Hon. Members, I have a communication to make on the demise of Mama Virginia Ciarunji Njoka. Hon. Senators, it is with a heavy heart that I have learnt about the demise of Mama Virginia Ciarunji Njoka, mother to Hon. Justin B. Muturi, EGH, MP, Speaker of the National Assembly, which occurred on Saturday, 26th May, 2018. The late Mama Virginia will be remembered for being a strong pillar to her family and the society, particularly for her endless generosity that touched many around her. A requiem mass for the late Mama Virginia will be held at the All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi tomorrow, 30th May, 2018 at 6.00p.m, and she will be laid to rest on Saturday, 2nd June, 2018 at her Kirimari home in Kanyuambora location, Embu County. On behalf of the Senate and, indeed, on my own behalf, I wish to assure my Colleague, the Speaker of the National Assembly and Chairman to the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) that we stand in solidarity with him and his family at this trying moment. May the soul of Mama Virginia rest in eternal peace. Thank you. Next Order!

The first Notice of Motion is by Sen. Moses Kajwang’. Is Sen. Kajwang’ here? Let us proceed on to the next Notice of Motion by the Senate Majority Leader. 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 beg to give notice of the following Motion:- THAT, pursuant to Standing Order No. 178 (d) and 182 (3) of the Senate Standing Orders, the Senate approves the appointment of Sen. Cleophas Malalah, MP, as a Member of the Senate Business Committee (SBC).

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to give notice of the following Motions:- ADOPTION OF CPAIC REPORT ON FINANCIAL OPERATIONS OF KAJIADO COUNTY EXECUTIVE FOR FY 2013/2014 THAT, this House adopts the Report of the Sessional Committee on County Public Accounts and Investments on the inquiry into the financial operations ofKajiado County Executive for the Financial Year 2013/2014 from 1st July 2013 to 30thJune, 2014, laid on the Table of the House on Thursday, 10th May, 2018. ADOPTION OF CPAIC REPORT ON FINANCIAL OPERATIONS OF NAROK COUNTY EXECUTIVE FOR FY 2013/2014 THAT

Next order.

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

What is your point of order?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I know it is a matter of concern to all the Senators representing counties. We have just heard the Vice Chairperson of the County Public Accounts and Investments Committee (CPAIC) give notice of Motions on reports of the audited accounts of various county executives for the Financial Year (FY) 2013/ 2014. Our core mandate as a Senate is to play oversight over county governments, which include executives and assemblies. We are wondering why the reports being given now are for FY 2014/2014 and I am sure there other legacy reports. Maybe, the Vice Chairperson can enlighten us; which reports did the previous CPAIC bring to this House? Secondly, do you expect in our lifetime in this Senate that we shall oversight the current governors and get reports of their governments? Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to get a report on the current County Government of Nairobi City not the one of the former Governor, Dr. Kidero. I am sure Sen. Murkomen wants the current report as well. Is there a matter that needs assistance? Is it the Auditor- General who is not preparing his reports in time or is it our Committee that is not doing its work? This matter is so crucial that we need to understand that we will play our oversight role as it is, and not in the accrual basis of FY 2013/2014 reports. Maybe we can get enlightenment. I am sure most of it is not the Committee’s doing, but probably what they are getting from the Auditor-General.

Let us have the Vice Chairperson of CPAIC responding.

Mr. Speaker Sir, allow me to shed light on the issues that have been raised by Sen. Sakaja, although the reports of the Statements of the notice of Motion that I have just given are self-explanatory. It is true that the notice we have just given is on the financial inquiry of these three counties for the year ended 30thJune, 2014. I agree with him that it may appear difficult for the current Senate to give reports for all the 47 counties within the period of the next four years. It is not the fault of this Sessional Committee. In fact, this Committee has done its best because these are reports for the three county executives for three years within a period of less than three months. This is because I think this Committee was constituted at the beginning of this year. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we have been having housekeeping meetings within our Committee and we tried to structure ourselves in terms of how we could expedite this process and report to this House. However, it is also important to understand the kind of challenges we have as a Committee. We are not trying to cry foul in any way, however, since the month of April, we gave notice to the country and the governors that we would be having inquiry meetings and we have all through expected them to appear. However, since we started our inquiries, very few governors have attended. I commend Governor Prof. Kibwana of Makueni County. When we were trying to come up with the programme, he was willing and he even requested that we schedule him as one of the first because he really wanted to engage with us. Mr. Speaker, Sir, today, we were supposed to have a sitting with the governor of Trans Nzoia County. To our dismay, whenever we ask the governors and give them enough notice to appear, they only write letters of regret 24 hours or less before 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.

Order! Hon. Senator, kindly wind up.

