sugar, if I could just support the Senator for Kakamega, are you aware that for the last two weeks, sugar has been coming in from Zambia, through the Namanga border? All roadblocks have been removed for the sake of this sugar. Who is importing it?

Madam Temporary Speaker, I do not come from the sugar growing areas, but I was very impressed by the answer which has been given by the Chairman of that Committee. He has done a lot of research and I would like to encourage other Chairmen to do similar research. Madam Temporary Speaker, I have just one or two issues which I would like the Chairman to further clarify. The first is about the formula for paying cane farmers, because at the end of the day, what is important to us is what finally gets to the farmers. It 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, Madam Temporary Speaker. I am happy that, at least, all the Senators appreciate the thesis. As Sen. (Prof.) Lonyangapuo would tell you, good things come from thesis. I thank my brother, Sen. Kajwang, that he only deducted 20 per cent from the total marks that I am likely to earn. That leaves me with 80 per cent, which is an “A.”

Madam Temporary Speaker, coming straight to the points which have been raised, Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale is right to feel that a lot has not been done. Actually, the purpose of this House is to address and even oversight issues which have not been addressed by the Executive. That is exactly what we are doing. In doing so, we do not throw away the baby with the bath water. Instead, we clean the baby and own it. That is why part of the thesis is addressing what my brother, Sen. Kajwang, says has not been addressed for many years; which the Jubilee Government, having come to power this year, will address within a few months. Madam Temporary Speaker, the first issue that Sen.(Dr.) Khalwale raised was about the perpetrators---

On a point of order, Madam Temporary Speaker. Is the Minister aware that---

Which Minister are you addressing?

Madam Temporary Speaker, I have promoted him because he looks like one. Madam Temporary Speaker, is the Chairman aware that actually what is now the core of the Jubilee Government, was at one time the Minister for Agriculture and Minister for Finance and should have addressed this issue a long time ago?

Madam Temporary Speaker, I was not talking about that point in time. I was talking about today. We did not have a Senate then, but we have one today. This Senate is looking at what needs to be improved in the counties in 2013. I believe that, that is why we are all seated and addressing this matter. Madam Temporary Speaker, having said that, we still must go ahead and interrogate the concerns which have been raised after the delivery of the thesis. One issue was about perpetrators; people who are likely to continue cheating farmers, even after we institute some other measures. What I would say at this point in time is that we did not actually interrogate what to do with thieves. This is because perpetrators are simply thieves and there is a specific way in which the Government should deal with all types of thieves everywhere, and not just those in the sugar sector. 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. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I have a Statement to give from the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, on 26th September, 2013, Sen. (Prof.) Anyang’- Nyong’o requested for a Statement on security along the Nandi-Kisumu border particularly Songhor, Chemelil and Kopere areas. The honourable Senator said that there 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. Temporary Speaker, Sir, last Thursday I stood here to seek a Statement under Standing Order No.43(2)(c) from the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on National Security and Foreign Relations with regard to an urgent matter that took place in my county last week on Monday, 30th September, 2013 at exactly 3.00 a.m. The Chairman of the Committee promised to give the Statement today, given the sensitivity and the urgency of that matter. We wanted the animals that had been stolen returned because they are here in Kenya. Over 800 cows are not invisible; they are just somewhere in Kenya. They have not been taken to Uganda, Sudan or anywhere else. I expected the Chairman to stand here and state whether the livestock have been recovered and handed over to the owners.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I do agree that the Senator requested for this Statement to be given, but as I said earlier, I have not yet received the answer but we shall do everything possible and God willing, I will try to give the Statement next week. MANAGEMENT OF 99 YEAR LEASES BY THE GOVERNMENT

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I am also rising on a point of order to demand a response to a request to a Statement which I had requested from the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Land and Natural Resources before we went for recess. I had asked for a Statement on the criteria used to renew the 99 year leases which have expired and also the basis on which other people are being allocated these leases. A lot of Kenyans are losing land because of lack of clarity in the criteria used to manage such leases. The Chairperson of the Committee promised that he would deliver that Statement immediately we would come back from recess. However, the Statement has not been forthcoming for the last two weeks and today he has left without providing it. Could I request the Chair to be firm and order that the Statement be delivered on Thursday next week because we cannot wait for it forever and we cannot approach it in such a casual and haphazard manner?

