Wednesday, 30th November 2022

Hon Members, there is need for Quorum, Serjeant-At-Arms, I direct that the Bell be rung for ten minutes.

Ring the quorum bell for a further 10 minutes.

We may start. Hon. Caroli Omondi.

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

THAT, aware that this House is anchored on the pursuit for the welfare of society and the just government of the people; guided by pursuit of constitutional aspirations of all Kenyans for a government based on essential values and principles of equality, social justice, openness, inter and intra-generational equity, and prudent and responsible use of public resources; cognisant that there exists pervasive and systemic forms of grand political corruption through which private individuals and enterprises act in concert with State officials to exercise decision making power and exert undue and unregulated influence over government processes not for the greater public good but for their own private benefit and that this conspiracy extends to influencing government policies and laws so as to facilitate illegal private appropriation of public assets, client list dominance of select economic sectors, absence of transparency and accountability in government contracting, deformation of national politics, proliferation of criminal enterprises forming a shadow economy, all for the sole purpose of private profiteering and unjust enrichment; acknowledging that the consequences of this form of systematic corruption include but are not limited to the potential to dismember the fabric of our nation by undermining the legitimacy of public institutions, triggering high cost of living, unsustainable public debt, endemic unemployment of the youth, poor health and education services, income inequality, lack of innovation; now therefore, this House resolves as follows:

Committee on Systemic Corruption, whose mandate will be as

Hon. Members, pursuant to Standing Order 40 (2) , we will have a rearrangement of the Order Paper. We will move to Order Nos. 8, 9 and 10 then we shall come back to Order No. 7.

Next Order. Leader of the Majority Party, Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah.

Lelmengit, Member for Emgwen, can you stop engaging the Leader of the Majority Party? He has some Business to transact.

Thank you Hon. Deputy Speaker.

I just protected you from the Hon. Member for Emgwen, Josses Lelmengit.

Hon. Josses is my very good student. He usually seeks to understand what is the next business and why you had to rearrange business. I was just trying to explain to him.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I beg to move the following Motion: THAT, this House resolves to exempt the business appearing as Order No. 9 and 10 in today’s Order Paper from the provisions of Standing Order 40 (3) , being a Wednesday Morning, a day allocated for Business not sponsored by the Majority or Minority Party or Business sponsored by a committee. The Procedural Motion is self-explanatory. Today, being a Wednesday morning, we are scheduled to transact Private Members’ Motions and Bills but Orders No. 9 and 10 are not sponsored by Private Members. Therefore, I seek the House’s approval to transact the business lined up as Orders No. 9 and 10.

With that, I want to ask Hon. Pamela Njoki to second.

Thank you Hon. Deputy Speaker and Leader of the Majority Party.

I second the Motion.

Next Order.

(Senate Bill No. 4 of 2022)

Member for Kirinyaga County, Hon. Jane Maina.

Hon. Deputy Speaker, I would like to ask the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development:

Is the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock here? Member for Kirinyaga County, Hon. Jane Maina, there is a lot of work which is going on now with the vetting of the Principal Secretaries. He will answer you.

Thank you.

On a point of order, Hon. Deputy Speaker.

What is your point of order?

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I rise on Standing Order 83 read together with the Speaker’s Manual. There is a guide on dress code. I wish to bring to your attention of a Member in the House who is dressed in a formal flag of a friendly country. Is she in order to come into a House of representation like ours, an august House, wearing a flag of a friendly country without a substantive agenda for us to discuss? Is she in order?

Thank you.

Thank you, Hon. Member. I will give the opportunity to Hon. Esther Passaris, Member for Nairobi City County, to respond.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. Today, I stand in solidarity with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that has turned out to be a conflict zone leading to massive deaths and displacements. According to the United Nations, the conflict has since recorded the largest humanitarian crisis in Africa. Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi warns that the regional tensions could escalate into a full-blown war, if the situation is not contained.

With the DRC’s entry into the East African Community (EAC) and the upcoming general elections in 2023, the robust intervention of the East African regional block is critical to fostering peace between the DRC and its neighbour, Rwanda. Why did I decide to wear this outfit, the flag, today? I met a number of women. So far, over 300, 000 people have been displaced and forced to flee from their homes en route to Shuru and Bunagana since the re- emergence of war. Kenya, through the EAC regional bloc, was appointed to mediate the peace talks between DRC and Rwanda. The former President of Kenya, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, is currently convening peace dialogues in Nairobi, a week after the Kenyan Government commissioned its army to DRC.

I am wearing this outfit because I met women from DRC. Some of them have lived in Kenya for the last 20 years. I am really happy because our country hosts them. They are looking and crying for peace in their country. Women are being raped, defiled and displaced. I came from a breakfast meeting. I walked out with the flag and told them that I would bring awareness throughout the day and stand with them in solidarity. That is why I am donning the flag.

As a Parliament, we have so many friendship groups. I noticed we are trying to create a friendship group in our Parliament in solidarity with Ukraine. I also intend to stand and create a friendship group in solidarity with DRC, so that all of us can call for peace. Charity begins at home. Our neighbours are crying for help, especially women and children.

I stand guided, Hon. Deputy Speaker.

That is a sufficient answer from the Member for Nairobi City County, Hon. Esther Passaris. We will move on to the next Question. Member for Kipkelion East, Hon. Cherorot Joseph. Is he present in the House?

Question 62/2022

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. My Question goes to the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Forestry –

The Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Environment, Forestry and Mining. The Chair is not present, so I will exercise my discretion and defer the question to tomorrow. Thank you.

Next Order!

(Motion deferred)

Hon. Wamuchomba, we shall defer the Motion to a later date. Next Order!

(Motion deferred)

Hon. Beatrice Elachi, we shall also defer this Motion to tomorrow. We know Members are in the Committees. Next Order!

Hon. Members, the time being 10.15 a.m., this House stands adjourned until Wednesday, 30th November 2022, at 2.30 p.m.

The House rose at 10.15 a.m.

Published by Clerk of the National Assembly Parliament Buildings Nairobi