REPUBLIC OF KENYA THIRTEENTH PARLIAMENT

4th August 2026

Vol. V No. 67

PRAYERS

QUORUM

DELEGATION OF MCAS FROM BUNGOMA COUNTY ASSEMBLY SERVICE BOARD

The first delegation is of members of Bungoma County Assembly Service Board, my own county. They are seated in the Speaker’s Gallery. They are:

1. 1. Hon. Emmanuel Situma - Speaker/Chairperson of the Board.
2. 2. Hon. Joseph Juma - Vice-Chairperson, who doubles up as the Leader of the Majority Party in the Assembly.
3. 3. Hon. Ali Machani - Member.
4. 4. Ms Jescah Mayabi - Member.

The delegation, accompanied by the Deputy Clerk and other Assembly staff, is on a visit to engage with the National Assembly’s Committee on Members’ Services and Facilities to

share experiences on management and operational framework governing members’ restaurant, gymnasium and wellness amenities, among others. On my own behalf, and that of the National Assembly, I welcome them to Parliament and wish them a fruitful engagement.

DELEGATION OF STAFF FROM THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF NAMIBIA

Hon. Members, also allow me to recognise and introduce to you a delegation of two officers from the Directorate of Internal Audit Services and Directorate of Finance and Accounting Services of the Parliament of Namibia, who are seated in the Speaker’s Gallery. The delegation is on a benchmarking visit to share best practices in execution of their mandate from their counterparts in our institution. On my own behalf and that of the National Assembly, I welcome them to Parliament and wish them fruitful engagement during their stay. I thank you.

Deputy Leader of the Majority Party.

PAPERS

1. 1. Legal Notice No.137 of 2026 relating to the Parliamentary Service (Constituency and County Offices) Regulations, 2026, Explanatory Memorandum and Evidence of Stakeholder Engagement from the Parliamentary Service Commission.
2. 2. Reports of the Auditor-General and Financial Statements for the years ended 30th June 2021, 30th June 2022, 30th June 2023, 30th June 2024, 30th June 2025, and the certificates therein in respect of the following schools:
   1. (a) ACK Gitii Secondary School;
   2. (b) ACK St. Luke’s Cheptiret School;
   3. (c) ACK St. Stephen’s Kavutiri Boys Secondary School;
   4. (d) AIC Kipkeikei Boys High School;
   5. (e) Giaki Girls Secondary School;
   6. (f) Gitura Secondary School;
   7. (g) Ilkisonko Boys’ High School;
   8. (h) Kathwana Mixed Day and Boarding Secondary School;
   9. (i) Kianjai Boys Secondary School;
   10. (j) Maralal Day Mixed Secondary School;
   11. (k) Mariari Girls Secondary School;
   12. (l) Miathene Boys High School;
   13. (m) Mituntu Girls Secondary School;
   14. (n) Nkoile Boys High School;
   15. (o) Nyangawa Boys High School;
   16. (p) Nyanturago Secondary School;
   17. (q) Ortum Boys Secondary School;
   18. (r) St. Elizabeth Bitobo Secondary School;
   19. (s) St. Elizabeth Okatekok Secondary School; and,

1. (t) Thigio Boys Secondary School.

NOTICE OF MOTION

ADOPTION OF INTERIM REPORT ON IMPORTATION OF RAW SUGAR BY MOMBASA SUGAR REFINERY LIMITED

QUESTIONS AND STATEMENTS

REQUEST FOR STATEMENT

STATUS OF OPENING OF RONALD NGALA UTALII COLLEGE IN KILIFI COUNTY

In preparation for the official opening, on Thursday, 23rd July 2026, a high-level delegation led by the Principal Secretary in the State Department for Tourism, and comprising of the Governor of Kilifi County, the Chief Executive Officer of the Tourism Fund Board, and the Chief Executive Officer of Kenya Utalii College, conducted an inspection visit to the institution to assess the progress and evaluate its readiness for operationalisation.

Further, on Friday, 24th July 2026, a multi-disciplinary technical team drawn from Kenya Utalii College, Nairobi, comprising officers from the Information and Communication Technology, Security, Learning Resource Centre, Food Production, Food and Beverage Services, Maintenance and other relevant departments, visited the institution to commence the final technical and administrative preparations that are necessary for the opening of the college. However, upon arrival at the facility, the team was denied access by security personnel that are stationed at the gate, who indicated that they had received instructions from the Tourism Fund Management to prohibit entry into the premises. This action prevented the technical team from undertaking the preparatory activities that are necessary to facilitate the operationalisation readiness of the institution ahead of its scheduled opening.

Hon. Speaker, it is against this background that I request a statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Tourism and Wildlife on the following:

1. 1. Reasons for the denied entry of the experts from Kenya Utalii College into the Ronald Ngala Utalii College, despite the facility being under its mandate.
2. 2. Confirmation on whether the opening of the facility will still proceed on 1st September 2026 as earlier scheduled and, if not, the reasons for any change.

I thank you.

RESPONSE TO STATEMENTS

When I last checked, the Chairperson was Hon. Mutunga. I see you raising your hand. Hon. Caroli Omondi, I am sorry I had directed in the House Business Committee that your request for statement be stayed in view of the Notice of Motion and the Paper laid by Hon. Shinali, which covers exactly the same issue. So, you can best deal with this matter through the Motion. There is an interim report which came to my Office, and I approved it. In fact, it has been tabled. So, you can enrich your inquiry through that process. I will stay your request for statement for another week or so.

Is Hon. Gachobe in the House? Chairperson, Departmental Committee on Transport and Infrastructure, Hon. GK, are you ready? Go ahead.

UPGRADING OF SUBUKIA - MWANGAZA - SIMBOYONI - KANYOTU - MBOGOINI ROAD

1. 1. Plans being put in place to upgrade the Subukia-Mwangaza - Simboyoni - Kanyotu - Mbogoini Road to bitumen standards.
2. 2. Details of the funds allocated for the upgrading of the road in the Financial Year 2025/2026 and the status of the funding.
3. 3. Timelines for commencement and completion of the upgrading works, and plans being taken by the Ministry to improve the condition of the road and ensure accessibility, especially during the rainy seasons.

Hon. Speaker, the Committee received a response from the Ministry of Roads and Transport through the Clerk of the National Assembly, which I now wish to present.

1. 1. Regarding the plans to upgrade the road to bitumen standards, the Ministry submitted that the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) had undertaken a reconnaissance study to establish the estimated cost of the upgrading of the road. The works are estimated to cost approximately Ksh1.8 billion.
2. 2. Regarding the funds allocated for the upgrading of the road, the Ministry submitted that no funds had been allocated for the project in the Financial Years 2025/2026 and 2026/2027.
3. 3. Regarding the timelines for commencement and completion, the Ministry submitted that the upgrading works will commence once funding is made available. The response did not provide a specific completion date.
4. 4. Regarding the measures being taken to keep the road accessible, the Ministry stated that KeRRA continues to undertake routine maintenance to make the road more motorable. The Mwangaza - Simboyoni - Polepole section was allocated Ksh10 million under the 10 per cent Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF) for the Financial Year 2025/2026, and the works have been completed.
5. 5. The Ministry further submitted that the Ponda Mali - Kanyotu - Mbogoini section, Road C1206, has been planned for routine maintenance under the 22 per cent RMLF Programme for the Financial Year 2026/2027, at an estimated cost of Ksh6.8 million.

I submit.

state and is neither accessible nor motorable. Therefore, I feel the question is not adequately responded to.

SECURITY SITUATION IN MWINGI CENTRAL

1. 1. The identities and circumstances surrounding the exhumation of four bodies from shallow graves near Kasina Primary School in Mwingi Town on 9th June 2026.
2. 2. The identities and status of investigations into the matter of the two bodies found dumped at River Kangiga in May 2026.
3. 3. The status of investigations into the disappearance of Mr Ngumbau Kyanga as reported at Mwingi Police Station vide OB/No.29/4/11/2024 and the steps taken to establish his whereabouts.
4. 4. The status of investigations into the murder of Ms Wilfred Kanyae.
5. 5. The measures being taken by the relevant security agencies to enhance patrol, surveillance, intelligence gathering, and community engagement to restore security within Mwingi County.
6. 6. The long-term measures being put in place to restore public confidence and ensure justice for the affected families and prevent similar incidents.

Hon. Speaker, I wish to state as follows. On the first issue of the identities and circumstances surrounding the exhumation of four bodies on 8th June 2026, a report was made at Mwingi Police Station that a foul smell was emanating from a bush near Galana Petrol Station on the outskirts of Mwingi Town. Police officers responded immediately and established the presence of suspected shallow graves. The area was secured and an application

for exhumation orders was made. Following the issuance of an exhumation order by the Mwingi Law Courts on 9th June 2026, a multi-agency team comprising officers from the National Police Service, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the Department of Public Health, and Ministry of Health exhumed four decomposed bodies of unidentified adult males from four separate shallow graves.

Subsequently, forensic experts from the DCI headquarters conducted scene reconstruction and transferred the remains to Nairobi City Funeral Home for forensic examination, preservation and post-mortem analysis. To date, none of the bodies have been positively identified and no relatives have come forward to claim the remains. Investigations remain on-going under the DCI Homicide Unit to establish the identities of the deceased and bring those responsible to justice.