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, as a member of that Committee, let me indulge this House that I will pass that message and by Thursday next week, we will come with an answer.

I hope that as you take that responsibility, you take it seriously considering that your Chairman was here a few minutes ago and we need an explanation. Next Order! 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. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I beg to move the following Motion:- THAT, aware that the textile industry in Kenya is crumbling following the closure of several textile firms due to unhealthy competition arising from cheap imports of textile and apparel products; concerned that the Government imports most of the uniforms for the disciplined forces and other uniformed staff thereby compounding the problem faced by the industry; noting that the national Government would provide the biggest market for these local products; concerned further that the closure of these firms led not only to loss of huge revenue but also to loss of employment opportunities; the Senate calls upon the national Government to urgently formulate a policy and review the procurement regulations to compel all Government departments and agencies to procure textiles and leather products locally with a view to redeeming the Kenya textile industry and creating more revenue sources.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I present this Motion which touches on the fabric of the people of Kenya because as you know, today, it is very rare to see a human being walking naked. They must put on clothes and, once upon a time, majority of these clothes were made in Kenya and their raw materials were produced in Kenya. In the early 1960s and 1970s, many people were employed in the textile industry. Trouble started in the late 1980s to the early 1990s where today we have close to 17 textile firms that have been closed and we only have seven that are alive. Because of the way this matter is heavy and it touches on the revival of the Kenyan economy, allow me to mention that thousands of people were laid off when this problem arose. I will read the famous names that we know that were supposed to employ our educated people. There was the Kisumu Cotton Mills (Kicomi) which closed down and thousands of people lost jobs. The Mount Kenya Textile Mills, the Kenya Royal Mills, the Raymond Woolen Mills, the Afro Spin, the East African Fine Spinners and the Kenya Titex Limited all closed down. The Sunflag East Africa is still operational but not fully; the Bandari Textiles closed down. The Londra Textile Mills of Nakuru closed down last year. The Nakuru Blankets is halfway closed. The Nakuru Synthetic Fibre Limited closed down. Manchester Outfitters closed down. The East African Cottage Industries closed down. The Kenya Canvas Limited, the Kenya Trade Ltd, the Ruiru Towels, et cetera, all closed down . The one that is still struggling is RIVATEX which closed down but was later bought by Moi University and now renamed RIVATEX East African Limited. Thika Cotton Mills, KenKnit Limited, Spin Nit Limited, Spinners Limited and Sunflag and then 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. Temporary Speaker, Sir.

Do you wish to be informed?

Yes. 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.

Proceed, Sen. Ong’era.

On a point of information, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I do not know whether the Senator for West Pokot, when he referred to inner clothes, was talking about braziers and underpants.

Sen. Ong’era that is not a point of information.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I have now understood that it is a point of order.

