Wednesday, 26th November 2025

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

You may now stop the Quorum Bell.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, on behalf of the Leader of the Majority Party, I beg to lay the following Papers on the Table of the House:

Next is the Chairman of the Committee on Delegated Legislation.

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

Reports of the Committee on Delegated Legislation on its consideration of:

I am told that the report by Hon. Esther Passaris is not ready. We will skip that.

We can now proceed to Order No.6.

Chairman of the Committee on Delegated Legislation.

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

THAT, this House adopts the Report of the Committee on Delegated Legislation on its consideration of the Public Finance Management

(Amendment)

Regulations, 2025, laid on the Table of the House on Wednesday, 26th November 2025, and pursuant to the provisions of Section 24

(4)

of the Public Finance Management Act, Cap 412A, this House approves the Public Finance Management

(Amendment)

Regulations, published as Legal Notice No.106 of 2025.

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

THAT, this House adopts the Report of the Committee on Delegated Legislation on its consideration of the Public Finance Management

Regulations, 2025, laid on the Table of the House on Wednesday, 26th November 2025, and pursuant to the provisions of Section 24

(4)

of the Public Finance Management Act, Cap 412A and Standing Order 210

(4)

(b)

, this House

approves the Public Finance Management (Government Press Fund) Regulations, 2025 (Published as Legal Notice No.142 of 2025), subject to annulment of Regulations 5(2)(d), 9(1) and 12(1)(g) of the Regulations for contravention of Section 13(m) of the Statutory Instrument Act, Cap 2A. I thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker.

Next Order.

Hon. Members, we were expecting Hon. Kipchumba Murkomen, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Interior and National Administration. However, he has sought the indulgence of the House because he is away attending the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) meeting on refugees, as well as the 3rd African Forum on Cybercrime Conference, taking place on 25th and 27th November 2025. Consequently, he is unable to be here. We shall proceed to the next Order.

Hon. Members, for those who want to contribute to this debate, please, press the intervention button. I can see Hon. Oundo, but he had already spoken yesterday. I shall start with Hon. Cynthia Muge, Member for Nandi County.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for the opportunity to comment on the President’s State of the Nation Address, 2025, made on the Floor of this House. I am glad to be in this House, alive and able to witness and add my voice to the President’s Address.

I appreciate the President because much of what he submitted during the State of the Nation address is not new. We have heard about these issues in other platforms. He is the kind of person who sees it as his responsibility to inform the people who elected him about what is

happening and what ought to happen. Having listened to his Address, we can appreciate a person who goes back to the people to inform them about how far we are and how farther we want to go.

I want to appreciate the issues raised in the Address, many of which spoke straight to our hearts and were our wishes, notably in infrastructure. We appreciate the President’s submissions in all the sectors such as ICT, transport, agriculture, and service delivery. Most importantly, for those of us from the North Rift, we have had a long-lasting problem since I was born. We have always had traffic when going home because of the size of the road that goes from Nairobi to the western part of Kenya. It was joyful to hear the President give us a blow-by-blow plan for that road. This will enable people from western Kenya to travel comfortably from Nairobi to the Malaba border. These were not just promises, but official commitments made on the Floor of this House.

I also appreciate the Members who have contributed to this debate. Many issues have been raised, notably the country’s economic growth rate. As a country and as representatives of the people, we are happy to finally have a very robust discussion on the growth of the economy. The growth of our country cannot be assessed without context. You cannot judge the economic growth and performance of a country in isolation. You must put into perspective all the factors that affect the economic growth rate, including global shocks, pandemics, and weather conditions. If you analyse these items objectively, you will find that Kenya remains a very robust and growing economy.

Following the discussions on the Floor of this House, I have been keen enough to get the verifiable database kept by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS). I was interested in the statistics for some years. In 2021, the growth rate was 7.6 per cent. In 2022 and 2023, it was 4.9 per cent and 5.6 per cent, respectively. In 2024, which has been a point of contention on the Floor of this House, the growth rate was around 4.6 per cent. Over the last three years, Kenya’s growth rate has been doing well. Cherry-picking the years or sectors will not give a conclusive analysis. You will just be doing politics. To come up with a proper analysis of the economy, you must put everything in context. The global growth rate is around 3 per cent, while ours is above 4.5 per cent. In a CBC class, you would go home with a report card of ‘‘exceeding expectation’’. With the global growth at 3 per cent and ours at 4.5 per cent, this Government and the administration of William Samoei Ruto is exceeding expectation in terms of the economy. As the leadership of this country, it is upon us to...

Thank you. The Member for Nambale, please, remember that you have five minutes, so watch the lights.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. It is a progressive speech that I believe will help steer our country forward.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, starting with the agricultural sector, I noted that the President is very keen to ensure that subsidised fertiliser is distributed at the ward level. That will have a big impact. Currently, the distribution is centred at the National Cereals and Produce Board stores only. Not many farmers are able to collect the fertilisers from those stores. We know that fertiliser will help improve production in our farms. We also know that our economy depends on agriculture. When we have fertiliser distributed near our farmers, many of them will improve food security which will help improve our economy.

On health, the President talked about increasing the Social Health Authority (SHA) contribution from Ksh550,000 to Ksh800,000 for cancer treatment. Many Kenyans have been suffering from cancer. We know that the people we represent have been going through a lot of pain to raise funds so that their people can be treated. When we raise the SHA coverage from KSh550,000 to KSh800,000, it will be a big relief to many cancer patients.

Still on the health sector, community health promoters (CHPs) are another big gain. We know that CHPs have really helped, especially in rural areas on treatment of malaria, diabetes,

and hypertension screening. Many people walk around looking healthy, but they are diabetic and do not even know how to detect sugar levels. Community health promoters have been moving around screening people for diabetes and advising them how to get treatment.

On the health sector, we have the National Equipment Service Programme. From the President’s Speech, it is going to help us because hospitals will only pay when they use the facility. This is different from the earlier model which was quite burdensome to county governments. We also note that SHA enrolment has really improved. We encourage many Kenyans to enrol so that the Fund can have enough money to cater for their treatment.

On the issue of infrastructure, as a Member coming from the western part of the country, it is a big relief because most of our people have been having problems travelling all the way from western Kenya to access the capital city. Nairobi is the hub of this country where many Kenyans come to acquire business commodities. Transporting the goods to the western region has been a big problem. So, the dualing of the Rironi-Mau Summit Road will open up the western region and open up the country. There are other roads that the President talked about, for example, the Kiambu Road, which links Nairobi to towns nearby. So, when we open up Kiambu Road, Ongata Rongai, and many other roads, we are going to help our country so that people do not waste time on roads in traffic snarl-ups.

I, therefore, congratulate the President on his progressive Speech.

On a point of order, Hon. Deputy Speaker.

What is your point of order, Hon. Chepkonga?

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I have a little problem that I need your help. I lost my card and I am unable to press the intervention button. I asked the department concerned and they told me it will take a long time. I am requesting that you see me.

You can always come and inform me on the side, here. Next, we have the Member for Endebess, Hon. Pukose.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I stand to make comments on the President’s State of the Nation Address in this House on the 20th November 2025. The President talked about many issues, as the Head of State, touching almost every sector of our country. Among them is the creation of the Sovereign Wealth Fund. This is something that many people have been thinking about. We hope it will be actualised. We support the President on this one.

On the issue of the Infrastructure Fund, it is a very great noble idea and a great dream. If it comes to fruition, this country will move in the right direction. It is important for all of us to support the idea. Moreover, this country is always litigious. Whenever the Government comes up with a programme that is going to help the country, somebody rushes to court to block it. This time, as a country, we need all of us to move together. It is incumbent upon all of us to see that this comes to fruition.

There have been issues about the privatisation of many of our non-performing parastatals. This House adopted a Paper on the privatisation of the Kenya Pipeline Corporation which will go a long way to make it more profitable and make it a company many people will admire. For the last five or 10 years, we have seen the Kenya Pipeline Corporation becoming scandalous, where there is loss of fuel and even busting of the pipeline, as we saw in Makueni, by sabotage. It has also become a cash cow for some individuals by varying tenders of the pipeline, which we are aware of. Therefore, it is high time we made this not just a State agency that makes losses, but one that can make profits for this country. A good example is Safaricom.

The President also touched on the Kenya Airways. He said that within the next one year, it should move in the right direction and something is going to be done. This is efficiency. Our President has a good vision for this country. Those of us who the public has given

opportunities to serve in various fields, we need to move together. Advisers and civil servants should come together and support this process to fruition.

Lastly, on the Rironi-Mai Mahiu-Nakuru-Mau Summit Road and to the western part of this country, as we approach December, the number of vehicles that will get stuck on that road is crazy. Therefore, if its construction comes to fruition as planned by the Government, things will improve and this country will never be the same again.

With those few remarks, I support the President’s Speech.

Hon. Hilary Kosgei, Member for Kipkelion West. If you have contributed, please, remove your card.

I join my colleagues in congratulating His Excellency the President for the State of the Nation Address that he delivered on the Floor of this House a week ago.

There comes a time in the history of a nation when leaders, who are going to transform a country held back by politics of hatred and ethnicity, are born. There comes a time when God gives a country a leader who develops and spreads development across the country. I am not talking about the skewed development that we have been used to since Independence in 1963.

I have heard people quote that facts are stubborn. I agree with them. Indeed, facts are truly stubborn. Among the facts is that foreign direct investment has tripled from Ksh60 billion in 2021 to Ksh195 billion in 2024. Another fact is that the farmer registration in the agricultural system has grown from 300,000 in 2022 to 7.1 million in 2024. This gives the Government a scientific intervention tool to distribute fertiliser and support food production. It is also a fact that maize production has increased from 44 million bags in 2022 to 70 million bags in 2024.

Specifically, I congratulate him on picking four national priorities. The first is investing in people through science and education, by ensuring that we increase the National Research Fund from 0.8 per cent of our GDP to 2 per cent by 2027. This will support scientific research on crops, including the new grafted coffee that has significantly increased yields. There will be research on wheat and sugar aimed at producing cane that matures in one year. It will increase production.

The second priority is water harvesting and irrigation. The country has depended on the mercy of God for a long time. We expected to eat and feed our population only when there was rainfall. With development of 50 mega-dams across the county, we will harvest much water to put 2.5 million acres of arable land under production. The land includes places like Ukambani, the coastal region, northern Kenya and other regions that had been ignored. That is production to feed our population.

On infrastructure, the creation of the Infrastructure Fund and the Sovereign Wealth Fund are timely ideas. We want to actualise this even from proceeds of privatising non- performing parastatals and agencies. Putting the seed money of Ksh200 billion to start these funds will ensure that we open up all parts of the country equally to include areas like western Kenya, northern Kenya, and every part of the country that was ignored.

We cannot celebrate one superhighway as a national symbol of success while other regions receive nothing. I laud the President for the 60 per cent of Kenya that will be reached through the dams.

He is making a lot of sense. Proceed, Hon. Member.

Northern Kenya has been ignored by successive regimes. Some Members in this House would want to imagine that the country is fine when their areas are fine. It will not be business as usual. We have a President committed to developing every region without favour or discrimination. That is why there is no State of the Nation Address delivered in this House that has matched the importance of the one presented last week.

We are not cowards. We have learned to speak the truth all our lives. We cannot exchange fear and tribal dominance for the truth that we must speak. Kenya must develop all its regions. The national cake must be shared equally. The vision of the fifth President is moving Kenya from a Third-World nation to a First-World nation by developing every corner of the country.

I thank you and congratulate the President.

Sorry, Hon. Chepkonga. Just one minute. I want to recognise the presence of the NG-CDF Committee of Bumula Constituency in Bungoma County. They are in the Public Gallery. I call upon Hon. Omboko.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, my name is Wanami Wamboka. Thank you for the opportunity to welcome the committee. They are here specifically on issues of bursaries and education.

You understand that the NG-CDF plays a very key role in national development. It has transformed previously underdeveloped areas, including northern Kenya, where you come from. We have seen these areas grow because of the work of the NG-CDF and proper usage of the money.

We have a strong team in Bumula Constituency that is largely composed of teachers who manage education programmes and the funds. They are here led by the NG-CDF chairman, Mr Powell Silisisi, and the education team, led by Mr Ikanda. They have performed well. I wanted them to have a feel of how it is to be inside this House. They must continue doing a good job so that the Member of Parliament continues to be elected and they continue coming here.

Thank you so much. I welcome my colleagues. Karibuni kwa nyumba. Murio muno basakhulu.

Hon. Chepkonga.

Thank you very much. I thank Hon. Kosgei for making his contribution in a very fervent manner. I rise to support the President’s Speech. I congratulate and commend him for a very wonderfully crafted Speech. In fact, he spoke from his heart. Due to time limitations, I will address three things in regards to the Speech.

First is the construction of the Mai Mahiu to Rironi Road. This is a very important artery of a road that will connect western Kenya to Nairobi City. We have been sleeping on roads many times. An accident occurred along Salgaa on Monday. We saw the queue there. We were there for over four hours yet I was driving back to Nairobi. Sixty per cent of Kenya uses that road to access the western region. I do not know any other road that is such a major artery in this nation.

Second, I listened to a Member who spoke yesterday. Because he is no longer the Chairman of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, he thinks the current Chairman, Hon. Atandi, does not know what he is doing. I inform him that Hon. Atandi is extremely qualified. You cannot be the only one who can be the chairman of the Budget and Appropriations

Committee for us to have a good budget. Hon. Atandi’s budget is an excellent one. We have seen a growth rate of 5.9 per cent this last year.

The Nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of this country has grown from Ksh12.9 trillion in 2022 to Ksh16.2 trillion in 2024. Is it not a miracle? That is in two years! As Hon. Kosgei has said, facts are stubborn. You cannot run away from them. In the famous Speech of John F. Kennedy, he said: 'Tell the people the truth, and you shall be free'. We are telling the people the truth so that they can be free of lies. There are people who say things that are concocted. They muddy and muddle facts which are as clear as day and night.

You know it, just as I do, that from 1963 to 2022, our contribution and capitation in the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) was Ksh320 billion. As of last month, it is now at Ksh640 billion. We have doubled it in two years. This means that in the next three years, we will have Ksh1 trillion in our contribution. This is a very sad situation. How do you pass a law which says I will contribute 10 per cent of my salary to the NSSF up to a maximum of Ksh200? That was a very scandalous law. This means that when I retire after working for this nation for 35 years, I will be paid Ksh340,000 based on my calculations. Even the insurance of the vehicles that you drive is Ksh400,000 per year. I used to contribute a maximum of Ksh200, but I was supposed to contribute 10 per cent of my salary which ought to have been about Ksh25,000. That is something that ought not to have happened. The President has corrected that anomaly. We should congratulate and thank him. We should borrow these funds to construct roads in this country. Tanzania Social Security Association (TSSA) has constructed 30…

On a point of information, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Order, Hon. Chepkonga. The

Yes, she is a very gracious lady.

She is the youngest Member in Parliament. Proceed.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker and Hon. Chepkonga for allowing to be informed by me.

Picking from the thoughts of Hon. Chepkonga, where he referred to the growth rate of this country in the GDP, he has also slightly made an insinuation about the previous administration. Like I said in my contribution, I inform Hon. Chepkonga that we cannot cherry- pick the years and selectively pick out the sectors to analyse to get the situation of the economy of our country. During the late President Mwai Kibaki’s tenure in 2008, we had a growth rate of 0.2 per cent because of the effects of the post-election violence. When Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta was the President in 2017, we had a growth rate of 3.8 per cent which was among the lowest. We had COVID-19 issues in 2021. We had an economic drop in growth of -0.3 per cent, still under President Uhuru's tenure.

