Clerk, do we have quorum? Serjeant-at-Arms, kindly ring the Quorum Bell for 10 minutes.

Clerk, please, read out the first Order.

Hon. Senators, kindly take your seats.

Hon. Senators, I hereby report to the Senate that a Petition has been submitted through the Clerk, by the Petitioners, C/O Mr. Benard G. Kamanda, concerning non- payment of outstanding terminal benefits and Maziwa SACCO dues to former employees of the Kenya Co-operative Creameries (KCC) Limited. As you are aware, under Article 119(1) of the Constitution, and I quote- “Every person has a right to petition Parliament to consider any matter within its authority, including to enact, amend or repeal any legislation.” The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

Hon. Senators, the salient issues raised in this Petition are as follows- THAT, on the collapse of the takeover of the Kenya Cooperative Creameries Limited (KCC), all employees were summarily terminated in November, 1997, following a strike. Thereafter, the union filed a case in the Industrial Court, Case No.24/1994, and the court ruled that the employees were entitled to their terminal benefits; THAT, the management of the then KCC Limited produced a schedule of payment due to every employee in terms of their terminal benefits, gratuity and unremitted Maziwa SACCO dues, totaling Kshs204,471,555.20 cents; THAT, another case was filed in the Employment and Labour Relations Court, Case No.1299 of 2013 and the court ruled that the employees be paid their dues by the new KCC and the Government; THAT, the new KCC appealed the decision condemning them to pay, and the Court of Appeal overturned the Labour Court's decision. However, in so doing, the Court of Appeal agreed that while all arguments before the court were pure legalistic, it gave an opinion that it will be just for the Attorney-General to advise the Government to honor its word to pay the workers who had suffered for long; THAT, a number of the employees have since died in misery and suffering without being paid their dues and those who are still alive continue to suffer; THAT, through the advocates, the petitioners’ have made several efforts to have the matter addressed by the relevant authorities, including the New KCC, the Attorney- General, and various Government agencies, all of which have been unsuccessful; Consequently, the petitioners pray that the Senate investigates this matter with a view to ensure that the former KCC employees are paid the terminal benefits, the contributions to Maziwa SACCO and the provident fund dues deducted by KCC, but not remitted to the Scheme, all totaling to Kshs204,471,555.20 plus interest accrued since 1997 to debts. Hon. Senators, pursuant to Standing Order No.238 (1), the Petition is hereby committed to the Standing Committee on Labour and Social Welfare for consideration. In terms of Standing Order No.238 (2), the Committee is required, in not more than 60 calendar days from the time of reading this prayer, which is today, to respond to the petitioners by way of a report addressed to the Petitioners and laid on the Table of the Senate. I thank you. Next Order, Clerk.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, on behalf of the Senate Majority Leader, I beg to lay the following Paper on the Table of the Senate today, the 9th of July, 2024- The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

Report of the Auditor-General on the County Government's Revenue Funds for the 2022/2023 Financial Year and the Summary Report of the Auditor-General on the County Government's Revenue Fund for the 2022/2023 Financial Year.

Next Order, Clerk. Yes, Sen. Faki, proceed.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, having read the Petition, I am seeking your indulgence to allow me to comment on it. If you will allow me, three minutes will be adequate for me.

Sen. Faki, you will notice that Standing Order No.237, which relates to comments on Petitions, was actually deleted.

It is not an amendment, that particular provision that gave you a leeway to make comments on Petitions was actually deleted. Therefore, you---

Members were allowed to comment on the Petitions. I do not know for whose interest that Standing Order was deleted because as Members, we were not consulted, and we need to be given that opportunity to comment on these petitions.

Sen. Faki, nobody can unilaterally sit in the office to delete, amend, or insert any Standing Order. That was done by resolution of the House. Therefore, let us abide. Next Order, Clerk.

Hon. Sen. Hamida Kibwana, you have the Floor.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. On behalf of Sen. Hamida Kibwana, and pursuant to Standing Order No.52(1), I rise to make a Statement on a matter of general topical concern on the critical issue of men's mental health, especially as we observe June as Men's Mental Health Month. Mental health is a fundamental aspect of overall well-being, yet it remains a highly stigmatized and often neglected issue among men. We must address this matter with urgency. The state of men's mental health in Kenya is alarming. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Kenya has one of the highest rates of depression in Africa The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

and mental health disorders are the leading cause of morbidity. Men in particular face unique challenges and are less likely to seek help due to societal expectations and stigma. Recent statistics reveal a grim picture. Suicide is a leading cause of death among Kenyan men. The Kenya National Bureau of Standards (KNBS) statistics report that men are three times more likely to die by suicide than women. Men are more likely to engage in substance abuse as a coping mechanism for unaddressed mental health issues. This not only exacerbates mental health problems, but also leads to higher rates of addiction and related health complications. Mental health disorders contribute to a significant economic burden due to lost productivity, healthcare costs and social welfare expenses. Men are often seen as primary breadwinners. They face immense pressure, further deteriorating their mental health. The cultural expectation for men to be stoic, strong and self-reliant prevents most of them from seeking help. This toxic masculinity not only isolates men, but also discourages open conversations about mental health. The stigma associated with mental illness further exacerbates the issue leading to under-reporting and under-treatment. We must take immediate and decisive action to address men's mental health issues. The following measures are essential- (1) The Government should launch nationwide campaigns to raise awareness about men's mental health, encouraging men to seek help in breaking the stigma associated with mental health issues. (2) Promote mental health programmes in workplaces, encouraging employers to provide support and resources for employees' mental well-being. This can include employee assistance programs and mental health days. (3) Establish community-based support networks where men can discuss mental health issues openly and receive peer support. These networks can be facilitated through local health centers, religious institutions and community organisations. (4) Integrate mental health education into school curriculums to foster easy understanding and destigmatization of mental health issues among young men. This can help create a more open and supportive environment for future generations. Mr. Speaker, several initiatives have proven effective in supporting men's mental health globally, and we can adopt these to our context- (1) The Movember Foundation focuses on men's mental health issues, including mental health. They run awareness campaigns and fund research to improve mental health towards men. (2) Heads Up Guys. This Canadian initiative provides online resources especially for men. It is an online resource for men offering practical advice. (3) Manage depression and other mental health issues, creating a Kenyan version of such a resource. (4) Man therapy: This innovative approach uses humor and relatable content to engage men in conversations about mental health. It provides resources and encourages men to seek help in a non-threatening way. A similar campaign in Kenya could help break down barriers. (5) Community-based programmes like Men's Shed Australia provide a space for men to come together, work on projects and talk about their mental health. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, mental health is of great importance. As we observe Men's Mental Health Month this June, let us commit to taking decisive action to improve mental health awareness and support for men in Kenya. By addressing this critical issue, we can ensure that all men have the opportunity to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. Lastly, I urge my esteemed colleagues in this House to support initiatives that promote mental health awareness and services for men, reducing stigma and providing much-needed support. Together, we can make a significant difference in the lives of countless men across our nation. I thank you.

Statements pursuant to Standing Order No. 53(1). Sen. Crystal Asige, proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53(1) to seek a Statement from the Standing Committee on Finance and Budget regarding the Kshs156 billion loan advanced to Kenya by the World Bank with the condition of integrating 400,000 refugees. In the Statement, the Committee should- (1) Confirm whether the Kshs156 billion is a loan or a grant; (2) Explain why the condition to integrate refugees should be attached to approval of the funding; and, (3) Establish the origin of the 400,000 refugees, explaining any correlation between the Kshs156 billion being given to Kenya and the integration of these refugees, why they are in Kenya now and the criteria and parameters of them being in Kenya. I thank you.

Sen. Faki.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53(1) to seek a Statement from the Standing Committee on Land, Environment and Natural Resources on the land problems in Mombasa County and other coastal counties. Land has been a thorny issue in Mombasa and the entire coastal counties. There are historical land claims and land invasions that have deprived genuine landowners of their legitimate land rights. This has resulted in many people being classified as squatters with no hope of ever owning the land on which they have settled. Many people are also The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

left in limbo after brokers invade people's lands and sell it to the unsuspecting members of the public, only for them to realize that those who sold them the land had no titles. This sad state of affairs has undermined the right to housing as the houses built on these lands have no title deeds and are unrecognized. Mr. Speaker, Sir, in the Statement, the Committee should- (1) Enumerate the efforts by the Government to resolve the land management and ownership issues in the coastal counties; (2) Confirm whether the Government has considered buying land to settle the squatters residing in coastal counties or facilitating them to access affordable credit to buy the land on which their structures stand; and, (3) State actions taken, if any, by the national Government and county governments to provide essential services such as water, health, markets and others in areas where the squatters have settled so that they live as normal human beings.

Sen (Dr.) Boni, proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise pursuant to Standing Order No. 53(1) to seek a Statement from the Standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations regarding the harassment by the police of residents of the Ikolomani Constituency following a mining rights conflict between a private gold mining investor by the name of Shanta Gold Limited and the residents of the Ikolomani Constituency, leading to the death of one person. As I raise this Statement, allow me to give my condolences to the family of Vincent Moi who lost his life in that conflict. Also, allow me to thank the Principal Secretary (PS) Raymond Omolo for his swift action when I went to his office, and there was a standoff between the police and the community. He ordered that Shanta Gold machines be moved out of the Ikolomani with immediate effect. That was done and it retained normalcy. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would like in this Statement for the Committee to- (1) Explain the circumstances leading to the death of this resident in Ikolomani on 16th June, 2024, following the ongoing conflict between residents and the mining company over mining rights. (2) State measures taken by the police to investigate and arrest those responsible for the death of the resident, stating when the said suspect will be produced in court to face charges. (3) State the immediate measures taken by the security agencies in Ikolomani to mitigate the conflict and restore normalcy, including any measures to restrain the investor from exacerbating this conflict. (4) Investigate the concerns of the residents of Ikolomani Constituency in Kakamega County with a view of addressing the conflict between the investor and the residents. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

(5) Find out why unscrupulous local security personnel are aiding the mining company to access the gold mines in total disregard of the views of other stakeholders and recommend measures to address the matter. I thank you.

Proceed, Sen. Chute.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. On behalf of Sen. Mohamed Chute, I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53(1) to seek a statement from the Standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations regarding the attacks on residents of Anona, Waigoda and Abo villages in Marsabit County by Ethiopian government forces. Mr. Speaker, Sir, for decades, the Ethiopian Government has carried out military operations across the border with Kenya, where they end up harassing and attacking residents of Marsabit County. The most recent attack occurred two weeks ago, during which the aforementioned villages were attacked, several houses burnt and motorbikes and mobile phones confiscated. In the Statement, the Committee should- (1) Inform the Senate of any humanitarian assistance extended to the residents displaced during these attacks, providing details of any initiatives by the Government to resettle them. (2) Provide details of strategies in place by the Government of Kenya to reclaim the confiscated belongings of the residents of Marsabit County and protect them from similar attacks in future. (3) State any plans by the Government to deploy the Kenya Defence Forces in Sororo Sub-County to heighten security in the area and defend the residents against this external aggression, providing timelines within which this will be effected. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the second Statement is on behalf of Sen. Mohamed Chute.

Proceed, Sen. Omogeni.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53(1) to seek a Statement from the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries regarding the postponement of Kenya Tea Development Agency Director Elections in Nyamira and Kisii. In the Statement, the Committee should- (1) Explain why the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) did not conduct the elections for Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) directors as scheduled on Friday, 28th June, 2024, especially considering that the farmers had already gathered in the polling stations in readiness for the elections. (2) Provide evidence regarding whether the IEBC communicated the postponement of the election of tea factory directors to the farmers in advance, specifying the method of communication used, evaluating its effectiveness and presenting evidence demonstrating that the farmers received the communication. (3) Clarify the reasons for rescheduling the elections to Saturday, 29th June, 2024, especially given that these elections were being carried out in Nyanza, where the residents are predominantly members of Seventh-day Adventist Church. (4) State the scheduled dates for the IEBC to conduct elections for directors of the tea factories managed by KTDA that did not hold elections.

Proceed, Sen. Wakoli.

Proceed, Sen. Kisang.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise to contribute to this particular Motion, which is very important to the country in this particular time. It is unfortunate that we have lost lives. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

On behalf of myself, my family and Elgeyo-Marakwet County, I wish to convey my sincere condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. I also wish those in the hospitals a quick recovery. Unfortunately, it has taken our sons and daughters for us to realize that there are issues. I believe these issues have not just surfaced the other day. It is because of the unemployment that has been in the country and other injustices, especially corruption. As a country, we need to reflect, think critically and see how we can come out of this by ensuring we become sensitive to some issues. Mr. Speaker, Sir, these children did not wake up on the 25th to the streets. There must have been some things building for maybe the last five, six or seven years. We failed to notice and act quickly as leaders. These children of ours, the Gen Z--- I know we have spoken as leaders and accepted that we have failed, but we need to move on and see how we can regain back our country. One of the ways forward is to ask the National Police Service (NPS) to ensure those youths who are still in the police cells get released immediately. They should cease abductions because we know that there are bloggers, especially, who have been abducted and not taken to court. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we have those who are still in the hospitals. I am happy to also note that the Government of Kenya Kwanza have agreed to pay all the bills and contribute to the funeral and burial expenses for those who lost loved ones, so that they do not suffer twice; losing their children and looking for resources to bury them. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we need to find a way of sorting out these issues. I know we have said in the past that because of unemployment, we can use technology to ensure that the youth get something they can put on the table. There is a conversation to have over 1,400 digital hubs across our wards in Kenya. We want the National Assembly to allocate resources in these particular Constituency Innovation Hubs, so that the youth across the country can access the internet and online jobs and have something to put on the table. I know there have been issues about corruption and we have talked about it for a long time. We also have the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC). I do not think they are doing enough. This entity needs to be reorganised and restructured, so that they can act on serious real corruption, instead of going for petty offenders. I remember sometime back when there were issues about EACC, and Parliament in its wisdom dissolved it for not working enough. We ask the EACC to please expedite their investigations within the shortest time possible, and take those who are corrupt to court. They need to be charged and put behind bars. I know there is a task force that was recently formed to discuss the issue of public debt. The courts have already pronounced themselves on its suspension. We are told by the National Treasury that out of Kshs100 that is collected by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Kshs61 shillings is for paying debt. The office of the Auditor-General must move with speed to do a special audit on the national debt. It should find out the amount of debt taken for the last 10 or 20 years, what it was used for, how much is pending and how much are we currently paying. If we The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

are paying Kshs1 trillion every year on interest alone, then when will we complete paying this debt? This is a serious burden that is messing up our economy. There was an outcry last week because the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) came up with a memo that state officers, including Members of Parliament (MPs), were going to get a pay rise of between seven to 10 per cent. I saw in the news that I was likely to get an additional Kshs14,000. I declare in this House that we did not ask for any pay rise. I am also not interested in any additional penny. If anything, we can revise our salaries downward. There are Kenyans who are going without food. An issue is even in yesterday's and today’s newspapers. The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) is sleeping on its job. We want it to do a proper audit on employees across the civil service, and give us proper data about those who are employed among the 42 or 43 tribes of Kenya in all organisations. The NCIC has the habit of releasing to us a piecemeal of one organisation. So, it looks biased. We want them to do it properly, including giving us ages. There is a conversation that between 2003 and 2004, the late President Kibaki in his wisdom increased the retirement age from 55 to 60 because the Government did not have money to pay pensioners. I think it is important that we relook at that issue and maybe go back. The law has not been changed. That was just an Executive Order through a Gazette Notice. We can revert to the retirement age of 55, so that the youthful Gen Z can get an opportunity to be employed. It is not a must that we reach 60 years. Some are already 60 years old and are asking for an extension of additional years. If you have not done anything useful for yourself at the age of 55 or even 50, even if you are given an additional two years or so, it will not help. We ask our colleagues in the National Assembly as they receive the Supplementary Budget after the referral of the Finance Bill, to ensure that resources are allocated for confirmation of the 46,000 Gen Z teachers. We also want them to allocate resources for our intern doctors. I remember yesterday our doctors went to occupy Afya House. I, however, believe that if the interns are confirmed, these issues will not be there. Mr. Speaker, Sir, with those many remarks, we support and ask the Executive to move quickly with the reforms they promised the country last week. Thank you.