By now, you should have understood your Standing Orders.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I said that anything that we put on as underwear should not be sold in the second hand market. We should not have those types of clothes being sold in the second hand market. I am also asking that we create, in this Motion, a revolving fund just like we created one under the Sugar Levy Fund. You have heard Sen.(Dr.) Khalwale ask why Mumias Sugar Company (MSC) was not given money from the revolving fund. When we have such a fund, it will be easy to replace obsolete machines that are in our textile firms with modern ones. I remember when I visited Webuye Pan Paper Mills – this one is not meant to manufacture clothes - I saw one machine which was manufactured in 1890. This machine is still working up to now. The machine consumes a lot of power. We could, for example, give them a revolving fund, a place where they can access loans at low interest rates just like it was envisaged in the 1960s when they decided to form the Industrial Development Bank (IDB) which was supposed to give low interest rate loans specifically to industries. The market was liberalised in 1989 and everything was wiped out. The two previous Governments, the one of President Moi and the that of Jomo Kenyatta had no idea those days about how to disburse these funds. I am proposing that a revolving fund can be given through any bank, the Kenya Industrial Estates (KIE) or the IDB so that industries could upgrade their machinery. They should peg the fund on the number of jobs that they create and the taxes that they pay. If we agree, as a Senate, that the Government should take this direction, then we will not need to wait for four years for the Government to bring down the cost of power. We can begin that now. The backlog for Kenya is very high. If we say that we will wait until that time, then we will have five more million people. Without anything to feed them, we will have created five million more problems. Unless we address them now, we will have problems by reviving what belongs to us. This way; the phrase Buy Kenya, Build Kenya will have a meaning. I support and ask Senator Wamatangi, who has suffered most because most industries that were closed are in his county, to second the Motion.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I begin by lauding my colleague, Sen. (Prof.) Lonyangapuo, for this timely, well researched and thought-out Motion. We now have a Government in place which came into power upon the premise of creating not less than 500,000 jobs per year. First, I want to, lay the threshold by making a statement of fact. 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. Temporary Speaker, Sir, for giving me an opportunity to support this Motion by a good professor who has really researched. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, as I was seated here listening to Sen. (Prof.) Lonyangapuo narrating how many industries collapsed because of lack of support from our Government, I really felt ashamed. Currently, we are really talking about Vision 2030. But when Sen. (Prof.) Lonyangapuo cited many industries, including Kicomi and others which have died, I just also remembered that in my own county, we used to grow cotton. In fact, cotton really used to do very well in semi-arid lands. I just remember a bit of history that cotton was introduced in this country around the 1900. After Independence, by the time our Government came into power, we were still doing very well. There were donors. The Government was very supportive. However, later on, the donors withdrew and the Government support was also not forthcoming. In the 1980s, the cotton industry started crumbling. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, if we want our economy to grow, we must think along the lines of making sure that we put value into what can be grown in this country. We can achieve this by promoting our industries and making the environment in which they operate suitable, so that our youth can be employed and live a decent life. You can imagine farmers benefiting from growing cotton and people working in that industry living decent lives. If we want our economy to grow into double digit, we must really think along the lines of Sen. (Prof.) Lonyangapuo. It just requires one statement and many things will change. Just two or so months ago, His Excellency the President said that women and youth must be considered in any procurement which is done within Government institutions. Even though money has not started trickling into the counties, the women and young men have a lot of excitement that they will be in business. Therefore, a statement should be made that any Government institution in this country must consume goods which are produced in this country. With that announcement alone, many things will change. 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.