The second issue is on the identities and status of investigations into the matter of the two bodies found dumped at River Kangiga in May 2026. The first body, that of an unidentified adult male, was recovered on 28th April 2026 beneath Tyaa Bridge. The body bore visible injuries and was preserved pending identification and post-mortem examination.

On 24th May 2026, a second decapitated and decomposed body of an identified adult female was recovered concealed in bushes along the Tyaa River. Police investigations assisted by a Police Canine Unit subsequently recovered the missing head. A pair of pliers believed to have been used during the commission of the offence was recovered and secured as an exhibit. Both investigations were taken over by the DCI Homicide Unit.

On 16th May 2026, the investigating team accompanied by a forensic team from DCI Headquarters attended the autopsy exercise of the six unknown bodies at Nairobi City Funeral Home conducted by Dr. Johansen Oduor, the Chief Government Pathologist, who opined the

cause of death for each body to be as follows:

No.

Body Identification Number Cause of Death

1. 1.

MW/BODY1/24/05/2026

Unascertained due to decomposition

1. 2.

MW/BODY2/25/05/2026

Ligature strangulation

1. 3.

MW BODY3/09/06/2026

Head injury due to blunt force trauma

1. 4.

MW/BODY4/09/06/2026

Ligature strangulation

1. 5.

MW/BODY5/09/06/2026

Head injury

1. 6.

MW/BODY6/24/05/2026

Head injury due to blunt force trauma DNA and toxicology samples were collected from all six bodies and forwarded to the Government Chemist for analysis. Investigations remain ongoing.

On the status of investigations into the disappearance of Mr Ngumbau Kyanga, as reported at Mwingi Police Station vide OB No.29/4/11/2024, and the steps taken to establish his whereabouts, the Ministry reports as follows. On 4th November 2024, Mr Muli Kyanga reported the disappearance of his son, Mr Ngumbau Kyanga, at Mwingi Police Station vide OB No.29/4/11/2024. He reported that his son, a boda boda operator from Lundi Village, Mui Location, Mwingi East Sub-County, Kitui County, had received a phone call on 3rd November 2024 from an unidentified individual requesting for transport services.

On the morning of 4th November 2024, Mr Ngumbau Kyanga left home at approximately 6.00 a.m. aboard his motorcycle to attend to the purported client, but failed to return home. Efforts by family members to reach him were unsuccessful, prompting the report of a missing person to the police. Investigations commenced immediately and a missing person signal was circulated nationally. The investigations led to the arrest of one suspect, Joseph Ngui, from whom a SIM card associated with the missing person was recovered and secured as an exhibit. A second suspect, Florence Mavengi Malombe, was arrested on 6th February

1. 2025. A mobile phone believed to be of evidential value was recovered from her residence at Lundi Centre. Joyce Kitondo Mutemi, who was identified as the last person to have communicated with the missing person and the alleged client who had requested transport services, was also arrested on 7th February 2025. The three suspects were presented before the court under Miscellaneous Application Nos. 17 and 18 of 2025. The court granted custodial orders for their detention at Kitui Central Police Station for ten days to facilitate investigations, including the acquisition of call data records from the relevant mobile service providers. Upon expiry of the custodial period, the suspects were released after the miscellaneous applications were concluded, as the requested call data records had not yet been availed. The matter was subsequently scheduled for mention on 26th October 2025, when the court was informed that one of the suspects, Joyce Kitondo Mutemi, had passed away and had already been buried. This was confirmed through the production of a burial permit by her son. Investigations into the disappearance of Mr Ngumbau Kyanga remain ongoing. His whereabouts have not yet been established, and the matter remains pending before the court. On the matter of Ms Winfred Kanyaa, on 12th May 2026, at approximately 6.30 a.m., Mr Cyrus Mbwenyi Mwangangi reported at Kithyoko Police Station vide OB No. 06/12/05/2026 that he had discovered the lifeless body of his girlfriend, Ms Winfred Kanyaa, at Kithyoko River. Police officers from Masinga Police Station promptly visited the scene at Kithyoko River in Masinga Sub-County, Machakos County, where they recovered the body.

1. 1. The National Police Service (NPS) has strengthened both foot and mobile patrols to deter criminal activities while maintaining a heightened police presence in key areas and other vulnerable locations.
2. 2. The NPS has circulated the Fichua kwa DCI toll-free hotline and encouraged members of the public to report incidents and share intelligence anonymously, with assurance of confidentiality and the safety of whistle- blowers.
3. 3. Community policing committees are being revitalised to strengthen collaboration between law enforcement agencies and local communities. This initiative promotes real-time information sharing and enables quicker responses to suspicious activities and emerging threats.
4. 4. Conducting regular public forums and consultative meetings.

Finally, to restore public confidence, ensure justice for the affected families and prevent similar incidents, the Ministry continues to implement long-term reforms, including:

1. 1. Enhancing transparency through regular public communication on the progress of investigations while safeguarding the integrity of criminal proceedings.
2. 2. Strengthening accountable, people-centred policing anchored on the rule of law, professionalism and respect for human rights.
3. 3. Continuous capacity building and specialised training of investigators to improve the effectiveness of investigations.
4. 4. Leveraging modern technology, including digital case management systems, electronic occurrence books, CCTV integration and digital tools, to enhance accountability, evidence management and operational efficiency.

Hon. Speaker, we appreciate the concerns raised by the Hon. Member. We wish to assure this House that every effort is being made to establish the identities of the deceased persons, apprehend those responsible for those heinous crimes, and ensure that justice is served. The Ministry remains committed to strengthening security in Mwingi Central Constituency and across the country through sustained collaboration with all stakeholders.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker.

SECURITY SITUATION IN NAROK NORTH

suspects, namely: Evans Kibios, Tagi Frederick Sarunekol, Victor Marsamet Tagi and George Murundo Yengo. The suspects were released on cash bail pending the conclusion of investigations.

Investigations further established that Rose Farm is associated with a long-standing dispute concerning the ownership and occupation of LR No. 8679/2, measuring approximately 716 acres. The issue was escalated by a local leader who is alleged to have held a meeting with the management of the farm claiming that there had been an agreement between the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) management and the locals for the land to be shared equally, although there was no evidence of any written agreement.

Further, the locals were incited by claims that the Government was planning to settle internally displaced persons (IDPs) at Rose Farm without consulting them, despite their assertion that the land is ancestral. Consequently, they demanded the allocation of 50 per cent of the approximately 716 acres comprising the ADC Farm, failure to which they threatened to prevent the tilling of the land and the harvesting of potato seeds.

The Sub-County Security Committee of Narok North and Njoro held a consultative meeting with local community members to de-escalate tensions and prevent further escalation of the dispute, while the relevant Government agencies work towards resolving the land ownership dispute. The matter remains under investigation.

On the measures currently in place to restore law and order, the NPS has put in place the following measures to prevent further escalation:

1. 1. Increased deployment of police officers in the affected area.
2. 2. Intensified security patrols and surveillance within the ADC Farm.
3. 3. Conducted intelligence-led operations to identify and apprehend all persons involved in the violence.
4. 4. Continued monitoring of the security situation to prevent recurrence of similar incidents.

Regarding allegations of excessive use of force by police officers, the NPS reiterates that all police operations are conducted strictly in compliance with the Constitution of Kenya, the NPS Act and the NPS Standing Orders governing the use of force. Any claims of police misconduct are subjected to investigations through the established internal accountability mechanisms and the relevant independent oversight institutions where applicable.

On the long-term interventions, the Service has put in place a number of measures to permanently resolve the dispute, hold those responsible for violence and destruction accountable, and guarantee lasting peace and security in Rose Farm and the surrounding areas.

The matter in question relates to a long-standing dispute concerning the ownership and occupation of the land measuring approximately 716 acres. The NPS has appealed to the National Land Commission (NLC) to address the underlying issues surrounding the land ownership claims and the adjudication process. The NPS has further enhanced security within the affected area to prevent a recurrence of similar incidents, while the dispute is being addressed by the relevant Government agencies, including intensified intelligence collection to detect, deter and disrupt any planned unlawful activities, increased police deployment and sustained patrols to maintain law and order. Additionally, the County Security and Intelligence Committee has convened several security meetings in the area, which have restored peace, stability and normalcy. I thank you, Hon. Speaker.

know why they used force and yet, nobody denied them the opportunity if they had a right. I think the Question has not been answered well.

Thank you.

Member for Bomachoge Chache, take less than a minute. We have so many schools in the galleries.

BILLS

Second Readings

THE BUSINESS LAWS (AMENDMENT) BILL

(Senate Bill No. 51 of 2024)

(Debate concluded on 28.7.2026)

(The Bill was read a Second Time and committed to Committee of the whole House)

THE COMPETITION (AMENDMENT) BILL

(National Assembly Bill No. 4 of 2026)

(Debate concluded on 28.7.2026)

MOTION

ADOPTION OF 2ND REPORT ON THE STATUS OF REPORTS ON PETITIONS AND RESOLUTIONS PASSED BY THE HOUSE

THAT, this House adopts the Second Report of the Committee on Implementation on the status of Reports on Petitions and Resolutions passed by the House, laid on the Table of the House on Thursday, 26th October 2023.