When we come to you for any kind of support be willing to engage. We will do our best to ensure timely reports are tabled before this House for discussion and adoption.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I cannot help but comment on this, in support of Sen. Sakaja’s concern. The distinguished Senator for Meru, who is the Vice Chair of the Committee, started by saying that he was going to shed light. He has ended up with a cloud of darkness on the issue. This is because, if we are now looking at audits of 2013/2014, then our oversight role is completely lost. Even focusing on pending bills is not an audit. We are not auditing what has not been spent or paid. We are auditing what has been badly spent. Those are the bills already paid. 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 position on the question raised by Sen. Sakaja and Sen. Wetangula. We need to find a solution. This is an embarrassment to the institution of the Senate and the Auditor General. As a Senate, some of us who were here during the last term should take responsibility and blame because the County Public Accounts and Investments Committee (CPAIC) should have expedited this process of looking at the audited accounts. We also know that some of the reports have not been submitted from the Auditor General’s office. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I request, under your direction, that the CPAIC invites the Auditor General, we have a sitting here with him to discuss this matter, in the presence of all Senators. The Committee may invite him on their own. In the past, we have had sessions where a Cabinet Secretary is invited to come to this House. We need to agree how expeditiously we can ensure that all the reports which are already in Parliament can be looked at by the Senate. In fact, we can even take a drastic measure if we want to clear the backlog. We have reports of 2013/2014, 2014/2015 and 2015/2016. There is nothing that stops us under the Standing Orders. We can agree that as the Senate, we subdivide ourselves into ad hoc Committees to look at all the audited accounts, update them up to the last financial year, and then, we can let the CPAIC to continue from there. At that point in time, we summon all the governors as each ad hoc Committee sits in a separate room and looks at all these reports and updates. As Sen. Sakaja has said, we may not in our life time of the 12th Parliament, ever see what our counties look like if we continue with this process in this manner.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise to support Sen. Sakaja. I am surprised that the Vice Chair of CPAIC has told us to go appealing, wailing, kind of looking nice to people we are supposed to be inspecting according to the Constitution. We are supposed to be monitoring. It is very unfortunate. This House must live up to its responsibility and show that we are following up on the use of money that is voted for the improvement of this country. When we are told, you better go and get your governor, appeal to them 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.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I was not going to speak on this matter but I have been moved to do so after the contribution by the Senator for Nyeri. He has raised a very fundamental constitutional question. We have to decide whether or not we will perform our constitutional functions in accordance with the Constitution or we will look for a different framework outside the Constitution. If I may just pause and ask the question; will we ever have a situation where the court, in exercise of its judicial function, would want to enter into some kind of understanding as to whether we should appear in court or come in a certain fashion? When you are required to appear, you are required to appear because it is a duty and the exercise of a constitutional function. The problem is that Parliament, and particularly, the National Assembly, appropriates funds to be expended. Leave alone the audit. You are the owner of the funds expended by the state. You are the ones who appropriate. It is not the Executive. So, it is not even the business of the executive as the governors to try and find out how that money was spent because you are the one who has appropriated it. In addition to the role of the Auditor General, he is also required that in every Financial year, he should report to Parliament. He is only given six months at the end of each financial year. So, with these constitutional tools, we may want to have an approach in which we make governors and the counties feel comfortably when they come to appear before us, but in the exercise of our constitutional duty, we should not be seen to be ceding ground because that is what happens. The moment you are seen to be ceding ground, the moment a governor knows that he can elect not to appear, for example, Sen. Linturi is saying the governor elected, 24 hours before the meeting, not to appear. That is a grave mistake. If you are summoned to a court and you send a letter there that you are not appearing, you will not be allowed to tell that story. You will be trailed to purge that contempt before you are heard. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the governors should be told that this is an offence but in the exercise of our constitutional duty we will not have a debate or discussion. If they appear, well and good but if they do not appear, the Senate should use the tools at its disposal which are contained in the Constitution so that the work is done properly and in good time. Otherwise, we will be told that we are not exercising our mandate properly. 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 think the sentiments have been heard. Sen. M. Kajwang' who is the Chairman is here but before the Chairman, I will allow Sen. Cheruiyot little time so that we make progress.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I will be extremely brief. The point I want to make is that the issue of why the backlog in terms of the years is a matter that we have canvassed before. I am a Member of the Committee on Finance and Budget and I was a Member of the Committee on Finance, Commerce and Budget in the previous Parliament. In one of our reports that we brought to this House alongside the County Allocation of Revenue Bill, we had made recommendations to the Office of the Auditor- General. He should consider requesting for funding from the Treasury to hire auditing services to counties so that they catch up with the years because of the huge amount of work that is being done and lack of resources in that Office. The Office of the Auditor-General complied with that report and this year they made that request. Unfortunately, the Treasury did not grant it. So, the culprit here is not the CPAIC or the Office of the Auditor-General but the Treasury which continues to underfund the Office of the Auditor-General despite the numerous requests that have been made for us to catch up; and Members of the Committee can bear me witness. What report will they bring to this House if the Auditor-General has not looked into the audit reports of 2015/2016, 2016/2017 and subsequent financial years? It is important under Article 225 of our Constitution to consider what we can do as a legislature to compel the Treasury to comply with the report of our Committee on Finance and Budget that made that very specific request for funding. It is unfortunate that even today the Office of the Auditor-General has not complied with that. They do not have representation in county offices. Instead they are managed from regional centres like what you would have for rift valley in Nakuru and that kind of arrangement. It is a matter that we need to seriously think through and consider. I thank you.

Sen. Olekina, be brief so that we make progress.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I notice that the Chair of CPAIC has just entered but I just want to shed some light. I want to assure this House that the CPAIC is working daily to table a lot of reports. I want to assure Sen. Sakaja that the amount of work that we have done is not equal to the amount of work that was carried out by the previous committee. We had a lot of work which had not been completed. The first time when we met, we worked day in day out to complete those reports. I assure this House that 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 think the matter has been explained properly. I urge the CPAIC to move with speed because if we go by the speed at which they are moving, then we will not be able to discuss the reports in our lifetime. Therefore you have to look for a mechanism of getting everybody who is concerned on board, so that we make progress. Yes Sen. M. Kajwang', although you came in a bit late.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I was following the conversation on radio. I just want to make some very brief remarks. It is a fact that this House in its five year life has never adopted a single report and the Notice of Motion by Sen. Linturi is the first attempt to move this House to adopt a report. In 2010, we passed a new Constitution; in 2012, we did a new Public Finance Management (PFM) Act; and in 2015, we came up with very detailed regulations for the PFM Act but our framework for audit has remained the same. The CPAIC is looking at the same things that county assemblies are looking at. What makes it worse is that the Senate’s CPAIC receives an average of 470 reports every year while county assemblies get about 10 reports. Each county that has established Funds such bursary Funds, mortgage Funds, women Funds and “monkey” Funds in some counties have to be audited and a report comes to the Senate. I will not give this House an assurance that in our lifetime we will look at an average of 470 reports in a year and it has been my position that we are looking at the wrong things. There is no business for the Senate to do the same things that county assemblies are doing. We have not engaged the Auditor-General so that we come up with a different report---

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Did you realise that the Senator for Murang’a is not attentive and did not hear what the Chairman said? This is a House of records. I would like the Chairman to tell us which county has “monkey” Funds.

