(Sen. (Prof) Kamar): Hon. Senators, I hereby report that a Petition has been submitted to the Senate by Mr. Fred O. Sagwe and other residents of Mombasa County concerning the introduction of the chess game in the school curriculum as a tool for education and promotion of good health. As you are aware, Article 119(1) of the Constitution states as follows- “Every person has a right to petition Parliament to consider any matter within its authority including enacting, amending or repealing any legislation.” Hon. Senators, the salient issues raised in the petition are: (a) That chess is a universal game that promotes key intellectual skills such as problem solving, evaluation, critical thinking and planning. Further, chess education has a substantial positive effect and plays a natural adjunct in terms of mathematical achievements, engineering and physical science. (b) That chess involves intense intellectual challenge, which contributes to improved memory and attention span ability for young players. Additionally, researchers have found evidence that arising from challenging the memory and critical thinking abilities, chess may help reduce cognitive decline and postpone the effect of dementia for older persons. (c) That chess is considered as a co-curricular and an extra activity in the current 8-4-4 education system and the new 2-6-3-3-3 Competency Based Curriculum (CBC), which enables teachers to place more emphasis on a learners ability to process issues as well as nurture their competencies based on their skills, talents and interests. (d) That in 2016, Chess Kenya submitted a memorandum to the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) with the aim of including chess education into the

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for giving me this chance. This is a very interesting Petition. Occasionally, this House receives all manner of petitions some asking us to do things that challenge our thinking even as Senators and Members of Parliament in terms of our appreciation of how dynamic our society is becoming. This is one such case. This petitioner has presented before us something which listening to you present his writings and what he is requesting this House to do, challenges your own perspective as a leader. Madam Deputy Speaker, on many occasions, citizens have the wrong notion that we have all the solutions to the problems our society faces. However, on a daily basis, we must appreciate and have an open mindset that enables us to grow and challenge ourselves even in terms of knowing what is it we can do to make our society better. Although I do not know much about chess as a sport, but from a general reading and what I know from a few friends who I occasionally find playing chess, is that it is one of the games that really helps in developing one‟s cognitive abilities, your concentration in terms of challenging your processing power and quick thinking. Chess is a game that helps develop skills which the petitioner is rightly pointing to the education stakeholders in this country and makers of policies like ourselves that, if you can introduce these skills to young students at an early age, it will help them become better citizens. They will become problem solvers and critical thinkers from a very young age. It will be interesting when they appear before this House as petitioners because I believe the Committee will grant them a chance to come and convince them, as they

On a point of information, Madam Deputy Speaker.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): Would you like some information from Sen. Murkomen?

Has he really heard what I have been saying? I highly doubt because he has just walked in. However, because he is a former lecturer let me listen to him maybe there is something he knows.

Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to inform Sen. Cheruiyot that what he is saying is true. As a result of the Statement that was brought yesterday to this Chamber by Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr. and also the one Sen. Cheruiyot brought on stadiums, there is a serious conversation going on in the country involving sports, especially football. Madam Deputy Speaker, I am informing Sen. Cheruiyot that there are people on both sides who feel uncomfortable and are beginning to get jittery about this investigation that Sen. Sakaja‟s Committee will undertake from tomorrow. They are sponsoring social media posts and calling us from all corners of this world. This Senate must demonstrate as from tomorrow that they have the capacity to stand firm for the truth. Whether we find fault on FKF side or find it on the part of Government, we now stand at a pedestal for us to become the solution to the problems of sports in this country. We have only two months---

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): Senator, you are over informing him.

I would like to inform Sen. Sakaja, his Committee and all of us in the Senate that we have this very honourable opportunity to confront these issues both in the Ministry and also in the sports federations, including FKF.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): Sen. Cheruiyot, you have one minute left because with these 30 minutes we always give Members three minutes each. You have one minute left, but I can see a point of order from Sen. (Dr.) Ochillo-Ayacko.

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. It may have been overtaken by events, but we are sliding to topics outside relevance. I think if we stuck to this Petition, all of us would be meaningful in our participation. I thank you.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): Yes, it was a bit overtaken because I was also waiting to see where he was going with his information. He seemed to be informing Sen. Sakaja more than Sen. Cheruiyot. Sen. Cheruiyot, your last minute.

I have a problem with two people in this House. My wife comes from Elgeyo-Marakwet. Therefore, sometimes even if he pushes the boundary to the limit, if I want to claim my space he threatens to withdraw their daughter. So, I am forced to behave myself. This is one such occasion.

Madam Deputy Speaker just to wrap it up, just like this Petition informs us about the importance and the pride of sports in our society, tomorrow is a very important day. Sen. Sakaja should put on his best suit and tie and come with a very open mind so that we engage and people know that we have no sides in the dispute between the FKF and the Ministry. We look forward to engage on behalf of the people of Kenya so that justice is done to our sports people. Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): Thank you. Sen. (Dr.) Zani, you have three minutes.

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I wish to support this Petition brought by Mr. Sagwe and the other petitioners. It is a very pragmatic Petition addressing a critical issue in the education sector. This is probably something that not many people have given thought to. Madam Deputy Speaker, it is interesting that this team of petitioners already engaged the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). This Petition, if given a chance will allow the Committee to interact with the various stakeholders. It should be able to catapult this discussion to a different level and begin to answer the question of, if such proposals were given, where did they stall? What are the pros and cons? What are the advantages? Some of these advantages are very clear. We are moving towards Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Therefore, encouragement of critical thinking and planning, the issue of intensive challenges, strategy and all these, are taken in very well. The petitioners are concisely asking: Should this be part of the main curriculum or as an extra-curricular? There are various issues that need to be put into perspective, but by bringing it as a Petition to the Senate, it allows the relevant Committee together with the stakeholders to take it to the next level. Many of the countries that are developed are turning to critical thinking, not only just for the development of a nation, but also for progression within that particular society. Some of the issues are very fundamental. The issue of budget and support is key. Also key is the issue of ensuring that it is entrenched within the CBC and the curriculum.

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for giving me an opportunity to air my thoughts. All Kenyans have a right to petition. As we look at this Petition, we need to be very clear that the CBC is already very heavily loaded. Right now it is overwhelming students, parents and everyone. As a scholar and teacher for many years, when it comes to chess it can very well fall as a co- curricular activity just as much as swimming is a co-curricular activity, football, darts and all that. They can be in different categories like indoor games, outdoor games, but it should not be in the curriculum as a subject. When we make it a subject in Kenya, I highly doubt that every one of our children will have access to it because of budgetary constraints. The objective of co-curricular activities such as chess is to sharpen the mind of the students. Darts, cards, scrabble and chess sharpen the mind.

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): There is point of order from Sen. (Dr.) Zani.

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I did not want to interrupt Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve, my colleague in the Senate, but I had to do it because this is a House of records. It is important for her to clarify whether she is talking about extra- curricular or co-curricular activities. Her argument is more on extra-curricular in sports rather than co-curricular. We need to know if chess is an extra-curricular activity or co- curricular for us not to talk at cross purposes. I support what she is saying, but she needs to clarify that for the argument to flow without introducing something that might differ.

