Tuesday, 25th November 2025

Serjeant-at-Arms, ring the Quorum Bell for 10 minutes.

Serjeant-at-Arms, you may stop the Quorum Bell. We now have quorum. First Order. Hon. Members, you will recall that on Wednesday, 19th November 2025, the House considered and rejected Senate amendments to the Public Service

(Amendment)

Bill

(National Assembly Bill No. 46 of 2022)

. The decision of the House remitted the Bill to a mediation committee pursuant to Article 112

(2)

(b)

of the Constitution.

Hon. Members, Article 113 of the Constitution requires that whenever a Bill is referred to a Mediation Committee, the Speakers of the Houses of Parliament shall each appoint an equal number of Members from both Houses to attempt to develop a version of the Bill for consideration.

In this regard, I have directed the Leader of the Majority Party and the Leader of the Minority Party to nominate Members for appointment to the Mediation Committee to consider the said Bill. Once I receive the names of the nominated Members, I shall notify the House.

The House is accordingly informed.

Leader of the Majority Party.

Hon. Speaker, I beg to lay the following papers on the Table:

Chairperson for the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations, do we have a report? Hon. Raso, are you standing in for the Chairperson?

Hon. Deputy Speaker, the Leader of Majority could be best positioned to respond to that.

I think I saw the file. I approved the report this morning. Maybe it has not made its way here. We can skip that and then come back to it. We can move to the next order.

Hon. Speaker, I beg to give notice of the following Motion:

THAT, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 24 (6) , the thanks of this House be recorded for the exposition of public policy contained in the address of His Excellency the President delivered on Thursday, 20th November 2025, in Parliament. And further, that this House notes the following reports submitted by His Excellency the President in fulfillment of the provisions of Articles 132 (1) (c) and 247 of the Constitution laid on the Table of the House on Tuesday, 25th November 2025 ―

I am informed that the person holding brief for the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Affairs Relations is here. Hon. Kandie, you may lay the paper and then give the notice of Motion.

Hon. Speaker, I beg to lay the following paper on the Table:

Report of the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations regarding its enquiry into the conduct of the British Army Training Unit in Kenya (BATUK) .

You may proceed to give the notice of Motion.

Hon. Speaker, I beg to give notice of the following Motion:

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THAT, this House adopts the Report of the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations on its enquiry into the conduct of the British Army Training Unit in Kenya (BATUK), laid on the Table of the House on Tuesday, 25th November 2025.

Thank you, Hon. Members, and with your permission, I request that we defer Orders 7 and 8 to a later date so that we can go straight to the next Motion.

Next Order.

Hon. Speaker, I beg to move the following Motion:

THAT, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 24 (6) , the thanks of this House be recorded for the exposition of public policy contained in the address of His Excellency the President delivered on Thursday, 20th November 2025, in Parliament. And further, that this House notes the following reports submitted by His Excellency the President in fulfillment of the provisions of Articles 132 (1) (c) and 247 of the Constitution laid on the Table of the House on Tuesday, 25th November 2025 ―

The correct phrase is that before the truth starts tying its shoelaces, the lie has travelled halfway around the world.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, before the truth wakes up, the lie has travelled halfway around the world. That is what happened. By the time we went out to tell Kenyans the truth about the Finance Bill 2024, the lies had completely whitewashed the truth. On Sunday, a young man from Kinoo approached me after church for help and I showed him messages he had sent me during that period. I asked him what his problem with the Finance Bill 2024 was. He could not articulate a single thing. He only said that he opposed the 18 per cent increase of the Value Added Tax (VAT) . I asked him to show me where that 18 per cent VAT was in the Bill, and he could not find it. That is the tragedy of misinformation and disinformation. I am saying this because Members were insulted and

A vilified for taking bold steps to do what was right. I said on this Floor that what is popular is not always right and what is right is not always popular. However, this Parliament chose to do what was right. And today, we have the story the President spoke to: a story of resilience, faith in our country and sacrifice.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, farmers in Kenya are today feeding our nation and reducing the burden of foreign exchange needed to import food, whether maize or sugar produced along the sugar belts of Western Kenya, Nyanza and the Coast region. This story of resilience and sacrifice permeates every household across our country. That is not to say we are there yet. The President alluded to the fact that we are not yet there yet and that we must continue to make bold and courageous decisions to move our nation forward. As he always says, it is indeed possible within our lifetime to transition this country and our economy from a third-world to a first-world country.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, over the weekend, those who have no agenda, no policies to expound to the people of Kenya and speak boldly in funerals over weekends, at least, had content. The President has intent, will and determination to move our country from being a third-world to a first-world country. He clearly stipulated what we need to do and called on us, as the House of representatives, to walk with him and the Kenyan people as we move our country from the third to the first world. He was clear in his plan that includes setting up of the Infrastructure Fund and how we will innovatively leverage on it to raise more capital to roll out development projects that will transition our country from a third to a first world one. This includes provision of water for irrigation to ensure we produce adequate food for our country and for export and the rollout of dual carriage roads such as the Rironi-Mau Summit, Marua- Nanyuki-Isiolo and Mai Mahiu to enable those going to Narok, like Hon. Rebecca Tonkei, to commute from Narok to Nairobi in record time and move goods and services across our country. In that Speech, we could tell the clarity of mind that the President has on what he intends to do and what he is calling on us as a country to walk with him, shoulder to shoulder, to achieve.

The high priests of eternal pessimism, in funerals and other social gatherings over the weekend and around the country, were saying that we cannot move the country from a third- world economy to a first-world economy. They have no idea what needs to be done. How I wish these high priests of eternal pessimism, as shameless as they are, would, at least, give alternative ideas on what needs to be done. It is easy to speak and criticise, but it is better to criticise and offer an alternative.

Indeed, those in the Opposition pride themselves that they are the government in waiting. They cannot be a government in waiting by just shouting only three words: “One term”, Kasongo and must go”. They have nothing beyond that. When they are challenged and told they have no agenda, no plan and even the people of Kenya themselves say that they have no brains to articulate to Kenyans what they need to do for them, they take offence. The other day I saw people in Ukambani saying - Hon. Charles Nguna Ngusya (CNN) was there in Kitui

William Ruto in walking the talk and doing what we need to do. He has called on us to support the setting up of the Infrastructure Fund. I must, in a very special way as the Leader of the Majority Party, express my thanks to the House and to all Members who have been positive, bold and courageous in making the right decisions at the right time for this country. Indeed, those who, three years ago, were saying that if we set up the Housing Fund not a single house

A would be built in this country are the same people today who are asking how they can buy an affordable housing or social housing or market-rate housing unit for their family.

That also speaks volumes to the tragedy we face as a country today because of a leadership that misleads its people. The greatest tragedy we have had in this country is the tragedy of leadership. We have leaders who cannot make decisions; leaders who are watermelons in decision-making; leaders who are clueless; rudderless and visionless. When we have such leaders, we lose the plot because they cannot tell people where they want to move them to. All they can do is look at plans of others and poke holes in them. Please, for once, let them offer Kenyans an alternative. I am saying this because I saw some clueless governor from one of those purported rogue party leaders saying that, indeed, it is true that hawana agenda and that, agenda yao ni kupeleka Ruto nyumbani. I asked myself; okay, Hon. Ruto goes home every day, then what, for Kenyans?

That is why I have also been very bold at times to tell Members of Parliament not to fear when people tell them that they will go home in 2027. Which home? We go home every day. We are elected leaders to make decisions on behalf of the people of Kenya. Therefore, we must be bold and courageous when making decisions on behalf of the people, so long as we are doing it in their best interest. I believe that is why the President commended the 13th Parliament because we have made bold decisions in the best interest of the people of Kenya.

I see the rise of affordable housing units in Mukuru, which is a very small fraction of what is being done. When you fly over Kibra, you can see the transformation it is going through. We can see the demolitions going on at Makongeni Estate along Jogoo Road. Makongeni will be, probably, four or five times the size of Mukuru. There are sports stadia under construction across the country and sports academies in our villages, tapping the talent of our youth so that they are not misused. I have seen grandfathers calling themselves leaders of Gen Z. How can you lead a generation you do not even understand? How can you lead a generation for which you have no plan for and no vision of how to transform their country for their benefit?

There is transformation that is happening across our country. It is taking place from Kapsabet to Kakamega, Lokichogio to Mbeere North where I was yesterday, to Embu and Nyeri. These are hallmarks of actual transformation whether it is in housing or roads being built. Some of the roads stalled way back in 2015/2016. Today, they are being reconstructed because of the bold decisions that this House made some years back. We are the leaders who hold the future of our children and our young people in our hands based on the decisions that we make.

That is why I join the President in commending the House because it stood amidst all that pessimism, the bad-mouthing, the negativity, the misinformation, and the disinformation. As the President said, we will as a House have a paragraph when the history of this country is rewritten on how we moved our country from a third world to a first world country. When we enacted laws that created the Housing Fund. When we enacted laws that transformed the health architecture of our country to ensure every Kenyan can access universal health coverage.

Far-flung corners of this country like Kitui where people never knew what a tarmac road is will now see tarmac roads. They include the Emali-Matiliku Road where I saw the former Vice President creating content. I invite Hon. Kalonzo Musyoka to return to the same road and create another episode to show the people that the road is being done. Go to Emali- Ukia and show people that the road is being done.

Poor leadership and a lack of leadership over the years, has bedevilled this country. Imagine the people of Ukambani had leaders all along. However, it has taken bold leaders like Hon. Basil, Hon. CNN, Hon. Rachel Nyamai, Hon. Kawaya and other great leaders to bring promised development to the people.

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I heard Governor Kibwana who is about 75 years old say the colonial government promised his father the Emali-Ukia Road when he was a young man. The father is now likely over 100 years old. The Kenyatta administration came and promised the same road. The Moi government came and promised it during Mulu Mutisya’s time. The Kibaki government came and built the Emali-Loitokitok Road. The Emali to Ukia Road was never done. Uhuru Kenyatta’s government was there for ten years and nothing was done.

This administration has delivered very good projects like the Emali–Ukia Road and Matiliku-Emali Road to the people of Ukambani within two years. That is the story across the country. This country only employed only 300,000 teachers over a period of 60 good years. We will have employed 100,000 teachers in three years.

(Applause) The high priest of internal pessimism will tell you that the education system in Kenya is dying. They will not remind Kenyans that only a short two and a half years ago, in 2022, parents did not know whether their children would finish Grade 6 and move to junior secondary schools or senior secondary schools. They will not say how the Competency Based Curriculum, now Competency Based Education, will transition from the old 8-4-4 system. Parents were unclear.

The high priest of internal pessimism would want Kenyans to forget that universities for our young women and men were closing because of debts only a short two and a half years ago. Today, courtesy of the new funding programme, public universities are standing and recovering. It has not been painless. There is progress. That is the optimism we must continue injecting into Kenyans. Not pessimism, negativity, bad-mouthing, misinformation, and disinformation.

You know I could speak on and on. This speech gives Kenyans hope. The President challenges us to reject small thinking like one term, two terms, four terms, and five terms. It is possible for Kenya to rise like the nations we envy -Singapore, South Korea and Malaysia whose Prime Minister was here the other day. They rose because their leaders were bold when others feared. They were decisive when others like our leaders in this country in the past hesitated. They were visionary when others settled for less. We must continue being visionaries who remain bold and courageous. We must not settle for less. Let us walk the talk.

I invite this House to continue exhibiting the courage and boldness that we have exhibited over the last two and half or three years. It is in making the right decisions for the people of Kenya. I know that it is at times very good for us as politicians to say things that excite the masses out there. However, the masses punish you when they discover you only talk for the sake of talking to excite them. Do not fear when people tell you that you will go home. You will go home to find happy people if you made the right decisions for them. Be bold and courageous in making decision.

In conclusion, allow me to welcome our brother and colleague Hon. Abraham Kirwa, the Member for Mosop, in a very special way. He was unwell. God has seen him through the prayers of the people of Mosop and many Kenyans. He has brought him back to the House to continue making the bold decisions I am talking about and working for the best interest of the people of Mosop and the country. Welcome back to the House. I thank God, many Kenyans and the people of Mosop who continue to pray for you to recover fully.

(Applause) It is great to see you here well, walking on your own, and able to represent the people of Mosop in working as the Member of Parliament they elected. I thank the people of Mosop

A for being patient and supportive to Hon. Kirwa when he was indisposed. We wish you all the best and thank God for being there for you. Continue serving the people of Mosop and the people of Kenya with diligence and courage.

Even when unwell and out of the country, Hon. Kirwa had the courage to vote online when called upon. He had the courage to organise constituency programmes and bursary disbursement. He followed up on the needs of his people. The President spoke about this resilience. I thank God for Hon. Kirwa and the people of Mosop for the support they have given their Member of Parliament.

