PARLIAMENT OF KENYA

THIRTEENTH PARLIAMENT

Fifth Session

Wednesday, 29th July, 2026 at 9.30 a.m.

PARLIAMENT OF KENYA

The House met at the Senate Chamber, Parliament Buildings at 9.31 a.m.

PRAYER

DETERMINATION OF QUORUM AT COMMENCEMENT OF SITTING

COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE CHAIR

VISITING DELEGATION FROM KAPTAGAT PREPARATORY SCHOOL

Hon. Senators, I would like to acknowledge the presence of a visiting delegation of seven teachers and 35 students from Kaptagat Preparatory School in Uasin Gishu County who are seated in the public gallery this morning. The delegation is visiting the Senate for an academic exposition.

On behalf of the Senate and on my own behalf, I extend a warm welcome to the delegation and wish them a fruitful visit.

I call upon the Senator for Uasin Gishu County to extend a word of welcome to the delegation in under one minute.

VISITING DELEGATION FROM KAPKORMOM PRIMARY SCHOOL IN KERICHO COUNTY

I would like to acknowledge the presence of a visiting delegation of 14 teachers and 33 students from Kapkormom Primary School in Kericho County who are seated in the public gallery this morning. The delegation is visiting the Senate for an academic exposition.

On behalf of the Senate and on my own behalf, I extend a warm welcome to the delegation and wish them a fruitful visit.

I request the Senate Majority Leader to extend a word of welcome to the delegation from Kericho County.

QUESTIONS AND STATEMENTS

Cabinet Secretaries are unable to be present this morning and I will read the letters they wrote to the Senate seeking deferral of those questions.

The first letter is from the Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications and the Digital Economy and I read it for the record-

“Reference is made to the above question which is scheduled for reply before the Senate Plenary on Wednesday, 29th July, 2026.

I have reviewed the draft responses prepared by the Ministry and I am not satisfied that they address the question with the depth and completeness it deserves. I have therefore directed my technical officers to undertake further work on the responses and I kindly request that my appearance be deferred to allow them adequate time to finalise a comprehensive reply.

In this regard, therefore, I propose that the question be rescheduled for reply on Wednesday, 5th August, 2026. I have spoken with Sen. (Prof.) Tom Ojienda, SC, MP, who asked the question and has kindly agreed to the proposed deferral and the new date.

I would be grateful if the Senate Business Committee (SBC) could accordingly reschedule the question and I undertake to be ready to respond fully on the new date. Any inconvenience occasioned here is sincerely regretted.

Your sincerely, His Excellency, Hon. William Kabogo Gitau, EGH, Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications and Digital Economy.”

The other two questions were directed to the Cabinet Secretaries for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports and this is his letter. The letter states-

“Reference is made to your letter reference number SEN/4S/5CO/Q/2026(40) dated 15th July, 2026 on the above-captioned subject matter. This has been written by the Principal Secretary.

While the Cabinet Secretary had looked forward to meeting and engaging with the SBC on Wednesday, 29th July, 2026 at 9.30 a.m. regarding on Question No.053 Sen. John Methu, MP, on coordination, equity and sustainability of the youth empowerment programmes and secondly, Question No.069 by Sen. Hamida Kibwana, MP, on provision of financial, medical, housing and other social protection benefits to retired sports heroes and heroines, we regret to inform you that the Cabinet Secretary is unable to attend the scheduled meeting due to an unavoidable official meeting engagement out of town.

Please, accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience that this may cause and kindly convey the Cabinet Secretary's regrets to the Chairperson and Members of the committee. We remain committed to engaging with the committee on this important matter and will be grateful for an opportunity to appear before it on a mutually convenient date. As always, your continued support and collaboration are highly appreciated.

Yours sincerely, Mr. Fikirini Jacobs Gatoi Kahindi, Principal Secretary.” These are the letters that we received from the two Cabinet Secretaries and therefore this morning, we may not be in a position to proceed with the Question Time.

In which case, we will then have to move to the next Order.

Question No.065

PROMOTION OF RESPONSIBLE DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT AND PUBLIC AWARENESS

Question No.053

STATUS OF YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMMES

Question No.069

BENEFITS TO RETIRED SPORTSPERSONS

MOTION

PROVISION OF COUNTY GOVERNMENTS’ IFMIS REPORTS TO THE SENATE

THAT, AWARE that, Article 96 of the Constitution provides that the Senate represents the counties, and serves to protect their interests, determines the allocation of national revenue among counties, as provided in Article 217, and exercises oversight over national revenue allocated to the County Governments;

FURTHER AWARE THAT, in the case of Senate v Council of Governors and 6 others (Petition 24 and 27 of 2019 (consolidated) 2022) KESC 57(KLR), the Supreme Court affirmed that the Senate’s oversight authority extends to both nationally allocated and locally generated revenue;

CONCERNED THAT, that Senators are constrained by lack of access to real time data from the IFMIS system for the respective counties they represent, thus affecting effective oversight of County Governments;

FURTHER CONCERNED THAT, in some instances data and information presented to the Senate by the Auditor-General and the Controller of Budget are received and considered late as a result of the backlog resulting into too much information not getting properly reviewed by Senators;

NOTING THAT, as a result of unchecked financial information and systems, County Governments have continued to accumulate pending bills resulting from unplanned expenditures, unaccounted for and inflated cost of projects;

NOW THEREFORE, the Senate resolves, that the Cabinet Secretary in charge of the National Treasury shall on a monthly basis forward to the Clerk of the

Senate all IFMIS transactions and reports for each County Government for onward transmission to the respective Senator for information on accountability and transparency, in order to strengthen their constitutional oversight and promote good governance in the management of public finances.