Madam Deputy Speaker, allow me to thank Sen. (Dr.) Zani for being a keen listener. I also thank her for the correction. I am talking about extra-curricular activities, which are outside the co-curricular. Chess should fall in the bracket of darts, swimming, football and any other extra- curricular activity. It should not be a co-curricular activity in the curriculum because it can be a burden to parents and may be unachievable. That is what I am talking about. We have financial constraints and I do not see it going far. In as much as it is the right of Kenyans to petition the Senate, we also need to look at the petitions that come on the Floor of this House. We have to see if they are achievable or not. We can meet the petitioners and reason together for purposes of the children in this country.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): Thank you, Senator. The Committee should sort us out on that.

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I rise to support this Petition fully and wholly. If there is anything that I can do to make it happen, then I will. The people that we give mandate to come with what should be included in our curriculum such as the KICD are our experts. When they research, use their expertise and tell us what we should do then we have to listen to them. As I speak, children in international schools, where the parents have the means, already have a head start. They organize chess tournaments and there is actually a robust chess calendar in this country. Leaving the Kenyan mainstream education system without the advantage of critical thinking that comes with the competency-based programme that we are introducing will be denying them an opportunity to include new ways of doing things, which is part of modernizing our education system. For a long time, our education system has been disconnected from the realities in the work place and life. Through chess, we will have a group of children who will be taught to think. You are a teacher and you must have seen the deterioration in our education system. We are churning out students who spew crammed content as opposed to learning how to think and adapt. We should put our resources in a curriculum that will teach our children to think, analyze and exert themselves. The time for this has come. Resources should be availed for chess. In any case, there are parents who take their children for chess lessons and those children go through the chess calendar that exists parallel to the mainstream calendar. This country needs equalization. We have to make sure that all our children are equal. We should not have other children doing activities that the others cannot do because there is no money for them. There is so much money in this country that should be invested in our children, their future and their thinking. I congratulate Mr. Sagwe and the citizens of Mombasa for asking us to look into the advice that was given by the KICD who we actually pay. If there is need for resources, then this House should ensure that those resources are availed for chess and other extra-curricular, which will help us produce citizens who think, analyze and strategize. Those are the citizens who will take the new economy and the new education curricular. Those citizens can function in any part of the world.

When you take our children out of this country for mathematical competencies, you will be told that they need to catch up. They are behind in Mathematics. Those are the kinds of things that we need to correct and we must do it. If we are saying that we are going to support the CBC then we have to begin with this. This a very good thing and I support it. I hope that this House does not take it lightly just because it is called a game. It is actually not a game, but it is an education strategy that we need for our children.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): Thank you, Senator. Sen. (Dr.) Ochillo-Ayacko, you have three minutes.

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. It is puzzling to listen to us as examples and representatives of the people. When I talk about my experience and my children, as a Senator, I tend to ignore my standing in society. I am not necessarily talking about children in Makueni, Nyatike or Lodwar. As a priority, those children need enough teachers and facilities. We have not provided the basic

On a point of information, Madam Deputy Speaker.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): There is a point of information from Sen. Halake.

Madam Deputy Speaker, I do not need the information. I have heard her articulately and passionately prosecute the need for our children to have chess. My children may want to play chess given the fact that I am a person of elevated standing in society. However, we represent poor and desperate families whose children go to public schools. There was an agenda by the Jubilee party to introduce computers. At the moment, there are no computers and we are now talking about chess. I think we live in a plastic world. If---

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): There is a point of order from Sen. Halake.

Madam Deputy Speaker, is the hon. Member in order to insinuate and think that poor people do not deserve chess? How much is a chess board? It costs either Kshs2,000 or less. It is misleading and unfair for us to say that chess is romantic just because we are Senators. That statement should be expunged from the records of this House.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): Hon. Senators, this debate is supposed to try and widen the scope for the Committee. The Committee will come up with the resolutions. So, let us enjoy the debate.

Madam Deputy Speaker, I largely represent poor rural folks. There is a place called Migingo and there are no playing fields there for those people to play. If you introduce chess in schools, you also have to bring the teachers. One also needs to research on it yet we do not have teachers in the first place. I am not saying that chess is bad. What we need to do is to bring all our schools up to speed. We need to facilitate them. The time for chess will come when everybody is able to read and write, and to use electronic equipment to communicate virtually. Chess is good, but for this House I think our children should have it privately. For the public out there, let us provide basic facilities that would facilitate our children in Kenya to learn and catch up with those who have property. For the private sector, international schools, just take your children there. However, for the poor ones let us do better than we have done. I thank you.

Madam Deputy Speaker, it was interesting listening to Sen. (Dr.) Ochillo-Ayacko because what he is saying is actually true that the quality of education in Kenya under public schools is wanting. Recently the Cabinet Secretary for Health announced that only a few people who have qualified to be nurses passed English. He said this despite the fact that they did their

On a point of information, Madam Deputy Speaker.

(Sen. (Prof) Kamar): Will you accept some information from Sen. Murkomen?

Certainly.

Madam Deputy Speaker, I was with teachers from my county. One of the things that has angered teachers - and I am sure it is the case in all our counties - is the fact that they are now being told that every five years, they must go for a compulsory course to train, using their own money and get that qualification to retain their status as a TSC teacher. Why would you pick teachers to go through that process yet you do not pick university lecturers, college tutors, engineers or doctors? You make it compulsory for them to use their own money to train themselves and it is conditioned on their status as teachers. It is terrible.

That is exactly what I am saying that the Government does not do any public participation on the quality of education. They want to introduce strange things. In CBC, for example, they are sending your poor children in Migingo to go and google things with their parents at home. They have trained the teachers, but the parents are not trained. It is possible that some of them live with grandparents who do not have gadgets. So, there is a problem. It is not about whether it is chess, badminton or any other game. It is not about an expensive game, you can actually improvise if you want to. The point is that we need to interrogate the quality of education. If we want the quality of life, we need to interrogate what it is that we are teaching these children. We are teaching these children things that will not help them in future. That is what we should be challenging because we are just going to produce people. I interrogate interns and I do pupilage. When you ask them do to applications, you begin wondering how they completed university.