Bw. Spika wa Muda, nakushukuru sana kwa nafasi hii ili niweze kuunga mkono Hoja hii ambayo imeletwa na Sen. (Prof.) Lonyangapuo, ambaye ameonyesha kuwa anajali taifa hili na wala sio tu kaunti yake anayoiwakilisha hapa. Hoja hii inahusu nchi nzima na rasilmali zetu. Bw. Spika wa Muda, nimeamua kuzungumza kwa Kiswahiil ili niweze kutafakari na kukumbuka maneno ya wimbo mmoja ambao ulikuwa unaimbwa zamani nikiwa kijana. Ulikuwa unasema kuwa ukitaka kuisaidia nchi hii, nunua mali ya Kenya. Ulikuwa unasema kuwa Bw. Kamau ananunua mali ya Kenya na kwa hivyo, anaongezea uchumi wa nchi hii nguvu sana. Wimbo huo ulikuwa unataja karibu kila kabila katika taifa letu. Bw. Spika wa Muda, tulipopata uhuru wetu, Serikali ya kwanza ya hayati Mzee Jomo Kenyatta iliweza kujimudu sana na kuanzisha viwanda mbalimbali. Tumesikia kuhusu Kicomi. Kulikuwa pia na KTM, RIVATEX, KMC, Shirika la Reli na viwanda vingine vingi. Nikiangazia Hoja hii, ningependa kusema kuwa ni aibu sana kwa taifa hili kuwa na ukosefu wa kazi ilhali watoto wetu wamesoma. Tegemeo la watoto hawa ni nchi hii. Lakini kila wakati nafasi ndogo inapotokea tunaifunga. Bw. Spika wa Muda, katika Kaunti ya Machakos ambayo ninaiwakilisha hapa kuna viwanda vingi katika mpangilio wa EPZ. Kati ya hivi viwanda, vingi vimeamuriwa kufungwa. Wakati EPZ ilianza, makampuni mengi yalienda kule na kuanza kufanya kazi, kuajiri watu na kutoa huduma. Lakini cha ajabu ni kuwa miaka 50 baada ya Uhuru wetu, tukiwa na mkonge, pamba na vitu vinavyohitajika kutengeneza nguo, nchi yetu inaweza kuendela sana. Tuna kiwanda cha Bata kinachotengeneza viatu. Nimenunua viatu vya Bata na ninaweza kuthibitisha kwamba vinadumu zaidi kuliko viatu vinavyotoka nje ya nchi hii. Pia bei yake ni nafuu. Ukinunua kiatu kwa bei ya dola 50 hapa, utakinunua kiatu kama hicho ulaya kwa dola 200. Bw. Spika wa Muda, tuko na ngozi lakini mavazi yanayovaliwa na askari wetu wa General Service Unit (GSU) na wanajeshi wetu yanatoka nje ya nchi. Kwa maoni yangu, huu ni ukora tu. Kuna watu wanaotaka kuiba pesa za Serikali. Tukinunua bidhaa kutoka kwa kampuni zilizoko nje ya nchi, tunapoteza pesa za kigeni ambazo tunahitaji. Pesa hizo zinapelekwa nje na kumlipa mtu kule India au Malasya. Pili, tukishapoteza pesa hizo na nchi kuwachwa na lawama ya kutafuta pesa za kigeni, faida inayopatikana kule haitozwi kodi hapa. Kwa hivyo, tunapoteza pesa na kodi. 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. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I also rise to support this Motion knowing very well that for the whole of this week we have been talking about our country and the sadness that we see and how we have handled most of our institutions. Today, again, we are talking about the same thing. I think now it is time we asked ourselves: What action do we take because it is very sad when we come and talk about farmers who used to plant cotton and ensured that their children went to school because 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. (Dr.) Zani.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this very important Motion. I congratulate Sen. (Prof.) Lonyangapuo for bringing the Motion to the House because it touches on the economy of our country, the young people and historical injustices, if I may say, in the way we have handled our economy. The reason many people in the counties are keen on devolution is because they are living below the poverty line. One of the areas where you can push down peoples’ levels of poverty and improve their standards of living is to enable them earn an income. Most counties are endowed with one resource or another, but we have mismanaged these resources. This is quite unfortunate. In the 1960s and 1970s, we saw a model of how these industries would work and, therefore, we are not talking from an empty template; we are talking from reality where we know industries can work because in the history and development of this country, they have worked. In Kwale County, for example, Ramisi Sugar Company (RSC) was able to keep people who grew sugar cane in employment. This is an area where sugar cane can be grown and processed. It is an area that can produce sugar both for local consumption and for export to the advantage of the people of Kwale County. When we think about the coast region in general, the cashew nut industry is another industry that has just been left to die. From cashew nut farming, it was possible to manufacture various products. The industries, for example, even for processing mangoes that were there many years ago have all disappeared and are depleted in most of these specific regions. The reality is that counties will continue to be poor. This Motion is very timely. We urge that those specific counties look at their potential and try to revive those industries appropriately to ensure that counties move forward. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, at the Coast, most people rely on the coconut tree. From that tree, people would have a livelihood; be it in preparing makuti for the roofs or other products such as the mats which they would sell to tourists and hotels and they would make some money out of it. What is so hurting is to find an impoverished community that has the resources, but has leaders who have failed in ensuring that industries are managed. Just because people are greedy, some people have taken it upon themselves that if they know that they are going to procure, they are going to have deals or they are going to have sugar coming in from abroad, then they are happy to do that so that those industries are killed and, at the end of the day, they are the ones who gain and continue with what is happening. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, recently, there have been serious conflicts in Kilifi, and I think you have seen this. The old men are worried and scared that, at any moment, 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. Temporary Speaker, Sir. First of all, I want to thank Sen. (Prof.) Lonyangapuo for bringing this Motion. One thing I have found out is that the Senate is the place to be. There are things I wanted to debate while I was at the National Assembly for the last 15 years but had no chance to debate. However, everyday here, we are dealing with serious topical issues that can change lives in this country and this is one of them. I was talking to a serious investor in this country who deals in textiles, an Asian, and he told me: “Kajwang, there is no country that has ever developed without starting with cotton, whether you go to Britain, Liverpool or Manchester.” These are cities built on cotton. If you go to India, you will find that it is built on cotton. If you go to America, you will find the situation is the same. We are now talking about China which is also built on cotton. There is only one country that was being built on cotton but restrained, and that is the East African Community (EAC). There is a time when if you bought a dress for your wife from Korea, you would be divorced. There is no lady who would want to dress in a Korean dress. That would mean that you were looking down upon her. They used to say, at our place, do not bring me a dress from “ Koria” . They used to call it “ Koria” . The only clothes that were imported from Japan were those for burying dead people and these clothes are still referred to as “ japan” up to now. In our language, we turned it to mean that we were using it for panoring the dead guys. This means that there was a time when Japan was so far behind that we would not use their clothes for dressing. There was a time when India was far behind that we did not import anything from there especially textile. Our clothes used to come from Jinja, the best quality clothes in the world. In fact, the other quality clothes in the world at that time that were competing with this one were the American Khaki. We destroyed anything else that came in. So, you cannot just develop without a policy that protects an industry. You cannot open yourself to the world and hope that you will survive when you are a small fish. In fact, in our region, when you are a small fish, you run away from mbuta because the