Because I just spoke about two terms and one terms, I encourage the people of Mosop to give Hon. Kirwa an opportunity when the time comes. Let him serve for a second term in this House. He has a very clear vision and plan for the people of Mosop. I know that because I constantly engage him even while he was away. You can see the love and the passion that he has for the people of Mosop. It is not normal for a Member who is sick or any human being to worry about others instead of their wellbeing. That is Hon. Kirwa. It tells you the kind of leaders we have in this country. They are empathetic to the people they represent.

Even as we insult or threaten Members of Parliament, I encourage Kenyans to remember that leaders have empathy. They work for you. They love you. They sacrifice for you. They will remain resilient even amidst negativity and fighting the high priests of internal pessimism as they were described.

With that, I beg to move. I request Hon. Kangogo Bowen, the indomitable Member of Marakwet East, to second this Motion.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. As I second, I join the Leader of the Majority Party to welcome Hon. Kirwa to the House. We thank God because our colleague is back on his feet to represent his people in the House.

I beg to second.

Hon. Shakeel Shabbir, Member for Kisumu East.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I want to thank President Ruto. I also want to recognise that that was one of the best State of the Nation Adress Speech I have ever heard.

I know that earlier, he spoke about vision; and he came in for the third time to talk about where we are. We must accentuate the positive at all times. Countries that we have spoken about like Singapore, Malaysia, China and others had visions. A vision without implementation is hallucination. We have a President who has a vision and he is trying to implement. Everything that he has said will not be done at once but we need a visionary leader.

I sat in this House under the tenure of Presidents Kibaki, Kenyatta for two Terms, and now, Ruto. I am not a sycophant, but I have been watching and listening to a vision. We see what is happening.

I was in Ghana recently. It became independent in 1957. Those who criticise Kenya should go to Ghana and other countries. The sort of activities that we see here, have never been seen for the last 15 years during Presidents Kibaki and Uhuru’s tenures. I have been requesting for the tarmacking of Chiga-Rabuor Road, and the 12 kilometres have now been finalised. I have also been looking at many other aspects like the Mamboleo Road. It stayed for a long time without being constructed, but it is being done now.

I do not find people who sit on the sidelines and only criticise, pleasing. Criticism is good as long as it is positive and constructive. As I have said, I have been here for nearly 20 years. One thing that hurts me is to disrespect our President. Try and disrespect a President in

A other countries like in Uganda, and see what happens. We have democracy here. People call him names. It is a sad thing that you can call a President names. He is the leader of the country. The vision that he has and how he has implemented it for the last two years is a great achievement. If this is what he will do in the next two years, we will be far.

Our wish and vision is to be a first world country. We now have affordable houses in Kisumu. I was the Mayor of Kisumu but I never saw many multi-storey buildings there. I have purchased one. We are talking about something that is happening.

The Social Health Authority (SHA) is working. This morning, I got a call from somebody whose wife was in hospital. The bill was Ksh35,000. He said SHA paid Ksh25,000. That means it is working. We will not criticise things for the sake of it. I am an Independent Member of Parliament. I appreciate what is happening. Neither Moses nor Jesus was appreciated.

Hon. Members, I give this opportunity to Hon. Abraham Kirwa, Member for Mosop, as we welcome him back to Parliament. I thank God for you.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker for welcoming me. I thank all the Members of this House who came to the hospitals in Nairobi, Dubai and United States of America (USA) to see me. When you are indisposed, and somebody comes to see you, it really means a lot. I did not want to be sick or go down, but I became sick anyway.

First, I thank the Hon. Speaker for allowing me to be away. He stood with me but the person who stood with me the most is the Clerk of the National Assembly.

The Clerk of the National Assembly went above and beyond to make sure that I was okay. He came to Nairobi Hospital and also sent people to Dubai. Every time, a Member visited USA, he ensured that he or she came to see me. When I arrived, he ensured that I was okay and everything was working well. I thank him from the bottom of my heart.

The next person who stood with me and helped me out was my wife. She was there from the beginning to the end. She is still there, and I thank her. I also thank the people of Mosop because they understood that I was sick. I did not want to be sick, but they understood that I was indisposed. I have been away for 15 months. However, the Constituency projects went on well. The people in the Constituency office ensured that they followed the procedure; things were done and everything went on well. They were all patient with me.

I thank the Leader of the Majority Party, Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah, for making sure that I was able to participate virtually in voting. He also ensured that I was comfortable while sick. I was welcomed back in style, and back to the House. I want to say thank you.

As a Member, I want to mention something about healthcare. I am so happy that the President gave the State of the Nation Address. I support his speech. He was straightforward. He is a very ambitious person. He talked about roads that would be upgraded to dual carriage. For any nation to move from being a third world country to a first world country, it must have roads that open up cities to the rest of the country. And therefore, I commend the President for planning to upgrade most roads in the country into dual carriage ways.

Another thing that the President has ensured it is done, is making sure that healthcare is done well. When I was sick, I went to Nairobi Hospital. My wife knew that I had stroke. She asked the doctors to give me a medicine called Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) which could have stopped the cause of my heart attack at its root. However, the doctors said I would be

A okay and that I should go home. They refused to administer the medicine. At 2.00 O'clock, they told me I could go home. However, before we left, my wife asked them to do a blood test which they did. Thereafter, they gave us the results on paper and told us to go home. Before we went home, my wife asked them if they had read the results on the paper and informed them that she is taking them to the in charge. When the doctor saw the results, the hospital staff run up and down to ensure that I got a bed. I was admitted for 18 days but my heart rate kept going down. When I was first admitted at the Nairobi Hospital, my Ejection Fraction (EF) was at 25 per cent. It went down to from 22, 20 to 18 per cent. In a week's time, I was going to die. However, somehow, God gave me another chance. I was taken to a hospital in Dubai.

I want to say something controversial. I really want the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) to look at the medicine sold in this country. In Dubai, I was told to stop using any medicines that I had been given in Kenya and they gave me their own. They gave me the same medicine that I had been given in Nairobi Hospital and somehow, my heart’s EF started going up from 18, 20, 22 to 30 per cent in that order. I became stable and ready to go home. When I asked the doctor in Dubai why the medicine they gave me had worked yet I was going to die in a week's time, they told me to look at the medication that we have in Kenya. Most medicines have problems.

I want to ask the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) to be vigil because I was given medicine that was not working. Many patients who have been taken to Nairobi Hospital have died. Their service is okay; they will give you tea and anything else you want. However, the Government and the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) should look into their medicine. If the medicine I was given in Dubai was the same as the one I got here, I should have gotten better here. The Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) needs to be alert.

We should inject a lot of money in healthcare. A healthy nation is a productive nation. I want to ask the President to continue doing what he is doing in healthcare. Social Health Authority (SHA) is working. When one gets sick, that is when they realise that SHA really works. Many people from my Constituency go to the hospital and they get treated because of SHA. I want to ask Kenyans to enrol in SHA. Doctors must also be held accountable. If you go to hospital and ask a doctor to check you, they he or she would tell you it is malaria, or that you are sick from this or that. A doctor can look at you and decide that you suffer from this or that disease even before he checks you. There must be a board to hold them accountable so that they are answerable. Otherwise, they will continue doing that, and many of our sisters, brothers and parents are going to die.

With that, I want to say thank you and may God bless you so much. (Applause)

Thank you very much. Hon. Marianne Kitany.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the Presidential Address.

Before I do so, allow me to also join the Leader of the Majority Party in welcoming Hon. Kirwa back to the country, and to this House to continue serving the people of Mosop Constituency.

As I welcome him back, allow me to also thank his wife, Frazer Kirwa who without her, I do not think Hon. Kirwa would be where he is today. Frazer has really given it all. By the way, Frazer Kirwa comes from Hon. Ichung’wah's Constituency but she is now our daughter in Mosop. So, we say thank you to her. She is seated at the Public Gallery. I want to tell her thank you. I also want to encourage her to continue taking care of Hon. Kirwa so that he can continue serving the people of Mosop Constituency.

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As Hon. Ichung’wah has said, if there is a Member who deserves a two-term at this stage, it is Hon. Kirwa. The people of Mosop should find it within their hearts to give him a second opportunity so that he can continue to serve them. He has done a great job. While he was away, many projects continued in Mosop. He was following them through. We thank Hon. Kirwa that despite his sickness, he continued to take care of his people.

On the President's Address, from 2022 to date, our country has really progressed. You can tell that Kenya is in a different place from what it was in 2022 when we were elected to the 13th Parliament. I want to thank the President for recognising the efforts of the 13th Parliament in the country that has made it possible for him to manage and steer the country to where it is today.

I will start with the energy sector. For this country to develop, we need energy. Currently, our energy production is far less than our energy consumption yet we want to move our country to a first world country. We will need to go into manufacturing just like China, Singapore and Korea who manufacture products like Samsung in their countries. To do that, we will need to have the basic infrastructure, one of the them being energy. The President has projected that this country will require a minimum of 10,000 megawatts of power for production to happen.

Related to energy is road infrastructure. If you look at the roads that have been lined up for construction in the country, some are ongoing. The dream of being a first world country is becoming a reality. The dualling of Rironi-Naivasha-Mau Summit Road all the way to Malaba will allow movement of goods and the northern corridor, which is our business hub, to prosper and feed countries like Uganda, Rwanda, Congo, South Sudan and Burundi from the port of Mombasa. If that happens, it will make our Mombasa Port to be one of the busiest and it will get our goods to be exported to other countries which will make us grow our economy. When we examine issues such as housing and markets, it is essential to recognise that, to genuinely claim we are growing our economy, we require decent housing. In primary school, we were taught that the basic needs are food, shelter and clothing. Shelter is a need that has been well addressed by our President. Today, every part of this country has an affordable housing project underway. Our women, who were promised to rise from bottom to up, now, have decent places to conduct their businesses. They also have markets that provide areas for their children to play, where they can breastfeed and continue with their businesses and progress in their lives.

The President has also made significant progress in the education sector. Since 2022, 76,000 teachers have been employed, and by next year, we expect...

Please, add her a minute.

Thank you. Since we began in 2022, we have employed 76,000 teachers, and we anticipate hiring another 100,000 teachers by January.

Finally, regarding the NYOTA Programme, this initiative aims to empower the youth, showing them that they too, can contribute to building this nation by engaging in activities that will provide them with a source of income. Under the NYOTA Programme, they will receive Ksh50,000 to start and grow their businesses. With all these efforts and many more that the President is pursuing, we are advancing Kenya from its current status as a third-world country to a first-world country. We join the President in his dream of propelling Kenya into the ranks of first-world nations.

I, thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker.

Hon. Members, please remember that each Member has five minutes to speak. Many Members are interested in this, so let us ensure everyone has an opportunity.

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Next is Hon. Keynan, the Member for Eldas.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, dreams are valid. The State of the Nation address by the President has a number of positive issues that will add value to the well-being of the Republic of Kenya. Starting from microeconomic reforms, national stability, food security, housing and urban development, digital transformation, youth empowerment, livestock sector, healthcare outreach, access to education, transport and logistics, and particularly, digital connectivity relating to new frontiers, as well as financial inclusion.

They are critical matters to us, especially the people of Northern Kenya and the pastoralist community. When His Excellency was delivering his speech, many of us were deeply concerned. However, upon reviewing the report, word by word, I noted the mention of the High Grand Falls Dam along the Daua River, which will benefit Mandera near the Ethiopian-Kenyan border. I have also seen a big mega-dam known as the Isiolo-Barsalinga, as well as the Sigly Canal in Garissa and the Lowaat Dam in Turkana. Nevertheless, we hoped to hear about the Isiolo-Modogashe-Habaswein-SamaTar-Wajir-Tarbaj-Kutulo-ElWak-Rhamu- Mandera Road, as this is of great importance to us. The omission of these roads in the address was discouraging. However, that does not take away our rights as a group.

I also took note of the plans for the dualling of many roads, totalling over 28,000 kilometres. We expected that the proposed dualling would include roads from Thika, Mwingi, and Garissa, as well as those that are about to be tarmacked. Furthermore, we expected the same consideration for the roads from Lamu, Ijara, Garissa, and Isiolo, extending all the way to Ethiopia, as these roads are fundamental to our connectivity. I am aware that this report is not final and that there is room for further improvement.

We also anticipated the mention of the issue of expanding the national grid from Garissa. Sadly, as I speak today, we are struggling in Wajir town. We also expected a comprehensive national energy programme specifically choreographed for the people of Northern Kenya. I, earnestly, appeal to the President. This President has done well; those of us who have been around, need to acknowledge this. Dreams are valid, but there are specific issues that need to be particularly tailored for certain communities that have been left behind. As a seasoned lawyer and lecturer, you are aware of Sessional Paper No.10 of 1965, which excluded the people of Northern Kenya from the management and affairs of the Republic of Kenya. Whenever we are omitted, we notice that a technocrat or mandarin has excluded us.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, countries that have progressed and made significant advances have done so under the guidance of senior leaders who understood the aspirations, thoughts, and expectations of their people. As Kenyans, we must appreciate what the President has accomplished. We should also positively criticise what remains to be done. I join the Leader of the Majority Party in saying that those who are on the streets, condemning the President every morning, every lunchtime, and every evening, should allow the President to do his work. In 2027, you will have the opportunity to interrogate his actions and present an alternative platform.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, may I have an additional two or three minutes?

