Oketch Eddy Gicheru

Sen. Oketch Gicheru

Sen. Oketch Gicheru

Sen. Oketch Gicheru

Sen. Oketch Gicheru(Applause)(Applause) March 19, 2025 SENATE DEBATES 36 (Applause) (Applause) March 19, 2025 SENATE DEBATES 37 Sen. Oketch Gicheru Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, when I look at you, you already have grey hair and you have not paid the debt that you were born and found yet, in another...

Sen. Eddy Oketch, what is the relationship between my grey hair and debt management? Sen. Oketch Gicherudust, they must pay tax. They must pay an equal amount of money as other regions that have benefited from this debt.We must take control. We must not leave this debt management conversation to...

Well spoken. Sen. Onyonka Richard, you may proceed.

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Let me dispense with this point of order first. Sen. Eddy already made a point of order. I will dispense with it first. Sen. Methu, you have heard the issue raised by Sen. Eddy's point of order. I have guided you and given you direction on it....

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Sen. Thang’wa, what is your point of order? Under which Standing Order---

Sen. Oketch Gicheru I thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for this opportunity. There was a Statement requested by the Senator of Kisumu on viability, sustainability and safety of Ombeyi Dumpsite in Muhoroni Sub-County, Kisumu County. Mr. Speaker, Sir, many times you are very lenient and you allow us to discuss...

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I will go straight to Question No.008, which is to the Cabinet Secretary for Water, Sanitation and Irrigation. In this Question, I sought the following-

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Thank you again, Mr. Speaker, Sir. First of all, I must be good that for the first time, I have added my hand to the list. It is a very comprehensive list that was received today from the stamp that I am seeing here in the Senate...

Sen. Oketch GicheruThis House had pronounced itself through a resolution on dealing with those messes. Is the Ministry taking over that because the national security organs failed as demonstrated? March 19, 2025 SENATE DEBATES 19 Sen. Oketch Gicheru This House had pronounced itself through a resolution on dealing with those...

Sen. Kathuri, you may proceed.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I want to congratulate our Cabinet Secretary, Hon. Soipan Tuya, who before she was appointed as a Cabinet Secretary, was one of us in this House. She has not let us down this far. Mine is to first congratulate the KDF joint operation with the...

Sen. Boy, you may proceed.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to also ask a supplementary question. My question is, what is the Cabinet Secretary for Defense doing, and is she aware that on 13th March, 2025, a heavily armed militia, b believed to be Al-Shabab invaded a village...

Mr. Speaker, Sir, in addition that---

Hon. Senator, you are entitled to only one.

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Mr. Speaker, Sir, that is very valid information, but I think the context is more important than the information. The context here is this. I know that the Senate Majority Whip was not involved in the signing of the cooperation agreement when the President and the former...

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Mr. Speaker, Sir, I just wanted to make a few comments on the Statement by the Senator for Kisumu County, Sen. (Prof.) Tom Ojienda, on the extension of the SGR. I know that the Statement will come to our Committee on Roads, Transportation and Housing. That is...

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Mr. Speaker, Sir, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to also share some thoughts on this BPS for this year. I will start my comment today by looking at Chapter 15 of our Constitution. This Chapter is dedicated to commissions and independent offices. It states...

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Sure, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I can always be informed by the Senator.

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this is a compassionate clause and I did not want to interrupt the Chair of Committee on Trade. I may get in trouble and yet, I have a Bill in that Committee but this is on a lighter note. After consultations with a...

Point of information!

Sen. Oketch Gicheru

Sen. Oketch Gicheru In the meantime, the dam can wait. Mr. Speaker, Sir, my question, based on that backdrop, is very simple. What component of the Thwake Dam Project was the responsibility of the Kenyan Government squarely in your Ministry and what component of it was for AfDB? Could you...

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Yes, Mr. Speaker, Sir, because he is a ranking Member.

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Senator for Mombasa---

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Mr. Speaker, Sir, allow me to stick to the issues of Thwake Dam because I have heard very interesting comments and answers from the Cabinet Secretary, including that the dam stuck at the explosive stage because of the Ukraine war. It is very interesting because although the...

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am grateful for the responses from the Cabinet Secretary. However, with all due respect, I did not know that my Question was that difficult to understand and answer. I will take you back to the Question- Could the Cabinet Secretary provide a list...

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Good morning, Cabinet Secretary. I beg to ask the Cabinet Secretary the following Question-

Sen. Oketch Gicheru

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Mr. Speaker, Sir, I thank you. This is a special group. In under one minute, I would like to welcome them to the Senate. However, you should meet them because they are from Kehancha in Kuria West Constituency, one of the most marginalised communities in this country....

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. Today, the Majority Leader is in very high spirits, which is very good. Also, just allow me to convey my deepest condolences to our colleague, Sen. Betty Montet, who has been an industrious Member of this House and presently the Chairperson...