Murang’a County has a Fund to kill monkeys. Proceed Sen. M. Kajwang'. 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 coming to my rescue. Indeed it is true that there is such a Fund and all these Funds have to be audited. The Auditor-General brings a report to this Senate for the Senate to make a decision. There is no way we will make headway with that approach. The Auditor- General has assured us that they are implementing a new software called Team Mate Version 12 which allows them to produce consolidated reports. So, instead of sending us 10 reports per county, we will get one report that provides a dashboard of the financial and other affairs of a county. That will make the Senate useful. There is a matter which probably we will discuss in the Senate Liaison Committee. That is the 2013/2014 reports. I have seen the kind of disappointment Members have when looking at those things. The CPAIC is a committee of the House and looking at the Agency Theory, could we make a decision that the CPAIC has got the competence and authority to review the Auditor-General’s report and adopt it? The only thing we should be tabling so that we do not bring reports here for debate---. We should just table the reports here and once tabled, we close the chapter. Since it entails moving a Notice of Motion, then moving a Motion and doing debates for 47 reports for 2013/2014, we might not make headway. So, I will package that report appropriately so that we give the CPAIC authority to look at those reports and only table them. Finally, we must also give county assemblies incentives for looking at the audit reports. I urge the Committee on Finance and Budget that in the PFM Regulation where it is stated that not less than 7 per cent of county revenues shall be allocated to county assemblies, we might need to amend that and say 7 per cent of county revenues as per the last audited accounts. That way, we will compel county assemblies to carry out audits and not just leave it to the Senate. Thank you Mr. Speaker, Sir.

Finally, Sen. Sakaja.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. It is good to hear the sentiments of other Senators on this. Parliament operates through its Committees for purposes of efficiency and to make sure that the work of the House is done effectively in its entirety. The Senate Majority Leader has given a suggestion on how we can assist this Committee to be up to date. It is not usurping their mandate or taking it away from them in any way. We are not interested in seeing the reports of Bungoma County when it was under you; we want to see Gov. Wangamati’s reports. We are not interested in former Gov. Kidero’s reports; we want to see Gov. Sonko’s report. We do not want to see former Gov. Munya’s reports; we want to see Gov. Kiraitu’s report. I wish you could rule on the suggestion by the Senate Majority Leader. In as much as the Committee on County Public Accounts and Investments (CPAIC) gets ten reports, they can prioritise. We first want to see the reports on the county executives and assemblies and then they can look at the report on the other Funds that the Chairperson referred to, including the ‘monkey Fund.’ I almost thought that he was giving us another English lesson, but it so happens that, indeed, there is a ‘monkey 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.

Hon. Senators, I wish to push this matter to the Liaison Committee which will look at how we can expeditiously move forward because there are many issues that surround it. It is true that these reports need to be discussed in time for them to make sense. As a Senate, we need to remain relevant; otherwise, we will be discussing historical things. We will be looking at archives and that may not be what we want to do. I refer the matter to the Liaison Committee that will look at the suggestions that have been given here and find out what is going to work faster for us. We will now move to Order No. 8. Statements will come thereafter.

Hon. Senators, we shall now proceed to Division. I direct that the Division Bell be rang for two minutes.

Hon. Senators, I now direct that the Bar be drawn and doors locked. 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. Lusaka): Hon. Senators, the result of the Division is as follows:-

It happens. We will just have a repeat election.

Hon. Senators, the results of the Division are as follows:-

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise on Standing Order No. 46 (2) (a) to make a Statement regarding the current situation on maize buying by the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) in the North Rift, Uasin Gishu County, in particular but I will touch on the rest in general. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am standing to give this Statement knowing very well that according to Schedule Four of the Constitution, agriculture is a devolved function except for policy on agriculture and veterinary. This means that this House must be seized of any issue on agriculture. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as all of you are aware, I come from Uasin Gishu County. This area has suffered a lot. Hon. Members have seen a lot of complaints and debates in the media about the issue of maize buying. I want to update this House on the current situation which is that farmers delivered their produce to the NCPB as usual but as we talk, majority of the farmers who delivered their produce have not been paid notwithstanding the fact that the stores were opened this season in an irregular manner. According to the farmers and those of us from the region, the NCPB mishandled the receiving of maize, resulting in very long queues. This led to closing down of the cereals storage, making farmers go back with their produce. Mr. Deputy Speaker Sir, there are situations where farmers found themselves at a loss, because everybody sells in order to pay schools fees for their children and to buy inputs for the next season. The season for 2017 to early 2018 was completely complicated by the way the cereals were handled, particularly in the North Rift. Large scale farmers, in some instances, had to rescue small scale farmers by buying off their produce. Hence we found some of the large scale farmers being named as cartels and yet we know that some of them were actually rescuing the small scale farmers who could not afford to send their children to school. We, in fact, also have children who have dropped out of universities while farmers are owed a lot of money. Mr. Deputy Speaker Sir, many farmers currently still have their produce in their stores because of the same delivery frustrations. One situation that has taken place is that the NCPB has stopped collecting maize, as we speak now. Therefore, all stores have been closed down nationally and this has created another problem and raised a number of questions. This is because the complications and frustrations in delivery actually led to very little produce being delivered. I want to say without fear of contradiction that only about 30 percent of the farmers actually delivered their produce. 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.) Kindiki): Sen. (Prof.) Kamar, you have a maximum of ten minutes. That is number one---

Mr. Deputy Speaker Sir, I have two minutes remaining.

Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki): Maybe less. Secondly, Sen. (Prof.) Kamar, you should issue a statement under Standing Order No.46 (2) (a), and not deliver a speech.

Thank you.

Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki): You are a professor. I am sure you have appreciated. So, I will give you another two minutes.

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. Unfortunately, I am also a farmer and a victim like everybody else. In conclusion, we have discovered that there is need to have a thorough audit. We would like a few things to be unearthed; who supplied or delivered, when the exports expired and when it was stopped in reality. The Government should also devolve the NCPB. This will be important for us. As a Senate, we need to guard the farmers at the county level. It is not a policy issue. It is an implementation and management issue of the produce that we have. We feel strongly that we should do this. As that happens, our plea is that the farmers be allowed to deliver what they still have and moreover, they are paid for what they have delivered.

Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki): Very well. Thank you, Sen. (Prof.) Kamar. I see a lot of interest. I know that the issue of maize is a matter of great importance. However, in the interest of time, I request that those who will be fortunate 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.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, by virtue of my office, I plead for five minutes.

Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki): Order, Senator!

I plead.

Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki): You said you plead?

Yes.

Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki): Okay. If it is a plea, it is reduced to four minutes and the rest two minutes each. You and the Leader of Minority, if he is interested, will have four minutes each and the rest two minutes each.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, first of all, I thank the Senator for Uasin Gishu, Sen. (Prof.) Kamar, for making this very important statement. I am in full support of what she has said. There is a problem in the North Rift as we speak. Most of us are maize farmers. The former Minority Leader and Sen. Cherargei are maize farmers too. Most of us who come from Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Bungoma and to a good extent, Nakuru County, depend on maize farming. Other counties have different crops but maize is very important for our region. Secondly, countries all over the world, Europe and the United States of America (USA) included, offer subsidies to their farmers because of the important factor of food security. In fact, under the World Trade Organisation (WTO), one of the exceptions to the Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) principle in so far as tariffs are concerned, is that countries are allowed, including in the subsidies and countervailing measures agreement, to subsidize goods for purpose of achieving national food security. For that reason, NCPB has been mandated to buy maize from farmers, distribute fertilizer at a subsidized price and give maize farmers a standard price for their maize; in this case Kshs3,200. It is important for people to know that when you are subsidizing for farmers, in Europe and the US for example, the aim is to keep certain people in farming so that they can continue producing for national security. In places like Uasin Gishu and Trans Nzoia and some parts of Bungoma, you need to maintain large scale farmers; those who have 1,000, 2,000 and 3,000 acres to continue producing wheat and maize for purpose of national security. Some of these farmers were quick to deliver their produce to NCPB. Some of them, like one of the farmers we were together over the weekend, were entitled to be paid up to Kshs200 million. As the people of the North Rift, we feel sad when those farmers who were sacrificing to feed the nation are called cartels. That does not mean that we condone other cartels and business people who have imported goods from other countries. We do not want to mention any country because of good neighbourliness. We are not allowed under our subsidy programme to subsidize goods from another country. As leaders from the North Rift, we do not want to see an indiscriminate list, which is now in the public domain, that condemns all farmers. These are farmers that we 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.) Kindiki): Thank you, Leader of Majority, although you have not told us who the cartel is. You have told us who is not. Proceed, Leader of Minority. You have four minutes.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, cartels or no cartels, there is a crisis amongst the farming community, particularly in the two counties; Trans Nzoia and Uasin Gishu. Probably one can add Bungoma County. Cartels or no cartels, a solution is required. Sen. (Prof.) Kamar was talking on the basis of trying to find a solution; not trying to witch hunt or look at who is being mentioned as a cartel or not. As national leaders, we should approach this on the basis that there is an outcry in which the local leadership took some steps. I was so happy to see a meeting yesterday, attended by the governor in which questions were being asked directly to leaders and the Government in order to resolve the crisis in Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia and Bungoma counties. More importantly, this is not a problem for those three or four counties. It is a national problem because these areas have been identified as important and key areas for the production of food in this country. In fact, in the old days, even in the colonial days, they were so identified that even the scheme of Guaranteed Minimum Returns (GMR) was there for farmers, large or small scale, so long as you were selling your produce to the NCPB. It was evident that farming brought some returns. The crisis in those areas is that some people have done proper and legitimate farming but they do not get any returns on what they have delivered. 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.) Kindiki): Thank you, Senate Minority Leader. Sen. Ndwiga, since you are the Chair of the Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, I will also allow you a maximum of four minutes.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am happy that Sen. (Prof.) Kamar brought this issue because today it was top on our agenda in our committee meeting. In fact, we have asked the Ministry to come and explain to the Committee what exactly is happening. I concur with the other contributors that this is not a new problem. The issue about the NCPB has been there for some time. As we talk about the large-scale farmers, I know that small-scale farmers, not necessarily in the north rift but the rest of the country including the Speaker’s county, cannot deliver their maize. I am saying this because I cannot deliver my own maize despite the fact that there is a cereals store in Embu and I do not know why. The problem we have in this country is that instead of bringing issues to this House like Sen. (Prof.) Kamar did, we are busy out there calling anything we find 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.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki): Thank you Sen. Ndwiga. Sen. Wetangula, I think you come from a maize growing area. I will grant you four minutes.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, let me declare my interest. I am a maize farmer and I have got very close friends who are maize farmers, including the gentleman that Sen. Murkomen was talking about. In the old days, we had three pillars of farming which were the NCPB, the Kenya Farmers Association (KFA) and the Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC). A farmer could borrow money from AFC to go and do his farming; he took tools and fertiliser from KFA on promissory notes; delivered maize to cereals boards and the NCPB would calculate and pay KFA, AFC and the farmer. It was seamless. We did not have these problems. Today, the farmer is the most unappreciated person in this country. In fact, it is amazing that they farm year in year out. Right now, the maize is almost tasseling but the last year’s harvest is in the stores. I want to urge that the Government makes a serious attempt to fleece some expenditure elsewhere and pay the farmers. If we want to feed the country, we cannot continue hurting the farmer. That is why the statement brought by the distinguished Senator for Uasin Gishu is so apt. Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia, Bungoma, Nandi and Elgeyo-Marakwet counties produce three quarters of the cereal produce in this country. With good rains, the former eastern province and the area of the Chair produce about five million bags but in the western region, the rains are always there. Today, we are grumbling about how to help the farmer. The farming community has been taken away by goondas. I saw the other day in the newspapers that somebody has signed an agreement to bring 6.6 million bags of maize from Uganda. I border Uganda and I have relatives in Uganda. You cannot get anybody in Uganda growing maize on more than 100 acres of land. Uganda cannot produce more than two or three million bags of maize in a year. They eat bananas more than maize. Therefore, it is criminals who are engaging in those 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.) Kindiki): Thank you, Sen. Wetangula. Suddenly, the interest in this matter has surged. There is no doubt that the matter is important and of great concern countrywide. There is also no doubt that agriculture and food security issues are devolved. However, I think that some of the suggestions that have been brought forward can be followed up and that includes a Motion for Adjournment. This is actually a Statement by Sen. (Prof.) Kamar. She went about it in a peculiar way and delivered a lecture instead. Having said that, I can see so many requests, but I will restrict myself to four requests. Each Senator given a chance will have two minutes. I will start with the Senator for Nandi County. After Sen. Cherargei, I have Sen. Halake, Sen. Wambua and Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve. They will speak in that order.