Just a minute, but I will not be giving any more extra time because it is not fair for the other Members.

Thank you for your kindness. The reality is that we have a country, and we must begin from somewhere. This President has initiated efforts. I appeal to the naysayers to criticise the President and his Government positively. Please offer alternative solutions that will drive our country forward.

I also wish to join my colleagues in welcoming our brother, Hon. Kirwa. As human beings, we face challenges, and I welcome you back to the 13th Parliament. We pray to the Almighty God that you will have made a full recovery. I also implore the people of Mosop to give this great young man the opportunity to further serve the people.

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In conclusion, there comes a time when the national interest must supersede every other petty partisan interest. I appeal to the people of Northern Kenya, wherever you are: this President has invested in every available opportunity for our development. He has attempted to eliminate marginalisation, to promote equity, and to address access to education. We can discuss the remaining issues in the boardroom. Let us make an appointment with the President.

I stated on record the other day that, we, the people of Wajir, are seeking an urgent appointment to find a solution to the power crisis in Wajir. This morning, we met with the World Bank, the Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport, and all stakeholders for the Horn of Africa. Sadly, and I wish to state this on record; that the project is being sabotaged by technocrats who are hellbent on creating political discord between the President and the people of Northern Kenya. I appeal to the President to deal with the cartels that are attempting to frustrate the critical infrastructure road, which will open up Northern Kenya. As it stands, the situation is not progressing well.

Hon. Haika Mizighi, the Member for Taita Taveta County.

Asante sana Naibu Spika kwa kunipatia fursa hii ili kuungana na wenzangu kujadili Hotuba ya Mhe. Rais.

Hii ni moja ya hotuba bora ambayo nimeiskia. Ilikuwa ya kuleta imani na matumaini kwa Wakenya. Mhe. Rais alitangulia kwa kutueleza ya kwamba, hapo awali alipotutembelea hapa Bungeni, alikuwa tu na ndoto na maono. Inatia moyo sana kujua kuwa wakati huu alipotutembelea Bungeni, hakukuja tu na maono bali na vitendo, mambo yanayo onekana katika nchi yetu. Aliyataja mengi ambayo yalikuwa tu ndoto hapo awali; lakini kwa sasa, yanaonekana.

Mhe. Naibu Spika, nachukua fursa hii kuangazia mambo ambayo nimeyaona yakifanyika katika Kaunti yangu ya Taita Taveta, na vilevile nchi nzima. Kwanza, ni mipango ya barabara. Nikiangazia kule Taita Taveta, zipo barabara ambazo zilikuwa za ndoto. Zilizungumziwa kwa miaka mingi. Watu waliziota hadi wakafa moyo kwani walidhani hazitawahi tengenezwa. Kwa sasa, hizo barabara zinafanyiwa kazi. Barabara ya kutoka Taveta- Chala- Njukini-Rombo-Illasiti ilikuwa moja ya barabara ambayo ilikuwa ndoto lakini inatengenezwa.

Hivi karibuni, wakenya kutoka Taveta, Kajiado na nchi nzima kwa ujumla wataweza kutumia barabara ya lami. Itafungua uchumi upande ule. Vilevile, kuna barabara ambayo tunapenda kuita “The Ring Road” ambayo inazunguka Bura hadi Mtomogodi ambayo pia, ilikuwa tu kama ndoto. Ilikuwa imekwama lakini tunavyoongea, contractor yuko site akifanya kazi.Kusema kweli, Raisi alisema kuwa awali alikuwa amekuja kuzungumzia ndoto lakini kwa sasa, ni hali halisi; watu wanajionea. Masoko ya kisasa ambayo tulikuwa tukiyazungumzia tu na watu wakasema hayatakuwa, yamekuwa.

Kule Maungu Voi, soko ya kisasa imejengwa. Soko hii inafanya mama mboga akae mahali pazuri, paheshima na pakumuezesha kufanya kazi. Vilevile, huko Watunge na Taveta, kuna masoko ambayo Mhe. Raisi anaendelea kuyajenga.

Mradi wa nyumba ambayo watu walisema haitawezekana, sasa hivi, watu wanaziona, wengine hata wamepata fursa ya kuishi katika hizo nyumba. Tunampongeza Mhe. Raisi kwa hotuba yake. Alituzungumzia mambo ambayo yanafanyika katika nchi yetu. Ukiangalia maswala ya elimu, walimu wameandikwa wengi kupitia Serikali ya Mhe. Rais Samoei Ruto, takriban elfu sabini na sita kwa wakati mmoja. Mumewaiskia wapi mambo kama hayo? Imefanyika tu nchini Kenya.

Vilevile, tukizungumzia maswala ya afya, watu walikuwa wanasema Social Health Authority (SHA) haitaweza. Sasa hivi, watu wanasema SHA inafanya, na kwa kweli, SHA inafanya. Zaidi ya hayo, Community Health Workers (CHPs) ambao walikuwa wameteseka kwa muda mrefu, wameboreshwa kwa kupewa vyombo vya kazi ili waweze kufanyia wanainchi kazi baada ya kupewa token of appreciation.

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Member for Funyula, Hon. Oundo.

Thank you, Hon Deputy Speaker. As we debate the Presidential speech as provided for under Article 132 (1) , let me join my colleagues in welcoming back Mhe. Kirwa. We pray that Almighty God gives you strength to recover fully as soon as possible.

The Constitution of Kenya under Article 132 (1) requires that: The President, among other things —

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We might try to massage or cover the dead horse, but the horse is dead. Thank you.

Member for Keiyo North.

Thank you very much, Hon. Deputy Speaker for this opportunity.

Before I give my comment on the Presidential Address, I also want to join my colleagues in welcoming Hon. Kirwa back to Parliament.

We have really missed you, Hon. Kirwa.

I also request the constituents of Mosop to give Hon. Kirwa another chance because this is one person that kept his focus on his constituents despite having health challenges.

Back to the Presidential Debate, Hon. Deputy Speaker. Hon. William Samoei Ruto is the only President, if not the second President who has been harshly judged. Most people are only reading one side of the story. They only concentrate on the negativity. However, this is the only President who assumed office in a very difficult situation. When the President came into power, the cost of living was so high because the previous regimes had concentrated so much on consumption. He came in with a policy of subsidising fertilizer and now most Kenyans are enjoying life because the cost of food has come down drastically.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I come from a region where we grow maize. When you compare this year and previous years, there is huge production of maize, courtesy of subsidised fertiliser. Kenya, today, is a happy country because our students in school are equipped by human capital through employment of teachers. At the moment, the President has employed more than 76,000 teachers. This morning, there was an advertisement by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) looking to employ more teachers.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, the inflation rate has gone down from 9 per cent to 3.9 per cent. This is a Government which is deliberate in ensuring that Kenyans get value for their money. Also, on the part of housing, as promised by the President, it is no longer a story. Houses are coming up all over the country, including Iten Town which is in my constituency. This is something that had been mentioned by previous governments long ago. At the moment, Kenyans are witnessing houses being built in Kibra and the entire country.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, the President shared his plan on constructing dams. Apart from the existing ones that we have witnessed across the country, that is, small- and medium-size dams, the President elaborated to the nation his plan to construct major dams to enhance food production and electrification. I am saying this because there is a difference between talking for political expediency and being practical. Dams are being constructed across the country.

There is a huge problem with pending bills in roadworks. However, this Government has managed to pay contractors and they are currently resuming work. I urge my colleagues to visit the ongoing roadworks near Serena Hotel, Nairobi if at all other parts of the country seem too far to visit. It is roadworks which he kick-started after being stalled for some time.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, we have so many programmes that the President has promised and so far, things are going on well. Among them is security of the country, youth empowerment through National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programmes, and construction of sports facilities. For the first time, there will be a mega sports facility called Talanta Sports Stadium. Hon. (Dr) Oundo, if you get time, go there. There are developments that are happening in our country that we have not witnessed before. Not long ago, people criticised this Government citing it is not doing enough on security matters. One

A of them purports to be a presidential candidate; someone who oversaw bodies being dumped in River Yala. However, this is the only Government that has assured security of its citizens, upheld the Constitution, and obeyed the rule of law. Thank you.

Hon. Member for Busia.

First of all, I welcome back Hon. Kirwa. The devil is always a liar. Keep fighting the good fight because you still have a lot ahead of you and God bless you.

Back to the President's speech. There is this adage that prevails that out of the hatred of the cockroaches, the ants voted for the insecticide. They all died. I want us to have a vision in the President's vision as leaders. There are things if we did today, it is not us who are going to benefit. It is the fourth generation from now that we are building for. Today, if I build a house or an apartment, it is not mine. It is a house for my future generation. We have to somehow start today. The President has started something. It might look like a very big shoe to wear for all Kenyans, but he is a very good dealer in hope. Today, if you came to a place in Busia County called Lunyofu, no one could have known that it existed. However, the President, through his vision, has put it on the map. If you Google, you will know that a sports academy, a standardised one, good quality stadium is coming up in that area.

There is another area also called Igara. Who could have known Igara in Kenya? Leave alone Kenya, even the whole world. If you Googled it, you would not even find it. He has seen that it is good to go where there is nothing and start something there. That is why he has started these big projects that are shocking so many people. I am a witness. I was present during the groundbreaking. Such a place where nobody even could have allowed her daughter to get married to. Soon it will be a town. Social amenities will be brought there. It will be attractive and with time, instead of people coming to Nairobi, Kisumu, or Mombasa to look for jobs... We will be decongesting the cities because we will now have towns teeming with projects that the President has started. He is translating this vision into reality by starting many things in different counties. If we only shared that vision as leaders as well and not poison our people from hating anything that he begins, we are bound to go far.

Therefore, I applaud the many projects he has begun. There are others that are still coming up gradually and progressively, but there are those that have already taken off and there is no looking back. It is time for Kenya to be a grandfather. We are not in an elementary level of growth like other struggling or teething African countries. Hence, if we will be the giants in East and Central Africa, we must walk the talk. A good leader knows what they want for their people. They go ahead and they show the way and that is what the President is doing. Let us pause a little and imagine what a beautiful baby he is trying to create out of Kenya. Thank you.

Hon. Ndindi Nyoro.

Thank you very much, Hon. Deputy Speaker for this chance. I also welcome my brother Hon. Abraham Kirwa back to Parliament. We are glad to see you and karibu sana.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I will go directly to the point. First, when we have such a situation where we are listening to the State of the Nation Address, data should speak more than words. I say so because when you want to invest in a company, for example, you want to invest in a bank, you look at their financial statements knowing that the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) and regulators like Capital Markets Authority (CMA) and Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) have done their bit. Therefore, you do it knowing that the data you are reading is believable.

I say so because of some of the data that was presented last week. I do not know whether it is the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) that is wrong or the speechwriters did not have the correct data.

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The first thing I want to cite is the exchange rate. We have been saying that we made the exchange rate to climb down. On the election day, the exchange rate was Ksh118 to the US dollar. The exchange rate on the swearing-in day was Ksh120. The exchange rate reached Ksh159 in 2023 when we were still around. Therefore, the exchange rate has actually depreciated by 8.5 per cent from August 2022, and it is in an era when the US dollar itself has depreciated by 10 per cent globally. Therefore, I do not know which data is correct.

The other issue is the performance of the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE). It is usually said that when you have a lion, you just need to unleash it. You do not need to defend it. It defends itself. That is how facts are. You release the facts to defend themselves. The NSE, just like all other stock exchanges in the world, is not measured by market capitalisation. It is measured by indices, and there are two indices in the NSE. One is the Share Index. The other one is the 20-Share Index. In the speech, I saw that the NSE is at its all-time high. That is incorrect. Its all-time high performance in the recent past was in 2017, but the very much all- time high performance was around 2007.

Even the data on construction was incorrect. If you read the KNBS data, the construction sector in Kenya contracted by 2 per cent in 2024. Consumption of cement was down by 7.9 per cent. Consumption of steel was down yet we are doing housing projects. I say so because for us to move forward, we have to be very deliberate and factual on where we are. That is why after all is said and done, data always speaks for itself. Let us compare the first three years of the regimes of President Mwai Kibaki, President Uhuru Kenyatta, and the current regime. President Mwai Kibaki took power when the GDP of Kenya was US$19 billion. In the first three years, it grew to US$26 billion. It was up by 36 per cent. The first three years of President Uhuru Kenyatta, there was a 21 per cent growth in the GDP. In the first three years of the current regime, the economy has only grown by around 14 per cent. If you grade using NSE performance, Kibaki gets 72 per cent, President Uhuru Kenyatta gets 42 per cent. The current President gets 29 per cent.