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I am happy that this Petition has been brought because it gives us the opportunity to look at the content of the CBC once more. Remember the other day I brought a Statement about the people of Taita/Taveta being taught Taveta and leaving out Taita and Kisagala, which are actually languages in Taita/Taveta. We want Kitaita and Kisagala included in the CBC. Education is supposed to help us grow all rounded students, students to grow spiritually, physically, emotionally and intellectually. Let us not leave out chess because there are some students who might want to learn chess in schools just like there are those who want to play football. If we do this, we would be discriminating a big chunk of students who want to learn chess. I am a teacher by profession and I remember a theory postulated by Howard Gardner who said there are around eight intelligences. The first one is linguistic. If we are to cater for all the students, there are some who are good in language. So, in school, we must provide for students who want to tap their talent in debate by allowing them to participate in debate clubs. Some are good in Mathematics. How do we make students who are good in mathematics develop Mathematical skills? Mathematics is about logic. This game of chess will go a long way in developing the logic of students and they will do very well in Mathematics. There are students who are good in spatial intelligence or aesthetics. These ones should be given art to develop their talents. They can do drawing and sculpturing. There are some who are good in bodily kinesthetic. These ones should be given opportunity to play games that require energy like football. There are some who are good in music, interpersonal intelligences, naturalistic intelligences, just to mention but a few. I really support the introduction of chess in our curriculum. Sen. (Dr.) Ochillo-Ayacko has alluded to the fact that this game could be expensive. We are told that one chess board is about Kshs2000. However, we can innovate and improvise now that we are under the CBC system. Why can we not allow our children to make the chessboards and the pawns that will be moved in the chess game? We do not need to disallow that game in our curriculum simply because it is expensive. We can allow the local people to make the chess game and sell to schools. There are some schools that can afford games like hockey while others cannot afford. What do we do? We tell the parents whose children want to play hockey to bring hockey sticks to school. I really wish that the Committee on Education could see how it can bring in chess into the curriculum.

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. As is the case, every Kenyan has the right to petition the Senate or Parliament. Whoever brought this Petition has the right to petition, but people should be realistic. We do not mind people having chess where they can afford it. When I was in Wajir High School those who were in Alliance High School or Nairobi High School used to have some things which were not available to us. If you can afford, well and good. However, it is not practical if you are talking of primary school pupils in a place called Bugo in Wajir North where they do not even have classrooms and you are talking of chess. In places where you want to introduce chess in the curriculum, you have to bring a chessboard and a beautiful one.

Chess is very good internationally. If you are good enough, you can become a grandmaster and be a multi-millionaire. Is that really what we are talking about? Is that what is supposed to be done in those areas? You can play any game you want. You can play football. When you go to those areas of ours, sometimes you see even elders playing with hooves and some stones. I do not know the real name; it is some sort of thing they do in Mombasa, but they do it on the ground. I am sure the Senator for Turkana County knows what the nomads do. Games are played in different ways. Our children play in different ways. However, when you talk of bringing chess to every school, I think that is being unrealistic. We have to be serious. Let us think of the books and teachers that these children need. We do not even have teachers in our schools since they disappeared sometime back. They are not there. You find an old school from Standard One to Standard Eight with two teachers. Form Four students are being taught by Board of Governors (BOG) teachers and yet now we are talking about chess being introduced through the CBC. Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): Thirty minutes are done, but let us finally have Sen. (Prof.) Ekal.

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for giving me the chance to also air my views. Those of us from counties such as Wajir, Turkana and others up there in the north, or what we call marginalized counties have to think about what this Petition means. It is not that chess is bad; it is good. For those of us who have played chess, it is very exciting, intensive and it has got the ability to develop your mind, but let us be realistic as Sen. (Dr.) Ali has said. If you are living in a situation where there are not enough teachers even to teach English, Kiswahili and other basic subjects, where will you get somebody teaching chess? Madam Deputy Speaker, we are saying that there must be enough teachers in schools to begin with. After all that is covered, then we can have chess as an extra- curricular kind of subject or something that can be done outside class on clubs or by somebody who is interested. In other words, really chess should be there.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): Thank you, Senators. That brings us to the end of that. Hon. Senators, pursuant to Standing Order No.232(1), the Petition should be committed to the relevant standing committee for its consideration. In this case, I direct that it be committed to the Standing Committee on Education.

In terms of Standing Order No.232(2), the Committee is required in not more than 60 calendar days, from the time of reading the prayer to respond to the petitioner by a way of a report addressed to the petitioner and laid on the Table of the Senate. I thank you Senators and I call on the Committee to make sure that they check the HANSARD because of the very good contributions that have come in. Next Order.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): Proceed, Sen. Farhiya.

Madam Deputy Speaker, I beg to lay the following Papers on the Table of Senate today 3rd November, 2021- Report of the Auditor-General on the financial statements of Lamu County Emergency Fund for the year ended 30th June, 2019. Report of the Auditor-General on the financial statements of Lamu County Fisheries Development Revolving Fund for the year ended 30th June, 2019. Report of the Auditor-General on the financial statements of Kakamega County Trade Loans Fund for the year ended 30th June, 2019. Report of the Auditor-General on the financial statements of Kakamega County Assembly Car Loan and Mortgage Fund for the year ended 30th June 2019. Report of the Auditor-General on the financial statements of Tana River County Ward Bursary Fund for the year ended 30th June, 2019. Report of the Auditor-General on the financial statements of Busia County Agricultural Development Fund for the year ended 30th June, 2019.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): Thank you, Senator. Next Order.

(Sen. (Prof) Kamar): The first and the second Statements are from Sen. Kwamboka. Sen. Kwamboka is not in. The Statements are deferred.

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I would request that I read the Statement on the issue of pricing of fertilizer in the country.

(Sen. (Prof) Kamar): Start with Kenya Urban Ruaral Authority (KURA).

At least there was some correction on that one.

(Sen. (Prof) Kamar): So, you are not to read that one today?

Yes. It is deferred.

(Sen. (Prof) Kamar): Okay. I have your other Statement which is the one on the Price of Fertilizer.

Madam Deputy Speaker, I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.48(1) to seek a Statement from the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries on the escalating price of fertilizer in the country. In the Statement, the Committee should-

(1) Explain the measures, if any, put in place by the Ministry of Agriculture to address the escalating prices of fertilizer which has risen from approximately Kshs2,200 per 50 kilogramme bag in the last three months to retail at between Kshs4,500 to Kshs5,000 per 50 kilogramme bag at the moment. That is an increase of close to Kshs3,000. (2) State why the Government has failed to provide subsidies on fertilizer and other farm inputs thereby causing a rise in the cost of food production thus threatening to make farming an unprofitable venture. (3) Spell out measures put in place by the Government to stabilize fertilizer prices and lower the cost of food production in order to ensure the country is food sufficient. As you are aware, fertilizer is not only used in the planting of maize, but also used generally in the growth of crops, including tea, coffee and many crops. (4) Explain why the Government has failed to cushion farmers during the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic period which has impacted negatively on both farm gate and market price for agricultural produce. This will even affect the planting season of 2022 if the pricing retails at more than Kshs4,000 to Kshs5,000 per 50 kilogramme bag. Initially, three months ago, it was Kshs3,200 per 50 kilogramme of fertilizer be it DAP or any other form of fertilizer. I thank you for giving me this opportunity.

(Sen. (Prof) Kamar): Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve, for three minutes.

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker for giving me this opportunity. I congratulate Sen. Cherargei for coming up with this Statement on fertilizer. It is very clear that Kenya is among the signatories of the international treaties that support farmers, agriculture and all that. It is absurd that fertilizer prices can go high perpetually. If fertilizer prices are high, it does not matter how hardworking farmers are. If they have not used fertilizer on their produce, then they will not get good yields. There is need to encourage farmers because of the important role they play, especially when it comes to food security. We keep talking about food security, but this must start with our farmers so that we encourage them.