To say that this administration has an all-time low growth rate is a nostalgic narrative because you want to live in the past. It is on the proper course, in terms of economic growth rate. We cannot cherry-pick the years and sectors to compare. That is not analysis, but politics. That is what it is.

Fair enough. Hon. Chepkonga.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I am not only the one who has been informed, but also the one who was misled and contributed to some fake information. I can see there is highly technical information from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and real report from Hon. Muge. She appears more schooled than those who misled us. I thank you very much for informing me and others.

For the first time, we have a tarmac road from Marsabit to Wajir. These are people who have never seen a tarmac road. They were even asking: 'What is this black thing?' In fact, they wanted to dig it and then put it in their house. However, they were told it is for using. You can imagine how some parts of this country look like. I know I was with Hon. Saney in the 11th Parliament.

Order! I think you meant there is a tarmac road from Wajir to Mandera, but not Marsabit to Wajir. Proceed. Is that the information you want to give him?

Fair enough. He has the information. Hon. Temporary Speaker has volunteered to give him. Proceed.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, you can see how we are ignorant of some places because we have no roads. If there was a tarmac road, I would have gone to Wajir and Mandera. There is no reason I should not travel to these counties and become a local tourist. We know the flora and fauna that are in those parts of the country are extremely good. This is where we should all go for local tourism.

With those many comments, I wish to support the President’s wonderful Speech. I will borrow the words of President Trump who christens everything as wonderful and super. That Speech was wonderful and super.

Hon. Kirima.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this important debate.

The report that we received from the President gives direction on how this country will forge forward. He gave us direction on a number of issues which this country is going through and is expected to go through to make it a more developed nation than the way it is. According to the President’s Speech, we intend to move this country from a Third-World country to a First-World country, as we are supposed to be compared with countries which were at par with us in the years of Independence, in the 1960’s and 1970’s. The report which the President gave, especially in agriculture, shows clearly that we are headed towards that direction.

There is the idea of easing the burden of the availability of fertiliser to the farmers. That was one of the most important aspects which the President helped. You cannot rule a hungry and undeveloped country. To reduce the cost of fertiliser from Ksh7,500 to Ksh2,500 is a great achievement which, as we debate other things, we should look at positively. We have been cultivating the pieces of land we have in various parts of Kenya from time immemorial. Their fertility has gone down so much. They require additional value for them to increase the value of production, so that we can feed the nation. They require additional value. We need to look at them substantively and establish how they can increase the value of their production, so that we can, at least, feed the nation. The President has done so much on agriculture. Let us not forget that the distribution of the fertiliser takes place at the national, county and ward level, so that the common mwananchi does not suffer in endeavouring to get fertiliser to his farm at the right time to realise adequate production.

As we speak, we are looking forward to a production of 12.5 million bags of maize. The previous production was seven million bags. That will be an achievement because it will

help us to not spend our hard-earned foreign currency on importing food. That cash can be used for other purposes.

There are aspects that the President talked about positively especially infrastructural development that impact the economy of this country substantively. The President said that there will be a dual carriage way connecting Makutano to Embu and Meru counties. That will be inspiring and it shows, in black and white, that the bedrock areas of Kenya’s economy – this is where we have coffee and tea – are going to be accessible to the capital that will help us to export coffee and tea without much difficulty. The expansion of the Lamu Port-South Sudan- Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor is going to open the northern part of the country. The expansion of the Kenya Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) is going to have a positive impact on the Kenyan economy.

With those few remarks, I believe that the President is on a positive trajectory. We should give him the support he requires.

Hon. Sene Ibrahim.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. The tone of the State of the Nation Address was to move us from a third-world desperate state to a first-class world state, which is welcome. That was manifest in his Speech throughout the Address. The President means well. His Speech was anchored on hope. He is giving Kenyans hope that things will not be the same. We have to think outside the box. There should be novel ways of governing this nation. Things must change. It was not ordinary for him to speak in that manner. The President sounded disturbed and he wants to change this country for the better by inculcating hope, not only for his remaining second term, but for subsequent terms that will follow. He means well and any leader should strive to take his country forward, not just for the present generation, but for posterity.

Giving hope is what is expected of any leader. Every leader is required to give hope and not to despair and lament to the people that he leads. The people led by President William Ruto require hope, even if there are gigantic challenges facing the country. So, I entirely agree with that part of his Speech. He wants us to change our minds and be positive by focusing on the future for the well-being of Kenya generally.

The President gave a very moving background of where he found the State in 2022. There was high inflation, lack of affordability of common household goods, bad economy that we were nearly defaulting sovereign debts, the Kenyan shilling was going down against the dollar disadvantaging exporters of this country. He talked about subsidies that were affecting the growth of our economy that were badly placed and were not well thought out in some sectors, especially food subsidies. He then moved to production that he felt was better than subsidising on consumption.

The President talked of the GDP, then doing badly and the ratings by international institutions. Kenya was on a precipice then. That was a moving background and it has been transformed. At least to that extent, in as much as we make noise and have some discomfort – never in life shall there be a perfect situation where all shall be happy – it will be good that we give support and commend the President where he deserves. The President actually went out of his way to stabilise the country.

Today, we are at least thinking of growth. We are talking of situations changing from bad to good. Then, there was no growth. There was negativity and a collapse. We were about to be a failed State like Somalia. For that, I commend the President. I am a UDA Member of Parliament and we did not come into power on a platform of sycophancy, but of objective criticism. There are times that we will criticise where we feel things are not right. The President mentored me not to be a coward.

I am afraid I can see time is up and I wanted to address a few things.

Give him additional three to four minutes. Proceed.

The President gave a flowery, sweet, persuading Speech. It was nice and good in language. I fear that it may blind us from attaining the good things he wants us to attain. It was a very nice Speech. He has done many things. He talked of 300,000 companies established in Kenya, meaning that there is more investor confidence in this country. The 300,000 companies will come with employment of our youth, mostly the Gen Zs who were in the streets carrying sufurias. They came to Parliament and chased us through the tunnels. You can remember what we went through two years ago.

The SHA is doing well except for some teething issues. Unfortunately, despite my constituency manager having contributed in the last three years to SHA, he was turned back yesterday by a health facility. The SHA has some systemic challenges that need to be addressed, but that does not mean it is not doing well. It is doing well. Many have been assisted by SHA. It is a success story for His Excellency the President.

For the first time, we do not hear the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) quarrelling with governors. It is performing its duties of making sure that there are no expired drugs perfectly. Drugs are delivered in a timely manner to county governments. Community health workers are dealing with the preventive and curative aspects of diseases and they are doing well. They are present all over the country checking the status of Kenyans before they seek medical care. That in itself will reduce the cost burden of health care in this country.

I am a pastoralist. Before I go to pastoralism, let me talk about the education sector. The President acknowledged the construction of classrooms with the help of the NG-CDF. The concern is that the NG-CDF has done great work in making sure that there is education infrastructure, more so classrooms in the rural parts of northern Kenya. With the coming to the end of the NG-CDF by 30th June as the court ruled, we need to think of what next and move with speed. What will befall northern Kenya after that? The first presence of the Government in northern Kenya was through the NG -CDF. If it ceases to operate by 30th June 2026, the people of northern Kenya will be challenged. It is good that the President recognised the importance of the NG-CDF, but we must consider the status beyond 30th June 2026.

Yes, this Government has employed many teachers, and for the first time, northern Kenyan is advantaged yet I have concerns about balance. Many teachers in other parts of the country are not working. The localisation of teachers has adversely affected northern Kenya. We need more teachers, and while I appreciate that many have been employed, are these teachers being posted where they are truly needed? We need to balance teachers across this country. Many teachers are in parts of Central Kenya and other parts, yet they are required in northern Kenya and Nyanza. There needs to be a balance in how these teachers should be posted.

Regarding overseas scholarships, while there have been many opportunities, corruption remains a significant issue. Deserving students from northern Kenya, as well as less fortunate students from other regions, do not get the scholarships. It is a preserve of a few. Previously, we had experts who mentored many professionals in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) areas, courtesy of overseas scholarships. This practice is no more, and now it seems to be shared only by a privileged few in the locations where scholarships are offered.

As for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) , the Government has made a leap in establishing institutions across the country, offering diploma-level education. However, of concern to me, some TVETs in northern Kenya are not yet operational. The ministry must ensure that the TVET in Bute, Wajir North Constituency, is completed and becomes operational to serve the constituents and others in northern Kenya.

It is true that universities have received significant funding and support from the Government, but governance remains a concern. Many universities are struggling due to

governance issues, despite the colossal disbursements from the Government. Issues regarding appointments to leadership positions, such as vice-chancellors, are affecting these institutions.

While there have been major housing projects, their progress in northern Kenya has been quite slow. I do not mean to suggest that there are no projects at all. There are a few, such as in Garissa and some constituencies. However, the majority lack adequate housing markets. The department is slow. I know they mean well, but we need to fast-track these initiatives to ensure that we realise the expected affordable housing projects, particularly for police stations and other essential needs.

Regarding the Hustler Fund, it is a good programme, but northern Kenya has yet to reap its benefits, possibly due to the interest aspect. We have requested the President to improve it to make it Sharia-compliant. Some individuals have benefited, and we are optimistic that the NYOTA Programme, which is constituency-based, will do better.

On the matter of digital innovation hubs, the President indicated that much progress has been made and that further implementations are on the way. I request that this process be expedited so that ASALs, who are disadvantaged, get internet connectivity.

Concerning airports, Garissa requires an international airport, as does Mandera. Wajir serves as a military airport, but civilians need an international airport as well. Marsabit also requires an airport, and Isiolo, while classified as an international airport, faces challenges, possibly due to the prolonged runway completion. It is time that airport development is not only a preserve for Nairobi, the coast and other regions, but also extends to the northern frontiers.

The President himself mentioned several times in his Speech the significance of ASALs regions. He stated that Kenya's 85 per cent ASALs is a game-changer. If Kenya is to achieve the double-digit economic growth envisaged, investment in these areas is key.

Give him an additional two or three minutes. Proceed. You are making a lot of sense.

There was much focus on what is usually considered normal - on the livelihoods of the white highlands; dairy, cashew nuts, cotton, pyrethrum and other manual contributions to the economy. However, the livestock sector, which holds 85 per cent of our landmass, remains the sleeping giant and was not given serious consideration. I request the President to pay attention to those parts of Puntland and Somaliland, which are minute regions. I must clarify they are not States. Calling them States is illegal. These regions export livestock annually in significant amounts to the Gulf States, yet Kenya has the potential to do much more because ours is a Government that exists, unlike a failed government.

Disease-free zones have not been established in northern Kenya, hindering our ability to take advantage of the livestock and beef that we possess. If we are to engage in trading our livestock, where is the railway to transport them? Right now, we cannot transport livestock to the Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) . Once it rains, we are unable to conduct business with them. We need improved roads, not just the Isiolo-Mandera Road, but also the Liboi-Garissa Road. Inter- and intra-county roads to neighbouring countries such as Mandera, Bute, and Moyale, towards Ethiopia, also require urgent attention. These major trunk roads deserve to be tarmacked to the necessary standards.

Regarding dams, solar, and wind power, the President discussed the need for investment in the ASALs. It behoves the Government to improve the infrastructure for us to do so. I know the President means well, but we were only emotional in our plea for empathy. We need to be considered as we have been marginalised for over 62 years. We had hoped that his Speech would begin with a focus on northern Kenya, and with at least half of it dedicated to addressing our issues. This does not imply that he has ignored us; we are calling for his empathy and

kindness to help alleviate our situation so that we may enjoy the benefits of this nation. Independence is for us all, not just for a part of this country.

Hon. Cherorot, followed by Hon. Elisha. Proceed, Hon. Cherorot.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for granting me this time to contribute to the State of the Nation Address. I wish to express that the President's Address was about his life, reflecting his experiences and interactions with Kenyans, as well as the direction he envisions for the nation.

The President provided us with the right trajectory. His Speech encompassed the past, present, and future. In his delivery of service, the President gave us the full programme of what projects he has done and what he plans to do in the near future. I cannot compare this President with any other presidents who have led this country. He is the only President who has the capacity, skills, wisdom and a vision to lead this country. When he started, he only had a vision, but during the Address day, he had a story to tell.

Kenyans have to reciprocate what the President has done in this country. I know this nation has been derailed for a long time. We have had several presidents lead this country, but they have not managed to take the bull by the horns and do what is required. He has taken this country to a different level. We are moving from a Third World to a developed world. We have seen this through some of the initiatives that he has started.

When he was voted in, I remember almost seven million Kenyans were listed by the Credit Reference Bureau (CRB) , but he ensured that he assisted Kenyans to be unlisted from CRB. He also brought in the Hustler Fund, which has helped many Kenyans build themselves economically through business. Additionally, he has brought in online businesses by starting the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) hubs in most constituencies where most of our young people are engaging in digital business; many have made money out of it.

The President has also worked on foreign jobs. As we speak, many Kenyans are abroad working, while others do business. This is one way of making Kenya economically stable and pushing it forward. Through his leadership, our economy has grown. We should leave alone the naysayers who have been talking a lot of nonsense, trying to oppose what the President is doing. Despite the challenges and the negativity that some people are trying to bring in, our President has really worked hard. He has brought about new ideas, programmes and projects.

Additionally, we have witnessed the Social Health Authority (SHA) being one of his programmes. We had the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) , but it had so many challenges. I want to tell a story of how one day I visited one hospital, St. Leonard's Hospital, in my constituency, where I met an old man who had been admitted. He asked me if the rich man admitted to the same hospital was in the right place or if he was the one in the wrong hospital. He could not believe that since only the rich go to St. Leonard's Hospital, but SHA made that possible. A man from a humble family could access the hospital and he could not believe that. Indeed, SHA has brought equality in our country.

Give him an additional four minutes.

Many people are speaking negatively about SHA, but it is working. It is only a matter of trying to adjust.

I also want to address agriculture. When the President took over, we used to import sugar and maize, but right now, we are heading in the direction where we will be exporting. This will be made possible via the subsidy on fertiliser from Ksh7,000 to Ksh2,500. As if that is not enough, the fertiliser is easily accessible in the village. Farmers do not even have to spend money as they did before - they would have to pick fertiliser from the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) .

Community health workers (CHPs) who go to homesteads checking on those who are not feeling well, who check people's blood pressure and diabetes, have been recognised. By doing so, the President has improved healthcare.

Another President's achievement is electricity connectivity. In most villages, people are connected, and those who are yet to be connected are in the process. He has really tried to improve the living standards of our people.

The basic needs of humans are food, clothing and shelter. If you go to most of these towns, I have visited Narok and other places, and clearly, one can see new markets coming up and new affordable houses. This is what he is doing to ensure that Kenyans live a better life.

He has not sidelined the youth. He has done all he can to ensure that they are attended to. We have had internship programmes in most institutions, which the previous Government could not do. Most of our youth are engaged and are doing well.

When the President was voted in, we had a problem with the Eurobond. He did not just sit and cry like other people; instead he swung into action and started paying for it. For those saying that economic growth realised is not genuine, they should know that all that the President has done is to improve this country. If he is given another term come 2027, Kenya will be the next Malaysia. Just the other day, the Prime Minister of Malaysia was in Kenya to discuss business.

On the issue of roads and infrastructure, we have the proposed Rironi-Mau Summit- Kisumu-Kisii and eventually to Malaba. Kenya will not be the same again. This road will reduce accidents, make it easy for traffic flow and reduce the amount of fuel we spend on the roads travelling home. This road will not only connect Rironi-Mau Summit, but the whole country will be connected. We will have good roads. Let us give our President another chance, and we will be impressed by what he will achieve.