will eat omena and all other small species. So, you must protect yourself to survive in the sea if you are a small fish. Kenya is a small fish. As a Committee of Parliament, we went to Germany and held talks with the Minister for Foreign Affairs there and he was very excited about the rebuilding of both the East African Community (EAC) and the COMESA as trading blocs. We asked him why they were not buying sugar from Kenya or even the EAC and why they were protecting the beetroot. Production of sugar from beetroot is very expensive. In fact, farmers cannot grow it unless they are heavily subsidised. So, we asked him why they do that when we have sugar that they can buy for use and he told us that he represents a constituency that grows beetroots. He told us that if he left farmers without subsidy, then he would not make it to Parliament. If a European can be so frank to tell you that unless he protects his own, he will lose his seat and yet we do not care in Kenya, what does that mean? In Kenya, we do not care. There is a time when we used to protect our industries to some extent. At that time, 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. Senator Kajwang, you are an experienced Member of this House.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I am so sorry. I got passionate. Let me go back to what I was saying.

People will not come and invest in Kenya if the cost of energy is as high as it is. If you gave me money and told me to invest it, probably, I would not invest it in Kenya. If you look at the money we spend on energy, probably, you would not make ends meet. People will not invest in the hinterland of Kenya, Kisumu and other areas, because of the transportation costs. I support.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I take this opportunity to thank Sen. (Prof.) Lonyangapuo who introduced this Motion to the Senate today. He has talked about industries that we used to have in the 1960s and 1970s but which have since been abandoned by the Government. These are the industries that would be employing our people. If we revived these industries, we would provide employment for our youth. I would like to challenge the Government, if it has to overcome the challenge of unemployment, it should come up with a clear policy to deal with the issues which have hindered our development. We have all the necessary raw materials in the country. We have enough animals which can produce leather. My county alone can produce enough leather and even some for export. We can also produce cotton. We had many cotton industries previously but these have since been abandoned. I urge the Government to revive all the industries that have been abandoned and stop the cheap importation of materials which we already have in our localities. I support the Motion.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, thank you for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the Motion. First of all, I would like to commend the Mover and Seconder for bringing such a very important Motion to this House. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, according to the Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA), we are told that the textile industry was at its peak performance in 1984, when the cotton industry at that time was producing over 70 bales which were then supplied to the domestic textile industry. During that time, we had 52 textile mills in this country. Today, we only have about 15 textile mills in Kenya, which 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. Temporary Speaker, Sir, for giving me this time to contribute to this very important Motion which is detailing how we can revive our industries to be able to grow the economy of this country. A number of textile industries have closed down in the recent past. I do not know if this only happened in my county. About five industries that used to process textile products were closed down. I want to believe that this happened also in other towns of this country. This has led to unemployment, poverty and increased crime among other evils. We have always said – and I think that all the leaders are in agreement with me – that the biggest challenge that this country is facing today is not the Al Shabaab or attack from external forces. We have more to fear from within than from without. This is because the levels of unemployment among our youth today have gone up, basically because a number of industries have been closed down. If we just sit down and say that we want to fight insecurity, are we really serious? One of the main causes of these problems is unemployment among the young people, since a number of industries, which used to employ these young people, have closed down. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I do not know how many people from this country work in countries that we import textile products from. Those countries include China and Japan. How many of our young people are employed in Japan? How many of them are experts in those industries that produce the clothes that we wear today? Why do we not accept the fact that we have done wrong in the past and so, we should correct it and 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. Temporary Speaker, Sir.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I accept the information.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, just to mention that Raymond’s Textile Factory used to export suits. First of all, the material was made in Eldoret and the suit stitched in Kenya and sold in London. At one time, a son bought his father a suit in London when he went for his graduation. The father liked it, but he had not checked that it was actually made in Kenya. When he checked and found out that the suit was made in Kenya, he told the son: “You must take this suit because I cannot go back home with something which is made in Kenya and I have come to London.” That is how good we were.