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. That will be very highly appreciated. March 6, 2025 SENATE DEBATES 24 NON-TRANSPARENCY IN FINANCIAL OPERATIONS OF MIGORI COUNTY GOVERNMENT Sen. Oketch Gicheru I rise to seek a Statement pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) from the Standing Committee on Finance...

Sen. Oketch Gicheru

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to support the Statement raised by Sen. Cherarkey on the state of Kapsabet County Referral Hospital and other health facilities in Nandi County. Close to my heart is the issue of medicine. This should call for a serious inquiry into...

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Mr. Speaker, Sir, we always seen serious innovation going on in the private sector to the extent that when you see it in legislative houses like where we are, you get very proud, especially when you come from a technology background like me. I get happy when...

Please give him a minute. Sen. Oketch Gicheru What will happen? Our Government will be forced to start thinking about spending our taxes in offering services in that gap. We are sitting on a February 25, 2025 SENATE DEBATES 50 Sen. Oketch Gicheru time bomb, because when these seepages still...

Sen. Oketch Gicheru

Sen. Oketch Gicheru

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Hon. Senators, we will defer putting the question until tomorrow when we have quorum. We will go to the next order. (Putting of the Question on the Motion deferred)

Sen. Mumma.

Sen. Oketch Gicherutime bomb, because when these seepages still go on in Government and that menace of ODA’s again comes to the Government, we will face a crisis in this country that can lead to another uninformed revolution that can make this country ungovernable.I will not only stop at seconding...

Sen. Oketch Gicheru

Sen. Cherarkey, are you there?

Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker, for this opportunity. I have read the committee report, but I found it was just a clean-up. I am a strong believer in institutions. This country is facing non-implementation of development of institutions. We do not have a shortage of laws that can fight corruption...

Order, Sen. Eddie and Sen. Montet, please consult in low tones.

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a statement from the Standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations regarding the persistent clashes between the Kuria and Maa communities along the border of Migori and Narok counties at Guitembe...

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, on behalf of Sen. Hamida Kibwana, I beg to lay the following Paper on the Table of the Senate today, Thursday, 20th February, 2025- Report of the Senate Delegation to the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) 2024 on Sustainable Development in New York, United...

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Thank you once again, Mr. Deputy Sir. This is a Notice of Motion on the Report of the Senate delegation to the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) 2024 on sustainable development. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, on behalf of Sen. Hamida Kibwana, I beg to give Notice of the...

Second Reading THE ENVIRONMENT LAWS (AMENDMENT) BILL (SENATE BILLS NO.23 OF 2024) THE COUNTY CIVIC EDUCATION BILL (SENATE BILLS NO.4 OF 2024) ADOPTION OF REPORT ON THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST BILL (NATIONAL ASSEMBLY BILLS NO.12 OF 2023) THE STREET NAMING AND PROPERTY ADDRESSING SYSTEM BILL (SENATE BILLS NO.43 OF 2024)...

Sen. Oketch Gicheru My apology. May it be on record that it was laid today, Thursday, 20th February, 2025.

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Thank you, Mr. Deputy Sir. This is a Notice of Motion on the report of the Parliamentary Delegation to the 2024 Joint United Nations - Inter- Parliamentary Union Parliamentary hearing held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, United States of America from 8th to 9th...

Wote Water, Sanitation and Sewerage Service Companies laid on the table of the Senate on Wednesday, 2nd October, 2024.(Motion deferred) ADOPTION OF REPORT ON CONSIDERATION OF AUDIT REPORTS OF VARIOUS COUNTY BURSARY FUNDS ADOPTION OF REPORT ON CONSIDERATION OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF VARIOUS COUNTY EXECUTIVES FOR FY2019/2020 ADOPTION OF REPORT...

Hon. Senators, there being no other business on the Order Paper, the Senate stands adjourned until Tuesday, 25th February, 2025, at 2.30 p.m. The Senate rose at 5.07 p.m. February 19, 2025 SENATE DEBATES 46

Thank you. Hon. Senators, from Order No.9, the Mover is not around, then Order Nos. 10, 11 and 12 are Divisions. We do have not much to do that. Orders from Nos. 13 to 22, also the owners of the Bills and Motions are not in the House. Therefore, that...

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a Statement from the Standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations regarding the mysterious murders and disappearance of residents of Nakuru County. In the Statement, the Committee should-

Thank you, Sen. Oketch. Sen. Tabitha Keroche, I will allow you to read out your Statement under Standing Order No.53 (1) MYSTERIOUS MURDERS AND DISAPPEARANCE OF RESIDENTS OF NAKURU COUNTY

Sen. Oketch GicheruI have been very close to several medical interns in this country. The corruption that is in our medical field is extremely major. Do you know that 90 per cent of medical interns in this country perform procedures without supervision? If they call a consultant to come and...