I congratulate the President and wish him all the best. We pray that he remains in good health.

Hon. Elisha. Is Hon. Eve Obara in the House?

No.

Proceed.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to make my contribution on the President's Speech. Firstly, allow me to congratulate him for a very eloquent, bold and explicit Speech that detailed strategic and elaborate plans for this country.

For those who listened to the President, in his opening remarks, he was extremely optimistic, which made me more optimistic. For the first time in the history of Kenya, the loans that this country borrows are going to be equitably distributed to all parts of the country. As I listened to the President's Speech, especially on the infrastructure development, and mentioning that he is going to dual the Rironi-Mau Summit Road, eventually the road will proceed from Kisumu to Busia. He also mentioned the railway line that will proceed up to Malaba. That railway line will pass through Yala in Gem. With those indicators, I am certain that Gem Constituency will give the President a second chance under my leadership.

Secondly, the President mentioned that when he “picked” the economy, it was in tatters. The dollar was at Ksh162. Today, the dollar is selling at Ksh129.80 and buying is at Ksh130. This means that the President has done what it takes to ensure that the economy is stable.

He equally mentioned the issue of health and what the President has pushed largely is to ensure that community health workers, which is a baseline in any country that wants to take care of its citizens, are equipped with medical equipment to measure high blood pressure, diabetes and other related diseases. With such basic treatment at the community level, one can

easily be referred to the relevant hospital for proper treatment. I congratulate His Excellency for doing a superb job in the health sector.

Equally, he also mentioned issues to do with security and the elaborate interventions he has done to ensure this country is safe. I can say without an iota of doubt that the performance of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director, Mr Hajji, Hon. Murkomen and the Principal Secretary, Dr Raymond Amollo, is beyond measure. They have done a superb job to ensure this country remains safe.

On a point of information.

Just a moment, Hon. Elisha. Are you on a point of order or a point of information?

I want to indulge my close friend and beseech him that he allows me to give him a point of information for record purposes.

Is he willing to be informed? Just a moment. Are you willing to be informed by the Member of Parliament for Funyula?

It is either coefficient of correlation or coefficient of determination and as a good professor, I prefer you take the school of coefficient of determination.

Proceed.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I do not want to digress on what we go through at the university but I want to go on record on this. This has been peddled here so many times, which is incorrect. If you refer to the website of the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) , on 23rd September 2022, the dollar exchange rate was Ksh120.54.

Which year?

On September 2022, the dollar exchange rate was Ksh120.54 unlike what my good friend and neighbour, whom I have to pass through his constituency to go to my place, indicated it was Ksh160. He needs to go on record as this is an official record from the CBK.

You need also to inquire from a scholar to find out exactly how much was the dollar reserve at that time. The dollar reserve mitigates the dollar against the shilling because if the reserve is more, one can control the strength of the shilling, but there is a small reserve, then there is a problem. Consequently, are you capable of giving that correlation?

Hon. Temporary Speaker, given a minute or so, I can research.

The assertion by a number of Members of Parliament who have contributed on this is that we had very little reserves when we took over. That was also in the Speech of the President. Thereafter, there was downward spiral that happened immediately after the elections. Progressively, it went all the way up to Ksh163 and because you want to inform, I might as well inform you that you need to do a more research on that to get the exact condition of our economy at the time when the changes happened. You do realise, I, being a Member who is on the Chair and on the Speaker’s Panel, I am also a Member of Parliament who represents a constituency. I am not an ex-officio Member like the Hon. Speaker of the National Assembly. Proceed. You have heard the information that has been given to you.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, thank you for that intervention. However, you cannot logically pick on just one data of one month without looking at the whole year to have incontrovertible evidence. That would then school all of us to convince that the content of his brain is that of a professor. Nevertheless, on this one, I am sure you are not on the right place of history.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, the President equally mentioned issues to do with getting Kenya from a third world country to a first world country. I agree with him on the generation of electricity. As a country, we are generating 3,100MW. Our consumption in the evening when mama mboga is cooking is 2,347MW. The effective capacity of the system is 2,600MW. Thus, with all the Members of Parliament demanding that their constituencies be lit, it means we will go beyond the capacity. It is important that we do much more investment as the President exposed to ensure that we can get to 5,000MW. One hydro plant in Ethiopia is generating 5,000MW when a country like ours is generating 3,100MW. In fact, we as a country are importing 200MW from Ethiopia to supplement our needs. That is why sometimes we go off power because we do not have enough.

Therefore, I agree with the President and I encourage the people from Siaya that once we agree on establishing a geothermal nuclear plant, let us support the nuclear plant because it will generate in one-fold 4,000MW. Other than that, before the plant is built, we will have a nuclear research reactor that will help us produce isotopes that will help us in the field of cancer, especially ameliorating those suffering from cancer.

Secondly, in biotechnology research, the nuclear reactor has been used in other spheres to develop countries in areas of agriculture and even in health. Allow me to congratulate His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Kenya, and give him the assurance that he still goes for second term because he is equitably distributing resources in Kenya, as opposed to those other governments that have served us before. We took a lot of loans and all those loans were only used in Central Kenya.

Hon. Dick Maungu, followed by the Hon. Oyula.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for granting me an opportunity to also contribute to this important debate on State of the Nation Address by His Excellency the President last week.

The address of the President in the National Assembly is a constitutional requirement. Kenyans across this country waited in bated breath to hear the President address them, touching on a number of issues. I was one of such leaders who listened to what the President had to say to our great nation.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I picked a number of issues that he talked about, but I will talk about a few that would be of great impact and beyond to the great people of Luanda, whom I represent. At the beginning of this regime, our country faced a lot of challenges. Three years down the line, we have overcome quite a number of those challenges.

The President's Address touched on many other fronts. I am privileged to sit on the Departmental Committee on Education. It is true that one of the challenges that this Government faced was the introduction of the Competency Based Education (CBE) . At that time, there was a debate as to where we would get teachers to bridge the gap in teacher shortages. There were also questions of where we would place our Junior Secondary School (JSS) learners. The former regime had even gone ahead to construct classrooms in senior schools in preparation for placement of our JSS learners. But once the new administration took over, a number of things happened. One of the things that I must applaud the Government for is the recruitment of teachers to bridge the gap that existed. So far, the President said that the Government has recruited close to 76,000 teachers, which, as a Member of the Departmental

Committee on Education, I can confirm. There is also a commitment to recruit an additional

request the Government is that the 24,000 intern teachers be confirmed, so that they can also meet their daily needs and obligations. I thank the President and the administration for recruiting the 76,000 teachers.

I come from western Kenya, and one of the things that affect us is how we navigate our ways from Nairobi to the villages, especially during high peak seasons. This is about the major road from Nairobi through Nakuru all the way to western Kenya. It is a fact that year in, year out, we experience gridlocks on that road. People spend nights on the road. For example, it takes very few minutes for someone to travel from Nairobi to Nyeri because of the availability of a dual carriageway. People in Central Kenya largely spend their Christmas with their families, but people from western Kenya, including Nakuru, Eldoret and the entire Nyanza, for years have been spending nights on this road. A gridlock happens at Naivasha or Nakuru causing families not to reach their homes. It is always a nightmare for those who cannot afford air transport and have to go by road. They have to spend two days or even three in the highway. About two weeks ago, though it is not yet Christmas season, people spent the night at the weigh bridge in Naivasha because an accident had happened and there was no alternative route.

I add you an additional four minutes to wind up.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for your magnanimity. As I was saying, the proposal to have a dual carriageway from Rironi to Mau Summit will be a great relief to the people of western Kenya, who are rightfully members of this country. This is one thing that I applaud this administration for. A contract has already been declared awarded. I look forward to a time when our people will transit from Nairobi to western Kenya without spending nights on the road.

The other issue that I would like to focus on is the SGR. The former administration terminated the SGR at Naivasha. Currently, some areas, including Luanda, have been earmarked for the SGR to pass through. The SGR will start from Naivasha to Kisumu, through Luanda and Butere, all the way to the Uganda border. The railway will help get rid of the heavy trucks on our roads. Having a dual carriageway and an SGR on the other side is a great relief. I commend the President for that great initiative.

Another matter of importance is the need to have a National Infrastructure Fund. We cannot do the same thing the same way and expect different results. We have a serious shortage in the infrastructure kitty. Our roads are in a terrible situation. Kenya has about 14,000 paved roads only. We need to pave more roads. The only way we can do that is by having a kitty that can help us partner with the private sector so as to improve our infrastructure. That can only come from the National Infrastructure Fund.

I will also mention something on reinvestment. For you to invest, you must save. For many years, Kenya has had mega savings in terms of pension. We saw some reforms in trying to mobilise savings. Since Independence, the accumulated savings that have been taken as pension, especially under the NSFF, is about Ksh300 billion. There are countries that have much higher savings, which the Government can borrow from or partner with the private sector to improve our infrastructure. I recommend that initiative.

On affordable housing, I was among the people who were against the project. But I have seen the transformation that comes with affordable housing, including markets. Currently, in my constituency, there is a modern market worth Ksh376 million coming up. For all these years, the people of Luanda have been doing their business by the roadside. But now, we have a market which is well-progressed. I believe this is courtesy of the affordable housing.

On the issue of TVETs, Luanda was one of the few constituencies that did not have a TVET. Right now, I can brag that a TVET has been established, under this regime. The TVET will also have an affordable hostel. What else would we expect to talk about if not such initiatives? From where I sit, the Speech by the President met expectations. I hope that by the

time we get to the elections, he would have exceeded expectations so that Kenyans can give him another opportunity to serve.

I will now give the opportunity to Hon. Oyula, followed by Hon. Odege, then Hon. Yusuf.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute to the President’s Address. It clearly highlights the challenges that have faced this country and tells us the steps to take to overcome them. This country has had a lot of problems, possibly because of not having foresight. His Excellency the President has wisely indicated where Kenya should be, if only certain activities or investments were carried out.

The President has clearly outlined what he intends to do on agriculture. Food shortage has been very common in Kenya. With the proposed arrangements the President has come up with, if Kenyans work hard, there should be no more food shortage. We should get to where countries like India are, that instead of being importers, they have become exporters. Kenya should be an exporter of food instead of importing things like maize. I am sure the President's proposals will help Kenyans.

The President also touched on infrastructure, particularly the road network and railway. You know, like I do, that some years back, moving from Garissa to Wajir was a nightmare. I am sure things have now changed, thanks to the President's wise counsel.

Infrastructure is very important for a country’s development. Business people and tourists can move freely and goods can be transported from one corner to the other without any hurdles. That is what the President has considered, having known Kenya very well. He has crisscrossed this country. Therefore, he knows all the problems afflicting our country. He can tell you where each problem is. That is why he is able to mention most of the roads in Kenya. The President is looking ahead to make sure that the roads are properly constructed and maintained, and that we have dual carriageways to reduce the congestion we experience on our roads.

The changes in education will be very helpful to our children. Without proper education, we cannot export manpower. The introduction of technical schools will help a lot of our young women and men to advance beyond Kenya, reducing unemployment pressure.

What the President has come up with in the health, energy and ICT are very important. To fund all these areas, the President has proposed investments from which money can be used in some of the projects. He has proposed the creation of a fund where some of the proceeds from our assets can be invested for use within the country.

Give him two more minutes.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. We can talk of so many projects that need to be done in this country, but without money, we cannot do much. In his wisdom, the President has proposed the creation of a fund which will help the Kenyan economy. It will ensure that we avoid unnecessary borrowing. Some borrowing is not used for development, but for recurrent expenditure. These investments, if well looked after, will reduce our borrowing requirements. I congratulate the President for coming up with a forward-looking plan to help the country in the future. It does not mean that these things will be done tomorrow. They will be done in stages to make sure that we grow evenly so that the economy can cover all the requirements of the country.

With those few remarks, I support.

Next will be Hon. Odege, who will be followed by Hon. Yusuf, Hon. Cynthia Muge, Hon. Kanchory Memusi and Hon. Manduku, in that order.

Proceed, Hon. Odege.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Allow me to join my colleagues in debating the President’s Address made on Thursday last week. As I add my voice to the debate, allow me to congratulate our President for the eloquent presentation he made in this House. He touched very key areas which affect our country today. I will speak on seven issues of importance to me and to the people of Nyatike.

On food security, I was very happy to listen to what the President conveyed to Kenyans. We cannot depend on rain-fed agriculture if we want to sustain our food security. Currently, our neighbours contribute over 60 per cent of what we consume. I do not want to deny this, but some of our neighbours are not very comfortable with us. We cannot sit pretty and trust them to feed our nation. As a country, we must wake up and ensure that in the next five to 10 years, we are in a position to produce enough food for our people. If you go to the Kenya-Uganda and Kenya-Tanzania borders, you will be surprised by the number of lorries crossing into Kenya and leaving Kenya. The lorries cross into Kenya when full and cross back when empty. Our business people visit our neighbouring countries to look for food for us, which means we cannot feed ourselves. We should follow what the President said and make sure that ASAL areas are irrigated to produce enough food for our people. That is the right direction to go. If our neighbours close their borders, Kenyans will cry or starve because we do not have enough food.

On the same note, I want to challenge our ministries. For example, we have struggled in my constituency to produce rice. Small-scale farmers lack markets where they can sell their paddy. There was a time when Ugandans were coming to my constituency and carrying raw paddy to Uganda. After processing, they would export the same to Kenya as Ugandan rice. As a country, to ensure that we feed our people, we should encourage them to produce locally and have a market available for them. When we produce and we do not have a market, because we are very happy importing, we end up discouraging our people. The President was very clear on food security. We have to support him in constructing dams to ensure that there is enough water to produce enough food for our people.

On the sugar sector, in my constituency, we are sugarcane farmers. When Sony Sugar Company was not working, our people were stranded with cane. The private sector came and told us that they were ready to do business with us, but they could not cope with the production. Our farmers suffered losses. We lost it in the sugar sector, but we are now back. I thank the President for coming up with a very good strategy to ensure that farmers are given enough opportunity to produce and get the much-needed profit for themselves.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, the red light is scaring me.

Give the Member additional four minutes.

Proceed, Hon. Odege. You need the minutes.

On infrastructure, there is no single country in the world which can move from third world to developed status without roads. If we do not develop our roads up to rural areas, there is no single day we will say we are developed. The President said he foresees a situation where the Government can tarmac up to 10,000 kilometres of roads per year. Even though that is not enough for the country, it is a good start. There is no way we can claim to be developed if our roads are in pathetic state. By opening up urban roads and dualing them, I urge the Government to ensure that rural roads are also developed at the same pace, so that people in serious need of agricultural or health services can get what they want in the shortest time possible. The existence of roads can assure you of faster development. I also thank the President, because my constituency has never had a tarmac road since independence, but currently, about 100 kilometres of road are being constructed in my constituency, which is historic for the people of Nyatike.

We cannot have an educated population without employing teachers. I was recently looking at the list of the most educated countries in Africa and I was shocked to see that Kenya was not in the top 10. We should be in the top two, not even the top 10, because we have what it takes to educate our people. Our mission, as a country, is to be the top in education. We cannot allow ourselves to play second fiddle to any country in Africa. We are the best and we must maintain that rank. Employing more teachers is a move in the right direction. I only urge the Government to employ and retain them by providing them with salary, security and the tools they need to deliver. That will help our country to progress.

I do not want to repeat much on health, but Kenya is losing a lot of money when it comes to cancer treatments, which are majorly done outside the country. We should import the machines that cancer patients go to access outside the country, so that we limit external treatment for our people. Let us zero in on the major diseases that are forcing our people to seek treatment outside the country. We must fix our own healthcare system.