Hon. Kingi): Sen. Eddie? Sen. Methu?

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, Sir for this opportunity to contribute to this Motion. I am happy and thank my colleagues who have spoken. I congratulate the leadership of the House, both the Senate Majority Leader and the Senate Minority Leader for allowing us to talk. I have been watching the proceedings for the last three days. I am happy that we are now speaking from our hearts. This will enable us to dissect and look at the issues raised by not only the Gen Zs, but also the people of Kenya. I start by condoling with the families of the 41 people who lost their lives. As it has been said by my colleagues, I reiterate that it did not have to end this way. It did not have to cost the lives of people, so that voices could be heard. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

Many people say that the tree of freedom is watered by blood. However, we do not have to take it literally that people have to die and go to hospitals, so that some of the issues that they are raising are heard. So, I wish a quick recovery for those in the hospital. As a House, we have heard your voices. I have heard many people, including some of my colleagues here, saying that, you know, when we were Gen Zs, this is what we used to do. However, it is fair to set records straight that Gen Z is a generation. Mr. Speaker, Sir, you have never been a Gen Z and you shall never be. You are not in that particular bracket of a generation. You must have been born between certain times for you to be a Gen Z. It is the Gen Zs and the people of Kenya who have raised very pertinent issues that we must listen to. One of the issues that has come out very clearly in the last weeks in the conversation that we have in the country is corruption. When we speak about corruption, it must prick our conscience. I am deeply disappointed with the body that is in charge of corruption, the EACC. It is now throwing words to this honorable House. In my opinion, the weakest link in our fight against corruption is the EACC. If there is a body, that I would call vestigial for just being there, but of no known utility, it will be the EACC. This House has taken 146 files to the EACC, and nothing has been done by it that they can come and show us as a report. If EACC wants to throw barbs at this House, we have an impeccable record. This House has successively impeached five governors. Can the (EACC) show us one elected leader that they have ever prosecuted and is serving jail? Can we be shown, just one person; not two people? At least this House has a record, we have impeached, but some have been returned by the courts. It is okay, but we have a record that we prosecuted here in this House. The files that the County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) has given the EACC are open and shut. You are not supposed to be a rocket scientist to act on some of the issues. I want to give one demonstration with tremendous respect to the Senator for Nyamira, Senior Counsel, Sen. Omogeni. Last week the Governor for Nyamira appeared before us and the Members of the County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) are here and can attest to it. In one of the expenditures that had been raised, the Governor for Nyamira County paid himself Kshs6 million and he said that it was salary in arrears. When he was caught and this matter was brought to the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC), what did the EACC do? Did they prosecute him? No. Did they ask him anything? No. They just told him, we have found you stealing, please return our money, we are very sorry and do not do that again. Is that the kind of body that we are looking for? Is that the kind of body that can come and try to lecture this kind of a House? We, the people of Nyandarua, have written to the EACC regarding a matter to do with the insurance of the members of staff of the Nyandarua County Government. The County Executive sat at 9.00 a.m. and approved that a contract be entered into with a certain insurance firm and on the same day, that contract was entered into. Now, the EACC wants to tell us that they would require five years to look into a crime that was committed in three hours. If it is easy to commit a crime in three hours, why does the EACC require five years, nine years or whatever years to investigate it? If The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

we can be lectured, then people who cannot lecture us shall be the EACC. They have no moral standing to speak to this House or any person of this Republic of Kenya. It is high time that we looked at the people that have been heading this particular body. With tremendous respect, we have tried advocates. We had Justice Ringera. We have tried the professors such as Prof. Lumumba. We have tried bishops from the mainstream churches and the pentecostal churches. It is high time now that we tried a person of the stature of Sen. Omtatah to lead the EACC. We have not seen any tangible action that has been taken by the EACC. Therefore, in our fight against corruption, the EACC is one body. Since I saw them responding to the Members of this House, then the fairest thing to do is to have them come before this whole House, so that we can have that conversation. Let them not answer us in the media. They have been trying to sensationalise and sponsor fake and uninformed propaganda that this House has passed a law on the conflict of interest and that is why the EACC is not working. This is what the Gen Z are saying, that if an agency of Government can lie and they are the people that are supposed to look and chase the liars, why do we need that agency? If it is indeed true and we even take that conversation that they are not acting because we passed that law, but it was passed here on 31st, May. The EACC has been there since 2004. What have they been doing before that law was passed? I dare say - and my colleagues will bear me witness - there is no law that we have mitigated that has allowed any Senator of this House or any public servant to do business with the Government. We shall demonstrate because that shall come as a substantive Motion. If anything, we have strengthened the law. I would dare say that because I have never done business with the Government in my capacity or even my own family, and none of the Members of this House would have that kind of intention. It is not time to apportion blame to anybody. The second body that I feel is the weak link in our fight against corruption is the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). This is another notorious body. Mr. Speaker, Sir, in the case of Nyamira - and allow me to use Nyamira again - two people found themselves on the payroll of the Nyamira County Government. They were paid a total of Kshs800,000. When the matter came into the public forum through the area Senator and the other people who were charged with the oversight of the County Assembly, the County Secretary wrote and said that these people are not their employees. The County Public Service Board (CPSB) wrote and said that these people were not our employees. The payroll managers wrote and said that these people were not our employees. Then there was a case. When the matter was taken to court and I am not an advocate or a lawyer. I have no background in law, but they said it was nolle prosequi and that they had no intention of taking these two people to court. What becomes of the money that has been stolen from the people of Nyamira? We can see them responding to Sen. Sifuna on Twitter. I propose that since they are very willing to engage, let them not engage us on Twitter . Let them come before the whole of this House, so that we can demonstrate. Let us have a conversation. Do not The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

throw jabs at anybody. We are just telling you the truth. You are a weak link. You have all the evidence. Mr. Speaker, Sir, had the people of Kenya not made noise against the former Governor of Migori, Okoth Obado, he was almost walking free. Just because he has returned little things here, now the office of the DPP says that we have now built consensus, just go in peace and never steal again. If we cannot have an honest conversation with the DPP, then we will have lost. There are many other independent offices and many people have spoken about them, and we need to look at them. There is one body that appeared before us called the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA). In every report that has been laid on the Floor of this House, you will never miss a county that has an irregular procurement process. We have never had even one report from the PPRA. In fact, it has to be an initiative of either the Members of this Senate or the members of the public to write to PPRA to tell them that there is something that we are seeing in a certain public entity. These are the bodies that I am calling vestigial. They are not useful. Their usefulness and their utility approaches zero power to infinity. We must either do away with them or they must be very deliberate. Our young people have spoken about excesses. I am very sorry to my colleagues who are in this House to say that when we speak about excesses, we start with ourselves as Members of this Committee, as Members of Parliament and as Members of this Senate, before we even go out. We shall believe that this conversation has sunk in the minds of the people in this House - if we are very honest - for instance, the day that you will call a clerk of your committee because you are travelling to Mombasa and the clerk tells you that the only available flight is an economy flight, and you agree to fly on economy and not say that you want to fly on the next available business class. I do not know about the others, but I will speak for myself. Before I became a Member of this House - and I want to be very honest with you - I used to fly on economy class. Why am I very special now that I have to travel on business class? If there is no business class then I cannot travel to Mombasa here, which is just a flight of 45 minutes? So, it has to start with us. It also amazes me that a governor who used to travel using one vehicle now has to attend a funeral using a convoy of five vehicles. The lead car has communication officers, the second car has media officers, the third car is his lead car, then his car with a flag followed by a chase car and other cars. In a rural county like Nyandarua, Homa Bay or any other county that you are speaking about, you will see a governor attending a funeral in a convoy that has sirens in a county that has never seen a traffic jam. I imagine that sirens are either for traffic jams or for ambulances. It is this kind of vomiting on the people of Kenya that we are speaking about, and that is what Gen Z are saying. If we cannot stop these kinds of excesses, then we shall have failed the people of Kenya. I would dare ask, why is it that when we are elected, we are very close to our people and now, you are a governor or a Senator of a rural county like the county that I come from, and you think that you now require eight bodyguards? Why do you require The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

eight of them? What have you done to your people that you require to be protected with guns? Mr. Speaker, Sir, when you were campaigning, you were the one who campaigned. When you get elected, you require eight bodyguards to protect you. What you are they protecting? What is this that you have taken from your people and now you do not want them to access you? I see people walk into funerals where a whole tent is occupied by you, your bodyguards, aides, communication officers and advisors. On this issue of advisors, I am happy that the President has said that they will cut down on advisors. In my opinion, advise should look like a pregnancy. You cannot be losing cases like we have seen in the County Government of Meru and you have a legal advisor. Why do you need him? If you have no tangible economic policies that we can see, why do you require an economic advisor? This afternoon, we have been seized with a matter that the County Government of Meru will have to pay Kshs600 million for penalties and what has been awarded by court because they chased an investor from a hotel that is worth Kshs150 million. What are we doing to our people? Why do we need to push this kind of money to the counties, and it is spent or used just like that? Mr. Speaker, Sir, in the quest of occupying, if the young people want us to fight corruption, the next place they must occupy are the county governments. The county governments must be occupied. The next people that they must visit should be the governors. I know my time is running out, but there is something that has been mentioned on education and I want to canvass my thoughts on that. In my opinion, education is the only thing that equalizes us on opportunities. With tremendous respect to the Senator for Siaya County, I will just use this example. In 1964, the Vice-President of this Republic was Hon. Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. In 1964, my mother, the late Jane Njeri was born then. In September, 2022, the son of the late first Vice-President and the son of a peasant woman born in 1964 were sworn in this House as Senators. Why was this? This is because the only thing equalizing us now is education. Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is for this reason that we must try and make education as cheap as it can be. I am persuaded that we must do away with bursaries. This is because not everyone is able to access bursaries. You know that when you allow politicians to be dishing out bursaries, the people that get this money are the same people who campaigned for them. You get bursary because you campaigned for your Member of County Assembly (MCA). You campaign for your Member for Parliament (MP) or governor, you get bursaries. At the end of the year, one child is at home because they cannot pay school fees and the other child leaves school with an excess because their parents can access bursaries. Bursaries have been made a reserve of families of politicians, their girlfriends or the bimbos that just walk around politicians. This must come to an end. Mr. Speaker, Sir, if this money is there, as the Senator for Kiambu was able to elucidate here, that we have money in the CDF, in county governments, the governors’ kitty and money in the Ministry, why not amalgamate this money? This is so that the The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

people of Kenya can have access to free education. When the idea of bursaries was born and the first cohort went out, the one that had the late, hon. Tom Mboya, bursaries were not meant for the brilliant or anyone else. They were meant for the needy. Mr. Speaker, Sir, you do not need to be brilliant to be needy. You only need to be needy for you to access education. The only way to access - and I feel good--- I daresay in this House that I am the one who is closest in terms of age to the Gen Zs. I am young. I feel proud that Hon. Kibaki gave me free education from class one to class eight. Many people did not enjoy that privilege. If we are to say that we have listened to the Gen Zs, we must ensure that we make education free. Finally, I am about to end, but the second last thing I want to speak about is on opportunities for employment. How do you think young people are feeling when they see an MP or a Cabinet Secretary dishing out letters to people for opportunities of employment? Is that a level playing ground? Why would our young people not feel sad, get mad or angry and yet they are learned? If so-and-so is a friend to so-and-so, they get employed and I stay for five years without getting employed--- If we want our young people to accept that we are doing anything on employment, we must make level the playing ground for employment. We say that we have created 30 per cent for young people, but what is happening is that old people walk around with Local Purchase Orders (LPOs) that they have registered with the names of young people. Therefore, our young people cannot access those opportunities. When you want a contract with a county government, they first of all ask for 10 per cent and you do not have it. If you get the 10 per cent, when they are paying you, they ask for another 10 per cent. You do not get paid and your money gets to the pending bills and yet the money you are depending on is borrowed money. It then puts you in a difficult situation. Mr. Speaker, Sir, it may not be popular at this time to say this, but the people of Kenya are asking this question. The Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, which is led by Sen. (Dr.) Murango---

Two minutes to wind up your thoughts.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. This Committee went round this country because fake fertilizer had been sold to our farmers.

The Committee has gone round, they invite people here, we even saw them testing that fertilizer here, but two months later, they cannot even tell us who sold the fake fertilizer to the people of Kenya. What are we doing to our people and yet we call ourselves the people tasked with the responsibility of playing oversight? Why does it have to take two months for you to tell us that it is such and such Cabinet Secretary that sold fake fertilizer to the people of Kenya? Why is it difficult? I daresay this to my dear President and whom I support that the people of Kenya have given him a blank cheque. He has the opportunity and people will clap for him, to ensure that he weeds out every incompetent Cabinet Secretary in his Government. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

He has the opportunity now to weed out every incompetent Principal Secretary. He has that opportunity right now. I am hopeful because I hear that there was a Cabinet meeting last Thursday. I hope that some people took nice photos there because they may never go back there since they are incompetent and cannot deliver. They are just pulling back our President. Mr. Speaker, Sir, since the people of Kenya have given the President that open cheque, it is time to crack the whip and allow them to go and attend to other matters, so that we can get other good Kenyans who can attend to the issues that the people of Kenya have. I thank you.

Sen. Eddie.

I thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I thank you and the Senate Majority Leader wholeheartedly for allowing us to vent on this important matter of the state of our nation today. This is occasioned by the fact that we have seen a swathe of young people in this country who share a common problem of economic emptiness coming all the way to this Parliament, this sanctified House. We have seen also the destruction that has happened in this country. One of my mentors is a serious entrepreneur and the Chairman of Mckinsey Africa is called Acha Leke is from Cameroon. Whenever we meet him as young people, he will usually asks us one question. Would it have mattered for Africa that you lived? As these demonstrations were going on, I wanted to look at the eyes of all the Senators in this House and relate to that statement. To you Mr. Speaker, Sir and to my brothers and sisters in this House, would it have mattered for Kenya that you lived? I will extend that same framing to the President and the Deputy President of this country and ask, would it have mattered that they lived? This is because when this conflict started, people had taken personal stands because these issues are personal. They are personal because when young people talk about going without food, that is personal. They are personal because when women in this country go without medicine in our hospitals. Mr. Speaker, Sir, last week when we were reflecting, the Senator for Nairobi City County, Sen. Sifuna, talked about having an Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) expressway card that has Kshs377,000. I imagined what happens to villages that people like Sen. Methu or Sen. (Dr.) Murango comes from, where we have dispensaries and hospitals that have ambulances that do not have fuel. People in this country are losing lives for a simple reason as not getting an ambulance fueled. What is happening in my country today is so sad that it made me reflect my personal life and journey here. I wanted the President and Members of Parliament (MPs) to also reflect on their personal journey to where they are today because sometimes it is easy to forget. We might end up seeing this group called Generation Zs as just young people who are protesting in the streets without having homes. However, they have homes and are facing burdens that we might be far removed from. When people are talking about dialogue, we might not be talking about the real issues. Mr. Speaker, Sir, on 3rd February, 2003, my mother got sick in the village. We used to be tobacco farmers. When you did not have the capacity to grow tobacco on your The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

own and get a number from a company called British American Tobacco (BAT) at that time, you ended up depending on somebody else who had more capacity than you. It happened that my family did not have the capacity to grow our own tobacco, therefore, we were working in what was then called then a “gog” to one gentleman that I still owe a lot of respect called Mr. Joshua Otieno. He was seen as the most successful farmer in our village because one of the biggest assets he owned was a bicycle. At that time, my brothers and sisters were suffering outside our village to get an education. I found myself as the oldest son with my sisters in the village at that time. My mother got sick and my dad was not in the village as well. He had gone to look for ways of supporting the family. When my mother got sick, I did not know how to even ride a bicycle. I went to Mr. Joshua Otieno, who was the person who could help us with his bicycle. I asked him to help me with his bicycle in order to get my mother to the hospital. Of course, I could not ride that bicycle, but I carried my mother to the hospital. I depended on Joshua's bicycle to take my mother to the hospital from the 3rd to 12th of that month. She was diagnosed with chronic malaria. When we went to the hospital on 12th in the morning, the doctor told me that my mother could not be treated there because that chronic malaria could only be treated in a referral hospital in Migori Town. They had the ambulance, but did not have the fuel. They asked me to go and look for Kshs2,000, so that we could take my mother to Migori District Hospital. Of course, I went home and found my father, but we did not have the Kshs2,000. I will never forget that image. At 11.48 p.m., I lost my mother to a simple disease called chronic malaria. This is because getting fuel for an ambulance was a problem. Today, as we talk about Generation Z, some people might see those young people as crazy and on TikTok, Facebook and social media spaces. However, if you sit with them, you will hear of stories, that mine could be the most little story of them all. These are stories of young people who have gone to school and are qualified, came back home to find their own siblings whom they call millennials or any generation whom have also gone to schools and qualified, but cannot make sense of their life. Some of them might be successful because their parents are successful. However, if you look at the lives most of them, they are everything to their parents. They are the only hope that their parents have. Mr. Speaker, Sir, in this House, we are privileged to have an insurance. However, some of these young people are the insurance for their parents. I can tell you for a fact, I have heard even Members of this House say that they are the pension for their parents. That their parents do not have anywhere to build, and when they get sick, they send them medicine. Therefore, as we reflect, we must acknowledge, as a House, that the root cause of what we are seeing in the street today in Kenya. I extend this to the President of this country. We know the root cause very well. It is economic emptiness and lack of income and jobs for young people in this country. They are the majority of this country, and yet they cannot get income and decent jobs simply because we have enabled a system where governance in this country cannot allow capital to reach those young people. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

In this House, we know that we are supposed to be the oversight authority of what is happening in the Ministries. All my colleagues, including Sen. methu, spoke about Ministries mishandling resources in this country. We know that even as we try to struggle as much as possible as a country, there is no way the Government can create adequate jobs for these young people. Decent and dignified livelihoods can only be created when we allow the private sector of this country to expand and grow. As a young person who has come to this Parliament, what is happening in this country is that we have got serious vested interest in Government and governance of this country. There is a conspiracy between the Executive and the Parliament of this country, such that, when budgets and Finance Bills are being done, leaders are conspiring so that they can to do business in the budget and backbone of this country. If there is any solution that is needed in this country, the first thing I expect the President to do is audit all the companies in the registrar of companies, so that we know the people who are doing business in this country that are making it impossible for young people in this country to do business. If that audit is done, you will see a clear path and well-crafted path for people in this country to create a country of state-made Kenyans versus self-made Kenyans, where state-made Kenyans are very deliberate about putting into budget money that does not even go to the private sector, that only enables people in politics and Government to accumulate wealth through dubious means and projects that have never been done in all the budgets that we are discussing. In the last Government, under the current President when he was the Deputy President, we saw the passing of the Government Advertisement Agency (GAA), which made the Government to be a player and not a regulator in the advertisement industry. Due to the height of technology and digital understanding, young people could get most jobs in the advertisement industry on digital marketing. However, the Government is running a lot of money that goes in the pocket of individuals in GAA deals to the extent that, if you look at the mainstream media and advertisement agencies in this country, they are collapsing. This is because GAA owes tons of money to people that have paid themselves, and it is not possible for young people to get those opportunities. If you look, for instance, the national media has fired 180 young people. The Directorate of Government Advertising Agency owes the Nation Media Group Kshs3 billion. If you look at The Standard Newspaper, young people have been nurtured to the extent that they can be elite digital advertisers. However, for the past seven months, they have not been paid even Kshs5,000. There are young people who interview us every day. We have Vybez Radio, Spice

and mainstream television stations where they interview us, yet they go without pay because the Government Advertising Agency (GAA) owes them money that has been paid under the watch of Parliament and the entire Cabinet. I can even show you Kshs2 billion that the GAA owes the media where young people and creatives arts should be excelling. Yesterday my heart was pouring out because I saw medical interns sleeping outside Afya House. This House enabled the passing of the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF). If you look at the way the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) used to work, The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

you can see how Parliament and the Cabinet has conspired against Kenyans to do business. When the NHIF used to work, money would be collected from the public and there was a Department for making payments to all Kenyans when they were sick. That necessitated them to have a system of clearing those payments. However, the two Houses of Parliament passed the SHIF. How is it going to operate? The NHIF used to have Ksh24 billion saved to the extent that they would buy Treasury Bills (T-Bills). That meant that if they did not collect any money, they would still pay health insurance for people in this country. Today, that entire amount of Kshs24 billion is missing. I hope the Senator for Marsabit is here. We know very well that the SHIF was forced to procure a system that they did not need. They procured a private entity to offer insurance. They spent Kshs10 billion to procure that system which failed when it was taken to Marsabit. This is a matter of public knowledge. All these are deals and businesses. Parliament has become a place of deal-making and not Bill-making. We must face these challenges as a people. There is one thing that the President must confront. This vested interests in the Government must stop and allow for the private sector to create decent jobs for our young people because the Government cannot create enough jobs. I want to confront the President of the nation. As a result of the magnitude of the crisis we are seeing today, the response must also be the same. In Physics, an action must have an equal reaction. We should not just talk about conducting dialogue for the sake of it. The dialogue must be on specific issues that are denying young people economic opportunities in this country, so that those issues are sorted out once and for all. At the heart of the issues are Cabinet Secretaries that we have in the country today. The President must confront this reality. It is either you die with these few individuals or the country. It must matter to the President to give an explanation to the young people as to why it is so difficult even in areas where Cabinet Secretaries who are extremely known in the country to have committed economic crimes to leave the Cabinet. He should explain to the country why the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development must continue holding that position. This must come to the House so that issues that we have been fighting on separation of powers--- Parliament should play an oversight role autonomously and have independent operations. One of the radical ways that the President can help this country is to rethink the entire leadership, particularly of the National Assembly. Under our Constitution, the National Assembly has got all the powers to deal with Money Bills. That is why it becomes easy for Members of the National Assembly to mix personal and public interests. I have checked on the quality of leadership in this House. At what point do you compare Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale, the Senate Majority Whip, to Hon. Osoro in the National Assembly when looking at issues of budget and inance Bills in the country? Concerning the depth and passion for the country, at what point do you compare our Senate Majority Leader, Sen. Cheruiyot, who has actually brought this Bill, to Hon. Ichung’wa in the National Assembly and say you have a sober Assembly? The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

The Senate Deputy Majority Leader, Sen. Tabitha Keroche, is a lady of valour and towering spirit of entrepreneurship who has run a serious business in this country. At what point do you compare--- I am lost for words. The President must confront this reality. As young people, we must see a shakeup in the National Assembly that has basically enabled 100 per cent of the problems of not listening to the young people of this country. We must see that shakeup in the---

Senator, you have two minutes to wind up your thoughts.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, as I wind up, I also want to invite the Gen Z to a conversation. We are a constitutional democracy. The country must run and be governed. At the foot of this wonderful movement you have had, do not be tempted to get compromised in traditional politics where people end up hijacking it for popularity or tribal sake. I have seen you vilify the President alone, but you should know that under our Constitution, there is the presidency. The President is not the only liable person. Even the Deputy President is liable and must also be called to order. It is the Deputy President who first saw the people of this country as goods and services. He saw the people of this country as commodities and referred to them as a company and not a country. He saw us as rabuon, muguka, waru, and omena and now the commodities are speaking. He must know that the rabuon and omena have started speaking. He must realise that this country is not a company where we talk about shareholding and state-made versus self-made Kenyans. We are a country of people of value. He must also be held to account, so that we do not start fighting each other because of tribes, such as Kikuyus fighting on one side and Somalis on the other. All those people are also part of the recipe of why this country works. I have lived---

Proceed, Sen. Abass.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would like to join my colleagues in discussing the situation in the country. First and foremost, I would like to send my heartfelt condolences to all the bereaved families. I wish them solace in their hearts. For those who were injured, I wish them quick recovery. Unfortunately, what happened in this country in a very short time made me to have a heavy heart. Mr. Speaker, Sir, for those of us who live on the borderlines, we know what happens in our neighbourhoods. We have seen what happened in Somalia 35 years ago down the line, up to now, it has never settled. We have seen what is happening in Congo, Sudan and Ethiopia. So, the kind of things that are now happening in this country are worrying. It is right for the young men and women, the so-called Gen Zs to do what they have done because for many years in this country, Kenyans have been very resilient, patient, they have been people who understand, people who obey the law, but when the things are done and people do not listen, the consequences are this kind of action. Therefore, I want to tell the young men and women, as much as we appreciate what they have done, they have woken us up. Some of the leaders, who had lost their senses of feeling, are now back to their senses. We know what will happen in this country. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

When you see someone who has been a Minister the other day, actually walking across borders, who lost his kids, when you see mothers walking, crying with their children and they do not know where to go, crossing borders, that is a time for those of us who witnessed to tell you what peace means. Therefore, for the last one week, I have been hearing a lot of populist kind of statements. As leaders, we must take responsibility for the kind of statements we make. It may be sweet today, you may be heard by your electorate, they might want to applaud you, but of course, when the consequence come, when the action has been taken and when this country goes to the dogs, that is the time you know, whether you are the President, an MP, or not, we all feel the consequences of our actions.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, this country's leadership is reactive by nature. Even the President’s actions are reactive. They only react to situations and that cannot be able to help anybody. There have been many problems in this country. People have been promised paradise. The young men and ladies today who are demonstrating were told that once this Government comes in; when we take the leadership, the youth will be employed, and they will be given money, better education and jobs. One and a half years down the line, things have changed. The paradise has gone. It has become hell in the world. Youth are unemployed and a lot of impunity is being used, there is a lot of discrimination; and money is being looted left, right and centre. The other day we were told that the Government met the coffers empty. Then suddenly in one year, people are carrying money in bags to harambees. So where is this money coming from if money was looted by the previous regimes? There is no doubt that this country and all of us in leadership must go back to the table and listen to one another. The first and foremost thing that we need to talk about is for this country to heal, to come together and believe that we can do better. This is a very rich country. This is a very beautiful country that we love; we have nowhere else to go. So let us not send this beautiful country to the dogs. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, what is happening today is that everybody wants to make easy money to the advantage of the poor and disadvantaged people. Every leader wants to make money. The oversight institution, which is the Parliament has been captured. We have been called to State House. We have been called by our parties to do a, b, c, and d. We do not listen. You are elected by the people; you are not elected by the President and you are not elected by your party leader. So, every morning, when there is a Bill, we are summoned to party offices or State House. We have been elected by people not by the people at State House or by a party leader. The consequences of that kind of blindly following leadership, party leaders, and being so obedient to the parties, is what we have now, the consequences that we are facing today. Bills have been done with impunity in this Houses of Parliament. Bills have been rushed; we are not even allowed to listen together. The Bills that we are making in these The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

two Houses are being rushed every hour. We have been told to say “yes” and I will say “yes” and this is the consequence today we are facing. Had we listened together when the problems started; the time when the Housing Levy issues came, we all talked about these issues. The people complained; the youth complained; everybody complained. The whole side of the pronouncement of projects when the money is not available, the jobs that we said we were going to create are not achievable and then you expect this kind of upheaval not to happen. If this kind of situation continues, there will be more upheaval in this country. The jobs we are looking for will not be available and crime will increase. Kenya is sending its soldiers to Haiti. Haiti is a country 7,000 kilometers from here. The consequences of what is happening today where our police officers are going, is because of this kind of business, there is upheaval. The country has been taken over by goons. There is crime and robbing of people. We will want to learn from the mistakes that we have made and correct these things. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, as it is, we need to have a major change because as I said, our oversight institutions have failed this country. I do not know who will oversight the EACC. The cases are taking too long at the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The Goldenberg scandal has taken many years and everybody has gone scot-free. Those guys who looted a lot of money have gone free. They have been released by the office of the DPP and the Judiciary. Parliament is making punitive laws and corruption is dragging on their feet. Therefore, we need an oversight institution that oversights institutions like Parliament, the EACC, and all these things. I do not know who will do it. I do not know where we are going to have an institution that will oversight all of us, but as it is, this country has failed to listen to each other. The President has failed us; Kenya is undergoing a revolution. You might see it as a joke, but what is happening now is a revolution. If you remember what happened in the Arab States; Sudan, and Egypt, this is how it started. We applaud the young ladies and men who went to the streets for waking us up. However, goons have infiltrated whatever objective that they may have. The electronic and mobile phone shops they are breaking into and looting in town belongs to the Gen Zs. So, have we lost or gained anything so far? We have lost so much. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we need to talk about taxation in this country. What happens is that the President just wakes up one day and announces a tax increase of things that affect everybody across the board such as fuel and road levies. We have no problem with raising money. However, we must at least also weigh the alternative options. This is a very rich country. We have not explored agriculture. This country is underdeveloped and has now become a consumer. We only consume food that we import from our neighborhood. We have beautiful and potential idle land. Men and women have grabbed big land, which they do not even know what to do with it because it is in excess. They are waiting for a day that they can sell it at a higher price. On the other hand, other Kenyans who could produce food do not have the land. We need land redistribution. We must go back to the drawing board, so that people who have excess land give it back to those who can plant. If the unemployed young men and women get the land, they can till it to The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