Sen. Oketch Gicheru I wish to inform Sen. Eddy Oketch that on the Mandela, it was not Cuban but Palestinian war. February 19, 2025 SENATE DEBATES 42 Sen. Oketch Gicheru We as ODM, people from Migori and Nyanza, and I believe Kenyans do not make enemies because other people have...

Sen. Oketch Gicheru

Sen. Oketch Gicheru

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Mr. Temporary Speaker, this is an honourable House of high profile leaders. My good brother, Hon, Eddie, has alluded to the fact that hon. Members are dressed like, look like, have hair like Mau Mau. It is important for my good friend to have a responsibility of...

Sen. Oketch Gicheru

Sen. Oketch Gicheru

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Mr. Deputy Speaker, I thank you. This is a request for a Statement on the victimization of teachers at Poroko Friends School in Transmara West Sub-county, Narok County, and I am reading it on behalf of Sen. Onyonka, the great Senator of the people of Kisii County....

Sen. Oketch Gicheru

Sen. Oketch Gicheru

Sen. Oketch Gicheru

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Madam Temporary Speaker, it is not an area of contention, but an attempt to sugar-coat a tablet. That sugar-coating is the one I am guarding against.

Sen. Oketch Gicherucredible. I will now request you or guide you to give the author of the information you are giving or the source that you are giving from Wikipedia.

Sen. Oketch Gicheru

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Sen. Eddie, while you were in order to raise that point of order, your first point was overtaken because Sen. Boni was not on his feet when you raised that issue. Ideally, you should raise it when he is still on the Floor. So, that is overtaken,...

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Give him back his minutes that have been consumed by the point of order. February 19, 2025 SENATE DEBATES 40 Sen. Oketch Gicheru(Applause)

Sen. Eddie, while you were in order to raise that point of order, your first point was overtaken because Sen. Boni was not on his feet when you raised that issue. Ideally, you should raise it when he is still on the Floor. So, that is overtaken, but you have...

Madam Temporary Speaker, could my time be extended?

Give him back his minutes that have been consumed by the point of order.

Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker. First of all, Sen. Eddie is trying to take credit for what he did not do. It is Sen. Osotsi who sought that clarification. Sen. Eddie only contested the source I gave. So, Sen. Eddie cannot stand here and begin thumping his chest as a...

In the age when Artificial Intelligence (AI) is coming in, and we are talking about paper, brick and mortar; no way! I challenge the House to log into the URL that I have given and display the information on the screens in this Parliament here and now.Individual Senators who cannot...

Sen. Okiya Omtatah, you still have a responsibility to indicate your source, whether Janjaweed is in Kenya or not in Kenya. You have to answer that question. Sen. Okiya Omtatah, do not avoid by the use of Information Technology (IT) and paper and manual paper. Present that, please.

Madam Temporary Speaker, the problem of trying to fit a jet engine on a Volkswagen is what I am dealing with. I would like to be informed by the Senator.

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Madam Temporary Speaker, it is just a clarification on Standing Order No.105. This is a House of debate. The Constitution requires that we have freedom of speech in this House. I wish you just give me a minute to explain what I am about to raise. There...

Thank you very much, Senator. February 18, 2025 SENATE DEBATES 52

Hon. Senators, as per the request by Sen. Eddy, I defer the putting of the question to tomorrow, Wednesday, 19th February, 2025, in the Morning Sitting. THE PUBLIC FUNDRAISING APPEALS BILL (SENATE BILLS NO.36 OF 2024) THE ENVIRONMENT LAWS (AMENDMENT) BILL (SENATE BILLS NO.23 OF 2024) THE COUNTY CIVIC EDUCATION...

Sen. Oketch Gicheru

Hon. Senators, there being no other business on the Order Paper, the Senate stands adjourned until tomorrow, Wednesday, 19th February, 2025 at 9.30 a.m. The Senate rose at 6.05 p.m. February 18, 2025 SENATE DEBATES 55

Sen. Oketch, you have a point of order? Sen. Oketch Gicheru Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I apologize. I should not be interfering with you when you are on your feet speaking. I think this is the only time when I can also be able to consider Standing Order No. 66...

Hon. Senators, having concluded debate on this Motion and in the absence of the Mover to reply --- (Sen. Oketch Gicheru stood in his place)

If you asked him to do you a favour and he was of the opinion that he would not be able to do that favour, he would tell you while facing you that, that one I will not be able to help you. Those are the kind of leaders that...

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I also want to take this opportunity on my own behalf and the people of the great County of Nyamira, and on behalf of the members of the legal profession, to also convey my heartfelt condolences on the untimely death of our colleague, the...

Sen. Oketch Gicheru Thank you very much, Senator.