I also urge the Government not to focus on health at the national level and leave the county governments behind. About 80 per cent of our healthcare needs are in the counties. You will agree with me that almost 90 per cent of our county governments do not provide the requisite healthcare needs of our citizenry. If I am wrong, I stand to be corrected by anyone, but a satisfactory level of treatment in hospital is when you get medicines from that facility. You should not just get a prescription, but actual medicines.

I know that most governors are listening to me today. We should not just fix healthcare matters at the national Government level and ignore the county governments. Let us move at the same pace, so that we secure the healthcare for Kenyans from the national level to the county level, and even to the lowest level possible at the dispensaries.

Let me move very fast because of time. With regard to electricity, I want to thank the Government because we are making more efforts…

Hon. Odege, the Member for Nandi, Hon. Cynthia Muge wants to inform you. Do you wish to be informed?

Yes.

Proceed.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I also thank the Member who is on the Floor for allowing me to inform him. I agree with him. I also want to inform him that the true measure of quality healthcare is walking into a facility, being diagnosed, treated and given medicines. That is not happening in the counties. He has also said that governors are listening to him. I want to tell him that both the sitting and future governors are listening to him. He will be a happy man when the future comes.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I am well informed. I want to thank her for coming out very clearly.

We cannot dream of a healthy country if the county governments do not fix healthcare issues at the county level. We must demand for that as a country. Lack of medicines in our facilities, especially those at the lower levels, is alarming. People are not being treated. They do not get medicines. A majority of the people who get prescriptions cannot afford to buy those medicines. The SHA will only work if one goes to hospital and goes back home with medicines. If one is given a prescription requiring them to buy medicines they cannot afford, we will end up killing our society, which should not be the case. We should fix healthcare matters at the national and county levels.

On the issue of electricity, I happen to be a Member of the Departmental Committee on Energy. Last year, I was privileged to join my colleagues when we visited South Africa to benchmark. I was shocked. Over 16,000 megawatts of electricity in South Africa are produced from wind. Over 10,000 megawatts are produced from solar. My colleague, Hon. Elisha, was talking very well about nuclear power. I know we can try to generate nuclear power for our

country, but it will take time. Wind and solar energy are available today. Why not fix what we can immediately as we wait for the future? As long as we only produce 3,100 megawatts of electricity as a country, there can be no productivity. Any serious investor coming into the country will go away after seeing that we produce 3,100 megawatts of electricity because that is negligible.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I will skip the issue of housing and conclude my speech by talking about security. I thank our Government for what it is doing on security. We have had a number of security lapses, including those in northern Kenya and other areas. The Government’s actions so far assures us that we can protect our country. There was a security scare in Moyale this week. The country’s response made me happy as a Kenyan and a Member of Parliament. I am very happy with the way we are conducting security issues. Let us keep it up.

Allow me to congratulate our President and assure him of our support. I assure him of my support and that of the people of Nyatike for what he has done for us.

Member for Wajir West.

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

Allow me to, first, congratulate the President for coming up with a very ambitious plan to take Kenya to the highest level. I read this document, which will clearly guide us to a better place if it is implemented as it is. However, as a Member of Parliament from northern Kenya, and specifically Wajir West, I feel left out of this document. The President, in his own wisdom, has come up with an ambitious plan to introduce an infrastructure bond or fund, an electricity fund, and to dual various roads, as he mentioned in his Address, but unfortunately, none of those roads are in northern Kenya.

Some parts of this country do not have a single tarmac road. The President has promised to tarmac the road from Garissa to Mandera. Construction on some sections of that road has already started, but the progress of the work, and even the budgeting for that specific project, are a problem. Mandera and Wajir are not connected to the national electricity grid. I was expecting the President to consider completing even just one of those projects within the next two years.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, affordable housing is a very noble idea, but what percentage of these houses have been built in northern Kenya? I heard some Members say that they have 100 kilometres of roads, while we do not have even a single tarmacked road not just in the constituency, but in the entire region. I have also heard others talking about Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) markets of approximately Ksh300 million to Ksh400 million, yet none of those are in northern Kenya.

Hold on.

On a point of order, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Hon. Cynthia, what is your point of order?

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I do not have authority to speak on behalf of the people of Wajir West, the constituency that the Member comes from. However, as a Member of this House and a Kenyan, I want to see the statement of fact to the effect that there is no single tarmac in Wajir. I thought there is a bit of it, even if not enough to satisfy the Member, but I want the statement of fact.

Fair enough. I think that was a very general statement by the Member, both in terms of tarmac as well as the…

I will answer the good lady. There is no tarmac road in Wajir. If you want to believe it, I can take you there.

Hon. Yussuf, are you sure?

Yes. There is no tarmac road built by this Government or the ones before. That is what I am saying. We can even go today. The road from Modogashe to Samatar was under the Annuity Programme. It was tendered, but the contractor failed to go there before this Government came to power. The President promised to cancel the Annuity Programme and re-tender it so that it is built under the World Bank Program, but none has started. The Arab Consortium Bank was supposed to build the road from Samatar to Wajir. The advertisement was done, but the contract has not been awarded to-date. We have facts, my dear sister.

In conclusion, I request the President to include northern Kenya in his beautiful and ambitious plan so that we are also part and parcel of this country. I am very happy for the rest of the country that got roads and electricity. I am not against the development of other parts of this country. I congratulate and support the President for coming up with these programmes. However, I will be lying to the people of Wajir West if I do not state that we are excluded. I am not against anybody. I am simply stating facts. We want to be included and be part of the national cake.

We support the President 100 per cent.

Add Hon. Yussuf three minutes.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. We are ready to support the President, but we are asking for a fair share for northern Kenya. The President has come up with a very brilliant idea of harvesting rainwater, but how many dams from northern Kenya are in the 80 per cent arid lands that we want to irrigate and produce food for this country? Those are the questions we are asking. We request the President to go back to the drawing board, re-arrange and include us in his plan, so that we become part of infrastructure, irrigation systems and electricity programmes. We want to see the mini-grid from Garissa to Wajir, Moyale to Wajir, or from Ethiopia to Mandera. We request the President to include us. We are just asking for that stretch to be completed.

With those few remarks, I thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Hon. Yussuf, fidelity to facts is very important. The Temporary Speaker draws your attention to Page 118 of the President’s Speech. It states that the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation, alongside all relevant agencies, has already mapped the precise locations of the dams. The projects span the breadth of our republic from the High Grand Falls, a mega dam on River Daua in Mandera, Isiolo Barsalinga Dam, Yatta in Machakos, Sigly Canal in Garissa, Soin Koru in Kisumu, Rumuruti in Laikipia, Thuci in Embu and Tharaka Nithi, Lowaat in Turkana, Muhoya Dam in Nyeri and Kirinyaga, Narosura in Narok and Arror in Elgeyo Marakwet. Others include: Ndarugu in Kiambu, Kokwanyo in Homa Bay, Rare in Kilifi, Tongaren in Bungoma, and many more strategic sites nationwide. From the Address, there are three dams in northern Kenya.

Order, Hon. Yussuf. Fidelity to facts is very important. I suggest that you read the Speech.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I want to refer you to the President’s Speech. It partly says:

‘‘With dams, we can transform our arid and semi-arid areas into hubs of agricultural production, even in the absence of rainfall.’’

Which page is that?

Page 115.

Do you want to be informed by Hon. Cynthia?

No, let me just make my point. She can inform me later.

Proceed.

I am not saying that we were not included. When the President talked about 80 per cent of the arid lands, I asked about the number of those dams in northern Kenya.

Right now, in northern Kenya alone, there are about four.

Four out of 50. The Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation…

Order! We will not have back and forth. Just read Page 118. Do not cherry-pick. Read the whole Speech.

Proceed.

He cannot be informed if he is not on his feet.

Who do you want to inform now? He declined the information. I do not have authority to force him to be informed.

The House is not misled because the House has got this Speech, and the Temporary Speaker has already drawn the attention of the Member to a fallacy in his own statements. He is going to go back to it. Other Members who will contribute will also have copies of the Speech. You can inform Hon. Memusi, who is the next one. Hon. Memusi, proceed. This is a discussion on the Speech of the President. So, you can inform anyone on their feet on any aspect of the Speech, if he or she is willing to be informed.

Proceed.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, these seats are breaking.

What is happening?

We need maintenance here. Hon. Temporary Speaker, let me take this opportunity to also join my colleagues in congratulating our President. I have been in this House for quite some time now. I must say that this is one of the best State of the Nation Addresses I have ever listened to since I joined the National Assembly. Why do I say that?

I say this because the State of the Nation Address by the President touches on almost every sector of this country. On health, the President said something about the health sector. If you look at our road infrastructure, there was something in it. Most importantly, the people of Kajiado County were happy to hear that the Athi River-Namanga Road will be a dual carriage. What does this mean for the people of Kajiado? In simple terms, it means I can commute from

Nairobi to Kajiado. I can live in my rural village and work in Nairobi. It means people doing business and stuck in traffic for hours can move easily and do their business.

The Speech by the President also inspired right-thinking Kenyans. It gave hope to many people. I say right-thinking Kenyans because in this country, unfortunately, we have formed a culture of criticising everything. We do not even understand what we criticise. Just because it is the President who has said something, some people bring out negativity without understanding what has been said, but I want to say that right-thinking Kenyans have been motivated because the potential of this country was clearly brought out in the Speech. We have the potential to grow our own food and feed our population.

Very scary facts were brought out in the Speech on food security. This country has been fed for a very long time by only 15 per cent of the land mass. That is a very scary fact. It is scary because our population is increasing every day. We are giving birth yet as a country, we have never thought about where our food comes from. Someone somewhere is comfortable buying onions, tomatoes and other commodities without thinking about where they come from. The President has triggered a conversation to tell Kenyans that it is not right that we have depended for so long on only 15 per cent of the land mass to feed 85 per cent of the population on 85 per cent of the land mass. The potential of this country is not only in that 15 per cent. The potential is also in the more than 70 per cent of the arid areas. What did the President say about the arid areas? He brought out the potential these areas have to feed this country.

On water, the President is on record saying that we do not need rain to grow food. Many people went on social media without understanding that this is possible. They criticised the President, but today, as I stand here, I want to be a testimony. In Kajiado right now, there are no rains, but I am growing fodder.

Give Hon. Memusi additional four minutes.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I want to testify that in Kajiado, even though it is dry and we have not received much rain, some of us are irrigating fodder that is feeding animals. The migration of animals that we see among the pastoralist communities can be ended. What is out of order, Hon. Temporary Speaker? Please, protect me.

On a point of order, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Hold your moment.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, the Hon. Member is misleading the House and Kenyans that you can grow food without rain. Further, he went on to say that they have water in a reservoir. That means the water came from rain. So, we need rain to have water in dams in order to irrigate. He should not mislead Kenyans.

The Member means that you can have non-rain-fed agriculture, which means using dams, underground water, or subsurface water. Fair enough. He is happy with that information.

It is good that Hon. Wanjala has raised that issue so that I get an opportunity to educate, not just him, but also many other ignorant Kenyans. Countries like Israel receive less than 150 millimetres of rainfall. To grow crops, you need at least a month of rainfall for rain-fed agriculture. When you are doing irrigation, when you conserve water, whether from rainfall or boreholes, even one day of rainfall can help germinate your crops. You can irrigate continuously with no rain using conserved water. So, Hon. Wanjala, when certain things are said, some of us speak from experience. I have stated a fact that in Kajiado we did not receive much rain, but I have dams that are full. I am irrigating fodder with no rainfall. It is possible for Kenya to be fed from arid and semi-arid areas. Please, Hon. Wanjala, allow me to finish. You will state your facts.

On a point of order, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Hon. Wanjala, allow Hon. Memusi to finish. What is your point of order, again?

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I am clear. It is not that we cannot grow crops without rain, but we can irrigate. I am saying that for you to get water for irrigation, you must get the water from rain.

Proceed, Hon. Memusi.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, it is sad for a leader of the stature of my Chairman to be live on national television and reveal his ignorance. There are people irrigating from boreholes without the need for rainfall. So, it is possible. Hon. Wanjala, please, wait for your time.

Order, Hon. Wanjala. The Temporary Speaker notes that, because he is from an arid area. You can extract water from underground. There is desalinated water from the sea for agriculture and drinking.

Proceed.

There are countries like Egypt that sit on the Nile and depend fully on the River. So there are many ways to grow food. The mind- set of Kenyans has been that you cannot have food without rainfall. That is the mind-set we are trying to change. You can see that it is very difficult because people, as exposed by Hon. Wanjala, are still very ignorant of the fact that it is possible to grow food without rainfall.

Moving on to another point, the education sector is the most ignored sector in this country. It has been ignored in all ways, including in infrastructure and staff support, particularly in arid

areas. Kajiado, where I come from, is an example.

Give Hon. Memusi additional four minutes. He is speaking to the heart of the nation and the Chair. I come from a pastoral area.

Proceed.

Thank you. I know you relate to these issues.

You will find a school in a place like Kajiado with a population of not less than 200 students and only one TSC-employed teacher. That is the head teacher. He is responsible for teaching more than six or seven streams. How does one do that? We have compromised the quality of our education for a very long time. You will find a child in these areas who has finished primary school and joined secondary school, has completed Form Four, but cannot express themselves eloquently. Why? They have never had the opportunity to be taught.

The Government has employed more than 70,000 teachers so far. This area has been ignored in staffing and infrastructure. We have always depended on the NG-CDF for very long. I take this opportunity to tell the Members that the NG-CDF has changed the landscape of Kenya. For that, we must not allow anybody to touch that Fund.

I also appeal to the President because he is keen on changing this country. He is the only President I have seen having a different conversation about Kenya. He is talking about the potential this country has. I appeal to him to protect the NG-CDF because that Fund belongs to the people. If interfered with in any way even through legal processes, they will blame this regime for losing the NG-CDF.

The State of the Nation Address addressed many important areas to Kenyans. My only concern and thought is the succession plan for this country. With all the good plans, President William Samoei Ruto will comfortably do his two terms. Who else will come and think about healthcare? Who else will think about housing? Who else? I think we need to start thinking about the succession of this country after William Samoei Ruto.

Next is Hon. Manduku, who will be followed by Hon. Wanjala.

Order, Hon. Wanjala. Hon. Tonui from Kuresoi will follow them and then we continue like that progressively. Hon. Manduku, proceed.

Thank you. I think we should forgive Hon. Wanjala because he comes from a flood-prone area. He may not understand issues in arid and semi-arid regions.

Let me start by giving my condolences to the family of the late Raila Odinga and the larger Jaramogi family for the loss of Madam Beryl. We pray that God rests her soul in eternal peace.

Listening to the President's Speech, I remembered a similar speech given by the late President Mwai Kibaki on the realisation of Vision 2030. I could correlate many aspirations in that Speech. We aspired to be a middle-level country by the year 2030, with a double-digit economic growth if sustained in preceding years.

A few things have gone well in this country. They include teachers’ employment. For the first time, we are talking of 100,000 employed teachers. That number has never been realised since our Independence. On that point, I wish the President had encouraged the TSC to also look at expanding the establishment and ensuring that there is fair promotion and adequate remuneration for teachers, so that we can continue motivating them and maximise their talent in ensuring that our learners do well in school.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, the affordable housing program is the second thing that has gone well. I speak here as an authority, having been at the launch of a similar exercise way back in 1995, when the then Minister for Public Works, (Prof) Jonathan Ng’eno, who was a Member of this House, launched this programme at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) . I was a student of architecture at that time. It was thought that in the subsequent years, the President would launch the first programme in Lang’ata Constituency. However, no one was bold enough, until Hon. William Ruto came and launched this programme.