The other issue I would like to cite is Kenya’s regional dominance. In 2024, Kenya was last in terms of growth in the region. Uganda grew by 6 per cent. Tanzania…

I add you two minutes. Proceed.

Thank you very much, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for the two minutes. As I was saying, in 2024, Uganda grew by 6 per cent, Tanzania by 6.1 per cent, Rwanda by over 8 per cent while Kenya grew by 4.7 per cent. As I said earlier, facts are like a lion. You release them. You do not defend them. They defend themselves.

As I conclude, I expected the President would talk about debt. Kenya is currently borrowing Ksh3.5 billion every day. This is unprecedented. Besides that, we are borrowing illegally in the name of securitisation and Talanta Board. I thought that is a monumental issue that would have been highlighted.

I also thought the speech would include the issue of education. The speech was read at a time when school principals have received a circular to increase school fees for day scholars, starting January. I want to rally Members of this House not to sit here when fees for day secondary schools will be increased by the Government from next year. I did not hear the issue of confirmation of the 20,000 Junior Secondary School (JSS) teacher interns. These interns, who are our brothers and sisters, must be confirmed into permanent and personable terms immediately.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I submit.

On a point of order, Hon. Deputy Speaker.

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What is your point of order, Hon. Fatuma?

Hon. Deputy Speaker, though he has already finished, the Member who was on the Floor has just indicated that Kenya borrows billions of shillings every single day. I would like him to tell me; how did we borrow? From which bank or institution? When we speak here, we need to tell wananchi the truth, not just lies. That is a story that can burn a country. I beseech you to ask him to give me evidence as a concerned Kenyan. How much have we borrowed today and from which institution? Who signed the borrowing? Where is the money? Please, make this clear to wananchi. I want to know on their behalf, as the Member for Migori County.

Okay, you have made your point. Hon. Ndindi, I give you one minute to respond.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I do not know how to respond because it is hard to respond to such an issue. Just advise the Member that data on Kenya is available at the Central Bank of Kenya. And it is difficult for me to do her job. When this Government came to power, Kenya’s debt was Ksh8.7 trillion. As we talk today, the debt is over Ksh12.5 trillion. Therefore, we have borrowed over Ksh3.5 trillion in less than three years. If you divide that figure by the number of days, you will realize I have actually given you a discount! We are borrowing more than Ksh3.5 billion every single day. That is unpalatable.

You have clarified. Thank you. Hon. Fatuma, everyone is entitled to give their opinion. Hon. Raso, proceed. You have 10 minutes because you are speaking on behalf of the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security.

Thank you very much, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I would like to welcome Hon. Kirwa back to the House. We thank God for restoring his health. We hope you will be back on your feet.

I thank the President for the very important Address he made to the nation on the Floor of this House. It is important for us to say the truth as it is. Leaders come and make their countries rise at the right time. We had Kennedy in America who said by the end of the decade a man must be on the moon. Then we had Mao Zedong in China who took his country from a peasant economy to a thriving economy. We had Lee Kuan in Singapore who raised his country from a very rudimentary country in terms of the economy to a first world country. In the 1990s, Bill Clinton said, “It’s the economy, stupid", and he transformed the American economy.

When we try to compare ourselves, borrowing from what Hon. Ndindi Nyoro said, to the Ugandan or other East African economies, our economy is much bigger. The growth of the economy has to be relative to the size. That is why our economy cannot grow at between 7 per cent and 10 per cent. It grows at 5 per cent and we still meet our strategic objectives.

Let me talk about a few things the President talked about. The first one is national security. We must appreciate this Government because today guns are silent in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) , especially the six counties in the North Rift. There is no fighting in Turkana, West Pokot, Baringo, Elgeyo Marakwet, Samburu, Isiolo, and Marsabit. It is a result of the security investment by this Government, which has improved the governance architecture through Deputy County Commissioners (DCCs) and Assistant County Commissioners (ACCs) and more police stations and boots on the ground. It is on record that this Government recently recruited 10,000 police officers. That did not happen in the previous administration. It is good to say when things work and are positive. We cannot always be prophets of doom.

On agriculture and food security, at the beginning of his leadership, the President said we were not going to subsidise consumption but production. When you go to supermarkets today, food is relatively more affordable than at the beginning of 2022. This means the

A agricultural sector is working. Furthermore, the President said he is going to build dams in ASAL counties such as Wajir, Mandera, Marsabit, Garissa, and Tana River. Eighty per cent of Kenya is ASAL. These are places that have more land for agricultural expansion.

Infrastructure is very important for predictability in travelling. If I leave Marsabit at

programme that are supposed to help the youth to get on their feet and eventually walk. For these programmes to be successful, Kenya must generate enough resources.

Another important area is energy. Energy is the anchor for industrialisation and development. Hon. Keynan talked about Wajir, but it is not the only town in northern Kenya that is fully dependent on generators. If we must develop northern Kenya, then we must begin to focus on energy. The President should look at the possibility of nuclear power. Kenya should industrialise without necessarily depending on its neighbours who sell us their hydroelectric power.

I want to finish by again talking about national security. Kenya is relatively safer compared to what we experienced a few years ago. This is because of the investment this Government has made in the security infrastructure and architecture, including employing Kenya Police Reserve (KPR) officers. It is a complementary force that augments the police service because we do not have enough police officers or police stations. As pastoralists, we encourage more locals to be employed in KPR. There are also issues like mobility and force protection for NPS and other security forces to engage in difficult situations without being in harm’s way.

With those many remarks, I beg to support this Report.

Thank you. Hon. Ngusya. Remember you have five minutes.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, thank you for this opportunity to add my voice. The President recently visited our county and the lower eastern region. At the outset, I take this opportunity to thank him, especially for visiting my constituency and becoming the first President to visit us on the basis of development matters. Congratulations, William Samoei Ruto, on what you did to the people of Mwingi West. A stalled project that was promised by the first President of the Republic of Kenya in 1976 is now a reality. The people of Mwingi West will never forget that.

The President started by reminding us how far we have come; 62 years ago, when we achieved independence. He reminded us that we have really struggled and sacrificed a lot. Right now, we are witnessing tremendous development in our country relative to the region. The President was very categorical that it can be done. The Asian tigers—South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia—came from far.

On the national debt, the then Deputy President kept singing to us how they found empty coffers, but the President has rectified everything. Congratulations to him. We never defaulted on debt repayment. Inflation was also a chorus. He found us in a very horrible situation. The prices of commodities had already risen. I congratulate him for being resilient. I

A would like to echo the sentiments of the Leader of the Majority Party, Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah, who traversed Ukambani region with us. I can tell you freely that the four key projects that the community has been crying about since independence have become a reality. The roads that we are talking about are being constructed now. Coming from that region, I can confirm without fear, that the President has delivered on road infrastructure. I recall when he counted the number of roads he is going to dual in the country, making a total of 28,000 kilometres. This will take us to a near First-World status. We need to be positive where matters of development are concerned.

On the issue of GDP, Kenya was ranked 8th but now we are number six in Africa. That is a big boost to our economy as we have improved from position eight to six. That is something that should be recognised. We need to keep on moving upwards and now compare ourselves to the tigers of Asia instead of comparing ourselves to our African brothers and sisters.

On the issue of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), it is noted that it rose from Ksh60 billion to Ksh195 billion. That is a positive territory because attracting FDI is going to create employment to our youth. It has a positive impact. The foreign reserves have surpassed US$12 billion in our country. Since independence, it has never reached that level. Therefore, that is a plus.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I note that productivity in the agricultural sector has increased because of the subsidised fertiliser. This way, it is going to cure the problem of food insecurity. However, I would like to emphasis the issue of water. We need to move from relying on rain- fed agriculture to, at least, construct several dams; the ones he mentioned. If that can be actualised and regionally distributed, we will cure the issue of food insecurity in our country.

I want to put stress on the issue of housing because we have seen markets coming up. All constituencies are experiencing construction of ESP markets. We are providing our traders with places from where they can trade with dignity. This is laudable.

With those few remarks, I would like to thank you. Let us be positive. Things are happening in our country. Let us be positive and fix where we can. This is our country, and we are the only ones going to build it.

Member for Kesses Constituency, Hon. CPA Rutto.

Thank you so much, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for this opportunity to weigh in on the speech that was made by the President on the State of the Nation Address.

First, in his absentia, I want to commend Hon. Kirwa, for the faith and strength that he has kept throughout his journey of ill health, treatment, and the recovery process. I also commend him for appearing here today. I also wish to commend his dear wife, Afrasian, for the good work she did by giving the right support to her husband.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, allow me to also quickly pay tribute and send a message of condolence to the family of the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. In our culture, we say that lightning does not strike the same place twice. However, that has happened to his family. Today, we received the sad news of the death of Bery Achieng, the sister to the late Rt Hon. Prime Minister, Raila Amolo Odinga. It is so unfortunate. I take this moment, on my behalf and that of the people of Kesses, to pay tribute to the family.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, let me quickly make a few observations on the speech of the President. If you listened keenly to the President when he stood on the podium in the National Assembly, you will concur with me that he delivered a message of hope, surety, and guidance to Kenyans. He highlighted where they were before and the difficulties they have gone through to a better promised land. It is similar to the way God promised the children of Israel that they would go to the land of Canaan, which was full of milk and honey. However, it was a long journey, full of difficulties, challenges, and hunger. This is where our country, Kenya, has been for all decades since we attained independence.

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We have had a lot of focus right from the first President where he spoke about fighting diseases, hunger, poverty, and access to education. The second President came in and sought to address the same challenges. The third President, the late Hon. Mwai Kibaki, spoke about economic transformation and initiated the discussion about transforming our economic agenda and development of the nation. That was the beginning of growth of debt in this Republic, equivalent to the level of infrastructural growth that we saw.

President Uhuru Kenyatta came in with the Big Four Agenda on affordable housing, food security, universal health care and manufacturing. He spoke about all those pillars, but we never saw the results. As we speak today, the current President of the Republic of Kenya is not only speaking about his agenda but he has demonstrated, through his speech, that you can appreciate physical things that are happening in the nation. You can see visible evidence of the issues he has spoken about in every part of the country. Such issues include housing, linking production to the market, and increasing the market value chains by creating businesses and opportunities for earnings. You can speak about sports and infrastructure, which is the critical element of development and growth in our economy. In fact, what we are aiming at as a nation is to grow from production to manufacturing.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I listened to my senior colleagues who spoke here casting aspersions and sending negativity on the statement of the President on grounds of our difficult economic situation. I wish I had an opportunity when my senior colleague, Hon. Ndindi Nyoro, was making his contribution to ask him a few questions. He has categorically elaborated and compared the situation in our Kenyan market to other First-World countries. I appreciate that we may not have gone in that direction at the moment, but we are headed there. However, I wish he had clarified about the three preceding budgets that he oversaw as the Chairman of the Budget and Appropriation Committee. We know very well that the budget of the country is prepared based on the background of the economic condition of the nation. I wish to know if those budgets were prepared based on those situations now that he can reflect on his understanding of the challenges of those markets.

On a point of Order, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

What is out of order when he has already concluded?

He mentioned my name. I would like to respond to that.

You can only do it when he is still on his feet. Sorry.

Hon. Gikaria.

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I am here, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Proceed.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to comment on the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency the President.

The State of the Nation by the President was factual. In the very first paragraph, he says, “Two years ago, when I delivered my first State of the Nation Adress, I had a vision to sell...” He further said, “Today, I have a vision to tell.” How true could this statement be?

Hon. Temporary Speaker, in the many paragraphs of his Speech, the President reflected on what he had to say using factual and figurative examples, even naming institutions that have provided figures. The best thing about the President is that he does not speak out of the blues; he speaks from factual figures obtained from different institutions, including the Kenya Bureau of Statistics and other international institutions that provide rankings.

We have been requested by a noble Member to rate the current President with previous presidents. We should be reminded that the President has only been in office for about two years and has a 29 per cent rating. An actual comparative rating could only be made if he had completed ten years in office like his predecessors. It is not fair to compare someone who has been in office for two years with someone who served for ten years and claim the figures are factual. That is not proper comparative data. The Leader of the Majority Party earlier highlighted the falsehoods and misinformation circulating in the country, which unfortunately some Kenyans believe.

Over the weekend, while distributing bursary forms in preparation for the next payment cycle, I asked whether the SHA was working. Several women raised their hands to say it was not. I told them that after the session we would visit the hospitals they had attended to verify, but to my disbelief, none of the women could be found. This illustrates how false information is spreading in the country, which is very unfortunate.