Asante sana, Bi. Naibu Spika, kwa kunipa fursa hii. Taarifa iliyoletwa siku ya leo na Sen. Cherargei ni nzuri. Mambo ya mbolea yamekuwa kizungumkuti katika nchi yetu ya Kenya kwa sababu ukiangalia bei yake imeongezeka maradufu ilhali ukiangalia wakati huu ugonjwa wa Korona umewaadhiri watu wengi kwa njia nyingi sana. Kwa hivyo, hawawezi kujimudu hata kununua ile mbolea. Mbolea inahitajika kwa kupanda chochote ambacho unataka kupanda ili uweze kupata mavuno bora. Kamati ambayo itaangalia haya mambo iangazie kwa kindani ili tuweze angalau kuwapa wakulima wetu afueni. Ukienda Kaunti ya Laikipia, utaona watu wanapanda mahindi, ngano na nyanya wanategemea mbolea. Hata ingawa bei ya mbolea imeongezeka maradufu, bei ya mavuno haiongezeki. Kwa hiyo, wakulima wetu wanaendelea kusoneneka na kuwa na shida nyingi. Kwa hivyo, tunaomba ya kwamba kamati iangalie haya mambo kwa kindani na iweze kuwapatia angalau afueni wakulima wetu kwa sababu ukulima ndio uti wa mgongo wa maendeleo nchini ya Kenya. Nchi yetu inajulikana kwa sababu inategemea ukulima. Ikiwa kamati yetu haitafanya hivyo, tutaonekana kama tumelemewa na kazi ambayo tunapaswa kufanya. Tuwasaidie wakulima ili tukuze uchumi. Asante sana, Bi Naibu Spika.

Madam Deputy Speaker, you remember there was an old man when we were in Eldoret in 2018 in your county who said Cherargei and Kipchumba

The truth is that the question of subsidies for agriculture and specifically fertilizer for purposes of maize farmers and to some extent tea farmers and the other farmers, has been a very sad story. This Government, in its second term, deliberately decided that they would not continue the subsidy programme for fertilizer for maize farmers. It is a very sad story because the people this Government is punishing as Sen. Orengo said some time back, are those who voted for this Government more than anybody else. After doing all this injustice to the maize farmers, the same people who have done this injustice are now running a political campaign to say all the leaders from the North Rift, Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia, Nandi and Elgeyo-Marakwet are not speaking for famers. What a paradox?

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): Let us now listen to Sen. Kavindu Muthama online.

Can you hear me?

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): Yes, we can now hear you, but we also want to see your face.

Madam Deputy Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity to join my fellow Senators to congratulate Sen. Cherargei for this very important Statement---

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): There is a problem with her photo. Please try and pick her photo. Continue while they work on it.

Madam Deputy Speaker, it is very important for prices of fertilizers to be reduced so that farmers can also gain from whatever they are doing and especially those who sell the crops so that they can have something to use.

The people who buy produce from farmers end up gaining more than the farmers because they put a lot of money in fertilizers and cultivating the shambas and everything, but when they sell their produce, they get nothing. They put in effort to produce in order for the country to feed its people. That is why we end up buying food from outside the country when we can produce enough maize for people here. Majority of coffee and tea farmers have neglected the crops simply because they cannot afford fertilizers.

Madam Deputy Speaker, I support this Statement. The Government must do something to reduce the prices of fertilizers.

I thank you.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): Sen. Kavindu, we could not see your photo and yet we are expecting you to read your Statement after this one. Please look for a more favourable place because officers in the control room are not able to pick your photo.

Let us listen to Sen. (Dr.) Milgo.

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for this chance to speak to the issue of fertilizers. I want to thank the Senator for Nandi County for coming up with this Statement.

When we talk about fertilizers, we are talking about food. To ensure food security, we must ensure that we have fertilizer. Areas that used to be the food baskets of this country are now like shells because they can no longer manage to plant maize and other crops that used to add to the food basket in this country.

When the price of a bag of fertilizer escalates to over Kshs4,000, we are actually declaring that Kenya shall become a food relief country throughout, yet we can manage this and ensure that our people have food. Lack of food can affect health in terms of growth of children because we normally talk about having a balanced diet. Farmers have given up because there are no fertilizers. The issue of fertilizers has been a thorn in the flesh. This is one of the issues that we have been speaking about. We have been saying that taxes should be lowered to ensure that fertilizers and other farm implements are received in this country at an affordable price.

Fertilizers have majorly affected the Rift Valley, which has been the food basket. In most cases, that is the area that was affected by maize streak virus. Farmers were relieved recently when cases of the disease were not reported, but they had planted maize and other crops without fertilizer.

I believe that the committee that is going to look into this will get to the root cause to ensure that fertilizers are affordable, so that we are able to feed our people and ensure that our country develops.

Madam Deputy Speaker, while at this, I will not---

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): Your time is up.

Madam Deputy Speaker, kindly give me a minute.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): You have a half a minute.

Madam Deputy Speaker, I want to thank the Head of State, because during Mashujaa Day, he declared that there is Kshs1 billion for fertilizer subsidies, Kshs1.5 billion for maize and tea farmers and Kshs1.5 billion for coffee farmers. I hope the people concerned will take up this very seriously so that that is implemented. I am sure it will be a relief to our farmers.

I thank you.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): Let us now listen to Sen. (Prof.) Ongeri online.

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for allowing me the opportunity to contribute to this very important topic of fertilizers in this country. Without fertilizers, the obvious end result would be food deficit. With food deficit, the consequences would be additional importation of foodstuffs from outside the country, which becomes much more expensive than anticipated.

Agriculture is a devolved function. It is therefore timely at this stage that the national and county governments came up expeditiously with a policy of subsidies because we cannot talk of anything else less than a subsidy at this stage. We should have a subsidy immediately and not in the near distant future. It should be immediate because productivity of any products in this country will hinge alongside the quality of the fertilizers that farmers have.

They have also not been asked to embrace organic farming that is equally important. We have got to blend the two aspects of it. However, organic farming depends on the number of cattle you keep and the quantity of cow dung that you collect from various sites, which can also become very cumbersome and expensive. As far as I am concerned, it is an emergency because food sufficiency is the most vital element for any government to ensure that its citizenry are well catered for in terms of food supply. When you assure people, we can get enough maize, beans and wheat. We should also have fertilizers for other cash crops like coffee and tea.

Right now the yields in tea production are extremely low. In Kisii, the bonuses were very low and farmers are crying out for enough fertilizers. They brought about one or two bags to the ordinary farmers who are worried about the next production and the next bonuses, which will come next year. Therefore, it is an emergency and should be treated as such.

I thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for allowing me this opportunity to contribute on an area which I feel is very important for our country, our farmers and the ordinary persons who are looking for something to eat.