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I would like to thank the Senator for that information. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, when are we going to believe in ourselves as a country; that we can produce items and consume them ourselves? I think that this is the right time to do so. I congratulate the Mover, who was my university lecturer, for bringing this wonderful Motion. I support it 100 per cent and want to believe that everybody who will make a contribution to this Motion will take it seriously. If we do not revive these industries, we may not achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Vision 2030. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, people talk about quality and pricing when we try to actually influence them to buy local materials. We can produce the best quality because we have what it takes. We have men and women who are qualified to work in these industries and produce quality products, basically, clothes, which we can wear. Everybody else in this world can come and buy those products. We have what it takes. We only need to be serious. It is high time that the Government comes in and ensures that we empower our industries. The Government should allocate funds to our local industries for them to expand and in the long run be able to employ the people of this country and hence, grow the economy. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, lastly, the cost of production is high in this country basically because of issues to do with power. If the Government could come in and subsidize this cost, it would encourage investors to come into this country, and things will not be the same again. I want to urge the Senate to actually take the lead and ensure that all our contributions are taken into consideration, so that we can move forward and come up with a Bill that will ensure that all these things are taken care of. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, with those few remarks, I beg to support. 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. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I hope I can be able to make a contribution. I have been suffering from some flu but I hope I will be able to make a contribution to this very important Motion. The textile industry, like has been pointed out by Sen. Kajwang, has always been the first in the race towards industrialization. We have seen this in other countries. Again, it provides a base for other industries to start flourishing because of the various linkages it creates. During the 1960s, the 1970s up to the late 1980s, the textile industry here was flourishing. It was doing extremely well. It was thriving in every sense. We had Kicomi, RIVATEX and Raymond in Eldoret, Thika Textile Mills and very many others in Nakuru, Nairobi and Mombasa. All these made a huge contribution to the economy of this country. These industries provided a ready market for cotton and then farmers who were engaged in cotton production received incomes and through those incomes, they supported their families and in so doing also supported the economy to grow. These industries employed very many people. Many of these people received training and acquired skills. These are the people who positively contributed to the growth of the economy. All these industries collapsed because of competition from imports which were subsidized and also from unfair competition. Also, our policies did not protect them. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, what we now need is a revival in the spirit of this Motion. We want to see a revival of these industries in order to support our economy to grow even further. In doing so, we need a change of attitude. Kenyans must change their attitudes. We must have confidence in our own abilities. We must discard self-interests where people want to get rich too quickly. We should discard that element and promote patriotism and nationalism to be able to revive these industries. Today, we are importing what is locally available. For some reason because of our attitudes, we believe that what comes from elsewhere is superior to what is available locally. I think this is why we must first change our attitude and support the local industry because that is the only way forward. In the absence of that, the options are very hard. We lose job opportunities and encourage poverty among our people. I welcome the spirit of this very important Motion. We should try and encourage the establishment of industries in this country. We should think of those industries which use locally available materials. I am talking about industries which process, for example, bananas and leather. Leather is available in plenty. Even in your own county, Mr. Temporary Speaker, I know you used to produce quality cotton. Now that is no longer possible because of the shutdown of the textile industries. We need industries that will add value to the local products. That is what we must encourage in order to meaningfully engage our people. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this Motion is calling upon us, as the Senate, to urge Government to formulate policies which will encourage consumption of locally produced clothes and so on. The Government today is the largest consumer or trading partner. We spend large amounts of money but it is a shame that even the Government, which should be setting a good example, is the one that will go out there to buy uniforms for the armed forces, the police and others. If I had a way to meet Sen. (Prof.) Lonyangapuo, I would have suggested to him that we do not just urge the Government but we should compel 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.