produce food and employ themselves. For those who have excess land, please, give it back to Kenyans. If we want to have land for future harvest and get more money, then it is the right time to we do land redistribution. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we need to create employment. This does not mean that people must be employed only in offices. We can have employment in many ways such as self-employment. If you give young men and women some money to go and do business, you will see them all over Nairobi Central Business District (CBD). We have so many stores that are run by these same group and they are doing very well. They travel all the way to China and Dubai to bring in commodities. However, the problem is that when they get to the airport, they are taxed and harassed and, therefore, cannot make profits. We need to improve and give incentives to those who are working hard to bring their commodities here. These are all Kenyans not outsiders. Small goods that have been brought by the youth are taxed. The airport has become a place to harass people. Investors are running away from us and going to our neighbors. Taxation does not make the country rich. So, we should improve on the creation of employment. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, corruption is a cancer in this country, done with impunity such that we do not know where to run to. Even in this Parliament, when we call the corrupt governors accused of stealing money to the committees, the Auditor- General and Controller of Budget (CoB) bring their reports, and it ends there. There are no follow-ups, prosecution or anything and the impunity continues. We need to do better in this country. Colleagues, as leaders, we need to be a bit serious. We must be responsible and answerable to the public that elected us. This country needs heavy investment. I know there are many loans that we have borrowed without proper planning. We need to go back to the drawing board and see how best we can create jobs. Learning institutions are dead; education is obsolete. Today, there is a new curriculum every 10 years such as the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) or the 844. Our neighbors, Uganda and Tanzania have had the same curriculum for years. If the curriculum has to change, we have to change to a job creation kind. That is, our universities should change their curriculum and look at the Information Technology (IT), the markets and other things that can at least create jobs for the youth. However, we are following up obsolete curriculum that will not help this country. Education is becoming unaffordable. It is just unnecessarily expensive. Healthcare is very expensive. Not every Kenyan can afford treatment because everything is commercialized. If you go to the pharmacy, there is no control of prices. If you go to a doctor, they charge you expensively. The poor man and lady cannot afford healthcare. We have been told that we are going to be given free healthcare and yet, the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) is almost dead. It has now become a place for getting money for the politicians. Every campaign time, money is withdrawn and misused. You pay for healthcare and yet, you do not have drugs in the hospitals. We have devolved health functions and yet, Kshs126 billion is given to the Ministry of Health in the new budget. Where are they taking all that money and they only have the level six and five hospitals? The functions of the rest have gone to the counties and yet, the money is being held at the national level. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

We have many institutions that duplicate functions. In the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation, we have three or four authorities and water agencies doing the same functions. The counties, the agencies and the authorities are all dealing with water. Where are we going? This is the same taxpayer's money. We also have many dysfunctional regional bodies and authorities. The little money that we can put in a better place so that we can have a better output is divided, to be stolen and for paying wage bills which is unbelievably high. With those few remarks, I applaud the President now that he has come back to his senses. Today, I heard about the six days of dialoguing where Hon. Raila Odinga and everybody else was there. I would like to tell Kenyans, in as much as we are suffering, in whatever we do, we also need to think of the future of this country. With those few remarks, I support the Motion. Thank you.

Sen. Shakila Abdalla, proceed.

Asante Bw. Naibu Spika kwa nafasi hii nami nitoe kauli yangu. Kwanza, nitoe rambi rambi zangu za pole kwa wale vijana waliopoteza maisha yao katika haya maandamano. Pia, niseme pole kwa wale ambao wanaugua mahospitalini. Tunawaombea afueni na warudi kwenye shughuli zao. Nchi yetu inashida tatu. Hizo shida tatu ndizo zinasababisha hii nchi kutotawalika au kuwa na misukosuko. Shida ya kwanza ni ukabila, ya pili ni ufisadi na ya tatu ni ukosefu wa usawa. Hawa Gen Z wamekuja kutuondolea haya mambo matatu kutuonyesha kwamba ikiwa tutaendelea na haya mambo matatu, hapana mahali tutaenda. Wametuonyesha kwamba wao hawana ufisadi wala ukabila. Wanataka usawa. Ikiwa tutafuata hii filosofia ya hawa Gen Z, bila shaka tutaleta mabadiliko katika nchi yetu na itaweza kutawalika. Bw. Naibu wa Spika, vijana hawa wamesoma, hawana balaa. Ni wale waliopata elimu ya bure, iloyokuwa ya maana na maradufu wakati wa Mhe. Kibaki akiwa na msaidizi wake Mhe. Kalonzo Musyoka. Tunachoomba ni hao vijana wasichukuliwe nguvu na polisi ila washirikiane nao. Pia, waachwe wafanye mambo yao kwa sababu ni vijana walionyesha umahiri na kwamba wanayo nia nzuri ya kubadilisha hii nchi. Hawana nia mbaya, wala hawataki fujo. Sijasema kwamba tuchukuwe filosofia yao kwa uharibifu wala kwa fujo. Filosofia iwe ya kuondoa yale mambo matatu ambayo nimetaja. Hawa vijana wametokea sio kwa sababu ya Finance Bill ila kwa sababu tofauti tofauti ambazo zinawakwaza katika maeneo yao wanapoishi. Kwenye sababu nyingi zinazowakwaza nitataja chache. Ni kwa sababu ya ongezeko ya school fees . Wengi hawasomi, wamefukuzwa manyumbani wana randararanda. Mambo ya university, umeme, housing levy na ushuru umeongezeka mara dufu. Vijana hawa kwa mara nyingi hawana njia ya kujihami kwa vyovyote. Vile vile, ukichunguza vijana kama hawa utapata kwamba wanaona ukosefu wa usawa kwa mfano wa makazi. Utaenda ofisi ukute kazi kuanzia juu hadi chini ni kabila moja au mbili ilhali Kenya tuko na makabila zaidi ya arobaini. Kule Lamu Port, kuna vijana wetu mia moja waliochukuliwa miaka minne iliyopita wakiwa kama casuals. Hadi wa leo ni vibarua, hawajawahi kuandikwa

kwa sababu utakuta watu wanakuja nyuma pale Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

wanachukuliwa kwamba hii ni choir ya watu mia moja. Wanachukuliwa na kuandikwa

. Ukosefu wa usawa kama huo unafanya vijana kuleta sintofahamu na taharuki. Ile Poti kuhamishwa Mombasa ni njia moja ambayo ilileta unyonge na udhaifu mkubwa Mombasa ikaonekana ni kama maonevu. Ile ndio rasilimali ambayo iko pale Mombasa lakini unakuta ilihamishwa ikapelekwa sehemu zingine ilhali vijana Mombasa wana randaranda kwa ukosevu wa kazi. Ukielekea Witu ambayo ni division, ikifika saa kumi na mbili kunawekwa curfew . Wa upande huu hapiti huku na wa huku hapiti huko. Kwa nini watu kama wale waekewe

? Kwa sababu wanalinda watu wengine fulani. Mambo kama hayo ya ukosefu wa usawa ndio yanaleta hii shida ya Gen Z kuamka na kuona kwamba ni lazima hii nchi iwe na usalama kwa sababu sote ni Wakenya. Kuhusu ufisadi, utakuta wanaokuwa sacrifice d ni wale small sheep . Anaenda kuishi kwa director na maneja ilhali waziri yuko free . Director na Maneja wanachukuwa

kutoka kwa wakubwa wao na kuambiwa kwamba isipoenda hivyo ni wao wataumia. Wakishachukuwa zile order maneno yanabadilika kukichafuka, inakuwa wao ni sacrificial lamb . Kwa hivyo, hii ufisadi---- Hata hapa Bunge wabunge wanaitwa kwenye Parliamentary Group (PG), kuambiwa lazima huu Mswada mpitishe. Kwa nini mbunge akubali kusema nimepewa milioni mbili kupitisha huu Mswada? Kwa nini Rais atoe milioni mbili ahonge mbunge akijua kuwa huo Mswada ni mzuri? Hayo yote ni ufisadi kutoka juu hadi chini. Ukipeleka kesi Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) unaulizwa unamjuwa nani au huyu unayemleta kwa hii kesi anamjuwa nani. Niko na Ushahidi. Nilipokuwa mwenyekiti wa Child Welfare Society of Kenya, nilipata organization hiyo ikiwa na ufisadi hali ya juu. Nilipo peleka kesi EACC pamoja na ushahidi, waliniuliza huyu mama ako connected na nani kabla hawajamguza. Kwa hivyo, haya mambo ya ufisadi yanaanzishwa huko juu yakielekea chini. Sio kitu ambacho ni ofisa au mtu mdogo ameamua kufanya yale mambo ila anapewa order. Hata hao wabunge wakipitisha ile kitu walipewa order na Rais kwamba huu Mswada lazima upite na wakahongwa . Kama ni kusema ukweli, ukweli usemwe na mambo yajulikane wazi. Ikiwa ufisadi utaendelea na ikiwa Rais hatajaribu kungángána na ufisadi -maanake yeye ndiye fisadi mkubwa - basi hakuna mahali tutaenda. Wale ambao ni fisadi Rais amejitokeza kimasomaso kuwalinda. Ina maana hajaamua kupigana na ufisadi kama Rais wa nchi. Tunataka Rais apambane na ikiwa hawezi atoe nafasi wanaume wachukue nafasi hiyo wafanye kazi. Tunataka mabadiliko na tumeletewa na vijana. Wasirudi nyuma, tunawaunga mkono, tuko nao. Hao vijana waendelee vivyo hivyo. Wameonyesha umahiri na ungwana kwamba hawana haja na mali ya mtu, kuiba wala kuharibu. Wao wanataka haki yao na lazima ipatikane. Bw. Naibu wa Spika, nikimalizia kwa kuwa mimi sio mtu wa maneno mengi, nawaambia vijana wachukuwe kura kwa wingi. Hiyo ndiyo silaha ya kupambana na adui. Asanteni sana, nimeshukuru. Naunga mkono.

Asante, sasa tunampata Sen. Mbugua George. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, thank you for this opportunity to contribute to this very important Motion. Allow me to appreciate your office, the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader for giving us this opportunity so that we can speak on the status of our country. Allow me to also send my condolence to the families of both the Gen Zs, the police and the general public who perished during this time of skirmishes. The events surrounding the debate, the passing and the withdrawal of the Finance Bill were unprecedented. We have never seen our young people coming out in the numbers they did. It marked a turning point in the governance of this country. I take this opportunity to thank the young people because they have made the leadership of this country to wake up and decide to change the course this country was taking. The Finance Bill was just a trigger of the many things that have not gone well in this country. The young people came out clearly to us that they are not doing these things for themselves only. They were also doing it for their parents, brothers, sisters and those people who do not have the energy they have. I thank them for that. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, this country, for many years, has had to deal with the problem of inequalities. The gap between the poor and the rich has been widening, to the extent that we have agreed that there are those people who are called Wananchi and

What the young people are telling us is that these things must change. Gen Z has said it clearly that they do not want many stories. They want action. As such, I will attempt to bring three action points, which I think would help alleviate the problems of young people. Articles 54 and 55 of the Constitution address the issues of young people and the Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) of this country. In an attempt to actualise these Articles, Parliament, in its wisdom, enacted the Access to Government Procurement Act of 2015. As a law, it was decided that 30 per cent of all Government procurement would go to the marginalised groups, which are the youth, women and PwDs. We all know what has happened because we live in this country. This law has never been actualised as it was intended. Just to give you an example, we operate a budget of about Kshs3 trillion. If we assume 30 per cent of that goes to development, it means we have about Kshs1 trillion which goes to the purchase of goods and services. If this law were to be followed to the letter, about Kshs300 billion would go to these marginalised groups. Sen. Korir has talked about the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA). These are the people who are supposed to make sure that this Act is adhered to. It is important, as an action point that we call these people here and they tell us what is wrong. Why have they been unable to actualise this, so that the young people of this country, the PwDs and the women benefit as Parliament of this country intended to? In addition, as an action point, I would urge the Government and this House to prioritise in the first quarter of the new finance budget cycle, that procurement of Government goes to the youth and the other marginalised groups. When these young people were demonstrating coming to Parliament, you could see the anger and the determination. Then I pondered and asked, what is this, which has made these people very angry? I thought, probably among this young generation, there are people whose The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

parents spent everything including selling land to educate them. We have been told in this country since we were young that usome utapata kazi nzuri na utaishi maisha mazuri. These young people went to school in the hope of getting jobs and helping their parents, but they are faced with helplessness. Article 55 of our Constitution, as read together with the Persons with Disabilities Act of 2013, reserved five per cent of employment in all Government Ministries and Parastatals to PwDs. I can read for you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir One section said that this was to be actualised progressively. Ten years down the line according to the status report, which was just released the other day, the Status Report on Disability, this Act has not been properly implemented. In the report, we came to learn that over 240 Government agencies in this country have never employed any single person with a disability, yet we have a law. The excuse they give is that the Constitution says it has to be implemented progressively. Now that the youth have said that we need action, at some point maybe this is a constitutional moment where we have to look at the weaknesses of some of the laws we have. It is time we remove the term progressive so that we can enforce this. In that said report, out of the entire workforce of the Republic of Kenya, only 1.32 percent is PwDs. So, when you see some of these young people with a lot of anger, you imagine that they are children whose parents were disabled and they thought they would help them, but it could never come to be. I was very happy the other day when I heard His Excellency the President say it is time that we wind up some of the Parastatals which are performing the same function. On that note, I bring to the attention of this House that when it comes to matters of disability in this country, Parliament enacted the National Council for Persons with Disability Act, 2003, which is a legally mandated body to handle matters to do with disability. Also in this country, we have another fund called the National Fund for the Disabled of Kenya, which is registered under the Trustees Perpetual Succession Act. This body has received government money over the last 20 years, and it has never been subjected to any Parliamentary oversight. This institution, despite receiving hundreds of millions of shillings from the Exchequer, has never been audited by the Auditor-General. When I raised a question on the Floor of this House so that we could engage this body, it took a whole year for the trustees could agree to appear before the committee. When they came and we asked them what they do, they act as an investment company, and all the money they have been receiving, they have bought buildings, and whatever goes to help the persons with disabilities is a mere 30 per cent. I bring to the attention of this House that among the other things which shocked us when the trustees of this fund appeared before us, they have put a whole Kshs780 million in a fixed account. This is taxpayers' money, which was meant to help PwDs. As an action point, I would be calling on this House that we call these two institutions here and they address how they have been spending the money given to them. I would be imploring this House that we must insist that this money, which is taxpayers' money, put in fixed deposits, be immediately made available and distributed to the various PwDs groups in this country. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