I have been privileged enough to work and travel the length and breadth of this country, where I have seen real transformation in affordable housing and markets. As an architect, I confirm that this is a programme that we, as a country, ought to support because it will ensure that our youths are adequately employed. It may also generate positive economic activities down in the constituencies.

We often compare ourselves to the Asian tigers, but we lose one fact. At Independence, the literacy levels in Singapore and Malaysia were above 60 per cent, while they were below 20 per cent in Kenya. More than that, these countries have been able to sustain growth because they work on their populace. The trick or way to achieve growth is by working on the software. While the President talked of Ksh5 trillion, he did not talk about inclusion, meritocracy and excellence. These are the factors that have led to the growth of the Asian tigers.

Talking about inflation, the stability of the Kenyan shilling versus the United States of America Dollar, growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and other International Monetary Fund (IMF) ratings may not be useful to many Kenyans because the ultimate measure is the cost of living and availability of money in people’s pockets.

On the issue of infrastructure, there are roads, railways and the idea of bringing in sovereign and wealth funds to finance their construction. It is important to ensure that there is value for money even as we go into other alternative funding models for our large and ambitious infrastructure projects.

On the issue of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSME), it is very sad that up to 90 per cent of the pending bills today are owed to this group of people. In this light, I will bring to this House…

Give him additional time.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I will bring a Bill to this House to amend sections of the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act. I will provide for 100 per cent advance payments to all MSMEs for goods and services below Ksh5 million, provided that there is adequate guarantee or escrow account arrangement. This will boost the liquidity of this very critical sector.

The President touched on the ease of doing business. However, he forgot to say that our biggest problem in this country is the multiple and overlapping licences. In some instances, you find an entity requiring up to 10-15 different licences from different regulators yet this can be harmonised by having a single licence window, as it happens in our neighbouring country, Rwanda.

The President did not talk about the failure of devolution. It was supposed to ensure equitable development at the grassroots. It is very sad that many of the projects that we see in this country today are a result of the NG-CDF yet our governors receive their equitable share every year. The President also did not talk about nurturing our national values, as happened during the Asian Tigers' growth. On the whole, I want to commend the President for a bold and ambitious programme that we hope will transform this country into a middle-income economy with double-digit growth, as previously envisioned in Vision 2030. Thank you.

Thank you. Hon. Wanjala, it is your turn.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker, for giving me this chance. While I thank His Excellency the President for his speech, I did enjoy it as a musical instrument.

It is good that the President started by saying it was a vision; later, he said it was a story, and indeed, it is a story we have heard. Maybe I was in this House when some of the people howling were in schools because I have been here from 1997 to date. This country belongs to all of us, and each of us, especially those in the Orange Democratic Movement

(ODM)

, has supported our President since he said the country will grow together. He will make sure the whole country develops. The other day, I read in the newspaper that they want to build a huge hospital in Eldoret for Ksh50 billion, yet there is already a big referral hospital in Eldoret. In contrast, other counties have no such hospitals. We have 47 counties in the country that do not even have a referral hospital. If we want to develop the whole of this country and we have this KSh50 billion, why do we not build a hospital in every county worth KShs1 billion for referral purposes? Or if there is one, we equip it to reduce the influx of people heading to Eldoret. The balance of Ksh3 billion can be used to expand the existing hospital.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, there are disparities in this country. There are people who, when they are not close to the leadership, do not get development. Ksh50 billion is a lot of money to go to one section of a country. We need to spread it so that we do more.

What is your point of order, Hon. Kimaiyo?

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. Does the Hon. Member mean that Eldoret does not deserve the Ksh50 billion hospital? Does that mean the hospital only serves people in Uasin Gishu? To the best of my knowledge, the hospital

belongs to all the people of Kenya, whether in Eldoret or any other part of the country. Even the current hospital, the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), serves the people of Western, Rift Valley, and Nyanza; in fact, it serves 24 counties.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I want to agree with him that Uasin Gishu, like any other county, deserves development. However, how does he envision someone from Western, Budalangi, travelling to Eldoret for a simple thing, when it would have been done in Busia or Kakamega? This is what I am saying: we need to reduce the influx and cut down on transport costs. After all, it requires ambulances, transport, and a lot more. Therefore, let us distribute the little wealth we have in this country, so that each one of us can benefit.

What is your point of order, Hon. Member for Kacheliba?

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I wish to inform the Hon. Member that we have 47 county governments, established to devolve services. One of the devolved services is health. So, before he comes to complain in Parliament, can he tell us what the County Government of Busia is doing about the simple things he is talking about? We are talking about a national issue. You cannot address a county issue first before a national problem.

That is a point of information. Proceed.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I want to tell the Hon. Member that it is only the Senate that is mandated to deal with county functions. I am dealing with an issue in which the National Government has released funds to the county government to build that hospital. The national level is where policy matters are addressed. The policy should be that if we gave each county a billion shillings, we would have a referral hospital in every county.

Hon. Muge, what is your point of order?

Hon. Deputy Speaker, is the Member in order to claim that the National Government has sent money to the county government to actualise that project? That project is a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project. It has nothing to do with the county government. In this House of Parliament, we cannot afford to talk about distributing Ksh50 billion across all counties when we are trying to establish a centre of excellence in sports development at the MTRH in Uasin Gishu. I do not come from Uasin Gishu, but because of my nationalist spirit, I support that project. We should all support it so we can have a centre of excellence that the whole country can access.

Hon. Kanchory, did you have a point of order?

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I request that you ask the Member to restrict himself and his debate to the State of the Nation Address. Every Kenyan should actually celebrate the Eldoret matter. I hear him lament that people travel from western Kenya to Eldoret. Kenyans go to India for medical treatment. For God’s sake. What is wrong with establishing a centre of excellence that other countries can copy? We must start looking at Kenya without the eyes of tribalism. We must begin looking at our country and celebrating any achievement made anywhere, because it is an achievement for all of us. I would want that centre to be put up even in Turkana or anywhere else, so that I do not travel to India for medical treatment that I can get in my own country.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker.

Hon. Waqo. I will give you more time, Hon. Wanjala. Do not worry.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. Unfortunately, a ranking Member like Hon. Wanjala, who has been here since 1997, when some Members were yet to be born, has made such claims. We are all Kenyans. Such institutions, built anywhere in this country, will benefit the entire country and all Kenyans. Unfortunately, that is the way he is thinking. The President has done the right thing. Ours is to encourage him to continue doing that, and also consider other parts of this country, so that we can develop.

Give him more time.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I am not against what is happening in Eldoret. At paragraph 16 on page 4 of the President’s Address, he said, “I have often spoken of the Asian tigers—South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia— countries that at independence were our peers in nearly every measurable way. They had no extraordinary resources. They were not superhuman. They dared to make bold, disciplined and deliberate choices, and they invested in their people”.

That is what I am saying, Madam Speaker. If they give Garissa one billion...

Order, Hon. Wanjala! It is not Madam Speaker.

Oh, sorry, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I was reading. I did not know there was a change of Chair.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, what I meant is that we all deserve the best. We already have a large hospital serving us, and I am not denying that it may require expansion. However, why do we put Ksh50 billion in one hospital when the rest of the country has none? We only have KNH and MTRH in Eldoret. That is what I am saying.

On a point of order, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Order, Hon. Wanjala! What is your point of order, Hon. Kimaiyo? Hon. Wanjala, you will have more time. Clerk, you will give him an additional four or five minutes.

Hon. Kimaiyo, what is your point of order?

(Technical hitch)

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I did not want to interrupt the Hon. Member. However, when he asks what the point is of allocating KSh50 billion to one hospital, he forgets that our President talked about us being a first-world country. We cannot be a first-world country without centres of excellence. So, the President wants to use that one hospital as…

It is not a hospital for the first instance. That means that we have sub-county hospitals in our counties. We have health centres and dispensaries. It is only when they are unable to handle a case that they will refer you to KNH, MTRH, or Kenyatta University Teaching, Research and Referral Hospital (KUTRRH) . I know a referral hospital is coming up in Kisumu. So, you are assuming that it is the only hospital, and that it is not for day-to-day medical issues, because county government hospitals handle such matters. The Member’s information is incorrect.

Order! Yes, Dr Mutunga, are you on a point of information? Hon. Wanjala, do you wish to be informed by Dr Mutunga?

Proceed, Dr Mutunga.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I stand not as a Member of Parliament from that region, but to inform and remind Hon. Wanjala that, at the moment, people from Budalangi are travelling to KNH in Nairobi to seek treatment. When the MRTH is ready, the Budalangi people will have to travel a shorter distance to access it.

When Members stand on points of order stating that we should not invest in such initiatives in various parts of this country, we will be fighting against our own ideals of developing this country. What is wrong with having such a facility in that area? Somebody from Turkana has to travel all the way to Nairobi. That distance will be halved when the Eldoret facility is ready. Somebody from Samburu travels a long distance to reach KNH in Nairobi. Hon. Wanjala has no point in trying to further that argument in this House.

Hon. Wanjala, do you wish to be informed by Hon. Cynthia?

No! I have had enough advice. I am not opposed to MRTH in Eldoret. However, the hospitals in the majority of our counties cannot do anything. They are dilapidated, yet we are using Ksh50 billion in a hospital that already exists and only needs expansion. Why do we not allocate Ksh1 billion to the 47 counties and build additional referral hospitals? People from Budalangi need 12 hours to reach KNH for ailments that could be treated at the county level. I do not oppose the expansion of existing hospitals or the establishment of new ones. However, if we aspire to be like Korea or Singapore, we must develop the whole country.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, the President mentioned the development of 28,000 km of roads. These developments will indeed spur economic growth, but how shall we approach this? As the President stated, those other countries are not superhuman beings; we must take bold steps and exercise discipline to achieve this.

What is your point of order, Hon. Cynthia?

Hon. Temporary Speaker, is it in order for Hon. Wanjala to insinuate that the expansion of MTRH should not have been undertaken? He seems to be unaware that MTRH is in town. The facility in question has been relocated to Kiplombe to support a 4,000-bed capacity and 60 ICU units. We cannot allow Hon. Wanjala to mislead the House. While I agree with him that other parts of the country need funding to upgrade their facilities, he cannot undermine this project, as it has specific partners and objectives, and the funds cannot be used for anything else.

Allow Hon. Wanjala to make his contribution.

The Bible says that those who have more, more will be added unto them. They are content because they have more, and more is being granted to them.

Hon. Wanjala, you have taken a lot of time.

There were several interjections.

It is okay. I will give you an additional four minutes.

Thank you. The President is ambitious about the dams, and this is a good idea. However, how shall we implement this? We do not have sufficient funds, and resources are limited. We must deliberately decide whether to use the Kenyan Army or recruit more individuals for the National Youth Service (NYS) . We should

avoid engaging businesspeople who seek profit from infrastructure projects. This is what Korea did.

Furthermore, we must eradicate corruption. Those who engage in corruption often turn to the ruling parties. For instance, the UDA candidate in Mbeere North is being pursued by the EACC for allegedly embezzling funds from KNH. This is all over the news.

Order, Hon. Wanjala. Do you wish to be informed by the Deputy Speaker? Proceed, Hon. Sholei.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Hon. Wanjala, I wish to inform you that the Kenyan Army or the NYS should be used instead of businesspeople. In fact, the MTRH is being constructed by the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) . The stadia, including Kipchoge Keino and Talanta, are also being built by KDF. KDF renovated the Kenya International Conference Centre (KICC) and the National Assembly. This is already in progress. Give credit where it is due.

I did not suggest that it was wrong. I appreciate it, but I would like to emphasise that businesspeople have incapacitated this country, which is why we are lagging. They take a lot of money from the Government. If we procure more equipment and employ additional personnel in the Army and NYS, we would only need to cover fuel, equipment costs, and salaries. Our young men have no jobs. It is only then that we will realise the Government's vision. We must also put an end to corruption, since those involved in it run to the ruling party. This is evident in Mbeere North. We do not want a Member of Parliament arrested and taken to Court the following day.

On a point of order, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Order, Hon. Wanjala! Hon. Passaris, are you on a point of order or a point of information?

I am concerned when you make blanket statements about businesspeople. This country was once at a point where everything was nationalised, and that is not the direction we should go. Using the KDF is okay, but the private sector is the engine of every country. That is where resources come from.

Let us stop making blanket statements about business people. We want to attract as many foreign investors as possible to come and do business in our country. They are the ones who employ our people. We should do what we can as a country. We cannot just say that the businesspeople are the problem in this country. Kenya needs the private sector and the businesspeople.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I agree with her. However, it is not the Army that will be manufacturing cement, tarmac, metal, timber, boots or the clothes they wear; what I am talking about is the manpower to do the work. She has even mentioned the progress of building the biggest stadium. That is the same model the Late President Kibaki improved this country when he took over in 2002. He used the National Youth Service (NYS) and the Army to do some of the roads. That is the route we should take.

Additionally, we should deal with corruption. The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has let us down. How did they clear that gentleman from Mbeere to go and contest?

Order, Hon. Wanjala! You cannot condemn somebody who has no powers to protect himself on the Floor of the House.

I have not mentioned the name.

Order! There is due process in this country. I rule you out of order. Whether he is in Mbeere, Garissa or Budalangi, do not condemn an individual who does not have access to protect himself here. Continue and give

your contribution on the substance that was in the President’s speech. For your information, even in the developed world, there are referral centres of excellence.

Of course. For Instance, in the United States, the Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins Clinic, and Cleveland Clinic. Those are the three top ranges there. The same thing is in the United Kingdom (UK) and many other countries. So, having a few exceptional top referral and research institutions in the country, like the MTRH, KNH and KUTRRH, is normal. But anyway, continue.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, if you heard Hon. Yussuf and me well, is that there is no road from there to Garissa. How many roads are in Kiambu and Murang’a? Our point is that we need to share the little we have. Please do not invest in one place; that is my point. There is no single referral hospital in Garissa. Tell people the truth. The little that is available should be shared. There are people in Garissa who cannot afford transport to KNH…

On a point of order.

What is out of order, Hon. Cynthia? Give Hon. Wanjala an additional five minutes.

Madam Cynthia is on a point of order. What is out of order, Madam Cynthia?

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I agreed with Hon. Wanjala until he mentioned the issue Hon. Yussuf had raised. I come from Nandi County and represent its people. However, as a Kenyan, I have taken it upon myself to verify the claim that there is no tarmac road in Wajir. This is a confirmation from the Director General, Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) , who has told me that: Tarbaj has 10 kilometres ongoing, and the others are complete; Eldas 7 kilometres, Bute 7.2 kilometres, Habaswein 10 kilometres, Hadado 10 kilometres, and Griftu 10 kilometres. We must argue with facts on this Floor of the House, so that we avoid making a very baseless ...

The rules somehow shackle us. As a Chair right now. I cannot debate with another Member. However, as you mentioned, there are tarmac roads in Wajir, though they are not as good as those in other parts of the country. There is also a very elaborate and ambitious programme to tarmac every part there.

On the other hand, referral hospitals are available everywhere. We have the Provincial General Hospital in Garissa, which is a Level 5 referral hospital. Essentially, there are referral hospitals, but one has to understand the hierarchy of the health sector. There are a few exceptional research hospitals, such as KUTRRH and MTRH.

Proceed, Hon. Wanjala. You are making the House lively, so the Chair has no issues with you. Continue.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I agree with you, but the Hon. Member said that they have not had tarmac roads since independence. It has now been 60 years since independence. That means that for 60 years, that area has not had a tarmac road. Even the Director-General has confirmed that they have just constructed seven kilometres of tarmac road. How many kilometres of tarmac road do Kiambu, Meru and Murang’a have? Those are the questions that we need to ask.