I would like to emphasise that the President provided factual information. Looking at his 10-point agenda, many of the indicators he highlighted are verifiable. Farm input and harvests have increased. For instance, in my constituency, we have over 3,000 affordable housing units currently under construction, creating real jobs for young Kenyans. The SHA registration has also increased. All these are factual and the President indicated figures and the institutions that provide these ratings. As a country, we need to remain focused.

Hon. Sarah Korere.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I would also like to add my voice to the President’s State of the Nation Address. Among the many things we expected to hear was the development of infrastructure in the Arid and Semi- Arid Land (ASAL) counties. As a father figure, the President can only sell hope and faith to Kenyans. Promises have been made not just now, but since the beginning of time. God promised Abraham and Sarah that they would become the parents of nations, yet they had only one child, and the promise was fulfilled. God promised the children of Israel that he would deliver them to the land of Canaan and it took 40 years to reach it. The promise was fulfilled. When promises are given, the next phase is to wait for their fulfilment.

The President spoke about subsidies. It is true that before 2022, subsidies were given for fuel and other consumables, not production. These subsidies enriched those who were already wealthy to the detriment of poor Kenyans. However, when the President subsidised the price of fertiliser, the price of unga, a staple on almost every table, has reasonably gone down from Ksh250 in 2022 to around Ksh120–130, depending on location. Those of us who were in the Jubilee Coalition in the last Parliament are aware of manifesto commitments on affordable housing and Universal Health Coverage, but fear of repercussions prevented implementation. This President, however, dared to take the bull by the horns.

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Having said that, I was a little taken aback by this Address. I expected the President to mention, among the roads he cited, the Doldol–Nanyuki Road, which has become an elephant in the room. In Laikipia County, tarmac roads currently start and end where Laikipia North begins. We are hopeful that during this President’s term, the Doldol–Nanyuki tarmac will be completed. The price of unga has generally decreased, but in Doldol, it is still Ksh250 or even Ksh260 due to high transportation costs caused by the pathetic state of the road.

Regarding security, no President has done as much as the current President. As we recruit police officers, we must acknowledge the role of the National Police Reservists. These reservists are currently managing security in our counties more effectively than regular officers. My humble appeal is that they should be properly kitted, well remunerated, and at the very least, receive SHA. They put their lives on the line to protect citizens as well as their cattle, camels and goats, and they deserve to be compensated.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Hon. Zaheer Jhanda.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I wish to support the President’s State of the Nation Address, which was precise, measured and deeply reassuring. The President spoke with firm clarity on our national progress and set a confident and unifying tone for the path ahead for the country. It was a stateman’s message, very well balanced, articulate, visionary and anchored in service to the people. I am a very proud Member of Parliament today because this Government, after very many years, is doing a tarmac road project of about 50 kilometres in my Constituency, Nyaribari Chache.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, one of the phenomenal projects that is happening under this government is the affordable housing programme. After many years of failed leadership and broken promises, the President has boldly revolutionised the housing sector turning dreams into keys in our people’s hands. Through visionary policies, innovative solutions and institutional reforms, he has sparked robust economic growth, created job opportunities and proven to us that true leadership is not just about building houses, but also building a stronger and a prosperous nation for all of us in the Republic.

Against all odds, the President has defied expectations with unwavering resolve, firm discipline and commitment to make Kenya an equal among the global nations and not a third world country, but a first world country. That is where we are, with the full support of His Excellency the President. Where many doubted, the President has delivered reviving hope, driving development and uniting the country under the Broad-Based Government. The President's momentum, energy, drive, synergy, programmes and commitment to change is no longer in question. It is now the engine of Kenya's renewed hope and progress.

However, Hon. Temporary Speaker, I disagree with my brother and colleague, Hon. Ndindi Nyoro, who has just spoken. He talked about the government borrowing Ksh3.5 billion every single day. I want to ask Hon. Ndindi Nyoro, my colleague seated next to me here, to table and prove to this House and to the country how this money is being borrowed. That is a flat lie. I want him to prove to us what he just said.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Order, Hon. Jhanda, “lie” is not parliamentary language. You say misleading if you want to do that. Under the circumstances, you have to withdraw the word lie. You cannot say that of a Member of Parliament.

I am sorry, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I withdraw the word lie and replace it with misleading information to the country and that is not right. Hon. Ndindi Nyoro is misleading this House. He is misleading this country with ....

Order. You have not apologised. You apologise and withdraw the word lie you have used or imputed against a Member.

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Hon. Temporary Speaker, I apologise and withdraw. Thank you.

Hon. Adagala followed by the Member for Garissa Township.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to also speak on the Head of State’s Speech to this House. I support that Speech keeping in mind that most of my colleagues have spoken about it. The Head of State actually stressed on many things that he has put in place as per his manifesto to Kenyans. Most of the things he promised are being done.

When the President took office, the Kenya Shilling compared to the US Dollar was extremely high. Within a short period, the Shilling was stabilised and we can see great things coming up. I am sure very soon other things are going to stabilise and the Shilling and our economy will grow in the way they are supposed to.

When it comes to housing development, this is one of the best things that the current government under His Excellency William Samoei Ruto has done. We should keep in mind that every Kenyan deserves to live in a dignified manner and every Kenyan needs to have a decent house or home and not with the ‘flying toilets’. I commend him on this because the Jubilee Government also had the same housing programme in their Manifesto, which never happened. I thank the President for his State of the Nation Address. The housing programme is going on in every county.

When it comes to roads, my people of the Western region are complaining that there are no roads. I ask that in the next Speech, our roads should be anchored in the next programme so that we have most of them tarmacked like those in other areas.

My colleague here has just talked about Hon. Ndindi. Hon. Ndindi is a very good young man. He is doing a lot in his constituency. I am talking about roads because I envy his area. I remember when he was the Chairman of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, he put a lot of money for roads towards that side. The next President’s Address should cover other areas like mine where many roads need to be tarmacked.

This was the best Address of the President to this House. Things are being stabilised. This is just a half of the regime’s term. I heard people screaming here “tutam”. I am sure in the second term; things will be okay. The country would have stabilised in everything and we will be good to go. That should be encouraged.

I am happy with the fertiliser. In our area we like eating ugali. The price of fertiliser was reduced from Ksh7,000 in the last regime to Ksh2,500, which is a plus. I would encourage, as we are coming to the new year, that we look at the price of seeds so that their prices come down so that maize farmers can have good prices.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, to me, this speech was very well calculated. It is a very good one and we need to encourage that. We ask the President to keep on pushing for more and also fight the demon that is called corruption. I am sure once corruption is fought, this country is going to be among the best, as he is desiring Kenya to be like Singapore and other developed nations.

Member for Garissa Township followed by Hon. Rozaah Buyu then Hon. Eng Kiragu who will be followed by Hon. Omondi Caroli. Proceed.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me this opportunity. Let me take this opportunity to congratulate the President for his State of the Nation Address last week on Thursday, 20th November 2025.

In his opening remarks, the President said that two years ago, he made a statement here on the vision he had for this country. At the time, he outlined the vision he had for this country in the Manifesto he presented to the Kenyan people during the last General Elections. The

A promises the President made during the 2022 election campaigns and the statement he made in 2023 during the State of the Nation Address were in line with the vision he had for this country.

What we need to ask ourselves as a country is whether the President is following the promises he made. Is he implementing the programmes he promised the country? One of the things we should be asking is whether he is following the manifesto he had during the campaign period. People keenly followed the promises he made.

Again, we must as a country be patient with the promises. We do not expect miracles to happen in a country that has faced the many challenges of 60 years of neglect and poor leadership. An individual cannot change that within three years of leadership. The President has given us hope. We must follow through the hope he has given.

Did the President promise food security through subsidising production against consumption? It was very clear before the general election of 2022 during the subsidy of unga. People were given certificates to source maize tenders as a subsidy. People were making a kill out of that. At the end of the 2022 election, the country had a debt of Ksh6 billion owed to those given subsidy for milling. Did that improve? The fact is that he gave food production subsidy in terms of fertiliser. Did it improve food prices of this country? That is a fact. It has happened.

Did the President promise affordable housing in his manifesto during the election of 2022? Yes. Did he promise it during the first State of the Nation Address? Yes. Is it happening? Yes, it is happening. That can be confirmed.

Did he promise markets? Yes. Are they happening? Are they under construction? They are happening. Did the President promise the Hustler Fund? Today, hustlers have borrowed Ksh80 billion and there is a saving of Ksh5 billion out of the Ksh80 billion borrowed. We have a 76 per cent payment rate by those who borrowed.

Did the President promise stabilisation of fuel prices? Yes. Did it happen? It happened. Fuel subsidy to fuel oil marketing companies (OMCs) or those who were supplying fuel to the country was done at almost Ksh40 a litre during President Uhuru's time. Did we face challenges in accessing fuel in this country during that period? Yes. Has it stabilised? Do we have enough flow and availability of fuel? Yes. During that time and at the end of 2022 after elections, this government owed oil dealers Ksh70 billion. William Ruto paid it after he came into office.

Every international organisation is trooping into this country today. The World Trade Organisation has opened. United Nation’s offices are opening and relocating from New York and Geneva. Why is it happening? It is because of a stabilised country, good politics, and the democratic ideals of this country.

Did the President promise teachers? Around 76,000 teachers were recruited during the last two periods. That is almost a third of the country's teaching fraternity for the last 60 years. Kenyans must be patient with the President as I support his agenda. We do not expect magic to happen.

Give him an additional one minute.

The President mentioned a number of roads that he intends to construct.

As a people of Northern Kenya and their representative, I want to do some “asks” from the President. The Isiolo to Mandera Road that this President started is under construction but the pace is slow. We want him to finish the roads between now and 2027. The President promised us the key Garissa to Dadaab and Liboi roads that have not yet started. We want him to look into that.

Wajir–Moyale Road is very key because it connects us to Ethiopia to improve our nation’s economic activities. We ask the President to take up the issues of the new roads we are asking, as the people of Northern Kenya. He is on the right track. Those who are against his ideas are not factual, but they want to make it difficult for him to run this country.

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Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Hon. Rozaah Buyu. I mentioned in that order. Proceed.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I take this opportunity to thank you for giving me a chance to speak. I have had a very long month but God is gracious. We are back on our feet and the country will move on. The biggest gift that the Constitution has for Kenyans is devolution. It dictates that every part of this country gets developed in equal measure. For a long time, we have had issues with development being skewed. Many Kenyans cry foul that they do not get any return on their hard work and taxes that they pay. That is supposed to be cured by devolution.

When the President spoke to us last week, I hoped that he would tackle devolution, the challenges it faces, and what the Government hopes and plans to do to overcome them. But that did not come through very clearly. I also expected the President to speak on corruption. We know that it ails many sectors in this country, and enough has not been done to mitigate it. Having said that, the greatest thing that the President demonstrated was the fact that in his reign and the few years that he has been on that throne, the distribution of development in all parts of Kenya is top of his agenda. For a long, Nyanza was left undeveloped because of the saying, I dare say it in Kiswahili, siasa mbaya, maisha mbaya. Because we chose to do politics in a certain way, Nyanza was always left behind in development.

I will look at two aspects where the President has really performed well and he demonstrated in his address. They are in infrastructure; roads and housing. We have seen tremendous improvement on roads in Nyanza. In Kisumu, Chemelil–Miwani–Muhoroni Road has been lying like a dead elephant for a long time. I am happy to say that it is almost complete in his Government.

The Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) was implemented in the previous Government but, it will be effective and will run up to Malava. I will look at South Nyanza and talk about Lake Victoria Ring Road. When it will be constructed, it will open up places, ease transport and open up economic opportunities for the people. I am saying this because in the President’s government, we see development in areas that were underdeveloped or long forgotten. Despite the fact that they did not vote for the Government and other people chose to call them non- shareholding areas, he has turned a blind eye to non-shareholding nonsense. He looks at Kenya as a whole and develops it as one nation.

I come from Kisumu West. We have one tarmac road, but guess what? Holo-Lela Road will be tarmacked, and it is in this year’s budget. This is an area where nobody ever thought that we would have a security road by the name of Holo-Lela. I thank the President for all the effort that he has put in and ensuring that Kenya moves as one. When development is skewed, there will be no peace in this country. However, when you spread out development and every Kenyan feels like they are taken care of, Kenya will remain peaceful. I want to thank the President for the effort that he has put in.

Thank you once again.

Hon. Kiragu.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me an opportunity to comment on the Presidential Address. I want to thank the President for a speech that gave us the history of this country and also gave us the direction and hope as to how we can move this country forward. I also want to take note of the fact that he has fulfilled the obligation that is in our Constitution to come to this House to give a State of the Nation Address. For us to grow this economy, we need to be people who are not fearful, people who make decisions and follow them through. We have been mentioning many countries like Singapore, Malaysia, China, Japan and many others. Those countries made very, very difficult decisions for them to be who they are. For us to solve some of the major problems we have,

A such as unemployment among our youth, we have to make very difficult decisions in this country.