Leader of the Majority Party, where is Hon. Raphael Wanjala for Order No. 10? Do we have any Member of the Committee on Implementation?

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE HOUSE

(Order for Committee read)

IN THE COMMITTEE

THE COUNTY GOVERNMENTS ADDITIONAL ALLOCATIONS BILL

(Senate Bill No. 8 of 2026) The Temporary Chairlady (Hon. Martha Wangari): Order, Members. We are now in the Committee of the Whole House for the County Governments Additional Allocations Bill, (Senate Bill No. 8 of 2026).

(Clauses 3 and 4 agreed to) Clause 5

The Temporary Chairlady (Hon. Martha Wangari): The Chairman of the Budget and Appropriations Committee has some amendments. You have the Floor.

1. (a) in subclause (2) by—
   1. (i) deleting paragraph (c); and,
   2. (ii) deleting paragraph (f).
2. (b) in subclause (3) by—
   1. (i) deleting the words "Column R" appearing in the opening statement and substituting therefor the words "Column S";
   2. (ii) deleting paragraph (g);
   3. (iii)deleting the words "Column I" appearing in paragraph (h) and substituting therefor the words "Columns H and I";
   4. (iv) deleting the words "Column J" appearing in paragraph (i) and substituting therefor the words "Columns J and K";
   5. (v) deleting the words "Column K" appearing in paragraph (j) and substituting therefor the words "Column L";
   6. (vi) deleting the words "Column L" appearing in paragraph (k) and substituting therefor the words "Column M";
   7. (vii) deleting the words "Column M" appearing in paragraph
   8. (l) and substituting therefor the words "Column N";

1. (viii) deleting the words "Column N" appearing in paragraph
2. (m) and substituting therefor the words "Column O";
3. (ix) deleting the words "Column O" appearing in paragraph (n) and substituting therefor the words "Column P";
4. (x) deleting the words "Column P" appearing in paragraph (o) and substituting therefor the words "Column Q";
5. (xi) deleting the words "Column Q" appearing in paragraph (p) and substituting therefor the words "Column R";

1. (c) in sub-clause (4), by deleting the expression "subsection (3)(d) and
2. (e)" appearing immediately after the words "allocations under" and substituting therefor the expression "subsection (3)(c) and (d)";
3. (d) in sub-clause (9), by deleting the expression "subsection
4. (2)"appearing immediately after the words "allocations under" and substituting therefor the expression "subsections (1), (2) and (3)"; and,
5. (e) in sub-clause (10), by deleting the expression "subsections (1) and
6. (2)" appearing immediately after the words "allocations under" and substituting therefor the expression "subsections (1), (2) and (3)".

Hon. Temporary Chairlady, we are deleting County Aggregation and Industrial Parks (CAIPs) allocations because they were redirected for equipping of the same. So, we have removed them from this Bill.

Secondly, we are deleting paragraph (f) that allocated resources for settlement of arbitrary award to the County Government of Meru. These two deletions are the reason we are making these amendments.

Thank you. (Question of the amendment proposed) The Temporary Chairlady (Hon. Martha Wangari): If you intend to speak to this amendment, press the intervention button.

Hon. Makali Mulu.

SECOND SCHEDULE (S.5(2))

Conditional Additional Allocations to County Governments from National Government's Revenue for the Financial Year 2026/27 (Kenya Shillings) SN County

FY 2025/26 FY 2026/27

Total Conditional Additional Allocations

Community Health Promoters (CHP) Supplement for Construction of County Headquarters

1. 0.5% of Housing Levy Fund to the County Rural and Urban Affordable Housing Committees Transitioning Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Workers’ Salary to Permanent and Pensionable Terms Total Conditional Additional Allocations Column A Column B Column C Column D Column E F Baringo 335,060,940 63,810,000 - 7,787,057 230,098,965 301,696,022 Bomet 97,319,315 74,070,000 - 7,787,057 181,663,203 263,520,260 Bungoma 149,241,681 107,400,000 - 7,787,057 257,866,990 373,054,047 Busia 92,069,249 66,390,000 - 7,787,057 175,038,676 249,215,733 Elgeyo Marakwet 54,872,639 37,200,000 - 7,787,057 283,485,809 328,472,866 Embu 95,088,853 60,300,000 - 7,787,057 241,766,294 309,853,351 Garissa 109,488,961 74,520,000 - 7,787,057 176,321,364 258,628,421 Homa Bay 117,026,873 88,620,000 - 7,787,057 195,759,831 292,166,888 Isiolo 94,765,505 21,630,000 156,710,000 7,787,057 202,028,087 388,155,144 Kajiado 345,552,740 50,070,000 - 7,787,057 157,832,557 215,689,614 Kakamega 224,017,599 127,500,000 - 7,787,057 248,171,190 383,458,247 Kericho 341,117,478 45,690,000 - 7,787,057 175,449,213 228,926,270 Kiambu 349,993,245 94,680,000 - 7,787,057 176,778,237 279,245,294 Kilifi 426,369,365 116,100,000 - 7,787,057 149,484,014 273,371,071 Kirinyaga 58,037,438 36,660,000 - 7,787,057 127,156,353 171,603,410 Kisii 290,510,642 88,200,000 - 7,787,057 241,470,770 337,457,827 Kisumu 167,327,249 89,940,000 - 7,787,057 209,165,589 306,892,646 Kitui 369,844,316 74,100,000 - 7,787,057 155,013,571 236,900,628 Kwale 158,163,903 52,140,000 - 7,787,057 140,392,709 200,319,766 Laikipia 317,672,596 25,230,000 - 7,787,057 137,027,403 170,044,460 Lamu 147,809,452 14,520,000 69,630,000 7,787,057 123,884,423 215,821,480 Machakos 143,883,915 83,250,000 - 7,787,057 184,687,439 275,724,496 Makueni 146,255,895 113,700,000 - 7,787,057 234,431,783 355,918,840 Mandera 40,336,781 18,540,000 - 7,787,057 189,439,407 215,766,464 Marsabit 327,106,385 60,090,000 - 7,787,057 150,152,412 218,029,469 Meru 157,383,407 111,480,000 - 7,787,057 268,012,029 387,279,086 Migori 118,055,437 88,380,000 - 7,787,057 217,582,697 313,749,754 Mombasa 315,937,957 71,610,000 - 7,787,057 102,189,294 181,586,351 Murang'a 238,399,654 46,050,000 - 7,787,057 226,860,114 280,697,171 Nairobi 338,266,271 224,010,000 - 7,787,057 108,359,849 340,156,906 Nakuru 325,150,304 99,390,000 - 7,787,057 192,094,957 299,272,014 Nandi 258,780,824 96,660,000 - 7,787,057 194,492,578 298,939,635 Narok 323,284,136 49,800,000 - 7,787,057 158,300,269 215,887,326 Nyamira 199,705,754 44,370,000 - 7,787,057 242,919,806 295,076,863

Nyandarua

429,641,603 41,610,000 169,650,000 7,787,057 175,006,063 394,053,120 Nyeri

381,409,948 74,250,000 - 7,787,057 129,710,328 211,747,385 Samburu

61,207,420 46,140,000 - 7,787,057 153,149,524 207,076,581 Siaya

221,889,863 63,810,000 - 7,787,057 134,554,895 206,151,952 Taita Taveta

75,649,533 41,070,000 - 7,787,057 121,099,698 169,956,755 Tana River

407,859,679 28,890,000 100,500,000 7,787,057 181,808,518 318,985,575 Tharaka Nithi

94,535,103 37,950,000 28,510,000 7,787,057 231,773,781 306,020,838 Trans Nzoia

249,182,720 67,200,000 - 7,787,057 161,766,321 236,753,378 Turkana

101,224,140 74,250,000 - 7,787,057 183,768,207 265,805,264 Uasin Gishu

73,568,093 61,980,000 - 7,787,057 222,435,917 292,202,974 Vihiga

310,411,734 43,380,000 - 7,787,057 141,113,672 192,280,729 Wajir

210,562,165 60,810,000 - 7,787,057 126,334,465 194,931,522 West Pokot

93,411,216 77,490,000 - 7,787,057 187,944,864 273,221,921 TOTAL

9,984,449,976 3,234,930,000 525,000,000 365,991,679 8,605,844,135 12,731,765,814 Hon. Temporary Chairlady, the amendment seeks to replace the Schedule so that the new one reflects the changes that we made when we deleted the CAIPs allocations and allocation to the County Government of Meru.

Thank you. (Question of the amendment proposed) (Question, that the words to be left out be left out, put and agreed to) (Question, that the words to be inserted in place thereof be inserted, put and agreed to) (Second Schedule as amended agreed to) Third Schedule

The Temporary Chairlady (Hon. Martha Wangari): There is a proposed amendment.