Thank you Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, and Sen. (Prof.) Kamar for bringing this issue. Those of us from maize growing areas are having a difficult time because there is uproar from the farmers. I call upon the Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries to ensure that they follow up on the issues that we are raising. The Senators who come from those areas will give them the necessary support. Secondly, I call for prompt payment of farmers, starting from this week. Thirdly, as you have heard, the people who are purportedly mentioned as cartels are not cartels, 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. Deputy Speaker, Sir. As much as the opportunity has been provided by Sen. (Prof.) Kamar’s Statement, I am saddened to see that this is just an iceberg of a bigger problem in our country. This is because there are problems in every sector that we can think of; be it forestry, land, health, NYS or even water. I have had informal discussions with you around Ndakaini and what is happening there and it begs the question: What is going on? As much as we are talking about maize, which is our staple food, and we uphold the view that the farmers who are custodians of our food security have not been treated as such, we also need to appreciate that every sector seems to be crumbling by the rate of corruption in this country. As we deal with the piecemeal problem of the agricultural sector, for it makes sense to break things into small sizes, I keep wondering if there is a sector that is not affected by this mega corruption. What is going on and what can we do as the Senate? We can change this Statement to deal with other sectors such as water, forests, health, NYS and what we are discussing would still be appropriate. The issue around cartels or whatever it is that we are talking about will still come up. Will we just talk or are there any other instruments that we can take advantage of? Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir.

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I also want to congratulate my teacher, Sen. (Prof.) Kamar, for bringing up this matter. This problem is bigger than what we are dealing with now. It is not just a problem of farmers not having been paid this time round. It is a problem of treating farmers as lesser human beings or people whose contribution to the national economy is insignificant, yet we know that farmers in the North Rift and across this country play a very important role in not just feeding this country, but also ensuring that there is food security in the country and the region. I had the opportunity of visiting a farming community in Xiamen, in the South- east coast border of China. The treatment to farmers, especially rice farmers, in that region is amazing. The minute a farmer expresses interest to establish a rice farm, the government takes responsibility to construct a road to the farm, supplies water and assures the farmer of ready market. The choice is left to the farmer as to decide whether 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.) Kindiki): Thank you. Last, but not least, Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve.

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to Sen. (Prof.) Kamar’s statement. I commend her because her Statement comes at a time when our farmers are frustrated. The other day I visited my home in the village and I was able to feel the helplessness of farmers who planted maize. They had nowhere to sell it and the prices are very low. Imagine a two kilogrammes of maize being sold for between Kshs40 and Kshs50.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki): Which village?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am talking about Kakamega County, Lugari Constituency, Lumakanda Ward where I come from and I saw farmers were helpless. They planted maize, but have nowhere to take it because the price is so low. A two kilogramme of maize is being sold between Kshs40 and kshs50. They are desperate and they do not know what to do. I feel that we need to protect them because they play a big role in the economy of this country. Some sugarcane farmers in Mumias shifted to maize farming. They thought this was a better option because it takes a short time to mature. However, they got frustrated because they could not get value for their sweat. It is very discouraging. There is need for this Government to intervene and ensure farmers are assisted. We talk about Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in everything. If we go by SDG 1 of ensuring that we eliminate all forms of poverty, Kenyan farmers will remain behind if we do not do anything to assist them.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki): Thank you, Senator. We are still on Statements. Is there another Statement? Is that all?

Sen. Farhiya, proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity. Before I proceed, I would like to express my condolences to the Speaker of the National Assembly who lost his mother. POOR STATE OF ROAD NETWORK IN NORTHERN KENYA Pursuant to Standing Order No.46(2)(a), I rise to make a Statement regarding the poor state of road network in Northern Kenya. It is a known fact that North Eastern Kenya, specifically Wajir and Mandera counties, have the poorest road network in Kenya. No Government has attempted to improve the poor state of roads since Independence. As a country, Kenya has experienced progress in infrastructure development and particularly construction of new roads. However, northern Kenya has seen little or none of this development. 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.) Kindiki): No, I think that timing is incorrect because she has 10 minutes. So, she still has 8 more minutes. Is it a Statement?