Are you questioning the past or present?

The past has a bearing on the future.

Who is responsible for the past?

Responsible people in various offices should ensure that areas like Busia and Garissa, which did not previously benefit, now do.

You got it right. The Address was based on equity and equality.

Yes. That is where I am.

Okay, proceed.

Equity is the most important issue. Budalangi and Nyando have suffered. The Government has watched our houses being washed away and people suffering, yet to date, no action has been taken. I can confirm to you that we are a bit relieved because President William Ruto has just given us a dyke worth Ksh153 million. The same is being done in Nyando. Why do we not prioritise the dams on the Nzoia and Nyando rivers? That is where the problems are. Tongaren Dam, which is supposed to save the people of Budalangi, has not been prioritised. Let us prioritise such dams.

We are still talking about the Kimwarer and Arror dams. They have not told us where the Ksh7 billion that was allocated to those dams went. They tried arresting people, but none have yet been charged. They were never imprisoned, yet they still want to allocate more money to those dams. They should prioritise rivers causing problems, such as the Tana River and others.

When you say “others”, you do not in any way diminish the importance of the ones you have already mentioned. This is the English language.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, “others” come later in terms of priorities.

Order, Hon. Wanjala. The Address by the President also included River Yatta in Machakos, Thuci Dam in Embu, Muhoya Dam in Nyeri and others. The word “others” means as much as the ones listed. It does not mean any less than the other ones listed. Do you know what I mean? Others include Kokwanyo in Homa Bay, Ndarugu in Kiambu, Tongaren in Bungoma and Rare in Kilifi. It means the same thing. They are all prioritised.

Hon. Raphael Wanjala (Budalangi, ODM) : Hon. Temporary Speaker, I do not want to be among the “others”. I want to be a priority like the Kimwarer and Arror dams, which siphoned Ksh7 billion. Since independence in the 1960s, we have still been experiencing floods. We are crying. We look for relief food. When shall this stop? It will only stop when the Tongaren Dam is completed. Floods in Budalangi affect the people of Trans Nzoia. If I may amuse you, all the water that goes to Budalangi comes from Uasin Gishu, where the President comes from. It comes from Trans Nzoia County, which neighbours the President’s county. Only this President can save us by completing the Tongaren Dam. We will suffer if he does not do it.

On roads, I suggest that the Budget and Appropriations Committee go the NG-CDF way. For example, if we have Ksh600 billion against 290 constituencies, why can’t each constituency get Ksh1 billion for a road, even 20 kilometres that year? The rest of the Ksh500 million...

Do you want some more time?

Order, Hon. Wanjala. I will add one minute to conclude.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, as I was saying, we can then allocate the President more money to distribute as he sees fit. But each constituency

should get at least Ksh1 billion for the roads. The President is trying to distribute electricity through Kenya Power. We are happy about that. But we have a problem with road construction. In my constituency, there is a road called Rwambwa-Mau Mau. The President has promised to start that project 17 times now. The last time he was in the constituency, he promised to come with the contractor within two months. It has been seven months since then. People are insulting me on social media, asking where the President is. As leaders, we should promise the people what we can deliver. Let us not say what we cannot do.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

I will give this chance to Hon. Tonui, followed by the Hon. Brighton, then Hon. Lotee. I will also give an opportunity to Hon. Kirui, as the Hon. Deputy Speaker had instructed me. Proceed, Hon. Tonui.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for the opportunity to give my comments concerning the President's Address. From the onset, I support the President's Address. This is because his speech touched on all sectors of the economy. He gave a reassuring speech. The President's speech touched on all projects which we can see in all 47 counties. The performance of His Excellency the President, in his first three years, is exceeding expectations. For example, on road tarmac, the Government has done about 28,000 kilometres in all the counties, which is a big achievement. The Rironi-Mau Summit dual carriageway will be a game-changer. There have been cases of people sleeping on the road with their children because of severe traffic jams. So, the dualisation of that road will ease the transportation of goods and movement of people to the Western and Nyanza regions. It will open the Nyanza and Western regions and facilitate trade.

The President also talked about food security in our country. That is something which we have already seen. There is an increase in food production. When the President assumed office, production was around 7 million bags of maise. As I talk, production has risen to around 14 million bags, a clear indication that Kenya will soon become a maise exporter.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, we had cases of people demonstrating on the roads while wearing sufurias on their heads. That is now a thing of the past, and we are not seeing such demonstrations because of the reduction in fertiliser prices. That cannot be underestimated. This has also led to job creation.

The introduction of affordable housing is also a very big achievement in our country. Affordable housing will rid our nation of slums and eventually enable our people to live in very decent dwellings, a major achievement of this Government.

We also have thousands of people…

Give Hon. Tonui an additional four minutes; he has been waiting all afternoon.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. This affordable housing is also easing youth unemployment in our country. We have very many youths with…

Continue.

We have many university graduates without jobs. Most of these youths are now landing on the construction sites.

We all know that education is an equaliser. This Government has employed more than 70,000 teachers in a very short time. The President has already broken the record. What the President has done cannot be exhausted in one day, one week or three weeks. It needs more time.

With those few remarks, I support the President's speech. Thank you.

Hon. Brighton.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the State of the Nation Address. The

President discussed many aspects across various sectors, starting with the economy, then agriculture, health, education, housing, youth, and digital transformation, among others.

The President promised to take this country from Third World to a First World in our lifetime. That, in itself, is a good vision for this country and a good dream that it will be transformed into a First World country. Just this week, on the 28th, the Rironi-Mau Summit Road will be launched, and I am among the beneficiaries who will use that road. I have slept on that road sometimes when travelling to the constituency or on the way back.

The Rironi-Mau Summit Road through Maai Mahiu, Kericho, and Kisumu, and the Mau Summit to Eldoret road, all the way to the border, will bring significant transformation and end chronic traffic jams on those routes. Apart from that, more than 2,500 kilometres of highways are scheduled for dualling.

I come from an agricultural practising constituency where tea has to be transported from tea-buying centres to the factory, and from the factory to the market. In his speech, the President promised that we will have built more than 28,000 kilometres of new tarmac roads in the entire country in the next ten years. This in itself will promote good communication and transport across the country.

In the education sector, we came in 2022 when the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) was being experimented with. We thought it would fail, but I am happy the President has given it closer attention. He has so far supported capacity and employed more than 76,000 teachers in the last three years. He has promised to hire another 24,000 teachers, bringing the total to over 100,000. Actually, it will be around 102,000 teachers by next year.

The CBC is now working. I am also happy because the President has constructed 23,000 new classrooms. More than 1,600 laboratories are underway to support the CBC system. There is the university funding model where students now tie scholarships and loans to the needs and merit. Currently, more than 500,000 students have benefited from this.

The Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) enrolment has increased significantly from around 341,000 to almost 718,000 students trained in the TVET sector. As you know, skill development is one of the areas we should give proper attention to.

On food security, the Government shifted from subsidising consumption to subsidising production. This is why there has been so much production in the agricultural sector. The Government has intentionally registered more than 7.1 million farmers digitally, thereby removing cartels and brokers from the inputs market.

Give an additional four minutes to Hon. Brighton. Proceed, Hon. Brighton.

The Government has also subsidised a 50- kilogramme bag of fertiliser from Ksh7,500 to Ksh2,500. This has improved production significantly. For example, there has been an increase from 44 million to 67 million bags in maise harvest. It brings the price of unga down from retailing at almost Ksh250 in 2022 to Ksh130 for a two-kilogramme packet.

In economic transformation, inflation was so high three years ago. It was to the tune of almost 9.6 per cent around 2022/2023. It has come down to nearly 4.6 per cent. It has eased the cost of living. There has also been stabilisation of the Kenya Shilling against the US Dollar. It has stood at Ksh129 for the past three years, down from almost Ksh160 in 2022/2023.

Around 27 million Kenyans have registered with SHA in the Universal Health Care. This has tripled the number registered under the NHIF. It means that many will access subsidised medical treatment when they go to the hospital. About 107,000 Community Health Promoters have been deployed in every ward in the entire republic. They have visited almost

I will give the opportunity to Hon. Passaris and then Hon. (Dr) Mutunga. Hon. Lotee will contribute after that. Hon. Deputy Speaker has left that information with me. Let us proceed. Hon. Passaris, please go to the next microphone on the right side.

Sorry, Hon. Temporary Speaker. This is such an important matter. I decided to get it right from the word go.

First of all, I rise to contribute to the State of the Nation Address. I acknowledge the progress the country has made under the leadership of our President, Hon. William Ruto. There are gains in agriculture where production has surged, and imports have significantly reduced. These are visible in households. Leather exports have grown. Milk production has increased. Tea earnings have risen from Ksh138 billion to Ksh215 billion. We need to appreciate what was in the State of the Nation Address. I believe Kenyans have reached a point where we thrive in negativity. We want to hear what is negative.

Order, Hon. Lotee. This is not how you operate in Parliament. Can you go back and do what you are supposed to do when you want to move to the other side of the House? Go to the Bar, cross to the other side, pick that item, and then return to your seat. Come to this side where you want to pick up the paper. Pick it and then go back. Too bad, these rules were inherited from the Westminster System, and we have to follow them. You can now come and sit where you were.

Proceed, Hon. Passaris.

He is a first-termer. Hon. Temporary Speaker, I have to start from the beginning. I suffer from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) . When you interrupt me like that, I lose my train of thought.

Hon. Temporary Speaker and my colleagues, I rise to contribute to the State of the Nation Address. I acknowledge the significant progress our country has made under the leadership of His Excellency William Samoei Ruto, our fifth President.

There are gains in agriculture where production has surged, and imports have reduced, which are felt directly by our people. Tea earnings have risen from Ksh138 billion to Ksh215 billion. Milk production has increased to 5.3 billion litres. Leather exports are up by 56 per cent. Nearly 8 million animals have been vaccinated. These are not abstract figures. They are real improvements in the lives of Kenyan households.

In the healthcare sector, the President mentioned that over 27 million Kenyans are now registered under the Social Health Authority (SHA) . 107,000 Community Health Promoters are active in every ward. The availability of medicine has improved drastically. In education, over 76,000 teachers have been hired, with 24,000 more expected in January. Enrolments in TVETs have doubled from 353,000 to 737,020. Twenty-three thousand new classrooms have been delivered. Here in Nairobi, we faced challenges during the transition from primary to secondary school because we lacked classrooms, which meant our young boys and girls dropped out and ended up in the estates. There, they were exposed to drugs and early teenage

pregnancies. The classrooms are ensuring that our students' transition is happening. These are national milestones, and we must appreciate them even as we call for more.

Let me state without hesitation that I support the President and the broad-based Government. At this moment in our nation's history…

(Technical hitch)

There is a lot of humming in the system…

Hon. Temporary Speaker, let me state without hesitation that I support the President and the broad-based Government. At this moment and in our nation’s history, there is no alternative to unity, stability and collective responsibility. Kenya cannot afford divisions. We rise only when we rise together. The Government, Opposition, Parliament and the people, together, we can build this country. We fought for multi-party politics and got it. My party leader

, Raila Amolo Odinga, believed that even if he did not win a position in Government, he could not remain in the Opposition. He needed to work with the Government. People sometimes ridiculed him, but at every stage he joined the Government, whether during the handshake or nusu mkate, it was because of his love for this country. He understood that a divided country cannot stand. By uniting, Kenya can look at issues and provide what is needed for its citizens. We should learn from that. It shows that Kenya is bigger than all of us, and the future demands collaboration, not confrontation.

The President spoke clearly and powerfully about our development journey. He reminded us that nations like Singapore and South Korea were once our peers, and if they could rise, so can we. We must have a dream, a vision and a yardstick. Before we crawled, we were stagnant, stuck due to COVID-19 and the Ukraine war. Today, we are walking, with discipline, predictable policies, governance reforms and investor confidence. We have entered a marathon, and if we stay the course, one day we will be sprinting to prosperity.

Infrastructure is at the heart of this transformation. The President outlined an unprecedented scale of investment, tarmacking 28,000 kilometres of roads, dualling 2,500 kilometres of highway, modernising the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) , expanding our ports, upgrading the SGR to Kisumu and onto Malaba, beginning January 2026 and commencing the dualling of Rironi-Naivasha–Nakuru–Mau Summit Road within this year.

This is how nations move from potential to prosperity. But ambition must be met with discipline.

Give her an additional four minutes.

A shilling must build a shilling's worth of infrastructure, not inflated contracts, not ghost projects, nor wastage. The President also emphasised the need to crowd in private capital through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to unlock global investments. This is a smart path. Kenya cannot continue overtaxing and borrowing unsustainably.

However, PPPs can only succeed in an environment of stability, transparency, efficiency and the rule of law. One of the biggest problems I feel Kenya faces is its elections. Sometimes I wish elections were every 10 years rather than every 5, because we are perpetually in election mode. By the time we finish one election, we are campaigning for the next. We need to look at our election laws and amend them. I was in South Africa when they were having elections, but you could hardly tell. We have to make sure that we protect the businesspeople.

I must also address why many Kenyans may not have heard the speech, especially on sports. The President has done so much that there are certain things that he did not capture in his State of the Nation Address. For example, the things he has done in sports, such as the

infrastructure he has provided and the motivation he has given to our sportspeople. Remember what he did for Harambee Stars during the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) championship. If you go to our stadiums, you will be proud of them. I think Talanta Stadium is going to be one of the best stadiums in this region. The President did not mention it, but it is a key employment opportunity for our youth, and it will keep them out of trouble. There is something there that should have been captured.

Give her some additional time.

Yes. Hon. Wanjala had 20 minutes. As we celebrate progress, we must also confront what remains unsolved. There are other things he has done in sports that should have been mentioned in the State of the Nation Address.

There is an issue that is really bothering me. Much as we are going to create all the funds and move away from borrowing, I feel that we have a problem with pending bills. The country needs to really assess its pending bills and clear them. Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) , women and youth are owed money. A lot of people are suffering because of pending bills. I would have loved to hear about what we are going to do about pending bills. It is a big problem.

I like the fact that the President talked about the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme, which he launched recently. In Greece, the country of my father, everybody serves in the military compulsorily. Service in the National Youth Service (NYS) should be compulsory. We should take all the youth there. If we do not do that, our youth are left alone. We should continuously adopt them. To do that, we must also confront population growth. I sometimes feel very sad that religious leaders do not want to talk about population growth. I have even heard Sauti Sol sing about how every child born comes with a plate. The fact is, every population has to be planned. If we do not plan our population, our resources become overstretched. It is really sad to see a mother with eight children, but she cannot afford to pay for even two of them to go to school. She cannot buy uniforms and books. Such children will actually fail in school. When they fail, they cannot even be recruited as police officers or in any other job in future. We have a problem. I would have loved to hear the President talk about what the nation will do regarding population growth and ensuring that commodities are available.

We have had a lot of improvements with the SHA services. I think the President was very bold by moving us from NHIF. Many people wondered why he was doing it. The fact is, NHIF was not working. I would like to see those who provided genuine services being paid. When we do not pay the people who provide genuine services, we lose credibility with the people partnering with the Government.

One of the biggest problems that I have is that, while the President says you should go to the hospital and get treated, all medical investigations are charged. I do not know whether it is the hospitals doing this. You need to pay for X-rays, scans and other screenings, yet we buy all the equipment. I do not understand. We pay the doctors and technicians. Why do we charge for screening? Why are we not paying for implants? We have road carnage in Kenya. People cannot afford surgery because they cannot afford implants.