THIRD SCHEDULE (S.6(2))

Conditional Additional Allocations from Proceeds of Loans or Grants from Development Partners for Financial Year

2026/27 (Kenya Shillings) S/N County

FY 2025/6

FY 2026/2027 Total Loans and Grants

French Development Agency (AfD) Credit for the Kenya Informal Settlements Improvement Project Phase Two (KISIP II) IDA (World Bank) Credit/Grant Building Resilient & Responsive Health Systems – BREHS KfW (German Financial Cooperation) Credit Co- Financing of Financing Locally- Led Climate Action Program, (FLLoCA) CCRIG IDA (World Bank) Credit (Financing Locally- Led Climate Action Program, FLLoCA) CCRIG IDA (World Bank) Credit for the Food Systems Resilience Project (FSRP) IDA World Bank Credit for the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP) IDA (World Bank) Credit for the Kenya Urban Support Project (KUSP)- Urban Institutional Grant (UIG) IDA (World Bank Credit for the Kenya Urban Support Project (KUSP)- Urban Development Grant (UDG) International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Credit for Kenya Livestock Commercialization Project (KeLCoP) KfW (German Development Bank) Credit and Grant for Drought Resilience Programme in Northern Kenya (DRPNK) Integrated Natural Resources Management Programme-(INReMP) IFAD IDA (World Bank) Credit for the Kenya Devolution Support Program Phase Two (KDSP II) Level 1 Grant IDA (World Bank) loan for the Kenya Devolution Support Program Phase Two (KDSP II) Level 2 Grant IDA (World Bank Credit for the Kenya Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (K- WASH) Programme IDA (World Bank) Kenya Watershed Services Improvement Project (KEWASIP) Total Loans and Grants Column A

Column B Column C Column D Column E Column F Column G Column H (Loan) Column I (Grant) Column J (Loan) Column K (Grant) Column L Column M Column N Column O Column P Column Q Column R Column S Baringo 392,624,346

- 26,775,088 - - 298,614,890 - - - 40,150,000 - - - - 150,000,000 515,539,979 Bomet 313,033,500

- 28,936,099 - - - 105,000,000 - - - - - - - 133,936,099 Bungoma 381,540,500

- 44,694,179 - - - 105,000,000 - - 33,500,000 - - - - 183,194,179

Busia 387,846,901

- 29,575,640 - - - 105,000,000 - - 33,500,000 - - - - 168,075,640 Elgeyo Marakwet 548,635,346

- 21,212,458 - - 276,625,582 - - - 40,150,000 - 81,244,200 - - 419,232,240 Embu 321,116,426

- 22,493,595 - - - 105,000,000 - - - - - - - 127,493,595 Garissa 480,385,346

- 292,451,019 - - 329,821,407 - - - - - - - - 150,000,000 772,272,426 Homa Bay 333,889,051

- 80,209,635 - - - 105,000,000 - - - - 81,244,200 - - 266,453,835 Isiolo 325,897,346

- 22,514,039 - - 276,396,763 - - - - - - - - 150,000,000 448,910,802 Kajiado 388,118,499

- 36,782,416 - - - 105,000,000 - - - - - - - 141,782,416 Kakamega 421,482,877

10,000,000 46,499,957 - - - 105,000,000 - - 33,500,000 - 81,244,200 - - 276,244,157 Kericho 312,829,500

- 29,480,180 - - - 105,000,000 - - - - 81,244,200 - - 215,724,380 Kiambu 726,239,859

150,000,000 52,110,399 - - - 105,000,000 - - - - - - - 307,110,399

Kilifi 1,491,989,500

30,000,000 108,421,946 - - - 105,000,000 - - - - - - - 243,421,946 Kirinyaga 322,276,880

- 22,148,322 - - - 105,000,000 - - - - - - - 127,148,322 Kisii 332,252,979

- 34,414,696 - - - 105,000,000 - - - - - - - 139,414,696 Kisumu 457,791,983

150,000,000 33,263,643 - - - 105,000,000 - - - - 81,244,200 - - 369,507,843 Kitui 318,388,500

- 41,383,118 - - - 105,000,000 - - - - - - - 150,000,000 296,383,118 Kwale 786,705,500

- 76,367,213 - - - 105,000,000 - - - - - - - 150,000,000 331,367,213 Laikipia 325,795,346

- 23,129,968 - - 280,390,789 - - - - - - - - 150,000,000 453,520,758 Lamu 338,245,346

- 15,505,035 - - 257,501,062 - - - - - - - - 273,006,097 Machakos 328,333,538

- 38,970,140 - - - 105,000,000 - - - - - - - 143,970,140 Makueni 316,093,500

- 32,080,226 - - - 105,000,000 - - - - - - - 150,000,000 287,080,226

Mandera 346,536,346

- 96,779,242 - - 318,274,393 - - - - - - - - 415,053,635 Marsabit 980,229,554

- 34,055,191 - - 320,109,840 - - - 50,150,000 308,000,000 - - - 150,000,000 862,315,031 Meru 345,151,652

- 40,824,984 - - - 105,000,000 - - - - - - - 150,000,000 295,824,984 Migori 327,862,388

- 33,408,629 - - - 105,000,000 - - - - 81,244,200 - - 219,652,829 Mombasa 1,012,282,500

150,000,000 32,393,902 - - - 70,000,000 - - - - - - - 252,393,902 Murang’ a 314,308,500

- 30,645,101 - - - 105,000,000 - - - - - - - 135,645,101 Nairobi City 861,562,500

50,000,000 82,936,136 - - - 70,000,000 - - - - - - - 202,936,136 Nakuru 647,590,500

150,000,000 52,782,016 - - - 105,000,000 - - 34,150,000 - - - - 341,932,016 Nandi 313,778,500

- 28,509,384 - - - 105,000,000 - - - - 81,244,200 - - 214,753,584 Narok 317,113,500

- 89,031,159 - - - 105,000,000 - - - - - - - 194,031,159

Nyamira 328,911,500

- 22,888,817 - - - 105,000,000 - - - - - - - 127,888,817 Nyandarua 372,013,500

30,000,000 23,739,840 - - - 105,000,000 - - - - - - - 158,739,840 Nyeri 381,649,867

- 25,282,556 - - - 105,000,000 - - - - - - - 130,282,556 Samburu 396,759,346

- 22,908,606 - - 278,702,416 - - 46,630,000 - - - - 150,000,000 498,241,022 Siaya 398,012,102

- 30,337,551 - - - 105,000,000 - - 33,500,000 - - - - 168,837,551 Taita Taveta 820,993,500

- 21,607,351 - - - 105,000,000 - - - - - - - 126,607,351 Tana River 328,498,346

- 67,011,495 - - 288,659,120 - - - - - - - - 150,000,000 505,670,614 Tharaka Nithi 321,973,499

- 19,227,702 - - - 105,000,000 - - - - - - - 150,000,000 274,227,702 Trans Nzoia 376,991,500

- 30,177,793 - - - 105,000,000 - - 33,500,000 - 81,244,200 - - 249,921,993 Turkana 1,032,698,346

- 307,943,331 - - 352,146,212 - - - - - 545,600,000 - - - - 1,205,689,543

Uasin Gishu 574,359,500

- 33,793,871 - - - 105,000,000 - - - - 81,244,200 - - 220,038,071 Vihiga 311,656,500

- 23,048,420 - - - 105,000,000 - - - - - - - 128,048,420 Wajir 946,833,346

- 101,889,934 - - 334,442,979 - - - - - - - - 436,332,913 West Pokot 327,121,346

- 66,158,073 - - 288,314,546 - - - - - 81,244,200 - - 435,716,819 TOTAL 57,735,435,467

720,000,000 2,476,800,100 1,200,000,000 6,187,500,000 3,900,000,000 3,500,000,000 684,734,992 260,000,000 17,860,340,220 1,945,038,750 378,730,000 853,600,000 812,442,000 1,762,500,000 7,755,000,000 1,800,000,000 56,378,772,962 Hon. Temporary Chairlady, the new Schedule provides the changes to the donor funds that align with the budget and reflects the grant and loan components. We have separated funds that are grants and loans. We are aligning them to reflect changes.

Thank you. (Question of the amendment proposed) (Question, that the words to be left out be left out, put and agreed to) (Question, that the words to be inserted in place thereof be inserted, put and agreed to (Third Schedule as amended agreed to) (Title agreed to) Clause 1

The Temporary Chairlady (Hon. Martha Wangari): Hon. Members, there is a proposed amendment. Chairman of the Budget and Appropriations Committee. Give Hon. Atandi the microphone.

The intention here is that there is a provision in Article 116 of the Constitution that a specific date of commencement be provided. Because this Bill contains funds for confirmation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) staff, we want to make sure that immediately this Bill is signed into law, it takes effect immediately so that those workers can be confirmed immediately.

(Question, that the words to be inserted be inserted, put and agreed to) (Clause 1 as amended agreed to) The Temporary Chairlady (Hon. Martha Wangari): Hon. Members, we have come to the end of the Committee of the whole House.

Mover.

IN THE HOUSE

[The Temporary Speaker (Hon. Martha Wangari) in the Chair]

MOTION

CONSIDERATION OF REPORT ON THE COUNTY GOVERNMENTS ADDITIONAL ALLOCATIONS BILL

BILL

Third Reading

THE COUNTY GOVERNMENTS ADDITIONAL ALLOCATIONS BILL

(Senate Bill No. 8 of 2026)

House, given that we have already concluded the Budget process. However, I wish to urge governors to take this matter seriously. Many people who visit hospitals are still being asked to purchase drugs and even basic vaccination supplies. Most public hospitals remain under- equipped and lack essential medicines. Further, the provisions relating to Community Health Promoters (CHPs) must be implemented seriously so that the health needs of our people are adequately addressed.