Yes, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. It is a Statement. The lack of roads and other infrastructure in Wajir and Mandera has economically marginalised the region. Currently, the dilapidated state of infrastructure has been worsened by the rains. Travelers spend weeks as they endure the pain of travelling from one place to another. No one has ever bothered to tarmac these roads since Independence. Traveling to Mandera from Nairobi by bus takes about two days and costs about Kshs3,500 to Kshs5,000. During the rainy season, the journey can take up to two weeks as the roads become impassable. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, this sad state of affairs has cost the region a lot. The economic potential of pastoralism has remained stunted by lack of proper roads to take products to the market. Insecurity has become the order of the day with tourism holding sway. The poor roads pose a risk to Kenyans and our armed forces since our enemies can exploit the floods and immobility due to non-existent roads and that can lead to attacks. The region is being crippled by the lack of roads for it to propel to the next level. Even with the massive investment in the counties, progress is slow because the dilapidated state of the roads. Northern Kenya counties cannot trade between themselves since they are cut off from each other. Nonetheless, I must commend the Jubilee Government for showing commitment to improve road network and has initiated engagement with donors and other lenders to help in the construction of Nuno-Modogashe and Modogashe-Wajir roads. Today, northern Kenya has great potential to become the next unchartered frontier for immense opportunities. With the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) project and other massive projects in the making, this region is set to become Kenya’s next economic hub. It is against this backdrop that I express my sincere gratitude to the consortium of development partners from the Gulf in the Middle East led by Kuwait Fund who have come together to rekindle the potential of northern Kenya region by investing in massive 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.) Kindiki): Thank you, Senator. Next Order!

(Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki): I thought I saw the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Justice Legal Affairs and Human Rights in the Chamber? Is the vice Chairperson or a Member of this Committee present? Is the Committee ready to move this Bill?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Committee is not ready to move the Bill.

(Sen.(Prof.) Kindiki): Then, why do you have it in the Order Paper?

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.) Kindiki): Order, Senator! You are not on record. You can use the Dispatch Box if you are okay with it.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we were supposed to have a meeting this morning but it aborted due to lack of quorum. The Chairperson of the Committee is unwell. Only two Senators were in attendance. Therefore, the meeting did not take place.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki): The less you say about it the better for you and the Committee.

We move on to the next Order.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki): Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve, are you ready to move?

Yes, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I am ready to move the Motion. I rise to move the Motion that learners with hearing disabilities should be taught Kiswahili.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki): Order, Senator. You have been here long enough. Your opening words should be “I beg to move the following Motion” then you proceed to read the Motion. After that, you can now give your comments.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move the Motion that learners with hearing impairments should be taught Kiswahili---

(Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki): Order, Senator! Read the Motion word for word, from the beginning to the end. Can Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve be assisted by the Clerks-at-the-Table?

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. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move the following Motion:- THAT AWARE that Article 27 of the Constitution of Kenya guarantees equality of every person in enjoyment of all rights and fundamental freedoms and prohibits discrimination against any person on any ground including disability and language; FURTHER AWARE that Article 24 (2) (a) of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities prohibits persons with disabilities from exclusion from the general education system on the basis of disability, and that children with disabilities are not excluded from free and compulsory primary education, or from secondary education, on the basis of disability; ACKNOWLEDGING that Article 7 of the Constitution of Kenya provides for the national language of the Republic as Kiswahili and the official languages of the republic as Kiswahili and English; APPRECIATING that the Report of the Commission of Inquiry into Education in Kenya (the Ominde Commission of 1965) proposed that Kiswahili language be taught as a compulsory subject both in primary and secondary schools in Kenya with the aim of making the language a vehicle for literacy works relevant to community work of various kinds; COGNIZANT that Kiswahili language has been recognized as a unifying language in the East African Community (EAC), hence making it a lingua franca in the region; CONCERNED that under the new curriculum of education in Kenya that is being piloted, learners with hearing disability are not offered Kiswahili language in primary schools, secondary schools and primary teachers training colleges; NOW THEREFORE, the Senate calls upon the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and other relevant state agencies to:- (i) offer Kiswahili language as a core subject to learners with hearing disability in primary schools, secondary schools and primary teacher colleges; (ii) come up with an elaborate syllabus for teaching Kiswahili as a core subject to deaf learners in primary, secondary and teacher training colleges; and (iii) come up with an elaborate syllabus for teaching Kenya Sign Language (KSL) as an optional subject for learners who have no hearing disability and for deaf learners. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am moving this Motion for the following reasons one, I am looking at learners with disabilities who are educable. We have learners who have severe impairment who are not educable but can access vocational training and life skills that will ensure that they get by with life. There is also a category of learners who are educable. These learners are the reason why I am moving this Motion. They are able to access education just like anyone 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.) Kindiki): Order, Senator! Organise your thoughts. You have less than two minutes.

How many minutes do I have Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir?

(Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki): Order, Senator! You have less than two minutes.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, in all public schools, there are always arrangements for our children to learn Kiswahili. Some schools reserve one day for speaking Kiswahili the whole day, and maybe English will be spoken for four days, and so on. Those are mechanism put in place to ensure that children learn Kiswahili. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, this Motion should go a notch higher; become a bill and eventually a law so that we can have positive impact on the education of hearing impaired children. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those remarks, I beg to move and request Sen. Faki to second the Motion.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki): Thank you, Senator.

Order, Sen. Faki. Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve, please have your seat. You have spoken well but you need to improve on moving skills. Also, you may want to learn about managing your time. This idea of having time limits was introduced at some point when the former Member for Butere, the late hon. Martin Shikuku spoke for seven days in Parliament nonstop. As you spoke, I feared that we might be in for a seven day contribution. So, 20 or five minutes is a lot of time. Organise your thoughts. Otherwise, well done. Proceed, Sen. Faki.