Madam Deputy Speaker, let me also congratulate Sen. Cherargei for bringing this Statement, which is extremely timely given that agriculture is the backbone of this country. Talking on behalf of my county, the main thing that most people do is farming. Over the years, prices of fertilisers have shot up because there are no subsides. I am also curious to know why the subsidies are no longer there and why that is not a Government priority given the number of people who depend on agriculture. Agriculture is the backbone and without subsidized fertilizers, then the cost of food production becomes high. It is not just fertilizers, but also farm inputs. I would dare guess that a big percentage of farmers have very small acreage. Without good fertilizer and farm inputs, then they spend the whole year working very hard, cultivating and planting probably even weak or inferior seeds. Without fertilizer, at the end of the day, whatever they harvest cannot really enable them to even break even. Agriculture has become unattractive to most Kenyans. Most Kenyans are unable to take their children to school. As Members of Parliament (MPs), we receive text messages from people asking for school fees because bursaries can barely support the

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): Let us listen to Sen. Nyamunga.

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, for giving me an opportunity to make some comments on this statement by Sen. Cherargei. First, the plight of farmers in this country is not segregated to particular areas. I think that is one thing that touches all parts of this country. Secondly, agriculture or food security is one of the Big Four Agendas of the Government. If it is one of the agendas of the Government, which is one of the things that they must fulfill before the end of the term, how come they have not put enough emphasis in helping the farmers? I wonder. Apart from just importing fertilizer, is it not possible for us to produce fertilizer locally? In the Rift Valley, I think we have what it takes for us to produce our organic fertilizer. If I can do it in a small way in my village, I think the Government should galvanize all the waste from our animals, be it pigs or cows, and have proper organic fertilizer for our farmers. Thirdly, it is not only about the price of fertilizer, but also the quality. For a long time, we have been getting very bad quality. Fertilizers are not for maize, tea or coffee farmers. What about rice farmers? We are now importing rice. I can say with a lot of certainty that 85 per cent of the rice we consume in this country is imported, yet we can have rice from Mwea, Ahero and Budalangi. These are areas that can produce rice. Kenya being an agricultural country, I think this is a very timely Statement. The Government should come out clearly and tell us what they think of farmers because farming is the backbone of this country. Without feeding our people, we cannot stand anywhere and tell anybody that we are a Government. Therefore, it is important that we take issues of agriculture and more so fertilizers seriously, not only the price but also the quality.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): Proceed, Sen. Cheruiyot.

Madam Deputy Speaker, this is a very important issue. People like yourself and maybe a few other colleagues who had the privilege to serve in Parliament during the days of President Mwai Kibaki know very well that for the 10 years that he was the President, each year the fertilizer subsidy programme featured prominently because he recognized a very important role that agriculture plays in our economy. We cannot pride ourselves that agriculture is the backbone of our economy yet we continue to impoverish our farmers through lack of subsidy on fertilizers. That is a very important element as well as farm inputs. If you speak to many of our farmers today, and I think this is something that the Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries needs to consider, it is not just about

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): Sen. (Eng.) Hargura, you have three minutes.

Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to support the Statement by Sen. Cherargei. Any country must be able to feed its people. Sometimes food is a security issue. When we claim to be an agricultural country, which actually we are because we have all the capacity, then we must provide the right environment for our farmers to produce. When you withdraw subsidies, food production might go down and we may have to import food. That will not be good for us. Three quarters or about 70 per cent of this country is arid. With the issue of climate change, we should be moving towards dry area agriculture where we should be thinking of irrigation. That will require us to have firm policies on subsidizing food production even in those areas. I would like the committee to look at the Government policy in terms of subsidizing farmers to provide quality certified seeds and fertilizers. That way, we can invest in food production and be a food secure country. This is a very important issue, which needs to be looked at. I hope the committee will come up with very clear answers on the policy of the Government. We need to know whether there is a policy that subsidies should be withdrawn or if it is something that just happened by mistake.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): Finally, we will listen to Sen. Wetangula. You have three minutes.

Madam Deputy Speaker, I also wish to support this Statement by the distinguished Senator for Nandi. You and I chaired the maize inquiry in this

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): Please give one minute to Sen. Ngugi and Sen. Farhiya.

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker for this time. I rise to support this Statement by my brother, Sen. Cherargei. Most of us our parents are farmers. I do not understand why my mother should not make profit from her farm. One of the reasons is that the farm inputs are extremely expensive. We must also be very clear, candid and honest to ourselves. It seems there are people who are extremely deliberate in killing our agricultural sector so that they can continue to import what can be locally produced. Therefore, I support this Statement. I hope that the relevant Committee will come up with a very good report.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): Thank you. Proceed, Sen. Farhiya Ali.

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker for giving me this opportunity. I support the Statement and agree that farm inputs should be subsidized. However, we should place responsibility where it belongs. Agriculture is a fully devolved function and, therefore, county governments should also do something about this fertilizer issue because they are on the ground. Instead of stealing billions, let them invest in counties so that the money can help their citizens to enjoy profit and for agriculture to become a viable business.

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar: Thank you. Proceed, Sen. Halake. You have one and a half minutes.

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker for giving me the opportunity. I support this Statement by Sen. Cherargei. I also would like to argue that as we look at the agriculture sector that deserves every subsidy, the people of Northern Kenya, who are

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar: Thank you, Senator. We now move to the Statement by Sen. Kavindu Muthama. If you are still online, we hope we can see you so that you can read your Statement.

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. Can you hear me?

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): We can hear you but we have not seen you yet. We are waiting to see you.

Madam Deputy Speaker, I kindly request that you defer my Statement to tomorrow. I will avail myself in the House.

(S tatement deferred )

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar: Sen. Kwamboka, I hear you are online and you have Statements. Are we able to see you or you will read them tomorrow?

(Sen. (Prof.) Kamar): Next Order.

The Chairperson, Committee on Labour and Social Welfare, Sen. Sakaja, was here a few minutes ago. Is he still around?

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I beg to move the following Motion-

THAT, the House adopts the report of the Standing Committee on Labour and Social Welfare on the status of labor migration and proposed policy interventions laid on the table of the Senate on Tuesday, 2nd November, 2021.

This is a very important Motion that comes by way of a report by the Standing Committee on Labour and Social Welfare. It focuses mainly on our issues of labor migration from Kenya to the Middle East.

I am glad that, Sen. Susan Kihika, is a very active Member of the Committee on Labour and Social Welfare and feels very strongly about these issues. We toured these areas as a Committee, including Saudi Arabia and Dubai. We have engaged with other of our missions and Kenyans working in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries on this matter.

I doubt there is a Senator here who has not received distress calls from Kenyans especially our ladies, domestic workers who have either been stranded or have loved ones who are sick or lost lives in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and many other countries.