I now call upon the Mover to reply.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I rise to thank my colleagues who have spoken to this Motion which has paramount importance as has been exhibited on the Floor of the House. Indeed it is time we took our stand and put things right as a nation. You should not be surprised if I told you that even the National Flag of Kenya is imported. What a shame it is that we source our pride abroad? In some of these industries that were closed, you will find a sample of the national flag. The Supplies Branch in Industrial Area can tell you that in the 1950s and 1960s, they were all being made here. I agree with my colleagues who have said that, as Senate, we need to firmly compel the Government to source goods locally. We are going to bring a Bill here to repeal the Public Procurement and Disposal Act. We may have to add a clause in that Act which makes it mandatory for Government departments that consume these products to purchase them locally so that anybody found importing goods through the Port of Mombasa is arrested. This is so that we can be on a really serious footing. We are talking of Vision 2030 and we have now cleared a few years since we started. Five years have gone but expansion in the academic institutions is so high that we cannot cope up with the products that are coming out. This is one such place where we can do it, and hon. Kajwang fully talked about the original Nyanza Province as the home of cotton and now it is dead. If we can revive these factories, then all our farmers can go back to work again. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I just have to say that ---

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

I want to get the information.

Thank you very much; it is a short one. I just want to inform my friend, Sen. (Prof.) Lonyangapuo, that even toothpicks, which are made of wood from Rift Valley here, are imported from China.

Shame! Shame! Shame!

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, do you know which plants those toothpicks come from? We do not know! So, we are sometimes consuming things after lunch and dinner and we end up going for checkups in hospital, yet we have our trees that we trust here. So, you can imagine; toothpicks and some of the simple things that we keep talking about here are not made here, yet we are very good at saying “these toothpicks are imported!” What a shame that we can do that. In conclusion, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, at one time, we went with the then Minister for Agriculture – who is now the Deputy President – to one particular place in Pokot called Nakwamuru. Apart from Nyanza, that is the best place where cotton grows. After that, Moi University bought the firm and the farmers were not paid again. So, there are many things that can be done if we are serious. RIVATEX East Africa Ltd RIVATEX has just bought new machinery to upgrade its factory. I am told they are capable of producing 20,000 metres of woven and knitted fabric per day, which is capable of clothing about one million servicemen and women. This can be done within a short time, 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. Senators, I would like to remind you that this is not a Motion affecting counties and, therefore, we will just vote for it with in a simple majority of the Members.

AUDIT OF EMPLOYEES OF DEFUNCT LOCAL AUTHORITIES BY TRANSITION AUTHORITY THAT, aware that Section 7(2) of the Transition to Devolved Government Act requires the Transition Authority to carry out an audit of the existing human resource of the Government and local authorities and advise on deployment to either level of Government; further aware that Section 57 of the Urban Areas and Cities Act provides that every person who, immediately before the commencement of the Act was an officer, agent or member of staff appointed, seconded or otherwise employed by a local authority shall, on the commencement of the Act be seconded or otherwise deployed as may be provided by law; concerned that failure to absorb bona fide employees of the defunct local authorities will deprive them of their rightful means of livelihood contrary to the spirit of the Bill of Rights as contained in Chapter Four of the Constitution of Kenya and the principles of devolution; the Senate urges the Transition Authority to urgently finalize the audit of employees of the defunct local authorities and put in place the necessary framework for their absorption as employees of the respective counties.

Is Sen Elachi not here to move here Motion? The Motion is dropped.

Hon. Senators, the Mover of Motion No.9 has approached the Chair and requested that the Order be deferred to a later date. 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. Senators, that brings us to the end of business appearing in today’s Order Paper, the time being five minutes to 6.00 o’clock. The Senate, therefore, stands adjourned until Tuesday, 15th October, 2013, at 2.30 p.m. The Senate rose at 5.55 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.