We have a challenge of making this country competitive to enable people to come to this country to invest, so that we can create employment. One of the key things that the President mentioned is to bring down the cost of power in this country. I was happy, as an engineer, when he mentioned nuclear energy. Many people fear this nuclear energy generation, but most of the countries that have made it have actually utilised the same energy to make their power generation more efficient and affordable.

For us to move on, we need to stabilise our education system, to make sure that we emphasise research and development. One time, I was an engineer in charge of the Nyayo Car and when we finished the testing and were to do commercial production, there was an argument. I want to respect my friend, the Member for Kiharu, Hon. Ndindi Nyoro. I heard many such economists give figures and data and all of them were negative. What we lost as a country was an opportunity to be a car manufacturer, because they argued we were not many in the country. I was there asking what about Sweden? They are only seven million, with cars like Saab and Volvo and they were doing well. Mahindra of India made that decision at that time, and today, Mahindra is a vehicle manufacturing company.

The opportunity we have today as Kenyans to move this country forward will require us to make sure that the route we take will develop the infrastructure and scale up our people so that they have the skills for this century. I believe that with the infrastructure, the Information Communication Technology (ICT) network that we have and by lowering our power generation costs, we can improve this country so that it becomes competitive.

On Friday, I welcome all the Members of this House and the public to come and witness a historical event when we launch the Mau Summit–Kamandura project. Many people will talk about figures and they will scare us, but this is a reality. That road between Limuru and Naivasha has had many people die. As a country, we have lost over 4,000 people through motor vehicle accidents. What about the time we lose on our highways? I wish somebody could quantify that when they are giving the data.

As a country, we are ready to improve our infrastructure. Unless we do some of this very heavy lifting, this country will not be taken to where we need to go. We cannot compare ourselves with our neighbours. I wish somebody could say what the debt-to-Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio of Sudan, Uganda and our neighbouring countries is and also tell us in the United States of America what the debt…

Give him a minute. Conclude, (Eng.) Kiragu.

When we talk about debt ratio, we should also consider others factors to see whether this country is way off or is in the same league with other countries within the region that want to go where we want to go. I believe this time round, this House cannot talk about the past. We have an opportunity to guide this country to move forward.

Thank you.

Hon. Omondi Caroli.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for this opportunity. Let me begin by conveying my condolences to the Jaramogi family on the loss of Beryl Achieng’ Odinga, one of the late Rt. Hon. Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s sisters. She was a very gentle and very calm lady. We are very sorry for losing her, especially soon after losing our dear Prime Minister. Our condolences to the Jaramogi family. We wish them all the strength to endure this loss.

I am very happy that the President gave a very eloquent speech in this House. We all saw the enthusiasm with which he delivered it, and even the way it was drafted with

A comparisons. It was a great speech, no doubt. It clearly painted his vision for the country and what he thinks we should do to achieve that vision. However, I think it was rather misplaced in the context of a State of the Nation Address. I say this as a lawyer and former civics student. I also say this out of a desire that when we debate issues here, we project the correct position under the Constitution to Kenyans, especially with students watching.

Under Article 132 of the Constitution, the State of the Nation Address should capture three issues. One, measures taken and progress achieved in the realisation of national values and principles under Article 10 of the Constitution. The President gave us a 667-page report on this item. The second item that the State of the Nation Address should cover is progress made in fulfilling international obligations of the Republic of Kenya. The President submitted a 659-page report on this item.

The last item should be the state of national security, where the President submitted a 116-page report. His speech and the reports had disconnect. He did not talk to these reports. We could be confusing wananchi, who might think that the speech, which would have been a great pre-budget statement or a launch of a party manifesto, is what a State of the Nation Address should be.

The question we should ask ourselves is why there should be a State of the Nation Address and why there is reference to Article 10 of the Constitution in this regard. There is a reason. The framers of the Constitution believed that great, progressive and stable nations are founded on national values and strong institutions. Those are the two areas that the State of the Nation Address should be addressing every year. We should list those values. Of course, they are in the report but if you listened to the president’s speech as an ordinary person, you would think that the State of the Nation Address is about roads, hospitals and other projects. Those are elements of a very narrow view of national values, which include inclusivity and respect for human rights.

We still have challenges with devolution. We have had devolution for over a decade but has it worked? What are the challenges and what are we doing to make it work for the people? These are some of the things I expected the President to talk about. Public participation is a national value yet we still do not have a public participation law. What are we doing to have the law in place? What are we doing about human rights? We have issues of compensation of victims of police brutality and riots victims. Some Members have articulated integrity issues. What have we done to fight corruption? How many people have been successfully prosecuted? What has been recovered? Have we strengthened or weakened the Commissions and Independent Offices established in Chapter 15 of the Constitution? Have we given them a budget? Are we teaching nationhood science and our national values in our schools? Have we fulfilled our obligations under customary international law, the treaties that we are party to, and the international organisations to which we are members? Those are the things that this House should be debating.

We confuse wananchi when we strongly talk about roads and railways. Those are not the contents of the State of the Nation Address. The contents of the Address have been defined under Article 132 of our Constitution. As great as the Speech was, which cumulatively is about 1,500 pages, we should focus…

Give him an additional minute. You can have one more minute.

He does not want it!

Proceed.

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Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. If we truly aspire to make Kenya a great country like Singapore, we should focus on values and strong institutions. The former Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, made two major statements in his book. First, he said that if you want to compete globally, you must adopt global standards. Secondly, when he was asked why Singapore made it and Kenya did not, he said that in Singapore, they let Lee live but in Kenya, they killed his friend, Tom Mboya. Development is about institutions, leadership and values.

The President is supposed to reinforce and re-emphasise those issues every year through the State of the Nation Address presented to Members of this House and, by extension, to members of the public so that, as a nation, we grow together behind one vision. We do not even have a successor to the Vision 2030. A partisan political party manifesto like the Kenya Kwanza manifesto cannot deliver the kind of transformation that we want. True transformation will come out of a joint economic platform built by all parties and the entire country. That is what the State of the Nation Address should be about.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Hon. Naomi Waqo, followed by Hon. Waluke, and then the Member for Dagoretti South. Am I right? To ensure gender balance, we will have the Member for Narok North. I will come to you all.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Presidential Address of 20th November 2025.

The speech helped us to see that our country is united, growing and rebuilding our economy. His Excellency the President is working very hard to move Kenya from the Third World to the First World. That will not come easily. We will all have to work very hard, especially, the elected leaders together with the people of this great nation. We must work together to realise the big dream of transforming the entire nation.

When then current regime came to power in 2022, we had faced a big challenge. The COVID-19 pandemic had crashed the economy and businesses had suffered. There was no economic growth because our businesses had declined. Immediately we came to power, our President focused on different areas that included health, housing, infrastructure and education. As a result, 73,000 teachers were employed. Through that employment, every part of this country has benefited. One good thing that our President has done is bringing all of us together by exercising equality.

I want to congratulate our President for all that he has done, especially on health. The Social Health Authority (SHA) is working today. I remember when we debated it, people were making fun of it by saying it is SHA, SHE and SHI. They were so negative. However, their families are now benefiting. I have a relative who has benefited from SHA.

Under education, as I said, our President is fully committed and that is why we have the promise of the government employing 100,000 teachers. That will transform the education sector.

We also know very well that His Excellency spoke about infrastructure. Many roads are being built. A lot of roads that were not passable are usable today. Mine is just to say that in areas like where I come from, we have already made requests regarding their security, roads and other things. I know that when the President goes to our county on a development tour, he will shade light to some of those things.

One area on which our President needs to refocus is the fight against corruption, which has become a real problem to us. I know that he is committed to that aspect but his next speech should cover the subject…

Clerk, give her one additional minute.

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In his speech, the President gave a deserved recognition to the 13th Parliament. We all know what happened in 2024. We are now recovering. We have helped our President to grow the country. We know that under his leadership, this House will continue to make positive marks and he will bring the nation to a place where everybody will say we are in good hands.

Thank you, I support.

Hon. Waluke. When the Chair gives a certain order, it has to be obeyed.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker for giving me a chance to also contribute to the debate on the State of the Nation Address by the President. Our President was very clear. His speech inspired many of us on that day. He talked on so many things that affect us as a nation, especially the economy of this country. It is true that the economy of this country has improved compared to how it was before. Indeed, in three years, our President has tried to repay the debts of this country. He has made sure that the country does not remain behind in terms of development. The country is developing. He is the first president to make sure that resources have been pushed from the national government down to the villages or constituencies and counties where the people are. We all come from rural areas. He has ensured that when you travel around the country, you can see a national government project—a water project, road infrastructure, or electricity project—taking place almost everywhere. These are issues that have caused the country to lag behind in terms of development.

As we speak, inflation has decreased. You may recall that two years ago, politicians wore sufurias on their heads due to lack of food. They incited the country, and our young people joined them. However, we now have plenty of food because the prices of fertilizers have come down from Ksh7, 000 to Ksh2, 500 per 50-kilogram bag. This is what we were missing. The GDP has increased from Ksh115 billion to Ksh136 billion, which is a clear indication that Kenya is growing economically. The President is committed to elevating this country to the next level, which is our shared desire. Therefore, all Kenyans must support him.

His latest initiative is the NYOTA programme, which seeks to empower the youth of this country to engage in business alongside other entrepreneurs. We are united in our support of the President to ensure that our country progresses. He has a vision, a mission and a clear direction for Kenya. He wants to move the country to the next level of development.

With those few remarks, I to support and urge Kenyans to set aside politics until 2027. We should all be united and put aside hatred in order to support our country, our government, and our President in moving Kenya forward.

Thank you very much.

Hon. John Kiarie.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I thank you for giving me an opportunity to debate this very important event in the life of Parliament. This is when the President gets the opportunity to appear before this House and report to the country on the progress made in promoting our national values, inform us about our international obligations and the state of national security.

We all have to admit that, away from the substance, the State of the Nation Address was delivered well. From this address, it was clear that we have a president who has decided that the time has come for the country not to ‘kick the can down the road.” It is time for us to undertake the initiatives that we have long wished to implement since independence, but have previously lacked the necessary political goodwill or fortitude to do so.

We all know that many of the issues that the President reported on during the State of the Nation Address, such as housing, universal healthcare, and changes to our education system, as well as promoting our youth, have been featured in our manifestos for over six

A decades. Every time a president attempted to go forward with affordable housing or universal healthcare, because of wanting to play populist politics, everyone shied away from them. The President has reported to us on the progress made on the Affordable Housing Program. There is unprecedented development across the country, offering in excess of 160,000 jobs to our youths, not to forget the creation of fittings and furniture in our houses by our fundis. This is developments we have always wanted to achieve for over six decades. It is now happening.

We are all aware of the mess we ran into as a country due to the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF). We were developing private hospitals at the expense of our public hospitals but from the President's Address, we can clearly note that we are reversing that drive. The takeaway from this Address is that Kenya is at a place where we have decided that we will not “kick the can down the road.” We will face these problems head-on and deal with them.

Secondly, beyond the figures and the numbers that enumerated the success, I heard a new call to a reimagined Kenya. If we need development, we have to think about where the money will come from. We have been getting loans from China, which happens to be China’s people's savings. The President, in his address, called upon us to reimagine how, as a nation, we can boost our pension savings and re-organize budgets to save more. This is important because we are aware of where we stand with our debts.

We have already touched on the issue of debt ceiling. The President's call on an infrastructural and sovereign bond is how we can become the new Singapore. The answer lies in the soft issues. For Singapore to be what it is today, there were two critical things they did: meritocracy and patriotism. On meritocracy, Kenya is no doubt going to get 100 per cent of President William Ruto. The remaining question is what percentage of KJ or any other person Kenya will get.

Give him an additional minute.

This President has demonstrably

Hon. Pareiyo

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me an opportunity to add my voice to the debate on the State of the Nation's Address by His Excellency. The Speech gives hope to Kenyans. When this government came to power, Kenyans were facing a lot of problems. Many families could not put food on the table. All farmers managed to put food on the table when we came up with the idea of subsidised fertilisers. It is because they could get food for their children.

Some of our constituencies that were not considered have not developed like others. The President has recently made sure that we equally get what other constituencies are getting. When he came to power, I went to see him regarding electricity in my constituency. We were given affirmative action funds to come to the level of other constituencies. It means the development agenda is in every constituency, not like those days when some people were considered for development while others were left behind. We are now moving at par. I am proud to say that we see projects coming up in our constituencies.

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We already have tendered tarmac road projects in my constituency. It will be in an area where we grow wheat. Some of my constituents are farmers while others are pastoralists yet we lack proper roads. It is encouraging to see the President considering all constituencies.