As I move this, I acknowledge the fact that the countries we are speaking about are indeed countries with a proper diplomatic presence in Kenya. We also we have presence in their countries and we have had diplomatic relations for many years. We are

Sen. Kihika.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I rise to second this Motion as Member of the Standing Committee on Labour and Social Welfare, and one of the Members who travelled to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) back in April. We saw firsthand what our fellow Kenyans are going through out there. This is an issue that I would imagine most of us have encountered in one form or another because it has been in the news, social media and everywhere. We have seen a lot of distress calls by many Kenyans who are in those countries. I am mostly talking about the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We have heard allegations of torture and mistreatment of the workers and that sort of stuff. Before we even got there, it was interesting to get to the airport and see many groups of generally very young girls wearing T-shirts with a company‟s name. Perhaps they were always at the airport every time I travelled, but I just had never paid attention, and this is the first time that I noticed it. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, we came to learn that is how the recruitment agencies get them out to those countries. Once they get over there, they are handed over to agencies from that side. One of the major things that we noticed was the disconnect once these Kenyans get to those countries. Once they go to a certain family to work, though I believe that the agency from that country keeps up with them, many of the times, the girls lose contact with their families. They do not have phones with which they can reach their families or the families say that they do not know where these girls are. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, another major issue was the fact that some of these families seem to take away the passports of these workers when they arrive, so that the workers cannot leave. In many of the cases, it seems as though they cannot leave. We met many of the staff at our Embassy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and tried to get to the bottom of what was happening. When you listen to them, everything

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I thank you. I have not had the privilege of speaking here when you are in the Chair. I would like first to congratulate

Sen. Murkomen, I thank you for congratulating me. I follow your footsteps because I was the Chairman of the Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations as well.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, that is true. There is something; I do not know what you are looking for. The only remaining post you should be is the Senate Majority Leader. Congratulations! First, I would like to thank the Standing Committee on Labour and Social Welfare. I have a lot of respect for Sen. Sakaja and the Committee he leads and the work he has done. The issue of labour migration to Saudi Arabia is something that has bothered this country for far too long. In the last Parliament, if someone can remind me her name, the Nominated Senator from Mombasa, Sen. Emma Mbura, was so passionate about issues related to violence meted on migrants by their hosts in Saudi Arabia. It was something that was dear to her heart, before and after she lost the position as Senator. Until like two or three years ago, she used to send me messages. I have not communicated with her for quite some time, but all her messages were related to the work or the advocacy of migrants to Saudi Arabia. When we are discussing here, we are not removed from the reality. We are discussing about somebody‟s child, daughter, sister or brother. A lot has been highlighted about women. Most the victims killed in Saudi Arabia have been women. However, it is not just confined to women. There are men going through other forms of abuse in the same country, even though reports of death are not as predominant as women. Most of the people taken as domestic workers from other countries are not men, but women. Men go there for other reasons than working in the homesteads of the persons who are living in that country. I am aware that the Ministry estimates that we have 104,000 Kenyans who are working in Saudi Arabia. It is also true, as this report captures, that for quite a long time there has never been a clear procedure and mechanism for taking people to work in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Dubai and many other countries in the Middle East. Unlike the situation in developed countries in Europe, United States of America and Australia, where most of the migrants are working in the health sector and are recruited by agencies in the countries and little is done by the agencies in this country. In Australia and other parts our citizens apply directly to get jobs there through the links they have. The unique programme we have at the moment is taking nurses to the United Kingdom which is a Government-to-Government arrangement. It is unfortunate that the Ministry of Health reported publicly that we could not take advantage of the United Kingdom opportunities for nurses because of English proficiency among our nurses. I do not know the truth about the statement on whether English proficiency is a big issue for

What is it, Sen. Sakaja?

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

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I am willing to be informed.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I appreciate the remarks by Sen. Murkomen. I would like to comment on that one point because I will reply to everything holistically.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, based on that useful information, when Sen. Sakaja will be replying and before we pass the report, I will be interested to know to what extent the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was involved in this process. The Government of Kenya has not given a comprehensive report on the cause of death for many people who have died and been buried. Were they strangled or beaten? What is the legal regime of Saudi Arabia? Again, the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs cannot be over-emphasized in this matter. We want the Ministry to be accountable. For example, if the American Government suspects that there will be a serious demonstration by the students of the University of Nairobi (UoN) that will cause traffic jam along University Way, the Embassy of the USA in Nairobi will inform their staff to be careful and not to cross University Way at a particular point in time because there will be traffic snarl up due to the strike. What is the role of our embassies out there and what is their duty in terms of identification and following up? I am aware because I went to Dubai and spoke to some Kenyans there. They said it is becoming impossible to get support from embassies across the Middle East. When you go to an embassy to look for support, nobody cares. The attitude of the staff of the embassies is deplorable. What contributes to the abuse of our staff is the attitude we have with our Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For example, when you go to the United States of America (USA), because of the hugeness of the states, even if people want to renew their passports, they are just taken round and round. The attitude of people serving in embassies must change if we have to protect our people out there. They must realise that while there, they represent the Government and the welfare of the people of Kenya out of the country.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I am sure that the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection deals with bilateral relationships. Even as we discuss whether to block the place or not, they must have bilateral talks with various governments of the Middle East on this important matter and the report from those bilateral engagements must be tabled in this House.

Thank you, Sen. Murkomen, for the advice to the future governors. Let us now listen to Sen. Cheruiyot.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, for this chance to also present my thoughts on this important Report by our Committee on Labour and Social Welfare, one of the very active committees in this House. I must commend them for diligently undertaking their work and ensuring that they always furnish this House with reports and documentation that supports the work they have been doing every time. I wish we were all equally as diligent. Parliament works through its committees. When a committee has the right leadership, these are the kinds of issues you respond to. I must say this because it is the truth of the matter. If you look at many of the issues that we struggle with as a country, it falls back to the leadership of the committees in Parliament. That applies to both Houses; the National Assembly and the Senate. If you have a proactive leadership, chances are that they will find a way of wiggling through the challenges of modern day politics. We all understand that sometimes you try to push a certain agenda and begin to get calls from here and there. If you have a committee with the right leadership in place, then you will know the issues and not compromise your values. You will stand firm and ensure that at least you will be remembered for something. This is a challenge to the rest of us in the committees that we belong to.

Thank you, Sen. Cheruiyot. Proceed Sen. Halake.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I rise to support the report by the Committee on Labour and Social Welfare and congratulate them for the fine job that they have done. The issues around the inhumane and degrading conditions that

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

What is it, Sen. Sakaja?

Yes, I would like to be informed.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this is to inform Sen. Halake and the colleagues on how live this matter is. Just now as Sen. Halake has been talking, I have received a message form a gentleman called Majanga. He says, “ Mheshimiwa, I have an issue about my brother who died in Saudi Arabia two months ago. Kindly, how can you help me bring his body back home in Sabatia, Vihiga County?”