Mahatma Gandhi once said that the true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members, and these are the children, the elderly and the persons with disabilities. As the National Assembly attempts to amend the Finance Bill, we would be requesting that they do not touch the cash transfers, which help these vulnerable people in our society. On the issue of public debt, the Executive, through the President, has attempted to audit what Kenya owes other countries. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, that issue put Parliament in a very awkward position because to an average Kenyan, what they know is that before any debt is taken, Parliament is involved. There is the perception that Parliament should know which institution or country is lending us money, how much they are lending us, at what interest rate and what is the repayment period. So, when we reach a situation where it appears like we do not know how much we owe, then the Kenyans are asking, what is the role of Parliament? This House through the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) has employed the best minds in the Republic. At the click of a button, you would have expected Parliament to come out and say, according to us as the representatives of the people, this is the amount of money that the Government of Kenya owes and these are the people who have lent us money. It should never be that we are where we are but we do not know how much we owe. This one puts the institution of Parliament in a very awkward position. I also want to address the issue of duplication of duties. When we came up with the devolved system through our Constitution 2010 and created the counties, very many functions were duplicated. When you go to our counties, you will find an agricultural officer paid by the National Government while another one is paid by the county government. You will find a children officer paid by the county government while another one is paid by the National Government. It is high time that the Senate took the lead and audited the 2010 Constitution and ask ourselves, is it really sustainable? What are the weaknesses that we have had over the last 12 years because honestly, things are not working? The young people spoke very clearly, and they said they want action. It is now upon us, the leaders of today, to sit down - and I am happy that is what we are doing - and see what is it that we need to do differently so that we can change the course of this country. As we handle the issue of Gen Z, for those of us who are aspiring to go into senior positions, we must be prepared to face the fact that yes, the Gen Z are there, but after them, the Generation Alphas are coming. These are even more knowledgeable because they were born in the age of information. It is high time we realised that in our public engagements, we must put everything on the table. There is nothing to hide because this country belongs to all of us and more so to our children. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those few remarks, I want to support this Motion and thank you for this opportunity.

Thank you. Let us now listen to Sen. Maanzo. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me an opportunity to contribute to this very important Motion. I want to thank the two leaders of the House for coming up with this Motion and for summarising it very well. What happened on 25th of last month was unprecedented in this country. The young people went to demonstrate peacefully, but the moment there were peaceful demonstrations, the police thought that they should be dispersed. The Public Order Act and its regulations thereunder, which are 20 years old and the last ones which were done by former Attorney-General, Hon. Amos Wako and other consequent Ministers were not followed. Even with those old regulations, the Public Order Act and the Penal Code, there has to be a proclamation made loud and clear in a speaker by the escorting police who has to be of the level of an Inspector-General, that the peaceful demonstrations have turned into riots and therefore people must disperse. After 15 minutes that proclamation order is supposed to be repeated and whoever does not disperse then, action can be taken against them. What I expected the police to do was to guard businesses and let the demonstrators do their thing. I believe no one would have died. Unfortunately, we have lost 41 people and quite a number of people are in hospitals. In Makueni we are burying four people. We buried one last Saturday and another one is being buried today. There is a funeral next Friday of a young man who was shot by an OCS and on Saturday there is another one. We have people who are still missing and their whereabouts are unknown. My condolences to the families who have lost their dear ones. I am also wishing quick recovery to those who are in the hospitals with all manner of injuries, from head injuries to bullet wounds. I want to say that although the President has promised to bury the deceased, we already buried Rex last Friday in Machakos. He was a young man who was going to work, but because he happened to have rastas and passed near the crowds, a police officer decided to shoot him. After shooting him, the young people cried that he should be helped and taken to hospital. They even wanted to help the police with their doctors, but the policeman who is very well known and has not been charged so far said “Let the young man die.”Therefore, they watched him bleed to death yet he only had leg injuries and his life would have been salvaged. There is no compensation yet or reprieve. No one has been taken to court, sacked or any action taken with regard to that death. I am sure the Gen Z are watching and this is one of the issues they want to deal with as time goes by. The cause of this was the Finance Bill. Public participation regarding the Finance Bill took place and I remember at the KICC, Kenyans really pleaded with the State and with Parliament. A long time ago, during the days of the late President Moi, the Minister for Finance after reading the Budget Speech, the next day you would hear the price list given for beer and so on. That does not happen today. The Finance Bill is designed at the Treasury with experts, some from international organisations which fund us. It then goes to the Cabinet, comes to the House and then the House goes to do public participation. Unfortunately, very little input from the people was adopted and very little has been adopted over the years. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

The same Bill came to Parliament and the usual lobbying took place. The majority of the Members of Parliament voted yes which irritated the young people because they did not imagine the hardship life they would face. I have engaged some of these people who were in these demonstrations and most of them are graduates. They come from poor families and even as graduates, they have tried to join the army, the police and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) but they have been asked for bribes. Some of the stories I have heard from my constituents of Makueni is that they have even sold land to raise the bribe of Kshs300,000. After you pay the bribe, you cannot see the people whom you paid the bribe and your child is not enrolled in the army, police the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), or KWS. Therefore, you end up with a very depressed young person who is talented but is surrounded by poverty, unable to fight poverty and is now watching the cost of living rising. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, they have told me they would rather die doing something, visiting us here, visiting the house on the hill, visiting the Judiciary, or those who they think have let them down. That is a very difficult position to correct and a majority of them have that idea that they would rather die doing something than just commit suicide or do something else. Therefore, that level of depression was compounded when they saw the church support politics in an unfair manner. Additionally, they have seen the wasteful lifestyles of some of us in Government, who already are doing many things. It has become very expensive to move people in the Government from one place to another even when they are doing important things. A good example is a recent visit to the USA. Some people went to the USA and even if it was a paid-up trip by a benevolent person, I am sure the governors had to spend their own money for the days they spent there whereby some extended their trip days. There were many idlers in that trip and one of the frustrating things to many young people is the issue of disability, which has been talked to by the wonderful Senator. In the 1998 bombing, many people became disabled. We summoned the body dealing with disability here and the stories they gave us were horrifying. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we asked them why we had not accommodated the people who had been bombed. The Government has failed people in that regard. Most of the children were either a year old or were born after. The driver of the late hon. Kamotho had a one-year-old and a three-year-old and a number of them were more than one year old. That one-year-old of 1997 is now a Gen Z and has never seen the father get compensated. The father woke up and went to work, but did not return home having died in the bomb blast. Many people are transiting because every county was affected. All these people have gone to court. People have been in hospital and have become frustrated over the years. Yet, when the United States of America (USA) trip was planned, the people we sent from this House and any other Government person we engaged with because we engaged the Cabinet Secretary in charge of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, the Embassy in Washington frustrated us on this matter when we went there. Other Government departments have been there. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, what do we expect the people who have been taking care of their relatives to do and they have seen poverty and suffering in all those years and no one listens? This goes on and what they now see are extravagant lifestyles by leaders, instead of every leader cutting costs and getting to help their people. When you come to this Finance Bill, although the Speaker for the National Assembly has promised that it is going to be dealt with later, although something very unusual has happened. After lobbying for the passing of the Bill, the President decided not to sign it, but send it back for deletion clause by clause. He threw the MPs under the bus. It is like someone who has vomited being told to take back their vomit. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we remained here as the Senate. They ran away and they do not want to come back because there are no proper facilities to deal with the two Houses right now. Today, if we were to follow the Act of Parliament, there is Article 115, which is yet to be interpreted by the courts. Hon. Otiende Amollo wanted it repealed instead of if being deleted. Then, 14 days have lapsed for that law and it could become law today. What is happening is that because of the fear of Gen Z, no one can announce that it has become law and no one can implement it. I hope that when the National Assembly comes to delete it, they must still come up with another Finance Bill. The legal act is to repeal and not to do any other thing. So that others can contribute, there is still the high cost of living. The proposed Finance Bill did not help that. I have seen the Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport insisting on increasing fuel levies and trying to do public participation on that. That is cosmetic. This will still increase the cost of living. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, some of the things contested by Gen Zs have now been enacted in the region and we are part of the deals in the region. We have conventions in East Africa and some of these costs will still come back to us. When it comes to dealing with justice, you have heard about the role of the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the EACC on fighting corruption. That has been controversial. We know the nolle prosequi entered when there is sufficient evidence and yet, there are willing prosecutors to prosecute. However, a political line is arrived, and something happens. Someone who is known to have looted from the public coffers goes scot-free and even joins politics and continues to mess up. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, there has been impunity and incompetence in the Cabinet. We have the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) laws and luckily, the regulations were annulled by this House. It has stood with the people and it is the next Motion after this. We have seen extra-judicial abductions in Makueni. One happened last weekend where a nominated MCA was abducted on Saturday, taken round in circles, kept incommunicado and when we made noise yesterday, he was dropped in Makindu Town very sick. His abductors were asking him about an incident that happened in the burial of an MCA. There was a scuffle in the funeral which involved the local MP who had voted ‘Yes’. These people tortured this MCA and were asking him why he had brought problems and yet, it is the MP who caused these problems and started attacking the MCA. This is extra-judicial. If you have committed an offence, you have to be arrested, statements written and charged in 24 hours. Some of the Gen Z kids abducted The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

from the demonstrations have been found dead. There was one in a quarry. We hope the others are safe and if they are safe, the Government should release them. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the President promised that there were no people who were going to be found in River Yala. I hope that after this incident that those who have been kidnapped will not be found in River Yala. I will conclude with the issue of pensions. When people retire in this country and the Gen Z have their retired parents, their pension never comes easy. If it is a teacher or the former President, Uhuru Kenyatta, their monies just disappear. Yet, these people are tortured, are 60 years old and are unable to begin businesses, they wait for their money and their money does not come. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, all these frustrating situations in the country must change. We hope that the IEBC is going to be put in place quickly. We also hope that many of the Gen Z will raise signatures for MPs who are incompetent from August this year. I am sure that most of them will be removed because of what they have been doing to the people and a number of by-elections will ensue. The Gen Z should continue with the hashtag – Ruto must go . Something must be done in this country to make sure that the Gen Z are satisfied, and all Kenyans are happy. We are a hardworking nation. I thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir and I support.

Sen. Karen Nyamu.

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I will start by giving my respects to the young souls who lost their lives during the recent protests witnessed in the country. As a mother, it hurts to my stomach to lose our children in that manner. I send my condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones. I say that it is not in vain. As a Senate, we are here reflecting and debating on the actions due to the contributions of your children. I also thank the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Hon. Nakhumicha for waiving the hospital bills of the young people who got injured and the President as well for committing to take up the funeral expenses and compensating the families. The silence of the Police IG is also concerning. We are yet to get a comment from him on the last two weeks’ happenings in the country where we witnessed unprecedented actions by our young people. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the country is experiencing a youth bulge. Seventy-five percent of our population are people below the age of 35 years. That is not a bad thing because it means that we have a large workforce and if it is put into use, it can give us great dividends from the economy. When His Excellency, (Dr.) William Samoei Ruto took oath office as the President of Kenya, we have seen deliberate efforts that are aimed at utilizing that youth bulge. The Affordable Housing Project currently employs between 140,000 to 200,000 young people. You can see that he had thought about the large number of the youth. There is another programme of “ Finya Komputa Utoe Dollar” that has been made fun of in this country. It is a programme that if utilized well and taken up by our young people, it can end up turning them into taxpayers and enable them make use of their skills. Every year, we are churning out between 600,000 and 700,000 young people from our universities, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVETs) and high The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

schools. They join the job market and do not find employment that is commensurate to their training and aspirations. The other thing that the President has been doing is the export of labor. I have heard people criticizing this program saying that they want to make it at home and do not want to have labor exported to other countries. There are families in this country who are poverty-ridden and survive by sending a member of their family outside the country. The Philippines are one of leading nations in economy. They have the labour export contribution 12 per cent of their GDP. Those efforts have been done by that country deliberately. That is what the President has been trying to achieve. I challenge the youth, now that we have affordable fertilizer and vast agricultural land in the country, to get involved in agribusiness. There is huge potential in agribusiness. You can become self-employed and be part of nation-building in that way. Our young people in Nairobi are usually used during the political process. We rely on them heavily for campaigns. They are a tool for creating hype for us candidates. However, when you get into office, your hands are tied because you want to help them, but the available opportunities are not that many. If I open for you my Instagram direct message now, the amount of messages of people begging me to assist them get employment--- I have observed this over time and wondered how long we can sustain this kind of desperation among the youth. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have the advantage of having a majority of youth that have energy, a lot of potential and are well educated. It is time as a country we come up with ways to utilize these young people because when they are not employed and channeling their energy the right way, we end up getting instability and being exposed to political triggers that we saw the last two weeks. The youth came to the streets because of other reasons like lack of employment for them and their mothers, and a myriad of reasons that took them to the streets. Truth be told, the Finance Bill had very little to do with it. The misinformation that was with the youth that took to the streets was noticeable. I saw ladies carrying placards protesting the increase of taxes on sanitary products and diapers, which is not the truth. Who in their right senses can dare tax sanitary towels and diapers in Kenya? The Government wanted us to be self-sufficient in that field by introducing an eco-levy on the substandard, bad quality imported sanitary towels and diapers from China. Truth be told, there is a huge demand for pads and diapers. If we grow that industry, it will create jobs for our people. These young people who took to the streets are the ones who are going to benefit instead of that labour going to the Chinese youth. We will end up utilising the Kenyan labour. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am on record in this House tasking the Finance and Budget Committee to give this House an audit on how many of our young people have benefited from the Access to the Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) programme. I wanted to know how many young people are getting tenders in our parastatals and county governments that rightfully belong to them. We have to interrogate these opportunities that are already available that are not going to our young people and goes to the wrong hands. This leads us to end up having the situation like the one we had. Concerning the Finance Bill, I am one of those people who believe and can swear by the The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