The speech gives us hope and direction on where we are coming from and where he wants to take us. I know he had to make hard decisions when he came to power because there was nothing moving. Everybody was annoyed because we were all complaining about fuel and food prices. We were not seeing what was going on. People demonstrated with sufuria on their heads to say they had no food to put on their tables. These days we have more than enough. We have food to eat and for our stores for the future.

On health, people wondered what the Social Health Authority (SHA), which replaced the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), was all about. I am now proud to say that even my constituents know SHA. They tell me that SHA has paid hospital bills for their patients. It is working. Some people thought that he was not articulate on what he was telling Kenyans. Those of us who have been left behind see improvement in the President’s leadership. He gives us hope. His speech gave us hope. We feel Kenyan like everybody else.

Thank you.

Next is Hon. Christine Ombaka, who will be followed by Hon. Basil. Thereafter, Hon. Sigei and Hon. Mayaka will speak, in that order. I will then come to the Member of Karachuonyo.

Thank you for giving me this opportunity. Before I put my case forward, let me take this opportunity to pass my condolences to the family of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga for the loss of Beryl Achieng’. She is the sister to Baba Raila Amolo Odinga. May her soul rest in eternal peace.

Back to the State of the Nation Address by the President, I must say that it was intriguing. It was very exciting. The President was so confident while presenting his speech. He was so exciting and committed to his ideas. One thing stood out. He highlighted much about infrastructure development for quite some time. He described what he wants to see in infrastructure, measuring against Singapore and its economy. In other words, he has a mission to ensure that we attain the standards that Singapore has attained.

On infrastructure, he talked of how he wants to extend the road system and the SGR. The imagination I got when he was talking is the extent to which roads are well done in America and South Africa. We always admire trains in America and South Africa. Their road systems are excellent. If we can reach there, as the President described, we are good to go. That means he would leave a huge legacy on infrastructure. My only caution is that when that is being done, we must make sure that standards are met. We must build roads that have quality standards. Roads should not have constant potholes. They should not be too narrow. They should be wide. That kind of infrastructure will be admirable, like in Singapore.

The second point that he raised was on health. He highlighted the role of community health workers. These are a group of people trained to manage health problems that local people have and to refer the patients to main hospitals. Community health workers are trained but whose skills have never been properly utilised. Their terms and conditions of employment are so poor. They are neglected. The President said he will make use of them. I see a lot of improvement in health care at the local level since community health workers will have their terms and condition improved. They will be motivated. They will be on salaries and they will do their work skilfully.

Last but not least, the President said a lot of good things that we look forward to seeing during his tenure. Whether he will be there for two terms, I can see that he will leave this country a better place than we thought. He also introduced economic empowerment for young people through NYOTA. We should not forget that he had already introduced the Hustler Fund. We have many other funds such as Uwezo Fund, Youth Fund and Women Enterprise Fund.

A These are funds that support young people, women and people with disabilities. Kenyans will have access to finances that they can utilise to improve their businesses. Therefore, unemployment will be a thing of the past. Economic empowerment will improve the economy and people's lives will improve.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Hon. Basil, Member for Yatta.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I rise to support the speech that was made by His Excellency the President. At the outset, I applaud the President for making a very solid speech. One of the remarkable statements that he made was lowering the cost of power. The Asian tigers, including Taiwan, Japan, Singapore and China, made it where they are today by making the right choices. Electricity is one of the essential ingredients to boost and drive the economy. If we lower the cost of power in Kenya, we will attract many investors and make Kenya a competitive country, when it comes to pulling external resources here. We are currently talking of unemployment. Quite a number of our youth are unable to get meaningful employment to earn for themselves. When you lower the cost of power, many of the investors who come here will open doors for employment. If you look at a country like Ethiopia that I mentioned a while back, they are getting it right because their cost of power is low. The President said that he would consider lowering cost of energy. I totally agree with him. It is the right step and action that this country should make.

Additionally, the President is making very serious and tangible milestones in infrastructure. I am talking of bitumen standard roads and will refer to my constituency, Yatta. For the first time in history, we are getting the first 10 kilometres of bitumen standard for a very critical road that is going to decongest Thika Road. The road the President advertised, through his Government, to be upgraded to bitumen standard will be the doorway to go to Mombasa, if you are coming from Nyeri or going to Central Kenya.

For people who have no business in Nairobi and want to get to Mombasa quickly, they will now use Yatta as an alternative. That is a critical road. Instead of ethnicizing development, it is important to invest where it matters. I applaud the President for the step he is making in infrastructure. If he continues this way, then we will be on the right path to get at the same level with the Asian Tigers and many other countries that have made it, which were at the same level with us.

The President is doing very well in the construction of markets. For instance, two markets were constructed in Yatta, and there is an additional one on the way. They will boost informal employment in the informal sector of the economy, where most of the people who are dominant are women. With markets, we shall feed many families, moreso poor ones, which depend on women as the drivers of the economy in the informal sector.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I beg for additional few minutes, since I have very salient points for many of our Members of Parliament to listen to. For the first time in history, I have a Sports Academy that is going to nurture talents and ensure the youth get employment through sports. Having a Sports Academy in my constituency and many other constituencies across the country is a step in the right direction. We applaud the President for this, but not just politicising for the sake of politics.

Water is an essential factor and an element you cannot ignore, when it comes to food security. I have irrigation schemes, in my constituency, that have been started and are almost complete. I also want to remind....

Give him an additional two minutes.

We have mega dams in my constituency. His Excellency the President mentioned mega dams, including Yatta Dam which is in Yatta Constituency. If it is eventually constructed, it will be a game changer in food security in my constituency and its environs. We are talking of Thika East, Murang’a County and many other

A constituencies like Gatanga which border Yatta Constituency that are going to benefit from Yatta Dam.

Lastly, it is on technology. His Excellency the President is investing in digital hubs across the country. Some of them are in my constituency and other constituencies. The digital hub is a key driver in technology. We are talking about the exponential technological age in the country today. We cannot move unless we get it right on technology. I applaud the President for focusing on digital hubs, among other technological investments. So, we must give credit where it is due.

Finally, he spoke about research. That is an area we need to invest more in, so our country can be at par with countries like China and others that are embracing technology through research.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I support the President’s Speech.

Who was next? Hon. Member for Sotik Constituency, followed by Hon. Mayaka, Hon. Member for Karachuonyo Constituency and then Hon. Abdisirat Khalif.

Hon. Sigei, continue.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I rise to support the eloquent Speech given by His Excellency the President, on Thursday last week. I join my colleagues in applauding the President for delivering a visionary, bold and honest speech full of hope for Kenyans. When I saw the President giving the speech in the House, I saw a confident President. However, the catch in his speech was that he wanted to move this country from the Third World to the First World. He gave us a road map that has never been given.

I understand why people do not believe in the Present, because this country has tried several times to implement Universal Health Suffrage (UHS) , but it has never happened. Now, the President has taken bold, sure steps that touch on serious, fundamental areas of this country's economy. Therefore, I was pleased to hear the President focus particularly on agriculture, a critical sector of the economy. For the last two years, the President has taken bold steps, and we have seen the fruits of those steps. Fertiliser has been subsidised from Ksh7,000 to Ksh2,500. This has caused a revolution in the sector. We have a reformed agricultural sector that can now feed the nation. We now have food security.

In Sotik, the people of that constituency really appreciate what the President has done. We are going to work hard to make sure that whatever he wants to achieve is achieved. I also want to mention that we have a big problem with dairy farming in Sotik Constituency, which I am very sure is experienced by most dairy farmers across the country. The farmers have not been paid for the last four months. This is not progress. Since the Government is aware of this, the President must address the issue of New Kenya Cooperative Creameries (New KCC) . The farmers must be paid on time. If there is a problem in New KCC, we must reform it.

I want to mention what the President said about the National Infrastructural Fund (NIF) . This is one of the boldest decisions that the President has made. He noted the Rironi-Mau Summit and Limuru-Mai Mahiu Roads. That is the route I use to Sotik through Narok. It is a nightmare. If the President can fix the problem with that road, this country will go far. Dualling the road from Rironi to Mau Summit will be a game-changer. The road from Kipsonoi to Kamureito to Kapkelei, which is now fixed, is a game-changer in my constituency. I applaud the President. I ask the prophets of doom to stop and believe in the President. I also ask Kenyans to come together and support the President because he has a vision. He is looking ahead. If we support him, this country will change.

I want us to address the issue of corruption, which is the elephant in the room. We cannot avoid the issue. We must address corruption, which is manifested in…

Give him an additional two minutes.

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Hon. Temporary Speaker, we need to address corruption, which is almost everywhere. This will help the President achieve whatever he wants. We also need to address corruption in county governments. There is also corruption in the National Government. The President must put serious people in the Government to carry out his vision and support him. We must support the President because we believe in his vision. We must fight tribalism, a disease that gives us a lot of trouble. Some people are bitter about personalities. We must stop them, come together and work together as Kenyans.

Thank you so much.

Hon. Mayaka, followed by the Member for Karachuonyo.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for the opportunity to also make my contribution about the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency the President. In the Address, the President told us that when he came to Parliament two years ago, he had a vision to deliver, and that he was now coming to tell us the story of that vision. I believe in giving credit where it is due. I give credit to the President for some of the things he had said he would do and that have actually come to fruition.

The President promised that the price of unga would be lower. This is something that he has achieved. At the beginning of his term, the shilling was doing extremely poorly. Right now, the shilling has stabilised at Khs129 against the US dollar. Another thing is the inflation rate, which peaked at 9.6 per cent in 2022 but is now 4.6 per cent. The NSE, which had lost a lot of public goodwill, is now back on track. These are some of the things that the President highlighted in his speech.

Another very important area, even to my people in Nyamira, is the agriculture sector. In 2022, when the Government introduced the Kenya Integrated Agricultural Management Information System (KIAMIS) , only 300,000 farmers had registered. Right now, 7.1 million farmers have registered. This has been very helpful to farmers because it provides an opportunity for scientific interventions in agriculture. It has also helped eliminate brokers and middlemen, who really affect the agricultural sector in our country. As a country economically focused on agriculture, this is very important because it also connects us to what is happening in the world today. I only hope that, in the future, we will reach a point where we can use other high-level technologies in agriculture.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, on fibre expansion in our country, and in particular the spread of public Wi-Fi, we have come from zero public Wi-Fi points in this country to 1,500 accessible Wi-Fi points. We currently have 300 digital hubs, with 400 more in the pipeline. Considering that we are a youthful nation, this is encouraging because it enables young people to integrate into the digital economy.

The other issue I found exciting is the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Fund. Hon. Crystal Asige and I have co-sponsored the Start-up Bill, which addresses matters affecting young people and enables them to be their own employers. It allows them to be entrepreneurs and to build capacity in digital marketing and the copyright law. I like that the NYOTA programme considers all that.

Some of the other things the President highlighted that I found exciting and hope will be in place by the next election were the dualling of some major roads that affect some of us. These include the road to Kisii and the road from Nairobi to Kisumu, all the way to Busia.

As I conclude, I also want to touch on Kenya's transition from a Third World country to a First World Country. I invite not only Members of Parliament but also Kenyans to read a book by Singapore's founding Prime Minister, From the Third World to First: The Singaporean Story. The former Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, had to make very tough decisions to help Singapore get to where it is today. I like that the President said that we would

A also like to be like Singapore. There is nothing wrong with that because, as Dr Jasmin Sculark once said: “There is nothing wrong with being a copycat if you are copying…

Give her two more minutes.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I will take that again. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be like Singapore. If you read snippets of the book, you will see the tough decisions the founding Prime Minister had to make to make his country such a good example, one that even our President referred to in his speech.

As Dr Jasmin Sculark once said: “There is nothing wrong with being a copycat. Just make sure you copy the right cat”.

With those few remarks, I submit.

Member for Karachuonyo, followed by Abdisirat Khalif.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to comment on the President’s Address, which was eloquent, full of substance and good. The President really emphasised infrastructure, under which roads, the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) , energy, among others, fall. I was impressed because those are the engines of development. The President's dream is noble. He would like this country to move from the Third World to the First World. We long for that time. We will remember this President as one who has done for us what Napoleon could not do in history.

When he was talking about roads, my mind was struggling with questions such as: “Where is my area?” Some roads in my area are under construction, like the Katito-Tok Tek Road. I hope that this road…

Order, Hon. Members. There is a Member who is talking loudly. Where is that noise coming from? I thought that there was some noise interfering with the session. Who is interfering with the session? Hon. Members, do not put on your mobile phones when in Parliament.

Proceed, Member for Karachuonyo.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I was saying that in my area, we have some roads which are covered by what he said. These include Ojijo Oteko Road and two others that are ongoing. I was also listening to what he said about the SGR and energy. These are ambitious projects, very costly, and my mind was struggling with that thought. If the President wants to do these things for us, a devil is waiting somewhere - the funding. Where is he going to get funding for these projects? I am a Member of the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning. I was wondering whether the President would probably end by talking about sacrifice in terms of paying taxes. But the President is aware of what we all know: Kenyans are crying. Given our high tax rate, we hoped he would not bring it up.