With those few remarks, I support.

Hon. Members, dreams are free.

development is taking place. Instead, we see governors moving around with huge convoys, being busy bodies, at the expense of the common mwananchi. We must encourage county governments and governors to prioritise service delivery.

When you visit some Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres, you will find that there are no classrooms. For example, St. Peter’s Namasa Primary School in my Constituency, does not have ECD classrooms and yet, the county receives substantial allocations.

I do not know what issue he has with my Governor such that he has described him so accurately on the Floor of the House, as one moving around with a fleet of vehicles, while undertaking no development for the people. Yet, he belongs to the Linda Mwananchi team.

They are doing a good job. They are working for this country. We are asking for accountability from governors.

We cannot. We want to implore the governors – and jokes aside – that we want accountability. We want services. The other day, they were fighting us over roads money. When you go to our villages, roads are being done by Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA). Ask yourself, where do the governors take the money we give them? I want to support…

I have been requested by the Hon. Charles… Sorry! Hon. Clive to not only welcome those from his constituency, but all of them.

MOTION

ADOPTION OF REPORT ON AUDITED ACCOUNTS OF STATE CORPORATIONS IN THE ROADS AND TRANSPORT SECTOR

THAT, this House adopts the Report of the Public Investments

Committee on Commercial Affairs and Energy on its examination of the audited

financial statements of selected State corporations in the roads and transport sector.

NOTING OF REPORT OF KENYA DELEGATION TO 151ST IPU ASSEMBLY

THAT, this House notes the Report of the Kenya Delegation to the 151st Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and related meetings held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 19th to 23rd October 2025.

BILLS

Second Readings

THE BOOKS AND NEWSPAPERS (AMENDMENT) BILL

(National Assembly Bill No. 47 of 2025)

Permit me to highlight the key provisions in the Bill. The Bill seeks to amend Section

6 of the Books and Newspapers Act, CAP 111, to ensure the following: One, that a publisher

of a book printed or published in Kenya – at their own expense – delivers to the Clerk of the Senate and the Registrar of Books and Newspapers within 14 days after publication of the book, such copies of the book not exceeding three books. That is the first requirement and the major amendment. The reason why we are talking of the Clerk of the Senate is because he is the Secretary to the Parliamentary Service Commission.

Two, upon receipt of a copy of a book delivered under this section, the Clerk of the Senate shall acknowledge receipt in writing to the publisher that the copies of books delivered to the Registrar and the Clerk of the Senate are kept for record purposes or otherwise dealt with in such a manner or place as may be deemed necessary.

Three, that a publisher of a book, in addition to the delivery of copies of books under this section, submits a digital copy of the book to the Registrar, the Kenya National Library Services, the Kenya National Archives and the Clerk of the Senate. That requirement is so that whatever records that are being kept or delivered are in vogue on the digital space that we live in currently.

Four, that Sections 6,14 and 17 of the Books and Newspapers Act, CAP 111 are amended by deleting any reference to the words: “the colony” and substituting therefore with the word “Kenya.” That is self-explanatory. The Act was enacted during the colonial times in the 1960s. As we are using that Act now, Kenya is an independent nation and thus the reason for us wanting to amend and refer to “Kenya” and not “the colony.”

The Committee undertook public participation as a requirement of all legislative processes. As we enact laws, we must engage the public and make them participate in matters that concern them. Public participation was done on 14th February, 2026 through an advert in the print media, requesting for comments and submissions from the public and memorandums as per Article 118(1)b of the Constitution and Standing Order 127(3).

The following gave their memorandum or they appeared before the Committee in support or against the provisions in the Bill: The Registrar-General, the Kenya National Archives and Documentation Services, the Kenya National Library Services, the Kenya Publishers Association, the Kenya Media Council, the Directorate of ICT and Library Services in Parliament of the Parliamentary Service Commission, the National Gender and Equality Commission and one gentleman, Mr. Collins Odhiambo Lucy. They all appeared before the Committee during the public participation engagement and gave their views on the Bill.

As we considered the Bill, we listened to the public as they brought out their comments and memorandums. The Committee made the following observations:

1. 1. The proposed amendment requires all publishers of books to submit physical and digital copies of their publications to the Kenya National Archives and the Parliament of Kenya, in addition to the Registrar of Books and Newspapers and the Kenya National Library Services. This observation was made by the Committee based on the views that were given by those that appeared before it. We, therefore, introduced two new recipients of copies of the published books, that is the Kenya National Archives and the

Parliament of Kenya. In the original Act, the two institutions that were given

to receive the copies were the Registrar of Books and Newspapers and the Kenya National Library Services only. So, this is an improvement that we are making on the Act of Parliament.

1. 2. That the digital copies of books to be submitted to the Registrar of Books and Newspapers, the Kenya National Library Service, the Parliament of Kenya Library and the National Archives should be in an accessible format

that can be read easily and in a current digital form, that is the digital aspect of the copies of books.

1. 3. An appropriate system should be developed with a legal framework to support digital archiving, technical solutions and partnerships with relevant ICT stakeholders. Again, this is an observation that the Committee made based on the views that were delivered.
2. 4. That Section 3 of the Public Archives and Documentation Services Act, CAP 19 that establishes the Kenya National Archives and Documentation Service to provide for the preservation of public archives and public records. One role of the Kenya Parliament is to keep legislative records for posterity. If you want any information on the Kenyan Parliament, you will find it in the records of Parliament. This is why we have proposed that Parliament be designated as a repository for published works by Kenyans. This will improve the availability of reference materials in Parliament for Members and anyone else who will be seeking historical or legislative information relating to the Parliament of Kenya.

Many jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom, South Africa, South Korea and Singapore, designate parliamentary or legislative libraries as legal deposit repositories. Through this amendment, we are proposing that the Parliament of Kenya Library becomes one of those repositories for legislative records, published works and public information for record- keeping purposes.

The Parliament of Kenya Library serves as the official custodian of documents produced by Parliament, particularly legislative records and Government publications. It is, therefore, important to expand its scope beyond parliamentary and Government publications, hence the need for this amendment.

The entire Books and Newspapers Act (Cap. 111) and the Public Archives and Documentation Service Act should be reviewed to align them with the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, and contemporary realities arising from significant developments in publishing, information management and digital dissemination. That is what we are presenting to this House. We ask Members to adopt these amendments to make the Parliament of Kenya a repository of knowledge for works that are published in this country.

The Committee is grateful to the offices of the Speaker and the Clerk of the National Assembly for the logistical and technical support accorded to it during the consideration of this Bill. I also express my sincere appreciation to the members of the Committee for their resilience and commitment to duty, which made the consideration of this Bill successful. On behalf of the Committee, I also thank the members of the public and stakeholders who submitted memoranda on the Bill. Their views informed the content that we have presented. The Select

facilitated public participation, recommends that the House approves the Bill with amendments.

I beg to move and request Hon. John Chege, my Vice-Chairperson, to second the Motion.

Thank you.

has developed since 1963. Technology has changed. Today, books and newspapers can be produced and transmitted electronically. We are proposing that the process of depositing publications with the Parliament Library should embrace technology to enable publishers to transmit copies electronically in a manner that the library can properly receive and preserve.

This Parliament has become a popular destination. If you look at the galleries, you will find many young people who come here to seek information and knowledge. Parliament has become a preferred destination. Compared to the Kenya National Library Service and the National Archives, we receive many students and foreign dignitaries. We must, therefore, ensure that the Parliament Library is equipped with all the materials that are deposited in other institutions so that those who visit Parliament, particularly the young people, can access books that may not be available in their schools and newspapers that are not widely circulated there.

This Bill seeks to ensure that Parliament becomes a primary centre of knowledge and a repository for those materials. Parliament also has a presence in all 290 constituencies, where much happens. It is our view that the library should also receive materials relating to those constituencies so that anyone wishing to learn more about them can access reports, published books, newspapers and other publications that are deposited in our library. We are, therefore, proposing that we transform how our library operates. We should expand its mandate and provide modern technology to store materials, including digitising the collections we already have and those that will be received in future.

Collaboration between Parliament, the Kenya National Library Service and the Kenya National Archives will also help to ensure that institutions that are responsible for preserving those important materials work together so that the public can have access to information that is generated in this country. We have proposed that the Clerk of the Senate be the contact person because, under the Parliamentary Service Commission, the Clerk of the Senate serves as its Secretary. That Office will, therefore, serve as the appropriate point of contact for those who are wishing to deposit publications with Parliament.

It is time for us, as a country, to recognise how far we have come and how much has been produced without certainty about where it is preserved or whether it is safely kept. For the benefit of both present and future generations, it is important that Parliament plays a central role in preserving the information that is generated in this country so that it remains available for generations to come.

With those remarks, I second. (Question proposed)

This effort seeks to amend Section 6 of the Books and Newspapers Act (Cap. 111) which was passed long before Kenya was a country. In fact, in our books, Kenya is still referred to as a colony. This legislative effort recognises Kenya, not just as a Republic, but as a new Republic after the new 2010 Constitution. I stand to support because this effort brings the Books and Newspapers Act to the current times.

The Committee seeks to amend Sections 6, 14, and 17 of the Books and Newspapers Act to delete any reference to Kenya as a colony. We are not a colony. We are a new Republic, especially after 2010. The new Act will require publishers to deposit their publications with the Clerk of the Senate. This will include all previous submissions to the National Library and other entities. The import of this cannot be understated.