Asante, Bw. Naibu Spika, kwa kunipa fursa hii ya kuunga mkono Hoya ya Sen. (Dr.) Gertrude Musuruve. Kwanza kabisa, Kiswahili ni lugha ya taifa kulingana na Katiba. Ni haki ya watoto wetu wenye ulemavu wa maskio kufunzwa kwa lugha ya Kiswahili. Hiyo ni haki yao ya Kikatiba. Sisi kama Bunge la Seneti tunapaswa kuwahakikishia kwamba haki hiyo inatimizwa. Jambo la pili ni kwamba ukosefu wa mtaala wa Kiswahili kwa wale ambao wana ulemavu wa maskio ina maana kwamba tunawanyima haki yao ya kikatiba kufunzwa kwa lugha ambayo wanaitaka. Katika sehemu nyingi katika Jamhuri ya Kenya, watu wanazungumza Kiswahili kama lugha yao ya kwanza. Hii ina maana kwamba wale ambao wanakwenda shule wakiwa na ulemavu wa maskio wanakosa kupata fursa ya kufunzwa mtaala kwa lugha ya Kiswahili. Pia inamaanisha kwamba mbali na kuwa wanabaguliwa kama walemavu ama wasiojiweza, ina maana pia wanabaguliwa katika kufunzwa masomo shuleni. 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.) Kindiki): Asante sana Sen. Faki. Order Paper inaitwaje kwa Kiswahili? Order Senators, I now wish to propose the question.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support this Motion that Kiswahili Language should be taught to learners with hearing disability. Language is very 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.) Kindiki): Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve, when you have information to give, you do not give it across the aisle like you would do in a market place. You need to press the intervention button and say: “Point of information.” Proceed, Sen. (Dr.) Langat.

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. Forgive Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve and I because we are still learning and induction continues. I support this Motion.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki): Well spoken, Sen. (Dr.) Langat. Listening to you, one can easily recognize that you are at home on this one.

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki): Therefore, your claim that you are a linguist is verified. Sen. Kasanga.

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for this opportunity. Allow me to congratulate Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve for this wonderful Motion. She is not only representing people with disabilities, but also creating awareness for we tend to live in our own bubbles and fail to understand the challenges that other people go through. We need to recognize Article 27 which states that we are all equal. As an hon. Senator mentioned, Article 54 (1) (b) prohibits exclusion of persons with disabilities from access to education. I feel that Kenyans are blessed for we are naturally multilingual. We speak English, Kiswahili and our mother tongues, which are three languages that we learn from an early age. In fact, I am surprised that we do have part of our population that does not interact in Kiswahili. As the Mover has said, there is no reason they should not be taught Kiswahili. It is a beautiful language and it was joyous to learn Kiswahili in primary and secondary school. Therefore, it is sad that we have people in our country who are not enjoying this. It goes without saying that we are multilingual and nobody should be left behind in this unique aspect about Kenya. In the spirit of inclusion, Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve could also recommend that the other students learn some basics of sign language from an early age to enable interaction. Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve should expand this Motion and have us learn some sign language for it is imperative that inclusion should be in both ways. I support this Motion.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki): Well spoken; short and direct. Sen. Nyamunga.

Thank you Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me the opportunity to support the Motion that has been brought by Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve. It is unfortunate that I was not aware that there is no sign language in Kiswahili, yet it is our national language. This is a learning cycle and we learn new things every day. I have learnt of the exclusions that we have in our schools that need to be addressed. This Motion has been brought at the right time when we are overhauling our education system, from 8-4-4 to a new one which I have not mastered very well. It is the right time and this should be taken very seriously and included, so as not to have further amendment to the education system. 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.) Kindiki): Thank you, Sen. Nyamunga. Sen. Pareno.

Thank you Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me the opportunity to support this important Motion. There was a joke in the East Africa Community (EAC) where they would say that Kiswahili was born in Zanzibar, it came to Kenya and fell sick and by the time it was being treated, it went and died in Uganda. We know where it originated--- 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.) Kindiki): Who was the source of the joke? Is it the Ugandans, Kenyans or Tanzanians?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it was mostly the Tanzanians and the Ugandans.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki): Senator, if it died in Uganda, what happened in Burundi, Rwanda and South Sudan?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, those ones have just started.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki): Is it that they buried it?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, those ones have just started. They actually say it was buried in Uganda.

Kiswahili language has a rich history. Since it originated in Zanzibar, we could take advantage of the East African Community (EAC) institution called the Swahili Commission. This institution is domiciled in Zanzibar. This Commission was basically brought up by the EAC integration processes to ensure that Kiswahili is rooted in our partner States. We have, probably realised we, as a country, did a mistake by not embracing Kiswahili language like Tanzania. Burundi and Rwanda and other States are now learning Kiswahili language. Kiswahili language is so advanced in Tanzania. In fact, when you go there, utaona Taasisi za Wizara fulani . Even their ministries are named in Kiswahili. Most learning in Tanzania is conducted in Kiswahili language. I do not think we have done much better than them even though we ignored this language from the beginning our nation. This is a very important Motion. It is saddening to know that there is a part of learners in this country that are not learning Kiswahili language. It is a pity that we want it to be spoken in the EAC and yet some of our people cannot speak it fluently because of our inability to embrace it. This is a language that is widely used by our people in markets, banks, schools and many other places. No business can be transacted without using this language. So, to deny this category of people an opportunity to learn this language, is to lock them out of many opportunities in the region. In fact, a larger community speaks it more than English language, especially in the rural areas. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is estimated that over 100 institutions in the United States of America (USA) teach Kiswahili language. It is also taught in major academic institutions in Africa, Europe, America and Asia. Prestigious universities like Harvard, Yale, Stanford and others have found it worth to teach Kiswahili language. Back home here where Kiswahili originated, it is sad that there are people who cannot be taught Kiswahili because they have a hearing disability. This is a disservice to them. We need to address it and make sure they learn this language. We cannot also say that it is one of nation’s languages and yet we deny some people opportunity to learn it. We can only say it is a national language if it can be spoken by majority of our citizens. . Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, Burundi, Rwanda, Somalia, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique are all teaching Kiswahili language. So, why would other States that did not 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.) Kindiki): Thank you, Sen. Pareno. You may want to know that Kiswahili is also spoken in Oman in the Persian Gulf. If you visit a city called Muscat, you will hear very fluent Kiswahili speakers who can only match the Zanzibari and Pemba Kiswahili speakers.