The President went on to talk about Private-Public Partnership (PPP) . I support this. It is the only way that would help us fund these ambitious projects. Otherwise, if we add tax to Kenyans, we will find problems. We will be adding to an already heavy burden. I would be very reluctant to see that being done. I am happy that the President did not talk about any new taxes, based on what he told us. I hope that the President will be able to find good partners who will sign good agreements with us to help implement PPP. If that is done, I am sure the President will be able to realise his ambition of moving Kenya from Third World to First World status without placing too much burden on Kenyans.

Give him an additional minute.

I was concluding. Let us help the President implement these things. I hope that this will be done at the lowest possible cost without hurting the projects themselves.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

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Hon. Abdisirat Khalif.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for this opportunity to contribute to the speech of the President. The President's speech comprised two aspects: the short-term and the long-term. In the short term, he expressed that many things are happening in Kenya, for example, in the health and housing sectors, which are doing very well. He also suggested that we need to do more in terms of agriculture, energy, and roads, which cannot be financed through the traditional ways we are used to.

We are all aware that we used to fund our development through debt, which has become unsustainable. We have reached our ceiling, and we are no longer able to borrow as before. He suggested creating an Infrastructure Fund to help fund mega projects that will take this country to where we all want it to be. The speech honestly gave us glad tidings and hope. Where we are going is as important as where we are now, and only through hope can we look forward to the future. The President gave us hope. The Infrastructure Fund he spoke about will help develop roads. We are currently experiencing a shortfall of up to 20,000 kilometres in road construction. In Northern Kenya, where I come from, we literally have no tarmac roads. It is through these mega projects, the President said, that the people of Northern Kenya will find the hope they need.

You are aware that only 15 per cent of the country's arable land is now used for agriculture. With a growing population, we must put more land into agricultural use, and that can only be done through irrigation and the construction of mega-dams using these rivers. In Mandera County, where I come from, we have River Daua. If its water is harnessed adequately for irrigation, it can feed the people of Mandera, generate surplus for the rest of the country, and even support exports. We will provide the President with all the support he needs to establish this Infrastructure Fund, which will also be used for agricultural purposes.

We also have an energy shortfall. The number of households that are now connected to electricity remains limited. The President’s Speech highlighted the need to have electricity in our homes. We will support the President in achieving this.

Some naysayers are casting aspersions on the integrity of the President and his Speech. What more could he have done as the President of this country other than give us hope and alternatives to take us forward? People are talking about Singapore and Japan. All those countries must have foregone some luxury to reach where they are now. I urge everybody in this country, including…

Give him two more minutes.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I urge everyone in this country, including Members of Parliament, to support the President in taking our nation to where we want it to go. We must forego some luxury and do what it takes to move forward. We cannot continue to talk about poverty and lack of funding 60 years after Independence. We must change something to go far. Kenya is currently ranked sixth in Africa, but if we do not make the necessary changes to address the ballooning population, we might fall further than we are now.

I support the President. He has done a wonderful job so far, and we encourage him to do even more. He has our full support.

Thank you very much.

Let us have Hon. Beatrice Kemei. Where is Hon. Chiforomodo?

Proceed, Hon. Kemei.

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I know my brother is patient enough. I thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me this opportunity. I appreciate the State of the Nation Address by His Excellency, President Hon. William Samoei Ruto, on 20th November 2025, in this Parliament.

Hon. K.J. and Hon. Abdisarat Khalif, please consult in low tones. Proceed.

Okay. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. They should also listen to me. Hon. KJ was one of the people we looked up to, hearing many of the good things he used to say in this country. We support what he is doing.

This is the Speech of the Year. We got excited at some point, and people called us from home to ask what was happening. We told them we were discussing two terms for the President. At some point, we said long-term. If there is a way to make it long-term, I will support it.

The Speech was all-inclusive. Every sector of the economy was included. The President took us from the past, how we were before he came into power three years ago, to where we are at the moment and where we are headed. This tells us that he is a visionary leader.

The President lifted the shame we were about to face for not paying our debts. We are now not on the list of defaulters. He said that people were not asking if Kenya would default, but when. However, we are not in that list of shame. So, I really thank the President. I know he made very serious decisions that entailed a lot of sacrifice, commitment, and work.

On the African continent, we have moved from the eighth position to the sixth position in terms of GDP. That alone makes me feel good. We are well-known and well-liked in Africa. Our economy is growing, and I am happy that next year, 2026, we will move from 5 per cent to 5.8 per cent economic growth. That is very important to me. Our Shilling is getting stronger, at Ksh129 to one US$. That is the exchange rate. I am happy for that.

The President addressed many of our concerns. Where I come from, in Kericho, agricultural matters are very close to our hearts because we are agriculturalists, particularly in tea production. Earnings from tea improved from Ksh138 billion in 2022 to Ksh215 billion in

Give her an additional two minutes.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, sugarcane farmers are also smiling all the way to the bank. We have increased acreage and earned the expected income. Talk of Private-Public Partnerships (PPP) , especially in infrastructure like the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) . We visit other countries on official duty. I was in South Africa the other day. Their airports are international for sure. Their standards are very high. I know we will have more visitors if our JKIA is improved. The tourism industry will improve greatly.

I am happy with matters of health. The package for cancer patients will move from Kshs550,000 to Kshs800,000 from 1st December. It will lift the burden of the many fundraisers.

I know time is not on our side.

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While we appreciate progress in electricity, many families remain unconnected. Our citizens talk of electricity and faulty transformers in any meeting or function we attend. They cannot imagine they are still in darkness in this era. I ask Kenya Power, the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC), and the energy sector to ensure that faulty transformers are replaced.

The road sector has improved. I use the Rironi-Naivasha-Mau Summit Road. It will save us if dual, especially during festive seasons. Noting that there are no toilets along the route, sitting in the car for 12 hours is not easy. Women cannot use forests as men do. We thank the President for this road and the many other roads that will be dualled.

I am happy with the education sector, especially the increase in the number of teachers. I know we will have more teachers by January. I urge all of us in the country, and the fence- sitters who constantly criticise the President negatively, to see how far we have come. We have improved. The President is taking us to the real Canaan that the late Odinga said. I am happy that he joined hands with the President.

I ask the people of Kenya to support His Excellency Dr William Ruto. He will do great things for this country over the next seven years if we give him a second term in 2027. There is food security. That is enough for us. Our children are going to school. We have clothing and the affordable housing programme. There is great improvement in this country. We will support the President and pray for him.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Hon. Chiforomodo. Mhe. Chiforomodo Mangale (Lungalunga, UDM) : Asante Mhe. Spika wa Muda kwa kunipa fursa hii ambayo nimengoja kwa muda mrefu. Labda ilikuwa upungufu wa mitambo. Ila nashukuru. Kwanza, natoa shukrani zangu na kuunga mkono yale Mhe. Rais alizungumzia katika hotuba yake hapa bungeni.

Kama mtu anayetoka Pwani, kuna kitu kimoja ama uongozi ambao Rais anadhibitisha katika nchi hii. Huo ni uongozi wa usawa, kwa mara ya kwanza katika historia. Hata sisi watu wa Pwani tunaona maendeleo kama yanavyopatikana kwa wenzetu. Nina uthibitisho hapa kuwa Mhe. Rais mwenyewe alizungumza hapa na akataja barabara inayotoka Mombasa hadi kule Lungalunga. Itatengenezwa ili iwe ya njia mbili, kuenda na kurudi.

Pili, tuna miradi ya barabara na stima na kadhalika inayoendelea Pwani nzima. Tukiangalia maeneo kama kule ninakotoka, Lungalunga mradi wa nyumba upo. Pale Kanana tutawekewa huo mradi. Tayari kandarasi inaendelea kuandaliwa. Soko pia liko. Tuna nyumba za Watoto ambazo zitajengwa zinazoitwa hostels kwa kingereza zitakazo jengwa pale Lungalunga Vocational Training centre ambazo zilikuwa zinazumgumzwa ziwe maeneo mengine.

Sasa tunaona kuwa uongozi wa Mheshimiwa William Samoei Ruto ni wa usawa. Kwa sababu ya hilo, tunashukuru hata kwa miradi ambayo ilikuwa imesahaulika kama vile daraja la Mwachande. Huu ni muundo msingi aliouzungumzia wakati alipotoa hotuba yake kwa kusema kuwa atahakikisha miundo msingi inaendelezwa kwa usawa Nchi nzima. Hilo Daraja la Mwachande lilianguka wakati wa mvua ya El Nino. Marais wengi wamekuja lakini ni Mheshimiwa William Ruto aliyeweka guu lake chini mradi huu utendeke. Kulingana na kasi ya kazi inayoendelea pale, kwa miezi mingine mitatu, wananchi ambao wanaunganisha Msambweni na Lungalunga hawatakuwa na tatizo tena. Kwa hivyo, Mheshimiwa Rais anafanya kazi kwa usawa.

Suala ambalo lilinitia mshawasha na furaha ni kwamba amewekeza kwa utafiti ambao utaifanya hii Nchi iwe na ubunifu kwa kuangazia maswala ambayo yataipeleka mbele kwa usasa ambao utaendelezwa na utafiti.

Suala linguine ni elimu. Wakati uliopita, vyuo vyetu vikuu nusra vifungwe. Sasa hivi, ile model ambayo aliweka Rais ya kulipa karo… Nina Ushahidi kwa sababu niko katika kamati

A moja ya uhasibu ambayo wakuu wa vyuo vikuu huja na kusema kuwa huo mfumo unawafaa. Vyuo vikuu sasa viko kwa mwelekeo sawa.

Sitaki nitoke hapa bila kutaja mambo yafuatayo. Kama wapwani, kutoka Lamu, Tana River, Kwale, Kilifi, Mombasa na Taita Taveta tuna shida ya maji. Yawezekana miundo msingi ilikuwepo, kwa mfano mzima springs ambayo ilifanywa miaka mingi iliyopita. Ukiangalia viwango vya watu waliokuwepo wakati huo sasa vimeongezeka. Mombasa sasa haina maji. Tunavyo zungumza, mji wa Lungalunga ninakotoka hauna maji. Kinango na miji mingine haina maji. Ukienda Kilifi, ni taabu na madhila yaliyoko kwa sababu ya ukosefu wa maji. Namwomba Mheshimiwa Rais aliweke hili sawa. Mimi kama Chiforomodo, katika kusahihisha mtihani wa maendeleo wa miaka mitatu aliyoifanya Rais, nitampa asilimia 80. Akirekebisha haya masuala ya maji nina hakika hata ndovu wataondoka …

Clerk, give him two additional minutes.

Mhe. Naibu Spika wa Muda, suala la maji hufanya sisi tuzozane na wanyama pori na kupata matatizo mengine mengi. Haiwezekani kuwa katika karne hii ya 21 kuna maeneo ya ambayo watu bado wanakunywa maji chafu. Hili ni suala ambalo mimi kama mwakilishi wa watu wa Lungalunga na eneo la pwani kwa ujumla namwomba Mheshimiwa Rais atie guu chini juu ya hili suala na ahakikishe wapwani wanapata maji safi. Sio kwamba sifahamu kuwa maji yamegatuliwa, la sivyo. Ninafahamu imegatuliwa na kuna makampuni ya maji kwa magatuzi.

Hata hivyo, ukweli ni kwamba viwango vya maji vinavyohitajika inahitaji Serikali kuingilia suala hili. Ule mradi wa Mwache unaoendelea, kulingana na mpango ulioko uta address sehemu ndogo sana ya Mombasa na sehemu ndogo sana ya Kwale. Hizo sehemu zingine zitakuwa bado zina uhaba. Kwa hivyo, tunamuunga mkono Mheshimiwa Rais. Tunamwambia apate nguvu ya kufanya kazi maana maamuzi yake hayakua popular, lakini ukweli ni kwamba Mhe. Rais amefanya kazi kwa muda mfupi. Dola imeimarika na uchumi umeimarika. SHA inafanya kazi na sisi Wabunge pia tunapata nafuu kwa sababu wagonjwa wakija tunawealekeza kwa SHA.

Ahsante sana Mhe. Spika wa Muda kwa nafasi hii.

Mhe. Chiforomodo, sio dola

Imeimarika dhidi ya dola. Ndio hivyo tu nilivyo maanisha. Asante sana kwa marekebisho.

Hon. Members, we now adjourn the House. This debate on the State of the Nation Address by the President is for four days. So, we still have three more days. The time being 6.40 p.m., this House stands adjourned until Wednesday, 26th November 2025, at 9.30 a.m.

The House rose at 6.40 p.m.

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Published by Clerk of the National Assembly Parliament Buildings Nairobi