I thank Sen. Sakaja. This is the reality. We cannot just be repatriating dead bodies back home. We should be providing protection because our people‟s lives matter. Anybody has a right to work anywhere in or outside this country. It is their international right to do so. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the Philippines has put mechanisms in place for labour export. As Senators have said, it is the number one earner of their external revenue and foreign exchange. International labour migration is a legitimate and dignified way of earning a living, but what is not okay is for our country to just neglect its citizens and not provide the protection that is guaranteed in our Constitution and laws.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I have had the pleasure of working with Sen. Sakaja in the ad hoc Committee on the COVID-19 Situation in Kenya, and I know he cares enough to have supported the protection of migrants, the people who had gone out of the country and could not come back at the height of Covid-19 pandemic. In the last few months, you would find in those detention centres that people had contracted COVID-19 and there are videos to this. He has talked about the addendums that are part of this.

The Human Rights Watch has compiled cases of people where they have contracted COVID-19 within the detention centres with no services provided and with the country not even aware. You will never hear a citizen of the United States of America or Canada or any of these countries being put in those detention centres. The reason being that the consular sections of these organizations and these countries are on top of the welfare of their citizens. It is about time we also did that. There is no reason as to why we pump so much money into our foreign offices. I do not understand why there is one labour officer when the largest number of migrants in Kenya go to Saudi Arabia. Where is the priority here? Sen. Sakaja please let us have all these Ministries come to this House to be given this work; these accountabilities to be assigned to them with clear timelines as to when and how these things are going to be done. It is okay within the six months, yes, but it is not enough to say that in the last few years there are some reforms that have been done with our labour laws or in our Labour Ministry. As we speak, the situation is still the same and actually getting worse by the day. I support and look forward to the implementation of some of the recommendations that you have made. Please also check for us that we have ratified and are also part of the International Labour Organization and International Conventions that will give us at least a backup should we then fail as a nation to do these things. I congratulate you.

Thank you Sen. Halake. Sen (Dr.) Musuruve.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to support this report that has been brought on the Floor of this House by Sen. Sakaja. I congratulate the Senator for coming up with this report and letting Kenyans know exactly what is happening to migrant workers who are out of this country.

Sen. Madzayo, Hoja ya nidhamu ni gani?

Bw. Spika wa Muda, kuna wengine katika mstari wanaopendelea kuongea pia. Mtu mmoja akichukua dakika nyingi, haitakuwa vyema. Ingewezekana, ingerejeshwa ili mtu mmoja achukuwe dakika tano ama tatu hivi. Ingekuwa vizuri zaidi ili kila mtu ambaye yuko hapa ndani apewe nafasi ya kuongea. Asante, Bwana Spika wa Muda. Hiyo ni kwa hisani yako.

Asante. Sen. Cherargei, what is your point of order?

On a point of order, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. Looking at the gravity of this report and its sensitive nature--- Every county has been affected by this. Three months ago, I lost two young women from Nandi under unclear circumstances.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, on a point of order. Rrespect is paramount in this House. As a distinguished Senator, I am really embarrassed for my colleague, the Senator from Nandi County. I am sitting here not uttered a word and he has the audacity to utter words which are really un-parliamentary. I would like to ask you to ask him to withdraw and apologise.

Sen. Cherargei, can you withdraw and apologise?

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, as I apologise. Sen. Olekina should at least in future avoid shouting across the aisle. I withdraw and apologise.

Thank you. Proceed, Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. In summary I support this Motion.

Thank you. I have listened to both sides. I have heard Sen. Cherargei saying 10 minutes and Sen. Olekina saying five minutes. So, we go for seven minutes. Sen. Faki, proceed.

Bwana Spika wa Muda, kuna wale ambao wanataka kuongea kwa muda mrefu. Hatuwakatazi kwa sababu ni haki yao ya kidemokrasia katika Bunge hili. Kuna wale ambao wanataka kuongea kwa muda mchache. Kuweza kupata ule uwiano, wale ambao wanataka kuongea kwa muda mchache wapewe nafasi waongee waondoke. Wale wanataka dakika 10 au 20 watamaliza.

Sen. Faki, tayari nilikuwa nimefanya uamuzi nikasema ni dakika saba. Sen. Shiyonga, endelea.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker. I congratulate you. It is Sen. Naomi, I think I heard it right. Maybe a clarification on the names.

Bwana Spika wa Muda, nauliza kama Sen. Shiyonga siku hizi anaitwa Sen. Naomi Stewart ama namna gani. Mmechanganya majina hapo. Mnaweza kufafanua kwamba ni Sen. Stewart Madzayo kutoka Kaunti ya Kilifi ama ni Seneta mteule Sen. Naomi Shiyonga?

Nimesema mimi ninamuita Sen. Naomi Shiyonga. Pengine ni kuteleza kwa ulimi.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. It is not Sen. Stewart Madzayo, it is Sen. Naomi Shiyonga. I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity to support our own report of the Committee on Labour and Social Welfare brought on this Floor of this House by our able chair, Sen. Sakaja. I am a member of this Committee and I got an opportunity to

No, you have to be consistent.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. Okay I will be consistent. They just “oil us.”

Sen. Shiyonga, are you insinuating that everybody who travels or they are taken out of this country, they end up becoming miserable from your presentation?

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I am not saying everyone, but most of them especially in Saudi Arabia just from the report. I just want to say that I totally support the travel suspension to Saudi Arabia. It need be, let it be indefinitely until they come to a conclusion that the treaties, act, policies and framework is put into place to protect our Kenyans and streamline the livelihood from labour migration that we have here in Kenya. The ministries should be up in arms to know that Kenyans are suffering. Let them not just sit in those offices and look at Kenyans suffering. We are only informed by social media. We are called on phone the way you were seeing our chair being called here. I am also called. We are called every now and then. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I support a lady I saw at the airport from Mumias. I have been supporting others. Why am I supporting them with my own money when we have the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Labour and Social Protection having a budget? Why would Kenyans suffer when we have these two Ministries? I am a bitter woman; I am a bitter Senator. I am an hon. Member who has witnessed Kenyans suffering.

Thank you, Sen. Shiyonga. Sen. Olekina, proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I rise to support this Motion. First of all, let me congratulate my dear colleague, Sen. Sakaja, for having done what most people would be afraid to do, to visit a foreign country and investigate circumstances that lead to Kenyans going through hardships, some ending up in prison in a foreign country. I have gone through the report briefly. Looking at the recommendations which were made by the Committee on Labour and Social Welfare, I may have a contrary view to most of my colleagues here because I have lived in the United States of America (USA) for almost 20 years. In fact, part of my family is still there and somehow, I am still a resident of the USA. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the reward of working abroad is evident both to the country that receives labour and the country that exports labour. The biggest question that we must ask ourselves today is what we need to do to ensure that Kenyans who leave on their own volition to go to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or Dubai to seek for greener

On a point of information, Mr. Temporary Speaker.

Sen. Olekina, do you want to be informed by Sen. Sakaja?

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, absolutely.

Okay. Proceed, Sen. Sakaja.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I appreciate that the report could be bulky and many Members have just gotten it. However, what Sen. Olekina is asking for is actually a case study of the Philippines within the report. That was part of our inquiry. We did thorough work. There was a presentation given to us on how they did their bilateral agreements and what they have. It should be part of the annexures in this report.