Do not ask me about diversity. Sen. Olekina, proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to support Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve’s Motion. First of all, let me talk about the history so that we understand where I am coming from. When we talk about introducing Kenyan Sign Language (KSL) in schools or when trying to come up with a Motion to ensure that people can be trained to speak is kiswahili through sign language, what is the history of the entire sign language in this country? If history serves me right, KSL was introduced through the support of the United States Peace Corps Volunteers in 1960s. I thank the former President of USA for having done so. We are not shifting from KSL to Kiswahili Sign Language. In essence, very few schools with deaf students teach KSL. We have over 600,000 deaf people in this country. Many of them cannot even converse. Parents of Maasai deaf children just come up with an idea on how they can talk to them, but they do not have skills to communicate. We need to put this thing into context and ask ourselves some serious questions on what we need to do. Do we have a proper legal framework that ensures deaf people are supported to learn just like any other citizens in this country? Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, what Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve is doing will help this House narrow it down and come up with legislation that will make it mandatory for all institutions in this country – whether or not there are deaf children – to teach Kiswahili 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.) Kindiki): Order, Senator. Proceed.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I, thank you.

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

(Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki): Sen. Beth Mugo, what is out of order?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have put on my request to speak.

(Sen.(Prof.) Kindiki): Yes, you are the next speaker.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it looked like you were closing.

(Sen.(Prof.) Kindiki): Why are you incriminating yourself?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is because my machine has not been working for some time. I thought it is the same thing happening today.

(Sen.(Prof.) Kindiki): Okay, Sen. Mugo, you have the Floor.

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I would also like to support and thank my sister, Sen. (Dr.) Gertrude Musuruve, for this brilliant and timely Motion. As Senators have said, I am sure that many people do not know that sign language is not taught. I believe that Kiswahili Language is important because more Kenyans speak it more than English. Old people in the rural areas understand a little bit of Swahili 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.) Kindiki): Thank you, Sen. Mugo. Next is Sen. Cherargei.

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. From the outset, I congratulate Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve for this wonderful Motion. I am impressed by this Motion because as we talk, there is no brail in Kiswahili. I, therefore, agree that this Motion is timely and we should all support it. I am one of the champions of working with PWDs. They say that disability is not inability. As a champion of this cause, I have participated in many activities. In fact, I am a patron. On 2nd of July, we have organised a marathon in this City to support various initiatives of children living with disabilities. It has reached a time that people who have such challenges should be given the necessary support in ensuring that they also learn and be at pace with others, even in our schools. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is worth noting that even our teachers are not trained enough on how to handle such learners. Some teachers cannot even handle slow learners. Therefore, in this context, this is a very well thought out Motion. We should assist in any way possible so that we allow the Ministry of Education to provide proper guidelines and implementation. This should not be restricted to learning only, but also when they go out to the job market. We need to ensure that we maximise on their productivity because, as I have said, disability is not inability. We should, therefore, also work hard so that in that aspect, we maximize on the productivity of such individuals in our society. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, when we were in school, we were forced to school with learners who had disabilities. That forced them to behave like the rest of us who were able bodied. I came to realise that they were brilliant, sharp and had their way of doing things. I think God has blessed them such that they have an extra sense in the way they do their things and excel. Therefore, when we give them such support, we will ensure that we maximise their abilities, energy, intellect and wisdom. In line with the Constitution, I am happy that she has quoted Article 27, because every Kenyan citizen has a right to the very best service delivery, regardless of their disability. The Persons with Disabilities Act which came into force in 2003 has had challenges. The country is now coming to full realization that we also need to consider the PWDs as part of us and that they can also be productive. They are not lesser human beings. This is very important, going forward. We should support this Motion on teaching of Kiswahili Language to learners with hearing disabilities. I hope that as we go ahead and ensure that we implement the teaching of Kiswahili across our education system, we will maximize its full potential. 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, Sir, I rise to fully support this Motion on teaching of Kiswahili through the sign language by our schools, both at the primary, secondary, vocational training centres and even the teacher training centres. I thank Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve for being at the forefront in bringing a Motion which under normal circumstances would have gone unnoticed. I say so because obviously, the new curriculum which is being piloted has clearly given an indication that there were no 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.) Kamar): Thank you Senators. There being no other request, I would like to ask the Mover to reply.

Madam Temporary Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to respond to the concerns of my fellow Senators. First and foremost, I appreciate my 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.) Kamar): Thank you, Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve. Hon. Senators, pursuant to Standing Order No. 73, I have established that this Motion does not affect counties and, therefore, voting shall be by acclamation.

Let us move on to the next Order.

(Sen. (Prof) Kamar): Hon. Senators, Sen. Khaniri, the Mover of the Motion, is currently engaged in a meeting with the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC). For that reason, we have consulted and agreed that we defer Order No.15.

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) Kamar): Hon. Senators, having concluded the business of the day, it is now time to adjourn the House. The Senate, therefore, stands adjourned until tomorrow, Wednesday 30th May, 2018 at 2.30 p.m. The Senate rose at 6.25 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.