In their moving, the Chairperson and the Vice-Chair have said that some jurisdictions, like Singapore and United Kingdom, are already doing this. The Library of Congress also falls under that category. How do I know? It is because I am a publisher. I have written and also done audio-visual publication. When we did the act Redykyulass, we learnt that those libraries were seeking Kenyan content to determine whether they could store it for posterity. A publication like Redykyulass already exists in the House of Congress in the United States. What does that speak to Africa’s archiving capabilities? It tells us that there is a deposit of our knowledge in capitals far away from Nairobi. They are carrying our knowledge and content and keeping it for posterity. What we may not find value for in our country already has value in Western capitals that are far away from here. This Act now requires every publisher to submit both physical and digital copies.

I chair the Departmental Committee on Communication, Information and Innovation and I can tell you that beyond physical publications, going into the future, digital publications will be of great import to readers and emerging populations. I am glad to see learners in our galleries. They will tell you that, as much as they are reading books, they are also referring to digital publications for their studies and entertainment. By supporting these amendments, we are also looking into the future where we can preserve our publications, not only in their physical form, but also in a form that is required in this Fourth Industrial Revolution, a digital world that speaks to the realities of today, where Kenya leads, especially in Africa. I must commend the Committee.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, you realise that Parliament has more visitors and learners than the Kenya National Library and Kenya National Archives. It is, therefore, important for this library to become an archive of knowledge in this Republic. If Parliament stands for the welfare of society and the just government of the people, we must also be custodians of the knowledge of our people. We know that the posterity of Parliament is dependent on information. The old culture where Members references to publications ahead of a debate will be revived when we make a more robust library within Parliament.

We are also living in an era of great misinformation, disinformation and malinformation. Even the learners in the gallery can tell us that they are never able to distinguish between what is true and what is not true. When people publish on social media and online, they are not required to fact-check. But if we domicile information in libraries, this country will move towards a point where citizens will make informed decisions. This becomes critical to a year like next year. We know that countries have been burned and regimes pushed out of leadership because of population misinformation. They believe the wrong information and end up rising up against their governments. In 2024, people said that we were just about to pass a Bill whose provisions, as spoken to out there, were not in the Bill we were passing. If we are going to move towards a new world and a new era of information, our information must be correct and must be domiciled in the right places.

For the reasons I have given, I stand to support the move to amend the Books and Newspapers Act. Dagoretti South Constituency is also looking to set up a proper library at the

Dagoretti South Empowerment Centre and the constituent empowerment centres we have built in Dagoretti. This will not only be for our learners to seek information, but also where learners whose homes are not conducive for studying can study in order to gain knowledge and become good citizens of this country and the world. This is a move towards modernising how we store and consume our knowledge.

I thank you for giving me the opportunity.

If that centre of knowledge is set up in Parliament, it will encourage writers—and some of us in Parliament are good writers—to write books and a national newspaper. Every Parliament has its own legacy; and this could be our legacy as the 13th Parliament. Record keeping is critical. We need history to know what the 10th Parliament or the 11th Parliament did. That information can help new Members to know how to position themselves and learn from previous Members of Parliament.

I saw a newspaper article discussing the Government when His Excellency Mwai Kibaki was the President. I was impressed to see the work he did for this country with Hon. Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka as his Vice-President. When my son becomes a Member of Parliament or a leader in this country, he should read about me as a Member of Parliament. It is also good to know when the Government has failed. If we had a newspaper or books written about the current Government, they would read of a Government that dreams of taking people to Singapore, and before they wake up, they start dreaming of Vision 2060. If you compare the previous Government to the current one, you can tell which one delivered to Kenyans and which one failed.

This is a brilliant idea. When I was discussing with Hon. Mugambi, we talked about keeping records for this Parliament. He was telling me that this current regime is full of dreamers. I told him that it is important to be a dreamer, but it is more important to realise those dreams. I encouraged him to advise his Party to stop dreaming and to start making those dreams come true. I stand to support this Bill until the end. Thank you.

On the substance of the Bill, I support the letter and intent of this particular Bill. This Act was passed and assented to on 1st July 1960; that is 65 years since the Act was passed and assented to! That was three years before we attained Independence in our country. Since 1960, a lot has happened in this country. We passed a new Constitution in 2010 and, therefore, there is a need to amend this Act to reflect the current provisions as provided for in our Constitution.

Of importance is Article 35 of our Constitution, which guarantees the right of access to information. It provides that every citizen has the right to information that is held by the State or by another person. Such information is contained in publications and books. This Bill proposes that any person in this country who publishes certain information or writes a book, whether printed or published, shall have the same delivered within 14 days to the National Assembly for purposes of archiving it or presenting it to our Parliamentary Library. For me, that is very important because that Library is very important. It serves as a source of information and research. Members of Parliament will be able to get information from books that have been published.

There is an old saying that if you want to hide anything from an African, you place it in a book. There has been a perception that Africans are not very intentional in doing research and reading. Therefore, by the mere fact that we have those publications and books presented and delivered to our libraries, it means that we shall be able to access and get information that will be able to transform our country and even individual lives.

Many countries have done this. A comparative study shows that Singapore, the country that we aspire to be, has already amended its law to have books and publications presented to the National Assembly Library. We are learning from the best. Our President also told us that we aspire to be like Singapore. Therefore, if we aspire to take this country to “Singapore”, then we must live it. We must act as they are doing so that we can realise that particular dream.

Having also been a member of the Committee on Broadcasting and Library, there is a need to devolve information from the National Assembly to the local libraries. There was a proposal to establish parliamentary corners in our public libraries in this country. The hands- on information in this House cannot help our people if it is not taken to our public libraries at the county level. Therefore, I fully support the proposal to establish parliamentary corners within national and county libraries at the local level so that parliamentary materials can be taken to those libraries and that information can be accessed by the local people.

We have hands-on reports here, Bills, and very important documents that can benefit our people if we devolve the information we have at the National Assembly to the local level through public libraries.

POINT OF ORDER

ALLEGED MISHANDLING OF A FEMALE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT BY A MALE SERJEANT-AT-ARMS

wanted to deny me entry by force and even physically handled me. As you are aware, Hon. Kaguchia has been going through hell under police custody. I have been in prayers and, in my church, when I am praying, I put on a headscarf. So, the Serjeant-at-Arms wanted to dictate to me...

amendment. It reminds me when I developed an interest in reading way after my undergraduate and I bought the first digital books through a device we used to call a Kindle (K-I-N-D-L-E). These are sensible administrative improvements. Expanding legal deposit to Parliament strengthens our institutional knowledge and aligns with good practice in countries such as South Africa, South Korea and Indonesia, where parliamentary libraries receive mandatory deposits.

The bigger picture that we must not ignore is that we must be honest that this Bill does not go far enough. The Media Council of Kenya and the publishers have correctly pointed out that this Bill creates significant barriers and is inconsistent with very fundamental laws in our country, specifically Article 33 of our Constitution, which provides for freedom of expression and Article 34 of our Constitution which provides for freedom of the media. The most glaring is the Ksh1 million bond requirement under Clause 11 for anyone wishing to publish a newspaper. This is a colonial relic. It decrees a financial barrier that locks up small publishers, community media and young entrepreneurs. Freedom of the Press cannot be a privilege reserved for those who can raise Ksh1 million as security. We should use this opportunity or a subsequent comprehensive amendment to replace this bond with a simpler notification or registration system. Furthermore, this Act remains heavily focused on print media. It does not adequately recognise digital publications, online platforms and multimedia journalism that now dominate the information space.

Any serious modernisation must update definitions and obligations to reflect the digital reality. I support the expansion of the legal deposits to include Parliament. A strong parliamentary library is in the national interest. Legislators now need access to knowledge and a large deposit of information is a legitimate way of building that resource. However, we must

ensure the following: First, the additional deposit obligation does not become an unreasonable

burden, especially on small publishers and independent authors.

Secondly, failure to deposit should be treated primarily in an administrative manner, with civil consequences rather than immediate criminal liability, so as to avoid a chilling effect. The failure to deposit those particular copies with the relevant authorities as prescribed in the Bill, such as the Clerk of the Senate, Media Council of Kenya, and others, should be a criminal liability but only referred to as a civil liability.

Lastly, we should not miss the chance to clean up the more problematic sections of this Act, particularly the bond requirement and the limited recognition of digital media. I strongly submit that the requirement to submit a bond of one million shillings is highly prohibitive to young authors and entrepreneurs, and community leaders who want to contribute to our country's knowledge through publishing books. This Bill, is a step in the right direction, but it is only a small step. Kenya needs a modern legal framework for publications that protects freedom of expression and freedom of speech, as enshrined in Articles 33 and 34 of our Constitution.

I support this amendment that has been sponsored by my honourable colleague. However, I strongly insist that the provision of imposing criminal liability on those who fail to deposit those copies should be expunged. The requirement for a Ksh1 million bond deposit should also be removed. Even so, this Bill is in the right direction. They say that if you want to try foolishness, try ignorance. But if you want to try ignorance, try those people who do not read. I thank you for this chance and I support these amendments.