Thank you. Sen. Olekina, you have two minutes.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I appreciate and thank the good Senator for Nairobi City County for that very useful information. I have looked at several case studies on the Philippines. My point was that we need to look at the ILO

Thank you, Sen. Olekina. You were the one who was saying we give three minutes. Sen. (Dr.) Lang‟at, proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. It is my first time to have an opportunity when you are in the Chair. I congratulate you. I was among the first Senators to bring a Statement here on the suffering of Kenyans in Saudi Arabia. I am very happy to have this important report here today before the Senate. I congratulate Sen. Sakaja and his team. I have read the recommendations and I am happy. I have read several articles and reports, especially from Haki Africa and Human Rights Watch about the suffering of Ethiopians, Kenyans, Nigerians and Ghanaians in Saudi Arabia. It is really very touching. Most of them are totally enslaved. They are tortured. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, those who are in the detention centres are living in appalling conditions, especially during this time of COVID-19 pandemic. Most of them are dying and rarely do we get reports. It is only sometimes that we get information through the social media, footages and so forth. I have a cousin who lives in Nakuru. She had gone to Saudi Arabia to look for job opportunity. She was facilitated by an agency to go there to work in a hotel. Reaching there, she was told that job will be realised in six months‟ time. She had to work as a domestic worker. She was tortured and punished to the point that she lost her teeth. I am very sure I brought that Statement here. I am happy during that time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs managed to locate her and she was brought back to Kenya. However, the challenge that we still have is that her documents, including her degree certificate, which she earned from Egerton University are still under the custody of the former employer in Saudi Arabia. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, apart from their physical torture, these Kenyans also go through economic constraints in those countries. Much of the money they are paid goes to the agencies. In fact, I want to bring to your attention that some of them do not get their salaries direct, but through these agencies, where they slash them and they earn very little. This report is so important.

Asante, Sen. (Dr.) Lang‟at. Nataka kumwalika Sen. Faki.

Asante, Bw. Spika wa Muda, kwa kunipa fursa hii kuchangia ripoti ya Kamati ya Ajira na Huduma za Jamii ya Bunge la Seneti kuhusiana na wafanyikazi wanaofanya kazi ughaibuni hususan Mashariki ya Kati. Hiyo ni katika nchi za Saudi Arabia, Umoja wa Falme za Kiarabu, Qatar na nyingine ambazo ziko eneo hilo kama Kuwait na kwingineko. Kwanza, ningependa kuipa kongole kamati hii kwa kuweza kulizamia jambo hili na kuja na ripoti ambayo inaridhisha kabisa. Nimeweza kuisoma kwa mtazamo fagia ripoti hii. Japo kuwa nimesikia Maseneta kadhaa wakisema kwamba kuna pendekezo la kusimamisha uajiri huu kwa muda wa miezi sita, nimeangalia ukurasa wa nane wa ripoti hii ambayo inazungumzia mapendekezo. Sikuweza kuliona pendekezo hilo. Bw. Spika wa Muda, pendekezo kama hilo litaletea athari mbaya nchi yetu kwa sababu kazi hizi sio kwamba zinakuja Kenya pekee yake. Kazi hizi nizakwenda kila sehemu ulimwenguni. Wengi wa wale watoto wetu na ndugu zetu ambao wanapata ajira kama hizi wataweza kuzikosa kwa huo muda wa miezi sita ambao umeweza kupendekezwa ili mambo yaweze kurekebishwa.

Sen. Sakaja angetaka kukuarifu.

Bw. Spika wa Muda, ndio aniarifu.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I wanted to inform him in Kiswahilim, but I lack the words. If you look carefully at the report, the suspension is not for six months, it is until those conditions are met. If the Government meets those conditions in a week, the suspension is lifted. Our work as an oversight institution, therefore, will be to make sure Government meets those conditions even if it is in a month or less. This is so that we guarantee that safety. If Government truly cares about the employments and what not, then we should do that. I am just informing the Member. I have heard many Members saying six months. Ideally, that is what we wanted, but we said there are things the Government can do, for example, safe houses, et cetera . The Government can do it in less than six months even in a month if it wants to. As soon as the Government does that and demonstrates to us in this House that it has done that, then that suspension is lifted. Otherwise, we are sending people to the death.

Asante, Bw. Spika wa Muda, na Sen. Sakaja. Ajira ughaibuni imekuwa ni sehemu kubwa ya mapato ya nchi yetu na pia kwa familia za wahusika ambao wanafanya kazi hizi. Kazi hizi zimekuwa siku nyingi sana. Kutoka jadi, Mombasa imekuwa na watu wanafanya kazi ughaibuni; Uarabuni na kwingineko kwa muda mrefu. Hizi kesi ambazo zinakuja sasa za watu kudhulumiwa haki zao na vile vile kuteswa na kuwekwa katika hali ya utumwa zimeongezeka kwa siku za karibuni. Baadhi ya sababu ya kuongezeka kwa kesi hizi ni kuwa wanaokwenda kufanya kazi hizi wameongezeka kwa kirefu kiasi ambacho ni watu wengi wanaweza kuenda sasa kufanya kazi hizi kuliko ilipokuwa pale awali. Bw. Spika wa Muda, jambo la pili pia ni kwamba watu wengi sasa wame elimika kidogo kuhusiana na haki zao za kikatiba na kikazi. Utapata watu wengi wanaweza kuja na kulalamika kuhusiana na mambo haya. Jambo la tatu ni kwamba kuna tofauti ya mila na tamaduni za wale watu ambao wanatoka Kenya kuenda kufanya kazi hizi na wenyeji wao kule sehemu wanakofanya kazi. Wengi wa kule wanazungumza lugha ya Kiarabu. Ni wachache wanaweza kuzungumza Kiarabu na Kiingereza. Unapata kwamba watu wetu wa Kenya wanazungumza Kiswahili na Kiingereza. Kwa hivyo, wanapofika kazini kule wanapata shida ya kuwasiliana na waajiri wao kwa sababu ya ukosefu wa lugha ya Kiarabu. Bw. Spika wa Muda, pia wengi wanaochukuliwa wakishalipa zile pesa zinazo takikana ya dalali ama walaka wanapandishwa ndege kuenda kule kufanya kazi bila ya kufanyia mafunzo yeyote ya vitu watakwenda kufanya kule kazini. Hii ni ile atakapokwenda kule ajue matarajio yake ni nini na matarajio ya mwajiri wake ni nini.

Sen. Faki, wakati tutakapo rejea katika Mswada huu utakuwa na dakika 16.

Waheshimiwa Maseneta, ni saa kumi na mbili na nusu jioni wakati wa kuahirisha kikao chetu. Seneti kwa hivyo imehairishwa mpaka Alhamisi, tarehe nne Novemba, 2021 saa nane na nusu mchana. Asanteni.

The Senate rose at 6.30 p.m.