You have an additional four minutes.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. When it comes to housing, I want Kenyans to understand. Just look at your own House, the one you are managing. I have my House and my business, yet I struggle. There is this one man, William Samoei Ruto, who dared to run for President of Kenya. Now he is the President of the country, and we expect him to be a miracle worker. Even the things you should be asking from God, you expect William Samoei Ruto to give you. He is working very hard, and he is bold. Some people say that he is a dictator, but a benevolent dictator who gets things done is not bad for a country. I would prefer a benevolent dictator rather than a democracy that does not deliver.

Sometimes I feel that our Constitution lets us down because there are roadblocks every time we want to make progress. Nairobi is full of garbage. We cannot even fix the garbage problem because every time the Governor awards a garbage collection contract, someone goes to Court, which stops the whole process.

I am in the Departmental Committee on Housing, Urban Planning and Public Works. The President has walked a long journey to ensure that we get affordable housing. He ensured that there was a fund dedicated to housing. Everybody laughed at him and rubbished his plans. Everybody thought that he would make millions or that he owned cement and steel companies. Look around your neighbourhood and see the dignified houses our people live in. Mukuru, which will get 14,000 homes, will be a whole town in itself with every facility.

Kenyans, wake up. Start praying for your President. Start helping him. Start seeing how you can contribute. We need resources. We need to raise funds without raising taxes. We cannot say that we want funds without raising taxes. We do not want to sell some of our assets to raise funds to become an independent country.

I believe that the President is on the right path. We will move from poverty to prosperity. We will attain the dreams of our forefathers only if we stop the social media culture where only hatred and insults trend. Why not try to ensure that praise trends? Why not come up with ideas for improving your country?

Somebody recently sent me a text asking for KSh20,000 to buy a photocopy machine. I asked him why he did not apply for funds from the NYOTA Programme. He would have received Ksh50,000 and bought two photocopy machines. Kenyans have to be aware. Stop focusing on the negative things said about the Government. This is your country.

I am well-travelled. I am half Greek, which is also part of my heritage, but at the end of the day, Kenya is beautiful. We have challenges, but give our President a chance. He will not disappoint. Somebody said he is exceeding expectations. I say he is approaching expectations, and he will exceed expectations. He has learnt to move and forge ahead on behalf of Kenyans, no matter how much you insult him, bring him down, or make him trend. He has even accepted the name "Kasongo". Call him that, and he will dance to it as he continues with the work. He is working for each and every one of us. Appreciate the areas that he has touched on.

If you are one of the 76,000 teachers who was employed after being unemployed for many years, or a National Youth Service (NYS) recruit, or a student in school benefitting from the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), do you ever sit and think to pray for the President because of the peace and stability our country is enjoying, or the job that you have? No. The first thing you do is to complain about how your salary is being taxed. Why is it being taxed? Because our population needs to be sustained. We need to hire doctors and nurses. We need to buy medicine. We need to build houses and infrastructure.

I pray that Kenyans will wake up to the idea that your enemy is not my enemy. The Deputy President was impeached because William Ruto realised he would not help him deliver what he needed. Now he has Kindiki as his Deputy, and he is no longer working with an ambitious person trying to undermine him so he can become President.

You do not cut short anyone with good motives for our country. That is why I am a two-term politician. Even if I do not get a third term, I want to ensure that President William Samoei Ruto gets his second term, if God keeps him healthy and well. The other side has said that, as soon as they come into power, they will stop the projects he started, which will be a disaster for this country. We are in a marathon to fix the country, and some people want to stop and start from zero. Do not allow yourself to be swayed in that direction. Somebody else's enemy is not your enemy. Hate, division and tribalism can never develop this country.

I have Kikuyu blood, but at the end of the day, I do not want to be a Kikuyu. I want to be a Kenyan. I want to be a Kenyan who supports any president in office. It does not have to

be a Kikuyu. It can be anyone. At one time, we even had Godana, and people said he was presidential material. Sadly, he died, but anybody can become President. We can even have a woman president.

Let us, however, be honest. How many Kenyans who are going online and rubbishing the State of the Nation Address have actually read it? How many have looked at the highlights or checked what is happening on the ground? You have one social media person taking pictures and claiming things are not happening, and people choose to believe that. You would rather believe a lie than the truth, even when the truth is right there. Even those employed as teachers by the Government of William Samoei Ruto forget that he has worked hard.

At the end of the month, when I receive my salary, or when I travel, and Parliament pays for me to go to the Pan-African Parliament, buy a ticket and pay my per diem, I thank the President. I thank God for the President. It is the peace and stability that enable me to earn. It has enabled me to have the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) to support the people.

Give her an additional two minutes to wrap up.

It has helped us empower thousands of Nairobians to access projects. The money available has helped us move from one level to another. Have you ever driven on a new smooth highway without potholes, completed under William Samoei Ruto, yet you still go online to attack him? You forget that he budgeted for that road. Recently, I was in Mombasa. The dual carriageway coming up from Mombasa to Kilifi is a good project. I saw something in Turkana, and I saw that Turkana needs a major shift from poverty to prosperity. Now we have the petroleum deal coming up. But wait until you see social media. They will start saying who is making which deal. Nobody wants to look at the big picture.

The big picture is this: the President has the passion, compassion, and hard work to steer this country from a developing one to a developed one. And we are going to get there. Kenyans must start appreciating the little they have, because more will not come from God if they cannot give thanks for what they already have. If you are asking yourself, "Why am I unemployed?", it is because you are beating the same person who could employ you every day on social media. Why is my salary not going up? It is because you are beating the person who can make this economy grow and double your salary. Why did I not receive proper treatment in the hospital? It is because you are beating the person who can do this for you.

The person who can do this for us, the head of this country, the one who dared to run for President, the one working tirelessly to hold this nation together, is William Samoei Ruto. We are lucky that God chose him at such a time like this. With the crises we faced, we had a problem as a country. William Samoei Ruto is not just the President of Kenya. He is also a distinguished African leader; he is the Gaddafi we should have had for the continent of Africa. The kind of things I have seen him do at the African Union are for the entire continent.

The barriers being broken will benefit many. Kenya has already dropped visa requirements for many African countries because we want Africa to grow. We want Africa to achieve the objectives set by its forefathers. We are no longer the dark continent. We have a lot of issues, but we need people in the right offices, and William Samoei Ruto is just that one person in the right office. We have Kagame on the other side. Ramaphosa is pushing South Africa into the G20. These are leaders who can steer this economy that is good for Africa.

I want Kenyans to start thanking God for the peace and unity in this country. See your neighbour as a Kenyan, not as a member of a tribe. Forget about tribalism and anybody who is uniting around tribalism. On the other side, people want power, but what is their agenda? They have none. We have someone in the seat with an agenda and a roadmap. He wants to move us from a developing country to a developed one. Let that man have the life, energy, wisdom and

determination that God has given him until we reach 2032. Then we will look back and say, Thank God we made the right decision.

Thank you.

Hon. Dr Mutunga, the Chair of the Departmental Committee on Agriculture. You take precedence over other Members who are here now. We are an agricultural country. Agriculture is the mainstay of our economy. There is a lot of agriculture in that State of the Nation Address by the President. So, it is only fair that you have an early shot at it.

Proceed.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for the opportunity to join other Members in thanking our President for being very clear in his speech. If I were to be asked to rate his speech, I would say that the President was finely balanced in what he said.

I wish to start with a quote, but before then, let me send a message of condolence to the Odinga family for yet another loss in the family of the sister to Ruth Odinga and Hon. Senator Oburu Odinga. We pray for the family to overcome the grief that has happened soon after a major loss in the family. We stand with them in prayer.

Our President is firm, focused and forthright. I say so without blinking because I know him. Allow me to quote the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim. About two days ago, Anwar Ibrahim said, "With ruthless determination, Kenya will be a star in Africa." That is not an exaggeration. I am speaking as a sincere friend. That is someone from very far commending our hero, the President of Kenya. I want to associate myself with the comments made by the Woman Representative of Nairobi. She spoke very passionately and said things the way most Kenyans ought to view them. There is a lot that happens in this country that is negative. What people say that circulates across various media houses is not necessarily the result of any thought process, information, or referencing. People talk about things without due regard to facts.

The President started his speech with a brief outlay of the country's situation now. He spoke about inflation, which was 9.6 per cent in 2022 and is now 4.6 per cent. That is a drop of about 5 per cent. Many Kenyans may not feel that. They may not know it, but it is happening. If you check the price of food, it has gone down for a reason. One reason is that inflation has gone down. The exchange rate was extremely high. The Kenyan shilling was at Ksh160 to the dollar. Now it has come down to around KSh129 to the dollar, which is something significant that Kenyans need to know.

The GDP of Kenya has grown. Kenya is now No. 6 in Africa in terms of economic size, with a GDP of around Ksh136 billion in 2025, up from Ksh115 billion in 2022. Kenyans need to look back and reflect on what was happening in 2022. There were so many problems. People were complaining every day about the cost of living. There was uncertainty. There was no foreign exchange. It has now improved from zero to 12 billion USD, which is in our custody. Therefore, we can import and trade with other countries because we have the dollar. The President spoke about many things.

The stabilisation of inflation and the strengthening of the Kenyan shilling are presented as relief for households and as a means of regulating macroeconomics. There are clear tenets that lead us to believe that households and the economy are now better.

The increase in GDP, national reserves, and foreign direct investment in the country, the new businesses that have emerged as a result, and Kenya's improved credit rating tell us one thing: investor confidence is improving, and the country's economic fundamentals are stronger. Kenya is performing very well globally competitively. This improvement signifies that Kenya is a desirable country to be in.

Give Hon. Mutunga an additional five minutes.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I have not even consumed five minutes; I have just begun.

I want to reference what Hon. Passaris has said, that whenever you leave this country for any destination, whichever country that comes to mind, by the third day, you find yourself missing Kenya. You miss the ambience, environment, air we breathe, and the friendliness of the people. This is our country, one we cherish for ourselves and our children, and we must speak positively and engage in constructive actions.

Now, let me briefly talk about agriculture. The registration of farmers has progressed, supported by the digitisation of this process and the timely supply of fertiliser. Although we faced some challenges at the start of this subsidy programme, it has now improved. We have improved the production of our staple crops. For instance, in 2022, we produced 44 million bags of 90 kilograms of maise. Last year, this figure rose to 67 million, and this year, with favourable rains, we anticipate exceeding 70 million bags. This means we will produce over 15 million bags in excess of our national needs, which equates to approximately one bag per person per year. This progress indicates that we are becoming a stable economy.

We must also address the issue of edible oil imports, which consume approximately Ksh500 billion—half a trillion. This is a lot of money that can be ploughed back and could be used for investing.

The expansion of the digital farm registry and the success of the fertiliser subsidy programme have enhanced soil productivity and health. The shift to supporting farmers directly rather than through consumption has increased productivity by cutting out the middlemen. It has also stabilised food supply and prices. These initiatives signify that the country is headed in the right direction, and we can only be grateful for a president who resonates with the needs of the people. This has led to improved output across various agricultural sectors.

The tea and coffee sectors have greatly improved. We aim to sell more than 200,000 metric tonnes of coffee by 2027, and I am confident that we will meet this target, having currently achieved around 60,000 metric tonnes with promising growth. We expect to reach approximately 150,000 metric tonnes within three years, which is significant because it not only generates foreign exchange but also enhances farmers' incomes.

In the sugar industry, we are nearing our national demand of 1.12 million metric tonnes. Currently, we are producing about 815,000 metric tonnes following adjustments under President Ruto's administration. Kenyans need to be aware of this. This positive change benefits all those reliant on sugar production, marketing, and milling, as we are now processing our own sugar domestically rather than relying on imports, thereby preserving jobs and foreign exchange. The expansion in this industry has enabled us to do well.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I would also like to address the issue of Universal Health Care and the approach taken by His Excellency the President. He has engaged Universal Health Promoters, presenting them in identifiable uniforms and providing a budget to assess various illnesses. Presently, about 107 promoters are operating across all 47 counties, successfully covering the entire nation. They have been able to interact with 8.9 million households so far. Diabetes cases that have been screened are around 1.9 million, where around 154,000 have been confirmed to be diabetic. This tells us…

You have a minute to wrap up.

Hon. Temporary Speaker…

You have two minutes.

Thank you very much. It is an initiative that is doing extremely well. The expansion of health coverage and primary

healthcare outreach aims to institutionalise equity, ensuring that all Kenyans have access to quality healthcare regardless of their income.

In education, this is the first President to employ more than 10,000 teachers annually, and he has done so for three years in a row. This year, we expect an additional 24,000 teachers to be employed, bringing the number to 100,000. We have had a shortage of teachers, but as of now, most schools are comfortable; they have enough teachers. Investment in education has increased the number of teachers in classrooms and laboratories. Additionally, increased funding for students has supported reforms in our education system and prepared Kenyans to face the world.

We also have the housing program, which has been criticised but is doing wonders. First, it has created many jobs for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). It has enhanced access to entrepreneurship for 800,000 Kenyans who get around Ksh150,000 each. The Affordable Housing program and student accommodation investments aim to improve the living conditions of our people. It will also reduce informal settlements, which are apparent all over the country. This has also supported the youth to access decent housing as they pursue their education.

Let me single out the Nyota Programme, which aims to uplift the lives of 820,000 Kenyans. They would be able to engage in business. We need to laud the President for it. He has also worked on the digital infrastructure services. Digital skills training and the positioning of Kenyans are key enablers of youth employment. This initiative will help us come up with other innovations that will create better jobs for Kenyans.

Improving infrastructure across the country is very significant. First, it will reduce competition among ourselves. Every Member here would like a road done back in their village. Considering we will have a 28,000-kilometre expansion, every village will be touched. All essential areas would be reached, and products that need to be moved by road would be easily moved. We will be doing very well. Infrastructure expansion is a foundation for boosting industrial value addition, which will create jobs. This way, our export capacity will improve, as products will be easily moved across the country.

In a numerical context, the President highlighted in his Speech the institutional reforms and national ambitions that show that the journey is not simple or easy; however, it would lead to transformation.

When we were campaigning during the last elections, we engaged the President; we asked him what he would do if he became President of Kenya, and he simply said he would sort out Kenya. Given what is happening now, he is systematically sorting out Kenya.

He also promised several things in his Speech. One of the promises was to distribute

issue in this country.

Let us have Hon. Lotee followed by Hon. Kitur.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to also comment on the President's State of the Nation Address.

From the onset, I support this Speech 100 per cent. I am one of the disciples who believe in hope. This is a speech of hope and is futuristic in nature. It is based on equity and on comprehensive, balanced national development. Recently, I engaged some people who said that the President was launching his campaign. The State of the Nation Address is an annual

address by the President to both Houses to enumerate the accomplishments, goals and priorities for the upcoming year.

I did not see a campaign launch for 2027. The naysayers are afraid because the President's Speech aspires to take Kenyans from a developing country to a developed country. They know that Kenyans are bright enough to understand that this is the person who will transform the economy, and are now claiming it was a campaign launch. The President never launched a campaign here. He only enumerated what the Government has accomplished in the last Financial Year, and gave aspirations for the future. That is exactly how a State of the Nation Address is supposed to be delivered. The naysayers need to be told that the President delivered his Address in his right mind, and in his position as President of this country, to enumerate to Kenyans what has been done.

What the President has done should not be watered down. The people who are trying to say the President was campaigning are just afraid. He simply enumerated what he has done, and it is evident. Every Member of Parliament who has spoken in this House has highlighted those accomplishments, whether in agriculture, health, education or infrastructure. All these accomplishments are evident on the ground. People should not be afraid when the President delivers his Address. When looking for a campaign platform, the President will not come to this House; he will go to where politicians campaign from.