We welcome them to observe the proceedings. I indulge the Member for Buuri for one minute.

House to know that the private sector and Government agencies, brought before us ideas on how we could enrich this Bill. We carefully considered their submissions and incorporated them.

One of the things they did was to appreciate that we brought up this law. When I was a student at Kenya Polytechnic, the Kenya National Library was the place where I found the peace to study. Yet, when you visit it today, it is the same old institution. Worse still, it is inadequately funded. Through this legislation, we shall compel the relevant State Department to improve those facilities.

It may interest you to know that nearly half of the counties in the Republic of Kenya still do not have public libraries. Turkana, Marsabit and Kajiado do not have one. We must ensure that we grant our children information. We must establish corners that serve as beacons of knowledge. Through this legislation, I am confident that we shall achieve that. I congratulate our Committee and thank the Members for the good work they have done. I also urge Hon. Members to pass this legislation. If there are any good ideas that can further enrich it, we are ready as a Committee to accommodate them so that we enact even better legislation for the future.

You will also realise that we have expanded the mandate of the Director of the Kenya National Library Service and so, that is not an issue.

That way, in far-off land areas, they can come up with innovative ways to raise funds to sustain themselves. By doing so, libraries can be up and running, unlike those in Kilifi County, which were given to the county by the National Government, but have since been run down. We, therefore, say it is our national responsibility to maintain libraries. If I were the Government of the day, I would consider this as one of the best pieces of legislation. They should just implement and fund it properly. Instead of funding non-issues like political campaigns with money that they are not supposed to, let them use it to enrich generations to come.

With those many remarks, let me say that this is very good legislation. I ask Hon. Members to move with speed now, as we did when we impeached Rigathi Gachagua, to pass this legislation. It will help future generations to make Kenya a better country. Even as we change the current regime and bring in a government that works for the people, not one that creates confusion or is unfocused. Hon. Temporary Speaker, some of them want to tell us about Vision 2060. Vision 2030 was introduced by Kibaki without fanfare, with no launch or commissioning. However, we now have a vision that has caused a lot of unnecessary noise.

na mijadala na kwenda zao, watapata fursa nzuri ya kuingia na kuzungushwa na Broadcasting Committee ili kusomeshwa mambo mengi sana ambayo yanaendelea hapa nchini. Leo nataka kufungua mjadala mmoja. Katika mambo haya, nakala hizi zinapokuja katika Bunge hili la Kitaifa, zinathibitishwa na inaonekana habari ni za ukweli. Kwa vile mimi ni mwanasiasa, lazima niwachokoze kidogo. Kuna gazeti la The People Newspaper. Gazeti lile ukipeleka Ksh3,000 au Ksh4,000, wanaandika vyovyote unavyotaka katika gazeti hilo. Hata hivyo, tukiangalia nakala ambazo ni za muhimu na kwa kizungu tunasema credible, zitapelekwa National Archives na National Library. Vile vile, ziwe zinaletwa katika Bunge letu la Kenya. Haya mambo ni muhimu sana kwa sababu pia Mswada huu unaleta mambo ya kidijitali. Siku hizi kila mmoja yuko na simu ambazo tunasema ni smartphones. Watu wataweza kupata habari na sio tu zile za kutupatia uhuru au kabla tupate uhuru kutoka kwa wakoloni, bali pia za magazeti ambayo physically unaenda kuchukua na kusoma. Leo nitakungumzia jambo la ajabu kwa sababu…

2013 mpaka leo, halijapata Mbunge mwingine ambaye amelidhibiti kando na kijana mwepesi, Mheshimiwa Bady Twalib. Watasoma maneno hayo Bungeni.

Huu ni Mswada mzuri. Mheshimiwa Chege ataingia katika vitabu vya kumbukumbu kama yule aliyetuondoa kutoka kwa sheria ya ukoloni ya 1960 na kutuingiza kwenye hatima ya kisasa. Kila kinachotokea Bungeni kitanukuliwa. Kwa mfano, wewe, Mheshimiwa Martha Wangari, utanukuliwa kuwa Madam Spika mkakamavu. Watoto watasoma kuhusu ukakamavu wako.

Ninaona Mheshimiwa wa Kaunti ya Meru, ambaye ni rafiki yangu, amenitolea vidole kuniashiria nimalize mchango wangu. Ninaunga mkono Mswada huu.

hufanya na mjiambie kwamba sisi tunaondoka na ninyi ndio mnakuja kuendeleza nchi yetu ya Kenya. Na sio nchi yetu ya Kenya peke yake, lakini pia ulimwengu mzima.

Karibuni sana. Nashukuru sana Mhe. Spika wa Muda kwa kunipa nafasi hii. Tena, nasema asanteni sana na karibuni katika Bunge la Taifa.

Nikimaliza, majina ambayo nimetaja yanakueleza kwamba maeneo bunge mengi kama lile letu la Molo yana akina Chebet, Awour, Nyaboke, Kamau, na Njoroge. Hivyo, nasihi wanaowakilisha maeneo mengine ambapo pengine hayo majina hayako wahakikishe ya kwamba matamshi wanayoyafanya ni yale ya kuleta watu wote wa nchi yetu ya Kenya pamoja na sio ya kututenganisha. Wengine wetu tunaishi kwa amani pamoja na jamii tofauti tofauti.

Kwa hayo machache, nakushukuru sana Mhe. Spika.

talents. Young people should be supported so that they can devote more attention to publishing. This will help us to avert problems in society where young people are very idle. Instead of wasting their time idling in shopping centres, they can publish with Government support.

I conclude by saying that I felt very good today, when I saw the village elders from my constituency visiting State House. It was very historic. I was excited. I thank the President, Dr William Samoei Ruto, for giving them a chance to feel what happens at State House. They will be getting a stipend of Ksh3,000, which is a little. They should be given more money because they have many responsibilities in our constituencies. Kshs3,000 is the beginning. Going forward, I hope that they will be given more money.

the first Parliament to make this amendment. So, the 13th Parliament has been made proud by the Committee on Parliamentary Broadcasting and Library, which has brought this amendment to the House.

There are quite a number of proposals that are stipulated in this Bill. I am going to pick a few of the very salient proposals that have been put forward. One of them is that the Bill proposes to deposit publications in Parliament. I imagine this will enrich Parliament's knowledge and make it a repository by allowing publishers to deposit a copy there. There will be a number of benefits to be derived after this proposal is implemented. I will explain that later in my contribution.

Another key proposal is the preservation of national publications, whereby the archiving of Kenya-published books is proposed under this amendment. This will ensure that Parliament becomes a body of knowledge where people who want research can come to Parliament to make a reference in line with this particular amendment. Additionally, this Bill proposes the retention of existing legal deposits, which is crucial because it makes Parliament a strong body to make laws. I will also explain some of the key benefits that we will derive from having a solid Parliament and, more so, a strong parliamentary library where all those copies will be deposited.

Importantly, this Bill will strengthen Parliament's research role by making it easier for our researchers to access information. This is crucial in promoting the legislative work that we undertake in this House. Additionally, the legislative role of Parliament, particularly in terms of referencing, will be enhanced through the deposit of copies in Parliament once this Bill is passed by this House. We all acknowledge that Parliament is a House of records, and this role will be further strengthened through this amendment.

Therefore, by strengthening the parliamentary library through this Amendment to Sections 6 and 14 of the Books and Newspapers Act, 1960, we will enjoy several benefits, which I will outline. First, we will have a more informed law-making body. Members of Parliament will be better informed because they will have access to a wider range of sources through a strong parliamentary library.

Importantly, our oversight role will be enhanced because we will make references through the parliamentary library. Our decision-making role will also be strengthened. This will be realised through having a strong parliamentary library. That is why it is crucial that this Bill be passed by this House.

On the other hand, a strong parliamentary library will champion the preservation of parliamentary records. Parliament will serve as a repository of parliamentary records, historical materials, research work and publications for current and future generations. It will also enable us to build a robust institutional memory for this House.

However, I have a few reservations about this Bill, as I foresee some challenges. One immediate concern is the additional costs for publishers. I speak as a scholar because I am involved in extensive research. With this Bill, publishers will be required by law to deposit their publications in the parliamentary library. This may result in additional administrative work and transactional costs, which are some of the challenges I foresee with this particular Bill.

Additionally, requiring publishers to submit copies of their published works to Parliament will promote transparency and build a strong foundation of knowledge, particularly for Members of Parliament and those within parliamentary precincts. This will provide easier access to information, which is a positive outcome of this Bill.

In summary, apart from the additional transactional costs publishers may incur, I do not foresee any other major challenges if this Bill is enacted by this House. I, therefore, applaud the Committee on Parliamentary Broadcasting and Library for bringing this Bill before the House. I urge Members of Parliament to join hands and support the passage of this Bill.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I submit.

Secondly, we will become the centre of archival sciences, if there is something like that. I am looking at the books 20-30 years from now when they will be at this Parliament. This will be a second archive in this country. The other archive is tired and old. We are now setting up a new archive. Sixty years down the line, when people want to know many things that have been published, they will come to Parliament. Therefore, what I like is dove-tailing Parliament with universities. The coming together of those forces is very good because universities are a repository of knowledge. But Parliament will now become an additional repository of knowledge. I think it is a fundamental amendment that we are making.