President of this country, His Excellency, Dr. William Ruto. I believe that the intentions of the President were in the right place with that Bill. I disagree with Sen. Shakila who claimed here that the President is a perpetrator of corruption. It is only that this debate is uninterrupted, so I could not raise a point of order. However, nothing can be further from the truth. The President's intentions are in the right place. In that same Finance Bill, tea packaging had been exempted from the 16 per cent rate that it previously attracted. Eco levy was placed on every finished product, raw materials, potatoes, eggs and onions that comes to this country. These are measures that we should all support. We all agree that the information and the communication team of the President and the Government did not disseminate this information to the ground. I am sure if that had been done, we would have gotten more support. The people who took advantage of our young people to get political scores or aspirations could not have found the kind of number they got from our young people. Speaking of misinformation, I am one of those people who bore the brunt of the misinformation about the Finance Bill, even on social media. I have lost more than 10,000 followers on my Instagram because I was involved in a conversation on my comment section. A lady came to my page asking me how I can support a Bill that proposes to tax sanitary towels. I responded and explained to her that it is not the case. That locally manufactured sanitary towels were not going to attract the eco levy. She further asked me which local sanitary towels I use. I responded to her that I use tampons because I use tampons. That was taken as arrogance. However, this is stemming from misinformation. I have earned myself a new name in this country as “shore for tampons”. You will come across it on social media. They are calling me, “ demu wa tampons” or “ shore wa tampons.” They even reported me to the President when he was engaging the youth on the X space. They told him that some of the leaders under him are very arrogant. They said that I am very arrogant. That was based on my statement that I use tampons. As a result of supporting the Government on the Finance Bill, this is the first time in my life that I am being referred to as arrogant. Those who know me or have had a chance to interact with me will speak of my humility, personality and down to earth nature, which is far from it. If I was misunderstood, because I certainly was, I want to say to the youth and the women of Kenya who got angry because of my statement that I am not going to withdraw because I use tampons. However, I am sorry for angering you. I am one of the fighters of the young generation. I know they were disappointed that I did not join in what they were agitating for against the Finance Bill. It is because I believe in President William Samoei Ruto. It is up to me to convince the young people that our President has the best intentions for this country. I do not have to join in your misinformation. It is up to me as an ambassador of this Government to show and win you over by asking you to be patient because the President is working. He has shown a lot of goodwill so far. He has appointed a task force to audit our public debt, which is one of the reasons we are here today. The Finance Bill, 2024, was tailored to remedy some of those issues such as balancing the public debt and development. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

Another issue that my colleagues have addressed is corruption. The EACC is letting the country down big time. Since its inception, we are yet to see heads rolling. We are yet to see corruption cases, which have been prosecuted and people ending up serving jail terms. That is what our people would love to see. It should not be business as usual. If the EACC cannot deliver to the people, then let it be disbanded, so that we have another body that is going to deliver to the people of Kenya. The excuses they give every other time will not fly any more. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to talk to the young people of Kenya. All of you should take voters cards and register as voters. We have heard your voice, but it will be more powerful through the ballot box. I want to assure you, and you will agree with me, that in 2027, you will have no better candidate other than His Excellency William Samoei Ruto. The other day, he said that the measures he is taking now are akin to a Continuous Assessment Test (CAT). In the fullness of time, that is at the end of five years, he is going to sit for the examination. When that time comes, I know you will all agree with me. When the time for voter registration comes, I expect all of you who were in the streets to have voters’ cards. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those few remarks, I support.

Proceed, Sen. Chesang.

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for allowing me to also make my contribution on the state of the nation. Firstly, I convey my condolences to the families that lost their loved ones during maandamano . To those who were injured, I wish them quick recovery. Secondly, I would also like to thank the tribeless and courageous youth, that is the Gen Z, who went to the streets to speak on behalf of other Kenyans. I would like to confirm that I am one of the few leaders who wrote on X Space asking the President to listen to the voices of the youth. Thirdly, I would like to thank His Excellency President William Ruto for actually conceding, allowing the Gen Z to exercise their democratic rights and listening to them. I can assure you that our neighbouring countries such as Uganda and Rwanda do not enjoy democratic rights that we have here. Therefore, I would like to appreciate His Excellency President William Ruto for listening to the grievances of the youth and not signing the Finance Bill and agreeing to have a dialogue because of the protests in the country. The whole of last week, I sat in this Parliament listening to many Senators who were trying to divert the attention of the country by saying that harambees are bad. That has led the President to ban them. I am a living proof and product of harambees . Some of us went to school because of contributions. Nowadays, maybe some are wrongly done. If there is a harambee and you contribute genuinely from your heart, you do not have to show off or put everything on social media. What I know is that the youth are going on the streets firstly due to lack of employment. Secondly, it is because most of their parents cannot take them to school. They could also be facing different challenges. We should not divert the attention by talking about harambees in this country. Let us talk about the real issues such as corruption and unemployment facing our youth. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

In terms of corruption, I concur with fellow Senators that the EACC has failed us. The Government should work on strengthening institutions that are tasked to fight corruption. Apart from being strict, they should also empower these institutions. Most of these institutions are normally under-budgeted for. That is why they cannot achieve their mandate in pushing the agendas. Talk about the police, they do not have the motivation because they are underpaid in comparison to the security they provide to this country. I believe that is a problem that should be addressed. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, let me talk about corruption in our county governments. This also applies to the Senate. For example, committees such as the County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) or County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee (CPISFC) call county government officials and our governors here. If am the Chairperson of the Committee on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and my governor is called, then I will go to that committee as a friend of the committee. We are looking at serious issues of the county government, which we are allowed to oversight. However, we cannot oversight when we are in these committees. That is why we are proposing amendments to the Standing Orders, so that the Senators of specific county governments are called by this particular committee, and can co-chair them when these governors come so that we can ensure that we provide oversight to our people. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also want to speak about public participation. When you look at public participation, I can tell you that what contributed to the Gen Zs going to the streets is public participation. I am 100 percent sure that public participation was not well done by this Government. I will give you an example. We have Bills and policies that we are making, and when it comes to public participation, as committees, we normally write in the newspapers. I can assure you, if you look at the complaints that the Gen Zs were making, they were not only from the Gen Zs in this country, we had our children from Canada, Australia and other countries putting up their grievances. This shows that it is not only those who are here who want to participate in matters affecting this country. We have our youths from all over the world who always want to participate yet we do our public participation by going to hold barazas in the villages and manually going to different counties to get views and submissions. There is one stakeholder that I requested for submissions from, and the submissions were brought by a pick-up to the Committee. You can imagine how much time we need to read documents and the logistics that they used to bring all these documents to our committees. It even makes it very hard for us, as Members, to go through all these papers and stuff. That is why, as the Chairperson of the ICT Committee, we are proposing to this Government to create a tool to participate. We can have an online public participation. Even our proceedings here in this House, we will add more value when we engage Kenyans. We will add more value when Kenyans listen to us live and can also participate or make comments on our live debates and live policies that we created in this House. So, we will be learning from the people that we represent and we will add more value listening to their views. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

I also propose that we amend and operationalize the National Youth Council Act of 2009 to align with the Constitution of Kenya, 2010. For example, the Cabinet Secretaries representing the youth, or the County Executive Committee Members (CECMs) in our county governments representing our youth must be youth. I can assure you the level of disconnect between the national Government and the youth is very wide. That is why you are seeing whatever is happening. I can assure you that the youths; the Gen Zs, who are in the streets are speaking a very different language. If today you put Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale or Sen. Maanzo as the Cabinet Secretary for Sports and Youth Affairs, they will not relate to these Gen Zs. The language they are talking is very different. I can assure you that Sen. Maanzo does not know and does not understand. The other day at the VIP Lounge, Sen. Maanzo was asking me what "Gota" means and I took almost 20 minutes explaining to him what "Gota" is. Also, Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale, who is our Senate Majority Whip, was asking me what "Kufinish Kumalo" is. This is the language that these youths are talking. We, therefore, have to put youth in these Ministries, if not as the Cabinet Secretaries, as the advisors in these Ministries---

Sen. Chesang, could you, please, give other examples of that language?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the words that I am speaking about have meaning to these youths. If you communicate with them with these words, they understand because that is the best way they can understand. I am talking about this, there are even words and signs that these Gen Zs use in terms of communication. If you look at even just the way they are dancing or they are moving their bodies, they use it to communicate. I can assure you that if these youths came to this Senate and they stood outside, they would say, “Anguka nayo, ama angukana Spika" . Those words mean something. I am saying this because we need to relate with them. I am talking about the disconnect between the youth and the national Government which is wide. The only way these youths can understand is by nominating them not only as Cabinet Secretaries, but also as advisors or the boards have to have the youths represented, so that they can address the issues that are affecting them. Finally, the crowd that was on those streets was because of the unemployment that we have. One of the youths was saying that the only mistake we made was to educate them. Those were the sentiments these youths were talking about. They were even regretting going to school. They are even saying, "The problem you people did was educating us and that is why we are here." They can read and understand everything. This is to show you how frustrated they are. One thing I would like to urge our Government on behalf of our youths is that most of them are now online marketers. As a result of unemployment, they go to social media and teach themselves to be online marketers. The majority of the youths who are on those streets are content creators by nature. You can imagine, the number of youths who are on the streets made the world know whatever is happening in Kenya. That means the communication was loud. How do they communicate? It is through the social media platforms; TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and others. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

Look at Tanzania creating employment in Government. Let us not talk about only the many digital hubs that we are putting. We appreciate how the President for pursuing this, and being the Chairman of the committee in charge of ICT, I assure you this will create a lot of jobs. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, at the same time, we have so many content creators on the streets. The Government failed in terms of communication because we did not communicate the agenda properly. I assure you that if we use these content creators to sell our Government agenda and services; they will get to many youth in mashinani . So, let us employ the young content creators to sell our agenda. That is also a form of creating employment. The same content creators will promote tourism and showcase the beauty of this country. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, finally, I have heard Sen. Karen Nyamu supporting the sanitary towels issue. Last time, in this House, I talked about this issue. They are a necessity to our young women in this country. It is very unfortunate that if you go to toilets in Government institutions, there is always a box full of free condoms that we do not need. I am saying this because those condoms are not a necessity for men. So, these sanitary towels should not be taxed and should be given for free to our girls. I know the challenges young girls go through when they cannot afford sanitary towels in my county. My county is the same as any of the 47 counties in this country. I know how many girls have dropped out of school because they cannot afford the sanitary towels. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I urge the Government to have a conversation of providing these sanitary towels for free. I thank you and support this Motion.

Thank you. Sen. Githuku, proceed.

Asante, Bw. Naibu Spika, kwa kunipa nafasi pia niweze kujumuika pamoja na Senators wenzangu kuunga mkono Hoja hii ambayo imeletwa na Kiongozi wa Walio Wengi katika Bunge hili na pia ukaungwa mkono na Kiongozi wa Walio Wachache. Naungana pamoja na Wakenya na viongozi wenzangu kutoa risala za rambi rambi kwa familia za vijana wetu ambao walipoteza maisha yao wakati ambapo walikuwa wamejitokeza kupigania haki yao katika sehemu mbali mbali za Jamhuri yetu. Vijana hawa ambao wamepoteza maisha yao walikuwa na umri mdogo sana. Walikuwa wanaelekea katika umri ambao wanaweza kutegemewa katika jamii. Lakini, kwa sasa, wamepoteza maisha yao. Kwa hivyo, ni jambo la huzuni sana sisi kama viongozi katika taifa hili la Kenya kuona kwamba hawa vijana wamepoteza maisha wakati wa uongozi wetu. Natoa rambi rambi zangu na kusema pole kwa wazazi ambao wamepoteza wapendwa wao kwa sababu ya jambo hili la uchungu mkubwa. Bw. Naibu Spika, hawa vijana wa Gen Z walijitokeza katika kupigania mambo ambayo wanafaa wasikizwe. Kikatiba, hawa vijana wako na haki ya kupigania haki zao mahali ambapo wanaona hapaendi vizuri na hawajawakilishwa vizuri. Ni haki yao kikatiba kutoa sauti na kilio kikubwa ili Serikali iwasikize. Kwa hivyo, vijana hawa walikuwa na kilio cha haki. Walilia wakidai kwamba ukosefu wa kazi umekithiri katika The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

nchi yetu. Wanaongea jambo la kweli kwa sababu tunapoongea, asilimia kubwa ya vijana katika Jamhuri ya Kenya hawana kazi. Kwa hivyo, wakati wanapotoa kilio, wanaposimama na kusema kwamba wanapigania haki zao za ukosefu wa kazi, wako na haki ya kusikizwa ili ijulikane ni nini wanachozungumzia. Sio kuwachapa na kuwafukuza kwa njia ambayo haistahili. Ni vizuri wasikizwa.