MOTION

PROMOTION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) AND INNOVATION POLICY IN KENYA

THAT AWARE THAT, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is redefining economies globally through emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain, and financial technology (Fintech);

FURTHER AWARE THAT Kenya has made commendable strides in digital infrastructure and mobile innovation, positioning itself as a potential leader in Africa’s tech-driven future;

NOTING THAT in a landmark decision, the African Union Executive Council endorsed the Continental AI Strategy during its 45th Ordinary Session in Accra, Ghana, on July 18-19, 2024 to underscore Africa’s commitment to an Africa-centric,

development-focused approach to AI, promoting ethical, responsible, and equitable practices;

COGNIZANT THAT the Continental AI Strategy calls for unified national approaches among AU Member States to navigate the opportunities of AI driven change, aiming to strengthen regional and global cooperation and position Africa as a leader in inclusive and responsible AI development;

APPRECIATING THAT the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy recently formulated and launched the Kenya National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy 2025-2030;

RECOGNIZING the need to align Kenya’s development with global standards in AI adoption while also safeguarding national values, inclusivity, and employment;

CONCERNED THAT the absence of a comprehensive framework may hinder innovation among local start-ups and youth-led tech enterprises and slow down Kenya’s ability to harness AI for inclusive growth;

NOW THEREFORE, the Senate resolves that the Ministry of Information, Communication and Digital Economy develops a Policy to promote Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies with particular emphasis on:

i) promoting research and development of locally relevant AI solutions; ii) facilitating ethical guidelines to ensure responsible and beneficial application of AI;

iii) creating innovation-friendly ‘Sandboxes’ for supervised testing of AI and emerging technologies;

iv) strengthening public-private partnerships to build digital skills and innovation ecosystems; and

v) v) integrating AI and coding into the education curriculum to prepare the next generation for the digital economy.

MOTION

DELINKING JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS FROM PRIMARY SCHOOLS

THAT, AWARE that, the Ministry of Education in Kenya, introduced Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) as part of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) implementation marking a major milestone for the country’s education system, and a key opportunity to improve the quality of education available to students;

APPRECIATING THAT, the Junior Secondary Schools program play a vital role in shaping the academic trajectory of learners by providing students with a strong foundation in core subjects, helping them develop essential skills and offering them opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities promoting greater social inclusion;

CONCERNED THAT, the integration of Junior Secondary Schools within primary school setups has posed major challenges for Junior Secondary teachers, including inadequate training on the new competency-based curriculum, limited opportunities for career advancement, conflict in leadership, decision-making and resource allocation leading to strained relationships with head teachers;

FURTHER CONCERNED THAT Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) face critical shortages in essential infrastructure such as laboratories, libraries, ICT hubs, and science equipment necessary for the implementation of the JSS curriculum, coupled with inadequate access to approved learning materials and teaching resources, resulting in inconsistencies in curriculum delivery hindering effective teaching, learning, and overall student development;

NOW THEREFORE, the Senate resolves that the Ministry of Education, the Teachers Service Commission and the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development should: -

i) Provide for an independent administrative and operational framework for Junior Secondary Schools to enhance governance, streamline management, and create a more focused learning environment for the learners;

ii) Allocate adequate funds for the construction and equipping of Junior Secondary Schools with essential facilities such as science labs, libraries and ICT rooms, and provide adequate learning materials relevant with the curriculum;

iii) Offer professional development programmes for Junior Secondary School teachers to help them specialize in specific subjects to effectively implement the JSS curriculum;

iv) Develop a clear career progression framework for Junior Secondary School teachers, including opportunities for promotions and additional responsibility allowances;

v) Formulate clear policies and guidelines outlining the structure, curriculum, and management of Junior Secondary Schools; and

vi) Ensure an optimal teacher-student ratio to facilitate personalized student attention and effective learning.

MOTION

NOTING OF REPORT ON ACTIVITIES AND OPERATIONS OF SELECT COMMITTEES DURING THE THIRD SESSION (2024)

THAT, the Senate notes the Report of the Liaison Committee on the activities and operations of Select Committees during the Third Session (2024) pursuant to Standing Order 224 (2), laid on the Table of the Senate, on Wednesday, 28th May, 2025.

MOTION

NOTING OF REPORT ON ACTIVITIES AND OPERATIONS OF SELECT COMMITTEES DURING THE FOURTH SESSION (2025)

THAT, the Senate notes the Report of the Liaison Committee on the activities and operations of Select Committees during the Fourth Session (2025)

pursuant to Standing Order 224 (2), laid on the Table of the Senate, on Thursday, 18th June, 2026.

ADJOURNMENT