The President’s Speech was based on faith. I am a Christian. The Bible says that if one has faith that is as small as a mustard seed, you can tell the mountain to move, and it will. The President has seen the challenges that we have gone through in this country, and he has that faith. He is telling the mountain of underdevelopment to move. It is time for Kenyans to rally behind the President because he has faith.

The Bible also talks about vision, and it says that, My people perish for lack of vision.'' The people trying to water down the President's Speech lack vision. One cannot go anywhere without a vision. We need to rally behind the President. He said that we are going to be like the Asian Tigers. They, too, had a vision when they were like us, and they moved because of that. We risk perishing if we are guided by visionless people. A person starts at the micro level before moving into the macro level. A person who has risen from being a chicken seller to becoming a global conglomerate can definitely transform a country on the macro level. Some people are saying that the President was launching a campaign. But these same people have not built even a single kilometre of road in their constituencies, even when they were in government positions. These people do not have a vision of having a tarmac road in their constituencies. How then will they be able to…

We have limited time, but I can add you half a minute to wrap up.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. As I was saying, how will the people who do not have a vision for tarmac roads in their constituencies understand that this country needs to move forward? The living examples are what Members have said here. There is balanced development, with 28,000 kilometres of road built across this country. My Constituency is a beneficiary. I have never seen such developments in the previous governments. Previous governments never did any tarmac road in my Constituency. But tarmac roads are now being constructed in Kacheliba. This is important.

However, I will give the President a caution. Even if he has such visions, some people can undermine them. Some people have been assigned work that they cannot do. I have examples from Kacheliba Constituency. When we say that we will have...

I add you a quarter a minute. Please, say that in a sentence.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, it is important that the President understands that when he assigns jobs to people who do not share his vision, then he

cannot deliver his big vision. Instead of building markets, people go to Court to stop the process. Three years down the line, markets have not been built despite the President giving a directive. Some of the people delaying such developments are those who allocate resources at the national level here. Some roads, for example, in Kacheliba, have been highlighted for construction, but funds have not been released. Those are the kind of people that the President needs to identify and get rid of. This is to ensure that his vision of building this country and transforming it to reach the level of countries like Malaysia is realised. We should all rally behind President William Ruto. He is the only President who will transform this country to the level of the Asian Tigers and other developed countries.

Hon. Kitur, take exactly six minutes.

Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for the opportunity to make my contribution on the State of the Nation Address.

On the onset, this week has been one of the exciting ones in Parliament. Two of our colleagues, Hon. Abraham Kirwa, Member for Mosop and Hon. Sloya, Member for Sabatia, who have been away, have joined us. It has been quite an exciting week. I would like to celebrate them. I did not have the opportunity to do that when they were here. Secondly, I also condole with the Odinga family on the loss of one of their family members.

This was a magnanimous Speech done by the President. First of all, he fulfilled Article 132 (1) (c) of the Constitution, where he is required to report on all measures taken, and progress achieved in the realisation of values, as well as the progress made in fulfilling the international obligations. The Address also focuses on the state of national security. The President started by stating that in 2022, he had a vision to sell. And when he came here, he had a story to tell, and all of us are regurgitating that story. It is also important to note the various quotes he made, encouraging Kenyans to think widely. The President stated that we must cast off the prevailing mindset of being content with average. Our vision is not only to grow, but also to transform. It is a roadmap not merely to move forward, but also to rise. For far too long, our ambition has been held hostage by small thinking and ordinary expectations. The President of Kenya has stood on this to raise our nation to the next level.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I would like to touch briefly on aspects of the economy that are evident. Recently, I heard one of our colleagues, whom I call a high priest of negativity in our nation, trying to discount what is happening. For instance, when we say that the exchange rate has stabilised to the US Dollar for about two years, they try to water that down by saying that two years ago, the interest rate was low. What they could not do was go back a little further to 2019, when the exchange rate was artificially balanced. It was very erratic. But from 2023, we have had a very stable exchange rate.

Equally, I heard someone use relative figures and percentiles to discount the great work that has been done in the economy of our country. Somebody tried to compare what happened during the Regimes of Presidents Kibaki, Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto. I would like to mention to that particular individual who gave those statistics that, from 2002 to 2005, during about three years of Kibaki’s Regime, the country’s GDP in 2002 was US$5.75 billion. In 2005, it was US$18.74 billion, a growth of about US$13 billion.

When we look at Uhuru’s first Term, from 2013 to 2015, the GDP was US$56.4 billion, and after three years, it was US$70.12 billion, an increase of about US$13.6 billion. Under William Ruto's Regime, we note that in 2022, our GDP stood at US$114.4 billion, and as we speak, it is projected to be US$136.01 billion. That means there has been a growth of up to US$22 billion. These figures are available for anyone to confirm. This buttresses the President's statements about the figures he has given on what has happened since he took office. For instance, he said that inflation has dropped from 9.6 to 4.6 per cent, and that can be confirmed because I talked about double digits earlier. Looking at foreign reserves, the dollar has seen a

resurgence of about Ksh1.5 trillion. This is magnanimous. On foreign direct investment into our country, it has nearly doubled as well.

In international circles, all the international organisations' projections for Standard Chartered or Goldman Sachs are very positive. Standard & Poor's (S&P) indicated in 2020 that we had a B- rating, which has been sustained ever since. They have now upgraded it to B because we have met our international obligations.

Give him two minutes to wrap up.

I will try to fast-track. Agriculture is quite important and is one of the sectors that sustains our country, as most of us depend on it. When we assumed leadership, people used to wear sufurias on their heads because they were hungry. At the time, we used to harvest about 44 million bags of maize. Right now, we are projecting a harvest of about 70 million bags. Literally, everything is doubling. This has reduced the cost of maize in the country to manageable levels.

On tea, I come from a constituency where 60 per cent of the land is tea farms. There has been a great increase generally across the country, from Ksh138 billion to Ksh215 billion in earnings. When you look at sugar, edible oils and other commodities, we are doubling almost every part of the agricultural sector. In fact, the President pointed out that our food imports stand at about Ksh500 billion. He stated clearly that we now need to focus on reducing import costs by promoting irrigated agriculture. We need to focus on harvesting water using dams, pans, and all those things that will improve or expand irrigation from the 15 per cent arable land to the remaining 85 per cent. That is quite telling. The future of this nation is very bright.

I would also like to touch on the health sector a bit. The SHA was introduced when we were killing off the NHIF, which had no future. Many Kenyans were negative about this. However, there is an amazing job when you look at the health sector. Whether talking about SHA or Health Care Promoters, statistics show that Health Care Promoters have done an amazing job of going back to villages to ensure people with conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and other such conditions receive early treatment. It is an amazing work that is being done in the health sector.

Finally, I would like to talk about road infrastructure. When he made his statements here, we all stood amazed at what the President wants to do with Ksh5 trillion, especially how he plans to raise that amount of money to make our country a First World country. Indeed, every Kenyan can now dream big, knowing that we live in a country with a great future. The President has been talking about us being a First World country. Indeed, we are headed there.

In summary, I encourage all Kenyans to support the President. Let us be positive for the sake of the nation. The future looks bright. Let us not be negative. I wish our country the best.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I had to cut it short because I can see you have been a bit generous to me. I thank you.

Good work. Hon. Lochakapong, Hon. Jaldesa and Hon. Letipila in that order.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to comment on the President's Speech.

I was a bit excited when the President said it was possible for this country to move from where it is to First World status in our lifetime. In itself, that shows the President is working around the clock to ensure that we move the country forward. The President has put measures, strategies and policies in place to ensure that this country moves to the First World. It is now for all of us to believe as the President does.

In his Address, the President mentioned what he has done in the employment of teachers. My colleagues have mentioned it. I do not want to belabour. We will have 100,000- plus teachers employed by this Administration by early next year.

Two is the Affordable Housing Programme. I want to report that they were launching that in Sigor Constituency today. I am happy that the Affordable Housing Programme has now reached my Constituency. Of course, we can see certain things. It was a vision, but now, it is a reality. We have a market in Sigor. Now we have the Affordable Housing Programme coming in.

There is an integrated digital platform to register farmers. This is a new thing. About

That is more than triple the NHIF.

We also have the National Youth Opportunities Transformation Agenda (NYOTA) programme, which is set to benefit 820,000 youth across our 1,450 wards. That means it would spread across Kenya, and youth from every ward will benefit from this programme.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I commend the President for quoting Article 201(c) of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010. It states that the burdens and benefits of the use of resources and public borrowing shall be shared equitably between the present and future generations. For example, West Pokot County has a lot of natural resources. If we are not careful, and I have been telling people this, the President is proposing that we establish the Sovereign Wealth Fund to give effect to the constitutional principle of intergenerational equity. He told us that history has already warned us. Along our coastal region, for example, titanium deposits have been depleted. Because we lack a sovereign wealth framework, future generations will inherit nothing from this.

As you may be aware, there is a big rush to West Pokot County this time because of the minerals being mined. I want the State Department for Mining to ensure that, whatever happens in West Pokot, measures are put in place to ensure that generations coming after us will have something to show for the resources in that county now. This way, they do not get depleted, leaving us with nothing to show that we once had resources in that county.

Fair enough. You have concluded. Hon. (Prof.) Jaldesa Guyo, if you want your friends to have time to contribute, you must not take more than three minutes.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I will try to be as brief as possible.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me a chance to contribute to the State of the Nation Address, which I support. The President's Speech was a compendium of his developmental activities or achievements over the last three years. When Kenya attained Independence in 1963, there were three things we wanted to eliminate: disease, poverty, and ignorance.

The President started by talking about the health sector, where he has made a key achievement. He introduced the Community Health Promoters, who are 107,000. They are distributed across the country in all villages. Their role is to screen diseases before they become complicated. This is a very good thing. Many diseases have been identified and diagnosed, and people have been sent to places where they can be treated.

In the same way, we have Universal Health Coverage (UHC) where people are employed to give healthcare services where the county governments cannot reach. We also have the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) and the Social Health Authority (SHA) , where 27 million people have been registered. Many people benefit from the services of SHA. In the same way, there are cancer treatment centres across various parts of the country, including

Garissa, Meru, and Kisii, as well as major hospitals. They ensure that patients who have problems are diagnosed and treated carefully.

The road infrastructure is very good. When a road is built, it saves lives and time and increases transport efficiency for both people and goods. Water is crucial, especially in harnessing floods. They come from all over the country. They destroy homes and infrastructure. When we harvest water and use it for irrigation, it saves people’s lives and property, and therefore, increases our productivity.

Give him a minute to conclude.

On education, many classrooms have been done, many teachers have been employed, and we are expecting more to be done. In terms of classrooms, Parliament has a role to play through the NG–CDF to ensure that there is equity of distribution. Thank you.

Hon. Letipila.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to contribute to and support the President’s Speech of 20th November. It was a very optimistic Speech that condensed his vision to take this country from a Third World to a First World country. I fully support his vision.

Earlier, there have been dissenting voices that have tried to silence the many positives done by this Administration. However, the positives outweigh the negatives, and we must learn to celebrate the progress made in our country, even as we continue to highlight areas for improvement.

The people of Samburu North, whom I represent, are optimistic about getting the First tarmacked road ever in their Constituency. The President was there to launch it earlier this month. For the First time, we feel included in the development space of this country. This is a positive achievement that must be celebrated. Furthermore, my Constituency is now being connected to the national grid for the very first time, with areas like Lesirikan, Nachola, Marti, Popiroi, Nikola Mati, Oberoi, and Bawa now getting electricity, like the rest of the nation. This is another positive that must be celebrated.

This Administration has also taken a proactive approach to tackling the enablers of banditry by engaging communities as equal partners in fighting cattle rustling. This has greatly reduced cattle rustling and insecurity in many parts of Northern Kenya. This is a positive that must be celebrated by Kenyans, particularly the people of Samburu North.

The Social Health Authority (SHA) has been a great milestone under this Administration. It has grown from great pessimism to great acceptability across the nation. People have seen firsthand the impact this program has had on lives. For SHA to reach remote areas of this country, like Samburu North, is a success story. That is a positive that must be celebrated.

We have seen milestone development of infrastructure in Samburu North, including housing, modern markets and institutional housing for policemen and TVETs. Unlike other regions of this country, as taxpaying citizens, we have seen development going on in other areas. We are now feeling included. These are positives that must be celebrated.

Regarding the livestock economy, value addition, support for local pastoralists and interventions to mitigate losses during dry seasons are important to the economy of Northern Kenya. This is an area where the President could have mentioned more in his Speech.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I wish the President the very best as he steers the ship of this country through both calm and turbulent waters. All the points I have elucidated here are issues that the President touched upon in his State of the Nation Address. Thank you.

Hon. Kimaiyo.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I must commend His Excellency, the President, for his State of the Nation Address. His Speech was well articulated. The state of our nation is one of a nation in transition. His Excellency, the President (Dr) William Samoei Ruto, put it correctly: we are transitioning from a Third World country to a First World country. He is championing our destiny. The President is championing a prosperous Kenya, a Kenya that every Kenyan feels proud to be part of.

Let me mention a few things; through the leadership of His Excellency the President, we have achieved many things in the last few years. One is fiscal responsibility. We have a stable shilling at the moment. We have increased our dollar reserves and, as a result, reduced inflation.

Secondly, under the bottom-up economic model, we have the Hustler Fund, where you do not need collateral to borrow and empower yourself. The Fund has enabled hustlers to borrow money from government revenue. Through the Fund, the President ensures that millions of Kenyans who are blocked from accessing credit can now access it.

There is the affordable housing programme, which His Excellency the President himself has said is not about building houses but about creating jobs and providing decent living conditions for Kenyans. We applaud the President for the programme.

There has been a transformation of the agricultural sector. For example, we have reduced fertiliser prices. Before His Excellency the President came to power, the price of fertiliser was Ksh7,000 per bag, but it is now Ksh2,500. Fertiliser is now distributed to the last mile where the farmer is.

We have seen the reforms in the education sector. The previous Regime had challenges implementing CBC. His Excellency, the President, formed a presidential task force, and we are now implementing CBC. The first cohort of Grade 9 students just completed their exams as they transition to senior school next year. Seventy-six thousand teachers have been employed. No Regime has done this.

I come from an agricultural area. We have seen the price of milk rise.

It is an administration. When you say 'Regime,' the presumption is that other forces are in place, such as the military.

The Administration of His Excellency, President William Samoei Ruto.

We have had democracy since the time we gained Independence.

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. We have seen the reforms in our health care system. SHA enables Kenyans who cannot afford insurance to access medical care. For those who cannot afford to pay SHA, there is the option of Lipa Pole Pole, so that nobody is left behind. That is the ideal Kenya that His Excellency, President William Samoei Ruto, wants to see.

Last but not least, His Excellency, President William Samoei Ruto, envisions Kenya as a First World country. We will have modern highways and a digital superhighway, build mega dams and upgrade infrastructure. To mention a few, the road from Nairobi-Rironi-Nakuru- Eldoret, all the way to the Malaba border, will be upgraded. Even roads in our constituencies will be upgraded. We heard our colleague from Samburu say that for the first time, his Constituency will have a tarmac road. Even in my Constituency, there is a road that the President is building. There is also a road in my sub-county headquarters, Chepkorio, whose tender has been advertised. My Constituents are very happy with what is being done.

You have half a minute to wrap up.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I was saying that the President envisions that every part of Kenya will have something to smile about. For us in this House, we need to support the President. We need to support any

Bill brought here to enable this country to transition from a Third World to a First World country. Your Excellency, the President, you have our support. We will support you. For those who make empty rhetoric, that is not the Kenya we want. We want a Kenya where all of us have something to smile about.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

Hon Members, the time being 7.05