Wanadai kwamba, Bw. Spika wa Muda, matibabu katika sehemu mbali mbali katika Jamhuri ya Kenya yamekuwa duni. Hicho ni kilio cha haki kwa sababu tumeona kwamba huduma zimedorora katika sekta ya matibabu kwa muda mrefu. Kwa hivyo, wanapolia na kusema kwamba matibabu hayako vile inavyostahili katika nchi yetu, wanaongea jambo la haki. Elimu ni jambo lingine ambalo limeleta shida katika Jamhuri yetu ya Kenya. Gharama ya kusomesha watoto imekuwa juu. Wazazi wamelia kwamba karo za shule zime enda juu. Ikizingatiwa pia vile vile, gharama ya shule za upili imepanda. Tukiingia katika vyuo vikuu, unakuta pia gharama imepanda. Kwa hivyo, wanapotoa kilio na kupaza sauti na kusema kwamba hili jambo liweze kuangaliwa, na kuzingatiwa kwa kina ni kwa sababu wako na haki na kwa jambo lolote wanalosema wanatoa kilio cha haki. Bw. Spika wa Muda, natoa wazo langu na kusema ya kwamba, Inspekta wa Polisi, Bw. Koome, amefanya jambo ambalo sisi kama viongozi, hatukukusudia. Vijana wetu wamekufa na wengine wamelazwa katika hospitali zetu. Mambo hayo yote yamesababishwa na polisi ambao walitumia nguvu kuwazuia vijana waliokuwa wanafanya maandamano ya haki. Bw. Koome, sasa ni wakati wako uweze kutoka katika boardroom ambayo umekalia sasa hivi na hata simu haushiki. Njoo uombe msamaha kwa wazazi wa vijana ambao wamepoteza maisha yao. Hili ni jambo la huzuni kubwa kwa sababu limefanyika wakati Bw. Koome ndiye Inspekta Mkuu wa Polisi katika Jamhuri ya Kenya. Tunaomba Bw. Koome ajitokeze ili aweze kuomba msamaha kwa Wakenya kwa sababu ya mauaji ambayo yametendeka katika sehemu mbali mbali za Jamhuri ya Kenya. Bw. Spika wa Muda, kuna mambo ambayo pia yamesababisha shida kubwa katika nchi hii yetu. Ufisadi ni jambo ambalo limeleta matatizo na shida. Pia, ufisadi umechangia ukosefu wa kazi. Wizara tofauti zimeingiliwa na ufisadi na haziwezi kuajiri vijana wetu. Hili ni jambo ambalo linasababisha matatizo makubwa. Katika kaunti yangu ya Lamu, niko na vijana zaidi ya 100 ambao wamesimamishwa kazi katika Bandari ya Lamu. Hatujaelewa sababu na kiini cha hatua hiyo. Wameonekana kwamba ni watu wanaotoka Lamu, pengine hawastahili kuajiriwa. Jambo hilo nalilaani kwa sababu wengi waliosimamishwa kazi katika sehemu ile ni Gen Zs. Ni watu ambao tunasema kwamba tunakuja hapa kama viongozi kuwatetea wapate ajira. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

Unakuta kwamba leo wamepewa barua kusimamishwa kazi na kuambiwa, “mmepewa hadi mwezi wa saba kutoka hapa mwende nyumbani, hakuna kazi

Ni jambo la huzuni kubwa sana ikizingatiwa kwamba vijana hao katika Jamhuri yetu ya Kenya ndio viongozi wetu wa kesho. Ni watu wenye nguvu ambao Serikali inafaa iwalinde sana kwa sababu ndio watakaotengeneza uchumi wa nchi na Jamhuri yetu ya Kenya ili isonge mbele. Tumeona juzi kamati yetu ya Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries ilikuja kuthathmini kashfa ya fertilizer ambayo imekumba nchi hii yetu ya Kenya. Corruptio n ambayo iko katika Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries saa hii ni kwamba lazima Serikali iaangalie jambo hili kwa kina na ione kwamba hilo jambo limeathiri Wakenya limeshughulikiwa na kuwekwa katika kaburi la sahau. Bw. Spika wa Muda, tuliona Kamati yetu ya Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries wakija hapa kuunusa ile fertilizer kuchunguza ikiwa ni mzuri au mbaya. Hatukuweza kupata majibu ya kisawasawa kuhusu ile tathmini. Hilo ni jambo la huzuni sana kwa sababu linaweza kudororesha uchumi wetu na unarudi nyuma tukiiangalia sisi kama viongozi. Hilo ni jambo ambalo haturuhusu. Ninatoa shinikizo kwa Serikali ya Kenya. Mheshimiwa William Ruto, Wakenya wamelia sana kuhusu fertilizer . Tafadhali, fanya jambo kwa Waziri anayehusika kwa kuwaeletea Wakenya hasara kubwa sana katika Jamhuri yetu ya Kenya. Tunata Rais achukue hatua kwa sababu malalamishi ni mengi. Wananchi wanasema kwamba

waliopewa haikuwasaidia na wameingia hasara. Kwa hivyo, unaporeconstitute C abinet yako, yule Waziri awe ni wa kwanza kukanyaga mlango na kutoka nje. Atakapotoka nje, tupate Waziri ambaye atakuwa competent katika kufanya kazi ya kuinua hali ya uchumi katika Jamhuri yetu ya Kenya kupitia kilimo. Bw. Spika wa Muda, tulipokuwa wadogo, nakumbuka vizuri sana marehemu hayati Rais wa Pili katika Jamhuri wa Kenya alikuwa anasema kwamba kilimo ndio uti wa mgongo wa uchumi wa Kenya. Nakubaliana na jambo hilo. Kwa hivyo, tunaposema kwamba tunataka kiongozi ambaye ana ukakamavu, uwezo na experience ya kuendesha

ile ya kilimo, tunasema jambo la haki. Linafaa lisikizwe na tuone kwamba tumewekewa kiongozi ambaye atapeleka Kenya mbele katika masuala ya kilimo. Nikiendelea kujadilia mambo ya corruption, katika serikali zetu za kaunti, kuna nafasi nyingi sana ambazo zilikuwa zimetolewa za kazi. Tumeona corruption ikiwa na magavana wetu katika kaunti zote 47. Magavana wengine wanaandika vijana kazi kupitia discrimination . Hilo ni jambo ambalo tunafaa kulilaani katika Bunge hili na tuseme kwamba kijana yeyote ambaye ana

ya kuajiriwa kazi katika kaunti yake aweze kupata kazi. Tusiandike wananchi wetu kazi kwa kujuana, kuwa alinifanyia campaign au alisimama nami katika mambo tofauti. Tupatie watu competent wafanye kazi na vijana ambao wamehitimu na kusoma ili Kenya yetu isonge mbele. Bw. Spika wa Muda, ningependa nitoe pendekezo kwamba ili Kenya lsonge mbele, jambo la kwanza ni kwamba Serikali hii lazima ipigane na ufisadi kabisa. Itakapopigana na ufisadi, hizi pesa ambazo zinapotea kila uchao zitakosa mashimo ya kuingia na zitafanyia wananchi kazi. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

Nikisema ufisadi naanza na county Government hadi national Government. Ufisadi upigwe marufuku, kila mtu atosheke na mshahara wake na afanye kazi ambayo anafaa kuifanya na inavyostahili ili Kenya isonge mbele. Jambo lingine ambalo ni muhimu sana ni kwamba ni lazima tuweze kuhusisha vijana katika mambo ya kuendeleza nchi hii. Namaanisha kwamba lazima tuangalie kwamba wakati tunapofanya public participation, vijana wetu wapewe nafasi na kipaombele, waweze kutoa maoni yao na matatizo ambayo wanapitia kila uchao. Jana, nimeona kijana mmoja akiongea katika runinga. Alikuwa anatoa mawazo yake kama kijana akisema kwamba viongozi wasishinde wakiuliza ni nani anaongoza hawa Gen Zs. Hawana kiongozi ila wanaongozwa na shida na matatizo ambayo yanawakumba kila kuchao. Wanasema kwamba wale vijana wengi waliotokea hapa walikuwa wameongozwa na matatizo yanayowakumba wote kama vijana. Kwa hivyo, hao ni watu wanaofaa kusikizwa sana. Ili Serikali isonge mbele, lazima vijana wasikizwe katika public participation na mipango ya kundeleza nchi. Wasikilizwe ili tuweze ku-capture problems na needs za hao vijana. Tukifanya hivyo, tutaponya nchi hii kwa sababu hao vijana wamesoma na wako na teknolojia inayowafanya waelewe nchi inaelekea wapi. Sio Kenya pekee ila ulimwengu mzima. Hao vijana wanasema kwamba wako na references ambazo wanaweza kutoa ya nchi zingine ambayo wamefanya wanavyofanya na zikawa na mabadiliko. Kwa hivyo, jambo hili la vijana hao wetu ni la kushughulikiwa na hali ya ustaarabu kabisa na wapewe kipaombele ili maisha yasonge mbele. Namalizia kwa kusema kwamba ili Kenya isonge mbele au tuwe na hali ya usawa katika Kenya, lazima tu-provide environment ya wafanyibiashara katika Jamhuri yetu ya Kenya. Itasaidia wale wafanyibiashara ambao saa hii ni wengi katika nchi hii wapate nafasi ya kuajiri vijana. Kuprovide environment ya kufanya biashara ni kutowawekea tax ya juu ili wafanye biashara na kuajiri vijana wengi ili maisha yasonge mbele. Nashukuru kiongozi wa Walio Wengi katika Seneti. Amesifika sana kwa kuleta Hoja hii ambayo imeweza kuponya nchi au kujumuisha viongozi wote wa upinzani na upande wa Serikali kuongea kwa sauti moja. Asante. Naunga mkono.

Thank you very much. I now call upon Sen. (Dr.) Murango to also make his comments to this very important Motion.

Bw. Mstahiki Spika wa Muda, asante sana kwa kunipa hii nafasi. Kwanza, nashukuru Kiongozi wa Walio Wengi na Kiongozi wa Walio Wachache Katika Seneti kwa kuketi pamoja na kuona ni vizuri tuwe na kikao kujadili yaliyotupata na yaliyowapata watoto wetu. Pili, ningependa kutuma risala za rambirambi kwa waliofariki katika mapambano ya kutafuta haki. Pia, nina watakia nafuu ya haraka waliojeruhiwa na walio katika hospitali tunapozungumza sasa hivi. Jambo lililotupata kutoka kwa wale Gen Z waliojitokeza ni kwa sababu ya mambo ambayo yamekuwa yakiendelea. Ukiniruhusu, nitaanza kwa kujibu kwa sababu kuna matamshi yaliyotolewa na Sen. Methu na yakarudiwa pia na Seneta wa Lamu. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

Nikiwa Mwenyekiti wa Kamati ya Kilimo, Mifugo na Uvuvi na Uchumi Samawati, jambo tulilolianza kama Kamati bila kulazimishwa ni kuhakikisha ukweli unajulikana. Seneti ina utaratibu na anayejali kusoma anajua kuna utaribu fulani. Siku ya leo ilikuwa iwe siku ya mwisho tuliyokuwa tumewaalika Waziri na washika dau wote waliohusika na haya mambo ya mbolea ili tumalize na tulete taarifa ya mwisho ya mambo yaliyotendeka. Niseme ya kwamba, tunapofanya uchunguzi, sio jambo linalochukua siku moja au mbili. Tumemaliza uchunguzi hata kabla taasisi ya usalama ya Upelelezi wa Jinai (DCI) kumaliza. Kwa hivyo, hata kama sisi hatujapelekwa mafunzo, sisi tumemaliza na tarehe 21 ndio itakuwa siku ya mwisho ambayo tumewaalika kwa mkutano wa lazima. Hii ni kwa sababu hawakuja siku ya leo. Waje au wasije, tutatoa taarifa. Kama Seneta wa Kirinyaga na Mwenyekiti wa Kamati hiyo, hakuna kitu tunachotarajia isipokuwa haki. Na ni vizuri tujue kwamba waliohusika katika hili janga hawafai kufichwa au kubembelezwa. Ufisadi sio jambo la maombi. Kuna shetani wa maombi na shetani wa kiboko. Ufisadi wa mbolea ni shetani wa kiboko. Tutapambana naye kwa kiboko. Pili, mambo yanayoshangaza na yalizungumziwa kidogo na Seneta wa Trans Nzoia ni kwamba katika nchi hii, tunafaa tuangalie yale mambo muhimu yaliyoangaziwa na Gen Z . Ni jambo la kushangaza kwamba unapoenda kwa vyuo vya umma, viwanja vya ndege, sehemu za burudani, vyoo vya wanaume utapata kumejazwa mipira ya kondomu za mapenzi. Lakini unapoenda kwa vyoo vya watoto wetu walio na haja yao inayokuja kwa sababu ya maumbile,huwezi kupata sodo au sanitary pads zimewekwa pale waweze kuchukua. Hii nitaiita ubaguzi wa kijinsia. Hii ni kusema ya kwamba wanaofanya uasherati wanachukuliwa kwa hali ya thamana na kupewa nafasi kubwa kuliko wale wasichana wetu wadogo, wamama na Gen Z kutumia sodo. Hivyo basi, ningeulizwa kama Seneta wa Kirinyaga ningesema tuondoe migao inayoenda kwa KeMSA kununua mipira ya kondomu ya kufanya ngono na kuwekwa kila mahali, tuipeleke kuhakikisha watoto wetu wasichana wamepata taulo za usafi ambazo kwa Kimombo ni sanitary towels . Jambo lingine, Rais amepata nafasi nzuri sana ya kuwapiga kalamu Mawaziri walio watepetevu. Wako wengi na hata wengine hawajielewi japo wako wanaojielewa. Muda kama huu ni nafasi nzuri sana ya kuwapiga kalamu ili tuwape hizo nafasi wale wanaojali na kuelewa kazi zao ili hawa Gen Z wapate wanachopigania.

waliambiwa ni vijana na kesho. Kesho ikapita na kukaja kesho kutwa. Kesho kutwa ikapita na kukawa na mtondo na mtondogoo, kitondo na hata ikafika kitojo. Wameona siku yao haifiki na malalamishi yao hayasikizwi. Juzi, nilikuwa kwa mkutano uliokuwa na kijana mmoja aliye mhandisi wa programu za tarakilishi. Tulikutana naye mahali alipokuwa anafanya kazi ya uchukuzi na upakiaji wa mizigo katika shirika la uchukuzi la G4S. Yeye ni mhandisi. Amejaribu kutafuta kazi bila kufanikiwa. Tunapoangazia ufisadi, inafaa tuangazie hadi kwa gatuzi zetu. Ukienda kwa gatuzi yangu ya Kirinyaga, utapata kuna mgao wa asilimia 30 unaofaa kwenda kwa akina mama, vijana na walemavu. Ukienda pale kuchunguza, huwezi kupata kijana hata mmoja anayekiri ya kwamba amepata hata kandarasi moja ya kazi ya kumsaidia kimaisha. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

Hivyo basi, naomba, pia katika gatuzi zetu ambapo pesa zinaenda kwa wingi sana, lazima tuhakikishe sheria ya ununuzi wa bidhaa inazingatiwa. Haiwezekani ya kwamba ukizunguka katika gatuzi nyingi hakuna kijana hata mmoja amefaidika. Ni wale mabwenyenye wachache wanaoandikisha wasichana wao na Gen Z wanakosa kazi. Kwa upande wa ukulima, maji ni tatizo. Kwa hivyo, hata tunapojaribu kuwapa njia mbadala na kuwaambia watafute kazi, tunasahau ya kwamba vifaa na mtaji wa kufanya kazi haupo. Ukienda kwa benki zetu, riba ni kuanzia asilimia 18 hadi 20. Wakati tunatangaza nyadhifa za kazi na kuwaambia wale vijana wawe na uzoefu wa miaka mitano, je, waliohitimu juzi kama wale walikuwa kwa barabara juzi, watatoa wapi huo uzoefu wa miaka mitano ili wapate zile nafasi za kazi? Hivyo basi, wanasikia wamekandamizwa na ndio sababu wamejitokeza kwa wingi kulalamika. Wameona hakuna kesho wasipojiunga wenyewe kuhakikisha kesho yao inapatikana leo. Ukienda kwa wale ambao wamefanya kazi na gatuzi zetu, kuna zile pesa zinaitwa