Again, there are many books that are published. Some of the books that are published are very good. Universities and other libraries may not have the ability or the resources to buy those books and keep them in their libraries. But it is now mandatory to bring copies to Parliament Library. The Bill says, “at the cost of the publisher.” The books will be brought here at the expense of the publisher or the author, and that is very fundamental. Many libraries may want to stock books but if they do not have resources, they may not buy. Therefore, that book would be published and probably disappear but then, you have a copy of intellectual property. All Kenyans' intellectual property, a copy of it, will be kept here. That means all books, even if you cannot find a particular book anywhere else, you will definitely find it in Parliament because the law says that when you publish a book, you must submit three copies to Parliament. I think that is very fundamental.

There are many authors who have published books that have remained in their homes because probably those books were never bought, stocked in a library, or even in a bookshop. As a result, those books may never be found. Changing the law to make it mandatory for publishers to deposit copies of their books with the Library of Parliament ensures that every published book has a record and can be accessed by someone who wants to read it.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, if you search for my book on Google, you will find it. It is a scientific book on the efficiency of master's degree programmes in universities in Kenya. I published that book. I have looked for it in libraries in this country and have not found it. I can only find it in libraries in the United Kingdom (UK). I am glad, and I will follow up on this. I will buy copies of my book and bring them here to be stored so that people can come and read the book that I wrote.

I congratulate the Committee, the Members who participated in the thought process, and everyone else who put their minds into it, including the Chairperson, Hon. Daniel Epuyo Nanok. Congratulations on this great amendment to the Bill. Interestingly, the Bill is amending a very old statute. It is a pre-independence statute. The 13th Parliament has the honour and privilege of amending a pre-independence statute. It will go into the annals of history that this Parliament enacted a very fundamental Amendment Bill.

The 13th Parliament includes one very troublesome Suba South Member of Parliament who Baba did not like so much. The people of Suba South need to rethink about re-electing him. He is troublesome and he does not help his constituents, but it is okay. We like having such people in this House.

With those remarks, I support

therefore, totally out of order for the Honourable Deputy Leader Majority to give misleading information, especially about an esteemed lawyer in this Republic, Hon. Caroli Omondi.

book and then, by law, without regard to whether I am being paid royalties, be required to deliver that book to Parliament or any other institution in both hard copy and digital form.

that you do not know the future until you understand your past. It will, therefore, be very important for us to always make reference to the historical issues that we do have.

Another thing is the protection of publications. We will then have catalogues, classifications and utilisation of different publications, which will be very beneficial even for future generations. Another very important point in support of this is promoting evidence-based public debates as well as complementing and replacing other national repositories. We had a very important event that went on today at State House, with village elders. I felt good seeing them from across the country. They were very excited to go to State House and engage with our President, William Ruto. I want to acknowledge and salute the President for that very good thing that he did for them.

When you visit our grandparents, you will often find their sitting rooms with newspapers and stories of the things they really liked. When you engage them, they tell you about events of the past and pass that knowledge to their grandchildren. Imagine Parliament having a repository of old newspapers where Kenyans can refer to events of the past and the columns people used to write. You remember the "Whispers" column. Imagine a place where Kenyans can access such material. I know the young ones, the Gen Zs, did not have the opportunity to read ‘Whispers’. Some of us used to look forward to The Sunday Nation just to read ‘Whispers’, but we no longer have it because its author is no longer with us. He left behind rich literature that should be shared with the current and future generations. This, for me, is extremely important.

The thing I feel should have been included in this Bill is the aspect that Hon. Caroli spoke about on copyright. That is very important. We have situations where people's intellectual property is stolen because they do not have access to where they can deposit the property. That is because there is no capacity. People do not know of that. It will be very important for us to include this aspect, which will enrich the Bill and ensure that it serves both the current and future generations.

As has been mentioned, the current Act has been with us since the 1960s and has not been amended for all those years. This is our opportunity to ensure that before this Amendment Bill gets to the Third Reading stage, as it comes to the Committee of the whole House, we can introduce amendments. This will ensure that we have a succinct Bill that seeks to give Kenyans a good piece of legislation that will not only support the current generation, but also future generations. More importantly, in this particular case, our Parliament should have a national library that we can be proud of, with repositories of not only books and newspapers, but also other published works and creative works from Kenyans, including arts and literature, media and digital properties.

With those few remarks, I support the Bill. As I said, we will bring forth amendments to enrich it further.

pre-Independence times when this country was referred to as a colony and not as the Republic of Kenya.

It is important to note that there are important issues. We have proposed that copies that will be deposited to Parliament’s library be both in hard copy and digital form. More importantly, it was reported last week that only 18,000 students have visited Parliament. We hope that when this amendment Bill is passed and implemented, we will have a huge number of students visiting not only to see the plenary sessions for 10-15 minutes, but to also have time to visit the library and get to know what it contains and how they can help themselves in terms of getting more knowledge. The library will not only be for the young people, but it will also be for members of public, including Hon. Members.

I want to thank the Select Committee on Broadcasting and Library for their commitment in working on this amendment Bill. There are many people who thought that this Select Committee is a place where Hon. Members are sent as a punishment from other committees. It is a very important Committee that contributes a lot to this nation. I know we have alluded to Singapore. It was quoted here that Singapore is one of the countries whose Parliament’s libraries have set out to accommodate all its books and newspapers. We can start that journey here, which will help our country to safeguard published works, particularly works that have been developed in this country, and which have never found their way to library shelves. As it has been said, we must protect every material that is produced in this country. The issue of intellectual property has been raised. It is an important issue.

I beg to reply.

THE COUNTY LIBRARY SERVICES BILL

(Senate Bill No. 40 of 2024)

The role of county governments will be to support the development and effective operation of county libraries through their county integrated development plans, by mobilising and allocating adequate financial and other resources for library services, collaborating with relevant entities to promote capacity building for library staff and resource mobilisation, and provide the necessary resources for training and professional development of county library personnel.

In other words, the Bill requires that each county shall establish a directorate of library services, whose functions shall be to establish, develop, equip, manage and maintain physical and electronic libraries, including acquiring and preserving library resources; promote equitable access to information through technology, responsive library services, literacy campaigns, and initiatives that encourage reading, writing and publishing in local languages; and advise the county government and other public institutions on library services.

The directorate shall also coordinate library service delivery, document county information, and undertake research to improve library services. It shall facilitate training and professional development of librarians, support schools and institutional libraries, and collaborate with other libraries to strengthen library services.

The county directorate of library services will be expected to promote inclusive access to library services, particularly for persons with disabilities; publish county bibliographical and reference services; and perform any other functions as assigned by the Act or any other written law.

All property acquired for the purposes of a county library shall vest in and be held by the respective county government. A county directorate of library services may recognise a voluntary agency library or a school library and may offer it technical support and assistance. The county executive committee member responsible for library services or education shall have the power to make regulations.

The Committee held various public participation forums. In particular, we met with the Office of the Attorney-General; the State Department for Culture, the Arts and Heritage; the Kenya Law Reform Commission, and the Kenya National Library Service. While the stakeholders largely supported the Bill, they raised a few issues of concern. They expressed the need for explicit coordination between the county library systems and the Kenya National Library Service, the inclusion of digital formats of books, and the need to set out clear functions of the national library and county libraries so as to eliminate the possibility of conflict of mandates.

The Committee deliberated on the Bill and submitted a report, which was tabled before this House on 18th June 2026. The Committee also made the following observations. The Committee observed that the existing Kenyan National Library Services Board Act 225 was enacted prior to the promulgation of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 and does not adequately align library services with the devolved system of government. We also observed that the County Library Service Bill fills an important legislative gap by providing a framework for the establishment, management and regulation of county libraries. We also observed that the County Government Act, Chapter 265, gives the county executive committee within each county the power to determine the organisation of the county. Therefore, it is necessary to provide for the establishment of county directories of library services.

The Committee further observed that there remains a critical role for the National Government in maintaining and coordinating a national library service through which the Kenya National Library Service, particularly in relation to national policy, maintenance of the national bibliography, preservation of national publications, digitisation standards, research support, inter-county coordination, but also international collaboration should be left to the National Government, through the Kenyan National Library Service. The Committee also observed that there is need for clear coordination and co-operation mechanisms between the

National Government and the county governments, in accordance with Articles 6, 2, 186 and 189 of the Constitution.

Finally, the Committee observed that the complementary existence of both the Kenyan National Library Service under the National Government and the county library services under county governments will ensure effective and coordinated delivery of library services throughout the country.

The Committee, however, will recommend certain amendments at the Committee of the whole House so as to align the county library functions with a Legal Notice I mentioned earlier. Some of the proposed Committee stage amendments will address the following:

1. 1. The definition of the library under this particular Bill will be expanded to include digital formats of books.
2. 2. We propose to amend Clause 3 of the Bill to ensure the establishment of libraries in each sub-county, meaning the constituencies for Members of Parliament, to ensure access to knowledge resources.
3. 3. We will propose amendments to Clause 4 to provide for the role of county governments so as to provide the functions of county governments as expressly contained in Legal Notice No.142 of 2019 as aforementioned.
4. 4. We will propose deletion of some clauses providing for the establishment of county directorates of libraries so as to allow each county to organise itself in a manner it will perform the library services function.