. Ukienda kwa Kaunti ya Kirinyaga, utapata wale walioomba mikopo kutoka kwa benki wakiwepo wanarika na kufanya kazi walizopewa, pesa zao zilizama na hata wa leo hawajawahi kuzipata. Ili wapate zile pesa, lazima watoe mlungula. Kazi ngumu ya msaraghambo na ya kutafuta fedha na kufanya kazi inakuwa haina faida. Imefikia mahali pa wale vijana kutoka nje kutukumbusha ya kwamba kuna shida katika nchi hii na lazima tuiangalie. Tukienda kwa idara ya michezo iliyogatuliwa na kuangalia pale kwetu Kirinyaga, pia najawa na huzuni. Vijana wamefanywa watu wa kucheza kandanda vijijini na malipo ni viatu na sare tu za kucheza mpira. Hakuna kitu kingine wanachopata. Tunafaa kama Seneti tuangalie ya kwamba ili vijana wawe na kazi, lazima gatuzi zetu zote ziwe na timu zinazocheza mipira hadi nyanja za kitaifa na michezo iwe ajira. Leo hii ni vijana wataenda kumenyana. Wengine wataumia. Watakaa uwanjani. Mwishowe wanapata tu viatu na sare za kuchezea mpira na maisha yanaishia hapo hadi msimu wa siasa wanasiasa wanapotaka kura. Kwa hivyo Bw. Spika wa Muda, ni jambo la maana kama wahusika wote kuanzia Serikali ya Kitaifa na zile za kaunti pamoja na sisi Maseneta tujiulize kwa undani, wewe kama Seneta, tangu uingie hapa baada ya kupewa kazi na wananchi, ni Gen Z wangapi umesaidia kupata kazi? Ni wangapi wanafanya kazi katika ofisi yako? Kuongea ni rahisi lakini lazima tufanye kazi kwa vitendo. Ukienda kwa wengi waliochaguliwa kama magavana, utapata katika ofisi mtu ameandika binamu yake au mjomba, na hawajahitimu. Wengi walioajiriwa, hawajahitimu kuliko wale vijana walioandamana juzi kwa barabara zetu. Tuliochaguliwa tulitafuta kazi tukakosa na tukaenda kwa wale wamama na vijana kuomba kazi na tukapewa. Sisi pia tunafaa kuhesabiwa kwa wale vijana tunawasaidia kupata kazi. Nikimalizia, misimamo inayohusiana na vijana wetu wa Gen Z waliokuwa juzi barabarani, lazima isikizwe. Tunajua pia kuna misimamo ya vyama na ya raia. Ninaomba tuwe tunachukua misimamo ya raia kuhakikisha wale vijana waliotupigia kura wamesaidika katika nafasi za kazi. Tuwasaidie kwa sababu, maneno waliyoyasema ni kweli. Mwisho, huwa naona wakati ukifika wa kuwasajili makurutu wa jeshi au National

vijana hujitokeza wengi sana. Sijawahi kuelewa sababu ya vijana The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

watokelezee 1,000 halafu tunawachukua watano tu. Lazima tutafute njia mbadala ambayo hata kama ni ya kiteknologia ili wale ambao wanatafuta zile ajira watakuwa wanafanya zile application pale kabla ya kufika uwanjani, ili tuweze pia kumaliza kabisa ufisadi unaoendelea na pia ubaguzi wakati wa kupeana kazi. Kwa hivyo, mimi kama Mwenyeketi wa Kamati ya Ukulima, Uvuvi na Uchumi Samawati, yaliyosemwa nimeyasikia na nimeahidi ya kwamba sisi tumefanya msaragambo au kazi ngumu na tumemaliza. Tarehe 21 tumewaita wale washikadau wote kuhakisha kwamba tumemaliza ile taarifa ya upelelezi ya mbolea gushi. Tutakuja kuiwasilisha hapa na tumefuata Katiba na sheria zote za Seneti ambazo zimewekwa ili tuweze kuhakikisha kwamba tumefanya kazi inayofaa na tutaleta taarifa ambayo ni ya kweli bila kuficha chochote. Asante sana, Bw. Spika wa Muda.

Thank you very much, Sen. (Dr.) Murango from Murang’a. I am seeing Sen. Seki, you are already on your feet yet the Chair has not given you the opportunity to speak to this Motion. However, in the interest of time, I will give Sen. Korir limited time, so that she can take the last bite because of the timelines that we have between now and the time that the House is rising.

Thank you very much, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity. The events of the recent past in this country have awoken and surprised us almost in equal measure. We have witnessed the Gen Z and the millennials taking to the streets because of their dissatisfaction with the Finance Bill, 2024/2025. Perhaps, Wahenga were not wrong when they said: “ Ukisikia mbiu ya mgambo ikilia jua kuna jambo.” Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, allow me to thank the leadership of this House for coming up with this Motion and seeing the sense of putting this country above everything. As a mother, it breaks my heart to see our children lose their lives in the streets. A number of families who lost their loved ones took to the streets demonstrating, to express the pain they were undergoing. They had sent their kids to school and were struggling to make sure that they paid their fees. They had enrolled these students to various institutions across the country but in a single day, they found their loved ones lying helplessly on the roads. It goes without saying that this country ails from a deeper disease called corruption. Misappropriation of funds, both in the two levels of Government, that is within the national Government and the county government, has been the order of the day. We have seen leaders living in opulence and that has left unanswered questions in the minds of Kenyans. Public funds are misappropriated and there is poor use of Government resources against the provisions of the Public Finance Management Act. Every day, there are daily news reports of millions and billions of shillings being lost. Now the question is, is it really lost? The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Act, read together with our Constitution seem not to be doing enough to bring the corrupt officials to book. The young people went on a rampage and vehemently opposed the Finance Bill, but we must see beyond the streets. What they seem to be asking is the taxes vis-a-vis the services that are rendered. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

This House is mandated to make sure that the county governments adhere to the PFM Act. A number of colleagues have raised their voices in this House, talking about their dissatisfaction with service delivery and the use of finances, either in the national Government or within the county governments. We have been continuing to give room to the county governments to misuse the same funds to an extent that today we are talking of a huge amount of pending bills across the country, both in the national Government and in the county government. The same bills that we are talking about cannot be explained on where it was used but when it comes to the books, we have huge pending bills. The services which are being rendered have never been actualised. The reason is that, in one way or another, as part of the stakeholders who were supposed to check on the prudent use of the resources, we have not done so. The Gen Z are reminding us today of our work. When I see the lives that were lost, I ask myself a number of questions. This life has been lost because of the duty that I am supposed to do and discharge together with the oversight that has been bestowed upon us. If this House is going to rise to an occasion where a legislation is going to be made for those who are not going to adhere to the rules or the prudent use of the resources, where we are going to deny them resources then things will change and the way we are working will change. I must applaud the Gen Z. They moved to the streets, not because they wanted to be seen, but because they were passing a very strong message; a message that was talking about issues pertaining to unemployment. We have 1,000 graduates. Some graduated 10 years down the line. It is not that they are not qualified. They are qualified and others with first-class honours. However, they are still in the villages with no employment. I also want to bring to the attention of the Kenyans that this problem did not start with the new Government. This is a problem that has been there before. The reason why I am saying this is because we even have a number of teachers who graduated in 2009; some of them are almost reaching retirement age, but they have never been employed to date. Some may get an opportunity by going through the shortcuts if they know someone but the real hustlers have just been hanging with no hope. Nothing could stop these Gen Zs from going to the streets. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, in the same measure, I also applaud the Government for the few strides they have made despite the fact that it is still early. We have been barely two years in office and I thank the Kenya Kwanza Government for the steps they have taken, like giving employment. Even though a number of young people are talking about qualified people being taken abroad. However, at least, there are some who have gotten jobs abroad and when you check the website, you can see that. The Government has tried on subsidizing fertilizer, so that food production can be increased. I thank the Government for this and the Government has been trying its best to improve the economy of this country. Despite the shortcoming, lots of politics and the political scores as we are try to hijack the agenda of the agenda of the Gen Zs, I would like to tell the President that he was in the right direction. I also thank the President for giving room to the Gen Zs and listening to this House considering the discussions we have had on the state of the nation because some of The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

them have been implemented. One of them was the signing of the IEBC legislation and the NADCO Report. I tell the President that leadership is about consultation. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, there are a number of things that the Government has done and if given room, a number of issues raised will be addressed. The Finance Bill that was dropped by the President was not dropped because MPs were wrong, it was dropped because they needed a dialogue on some of the areas that the hustlers or citizens of this country were feeling unsatisfied. It is high time that we leave our political affiliations and put Kenya first. All African countries are looking at us, a country that has been ahead in a number of things like democracy. Today, we are trending because of partly, politics and corruption. It is time that we upped the game as it is no longer business as usual. Voices have been raised. What is doable should be done. Those riots have caused businesses to be lost. Some businesses were vandalized and others were burnt and the general unrest all have a direct effect on the economy. If there is no flow of money, we are then looking at a hurting economy. Riots also affected investors. Investors must feel that the country is safe for them to invest. If all these things are going to take place, even the investors who could employ the young people will run away from this country. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, we saw a number of businesses being destroyed. Not by the Gen Zs, but by those who decided that it was advantageous to them to do wrong. That is why they came to Parliament to vandalize, not because they hate Parliament but because some few individuals were trying to score politically. The way forward is not to point fingers at who did what and who did not. The leaders in the Senate at such a time; history will judge us harshly. I call upon the leaders to lead with integrity of Chapter Six of the Constitution of Kenya. The Bible says that to whom much is given, much shall be expected from them. Much is expected from us, as leaders, in the two Houses, in different Ministries and across the parastatals. I thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir.

Thank you, Sen. Joyce Korir. For the benefit of Sen. Seki, you will spill over your time to tomorrow should you wish to. I therefore allow you to take up the Floor and speak to the Motion.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I take this opportunity to thank the Senate leadership, the Senate Majority and Senate Minority Leaders and the entire team of the leadership of the Senate for having this Motion on the issues affecting the nation for the last few weeks. Having in mind that these issues have been quite intensive to our country and put our country on the spot, in every situation like in business, trade and our social lives, we have been affected. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I take this opportunity to condole with the families that have been affected by the deaths of the many youths who died because of the demonstrations that were there all over the country. I tell them poleni and may God bless us all. I pray that God will continue to give us strength. I also pray for their recovery. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I applaud the Gen Zs for their demonstrations and for even trying to alert us, as leaders and the Government, that this is not good. They came out strongly and appeared before the National Assembly Committee on Finance and The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

Budget. They gave a lot of input to that Committee before they approved the Finance Bill. They spoke their minds. They said what is right and through their platform, this is something we applaud and say that we have seen them making history in our country and to us all. As leaders, this is something that has come to our attention that going forward, we need to be listening to every other person in this Republic. It is good that it is being brought to us, as leaders of this generation, that everyone needs to be listened to. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, in that case, I thank everyone, including those who demonstrated, spoke their minds and advised the National Assembly, the President and all us. We have learnt our lesson. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Finance Bill, 2024 has been a very motive issue. I applaud and thank the President for not assenting to this Bill. If it had been assented, I do not know where we could be as a country. That is the kind of leadership we want in this country. If it were not for his own solomonic decision, I do not know where we could be as a country. There are many things that we need to learn from this. We know very well that we have things that need to be taken care of, including the gaps in the Finance Bill. We know that there are expenditures that the country needs to move on and how we will continue to incur expenditure. These are issues that we need to see how we are going to approach them as leaders in the next financial year. I know the President has put a structure on how these issues need to be tackled. I know very well that the austerity measures on how to handle these issues is on the platform. We need to know how to handle the issues of the Senate or Parliament. We know very well that we have a lot that we do not need to have in our expenditure as a Government. At times, I look at the kind of international trips that we go as Government, the Senate and legislatures. I do not know the kind of outputs we get. What are the outputs that we get from these international trips? These are issues that we really need to think about. We have gone to a number of trips, but what is the impact of these international trips that we normally go? We go for benchmarking in Dubai and Australia, but what is the impact? We use a lot of money on this. These are the things that we need to sit down as leaders of this country and ask ourselves what the impact is. Do we bring the lessons we learnt to change our country? These are the things we need to look at in order to reduce expenditure in our Government. You can see the delegations that the Cabinet Secretaries or the President has when he travels to another country. They use a lot of Government money. The President needs to look at these things in the Legislature, Executive and Judiciary. We need to reduce this kind of expenditure so that we are able to recover from the gaps are in the Finance Bill,2024. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, honestly, we have a number of things to look at in employment. The Government is employing all over. If you look at the website, all parastatals are looking for staff. Government institutions, the Public Service Commission (PSC) and counties are employing. However, we do not employ the people that we need. We employ just for purposes of employment. These are the things we need to sit down and see how to reduce expenditure. Let see how we can reduce the baggage we have as a Government. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, let me take this opportunity to talk about the issue of corruption. It is rampant in our counties. Our counties are completely in trouble because of corruption. There is no programme going well in counties without any interruption. There is the own source revenue, which to some extent enables counties to come up with their Finance Bill. They have very good Finance Bills. They have indicated own source revenue very well. However, at the end of it all, they end up not even collecting whatever they have anticipated. We need to sit down as a Senate and pin out governors and county governments. Let us see how they will bring in their own source revenue so that they collect whatever they have anticipated to collect. The kind of corruption we see in the counties on revenue collections is something that you cannot imagine. The expenditure they do on development is shady projects, which within a very short period of time, is collapsing and not ready for human consumption. The kind of roads we see being done in counties cannot exist for more than six months. For the last ten years, we have had many white elephant projects. These are the things that we experience in our counties. We need to think on how we should do things in this country Mr. Speaker, Sir, we have seen issues of pending bills and imprest recurring in our counties. You cannot imagine how one person is having an imprest of Kshs5, 10, 15 or 20 million. These are things that we need to sit down and discuss. They know very well that there are structures. We have structures in the Senate where we have the County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) and County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee (CPIC). County governors have been called upon. We have heard that sometimes they do not even appear. That is the kind of leadership we have in this country that you call somebody because the law allows you to invite them in order to explain how they execute the expenditure in their counties, but they refuse to come. You execute the entire Standing Orders of the Senate, and still, they do not respect it. These are kinds of leaders we have. We need to sit down as a Senate as and see how we can pin these leaders, particularly the counties. Concerning employment, right now, in most of the technical departments of our counties, they do not have the required workforce. The Road, Transport and Public works departments, the Health Department and Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries do not have competent technical people to work within those departments. However, we continue to employ people who are not even supposed to be employed as engineers. For example, the Department of Water sometimes does not have the required technical staff. These are the issues we need to sit down and see how to go about them. These are the things that Generation Z are looking for. They have the technical expertise and experience. These are the things that we are not observing as leaders. The Generation Z are looking at us and seeing what we are doing. This is what is bringing a lot of problems. Talking about the national Government and the previous things that we have been doing as---

Sen. Seki, it is already 6.30 p.m.. When the House resumes, you will have six minutes to conclude your comments on the Motion.

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Hon. Senators, it is now 6 30 p.m., time to adjourn the Senate. The Senate therefore stands adjourned until Wednesday, 10th July, 2024 at 9.30 a.m.

The Senate rose at 6.30 p.m.

The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate.