Billow Kerrow

Sen. Billow

Sen. Billow Mr. Speaker, Sir, I request for three weeks to enable me get a proper statement responding to all the issues raised.

Sen. Billow Mr. Speaker, Sir, the first clarification I would like to seek is why has management not responded to the request that Sen. Leshore made with regard to the specific responses in detail of the resolution of this House? Finally, with regard to outsourcing, why is it that the...

Mr. Speaker, Sir, without prejudicing the response to the questions which I have asked, which I think will come later because they are very specific and they are not answered in this particular response, let me also join my Chairman of the Committee on Finance, Commerce and Budget in saying...

Order, Sen. (Prof.) Anyang'-Nyong'o. This is not an opportunity for a rebuttal but an opportunity for seeking clarifications.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, the first clarification I would like to seek is why has management not responded to the request that Sen. Leshore made with regard to the specific responses in detail of the resolution of this House? Finally, with regard to outsourcing, why is it that the answer they...

Sen. Billowthe PPOA and EACC do their work, we will definitely accept the responsibility by the Senate and summon those particular institutions to give us a progress report.The Statement that Sen. Kembi-Gitura wanted was related to Kshs28 million and whether it was to be paid back. Indeed, when I gave...

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Sen. Billow

Sen. Billow Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, allow me to thank the Chairman. This is a very professional answer. On the face of it, it is acceptable. However, as the lawyers say, the devil is in the detail. To this extent, when you scrutinize the contribution by the Council of Governors...

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is very important to understand the expenditures. We need to interrogate office rent, for instance. In 2013/2014 they spent Kshs41 million. What happened in 2014/2015? They went overboard to spend a whooping Kshs134 million. They spent this on office rent in Nairobi yet we passed...

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Sen. Billow Mr. Speaker, Sir, we will provide the response in two weeks, but I want to seek your indulgence. Some of the questions being asked in the Statement, for example, regarding how much manufacturing factories contribute to the GDP is public information available in the economic survey which is...

Sen. Billow Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Senator was a senior public servant. The information in the Economic Survey is published by the Ministry and it is based on data collected by the Kenya Bureau of Statistics. We have no reasons to doubt it, but we will confirm as a team...

Sen. Billow Mr. Speaker, Sir, this Statement was sought by Sen. Leshore and it regards the public-private partnerships. I wish to respond to the statement as follows. The Senator sought to know a number of things. The statement is very detailed and, because the Senator has a copy, I will...

Sen. Billow Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Senate Minority Leader should have listened to what I presented. I said that with regards to the Kenyatta University, they went into a PPPP with an American company called Africa Integras Investment Company Limited. April 13, 2016 SENATE DEBATES Sen. Billow Mr. Speaker, Sir,...

Sen. Billow Mr. Speaker, Sir, picking from where Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr. has left, we know that the governors arm-twisted the county assemblies. A case in point is Meru where the Senator for Meru was forced to go to court to stop PPPs. Could the Chair be clear on the...

Mr. Speaker, Sir, picking from where Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr. has left, we know that the governors arm-twisted the county assemblies. A case in point is Meru where the Senator for Meru was forced to go to court to stop PPPs. Could the Chair be clear on the role of...

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Is the Chairman in order to mislead the House that there is no vacuum, when he knows very well that before an international treaty binds Kenya, for example, it has to be domesticated through Parliamentary ratification? Therefore the vacuum that he says...

Sen. Billow On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

Sen. Billow Mr. Speaker, Sir, there was a time when the Annuity Programme was suspended because of the cost. The Government has since looked at it and in the last Cabinet meeting - about ten days ago - the first 435 kilometres under the roads annuity programme were approved. The...

Sen. Billowtomorrow, because there is vital information that I am waiting for to interrogate this Statement.

Sen. Billow

Sen. Billow Mr. Speaker, Sir, I think both the Senator for Kakamega and who I think is the running mate for --- (Laughter) Sen. Billowwants him to record a Statement and be arrested. The candidate, the Bungoma Senator whose day it was, has always made it very clear publicly that...

Sen. Billow On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

Sen. Billow Mr. Speakers, is the Senator for Wajir in order to say some of the things he has said when he, in fact, came late and missed the Statement by the Senator for Kakamega and he does not know actually what the issues are?

Sen. Billow

Sen. Billow Sanity is now reigning. That is what I have been waiting for. We have to follow the procedure. I said that I will deal with this one because it was the first instance, and that was raised. Then, I thought by giving Sen. Murkomen the Floor, he would...

Sen. Billow Madam Temporary Speaker, it was also listed last week but I think I will oblige.

Sen. Billow Madam Temporary Speaker, this is a request for a statement about the expenditure of the money set aside to mitigate the effects of El Nino rains across the country. It was sought by Sen. Khaniri, Senator for Vihiga.

Sen. Billow Madam Temporary Speaker, the procedure in the House nowadays is that before a Statement is responded to here, all the people who sought it and those who are supposed to respond are sent a message by the Clerk’s office so that we know we have a statement. Secondly,...

Sen. Billow Madam Temporary Speaker, I would like to issue a Statement that was sought by the Senator for Kakamega County who sought a statement from the National Treasury on the delays of disbursement of funds to county governments. The Statement is very long and hon. Senator has a copy,...

Sen. Billow Madam Temporary Speaker, Sen. Khaniri is right. I am sorry. The response came from the office of Controller of Budget. As at 30th June 2015, the counties had accumulated pending Bills amounting to Kshs37.46 billion. This amount consisted of Kshs9.25 billion for Recurrent Expenditure and Kshs28.21 billion for...

Sen. Billow Madam Temporary Speaker, first, I thank Members because the issues that they have raised are very genuine and fundamental. Let me clarify a number of issues and also propose a way forward on this matter. First, I advise Members that the Public Finance Management (PFM) Act limits the...

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Sen. Billow Madam Temporary Speaker, it was also listed last week but I think I will oblige.

Sen. Billow Madam Temporary Speaker, this is a request for a statement about the expenditure of the money set aside to mitigate the effects of El Nino rains across the country. It was sought by Sen. Khaniri, Senator for Vihiga.

Sen. Billow Madam Temporary Speaker, the procedure in the House nowadays is that before a Statement is responded to here, all the people who sought it and those who are supposed to respond are sent a message by the Clerk’s office so that we know we have a statement. Secondly,...

Sen. Billow Madam Temporary Speaker, I would like to issue a Statement that was sought by the Senator for Kakamega County who sought a statement from the National Treasury on the delays of disbursement of funds to county governments. The Statement is very long and hon. Senator has a copy,...

Sen. Billow Madam Temporary Speaker, Sen. Khaniri is right. I am sorry. The response came from the office of Controller of Budget. As at 30th June 2015, the counties had accumulated pending Bills amounting to Kshs37.46 billion. This amount consisted of Kshs9.25 billion for Recurrent Expenditure and Kshs28.21 billion for...

Sen. Billow Madam Temporary Speaker, first, I thank Members because the issues that they have raised are very genuine and fundamental. Let me clarify a number of issues and also propose a way forward on this matter. First, I advise Members that the Public Finance Management (PFM) Act limits the...

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Sen. Billow There being no further requests, I call upon the Mover to reply.

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Sen. Billow

Sen. Billow Mr. Speaker, Sir, I agree that we have a free market and to some extent, there is free movement of labour in some professions. However, the fundamental point is that according to our laws, where the skills are available locally, officers dealing with immigration are obliged by law...

Sen. Billow Mr. Speaker, Sir, this Statement is not ready. The National Treasury has requested for a week. I want to appeal that we have this Statement next Thursday.

Sen. Billow Mr. Speaker, Sir, there is no other reason except that the National Treasury’s argument is that in the last couple of weeks they have been extremely busy with issues of the budget. They have requested for a week. Hopefully, this will be the last extension they will seek.

Sen. Billow Mr. Speaker, Sir, I seek the indulgence of Sen. Khaniri. This Statement is not ready. I know it is urgent. However, the El Nino funds are disbursed through very many Ministries. They have to compile the figures. The implementing Ministry is also a different Ministry. They have requested...

Sen. Billow Mr. Speaker, Sir, the hon, Senator is economical with the truth. The question here is the Ministry of National Treasury. It is not this other Ministry that was dealing with these other things. The National Treasury has no history of dealing with those things that he has mentioned....

Sen. Billow Mr. Speaker, Sir, could the Chairperson advise the House how many countries outside Brazil, particularly in Africa or Europe, have identified any case of Zika Virus, so that the focus of the surveillance is not only on people coming from those countries in Latin America, but also those...

Sen. Billow On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I believe this was the Budget Policy Statement (BPS) . If I am in order, I know that now the Division of Revenue Bill will be coming in this House based on the amendments that we have just made. The...

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to move that the Mover be now called upon to reply to the Motion. (Loud consultations) Sen. Billow On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Let me clarify that this Motion was not voted as a surprise. The timelines for this Motion was clearly...

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. What is it, Sen. Ndiema?

Sen. Billow

Sen. Billow Mr. Speaker, Sir, we have a parliamentary democracy and we must respect it. If a Member in this House is a Member of the Opposition and he has not formerly crossed the Floor to the Government side, he remains a Member of the Opposition, as per the records...

Sen. Billow

Sen. Billow Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the Senator for West Pokot can second. (Sen. (Prof.) Lonyangapuo’s microphone went off)

Sen. Billow Sen. Hassan. You may contribute now. March 1, 2016 SENATE DEBATES Sen. Billow Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the amendment. When there are figures which clearly stipulate the correct situation, it is not right to use an assumed figure. In this case, the average growth...

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I wish to support the amendment. If you look at the detailed report, in (iii) on Page 24, the Committee itself contents that the Budget Policy Statement (BPS) uses a very conservative revenue growth rate. It says actual revenue realisation differs from the growth rate used...

Sen. Hassan. You may contribute now.

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I was hoping to contribute to the amendment itself. Now, I have heard the gist of the amendment. I support the amendment because of that relative growth of our revenue to what we allocate to our counties. I seek to support it. I had actually pressed...

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I rise to support the amendment. When there are figures which clearly stipulate the correct situation, it is not right to use an assumed figure. In this case, the average growth rate in revenue over three or even four years is 13 per cent and this...

collection. Sen. Billow On a point of order, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I would like to clarify that in a document that was submitted to our Committee by CRA, they explained how the 7.9 per cent was arrived at. They took the average growth of revenue according to the Treasury...

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, thank you for that. However, the fact is that even in the Constitution and its spirit, the basis of any division of revenue between the national and county governments would be the growth of revenue. It does not talk about economic growth and so forth that...

March 1, 2016 SENATE DEBATES

them.I had the privilege of going to Mandera where I slept for a day. I found out that the myriad problems there are equal to the ones that I go through. I know we have problems with some of the “leaking” money that goes to the counties because of the...

Thank you Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. This is an important discussion and we are trying to find ways and means of seeing how we can create more funds for the counties so that the devolved functions can be seen to be working. Many times we go for workshops, we argue...

generating more money than others. So, they should be given more money because they generate more.I support.

Hon. Members, since there are no more Members who are willing to contribute to this and I can see that we do not have enough numbers for a Division, can we defer? On appoint of order Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, before I comment on deferment, I thought you should allow...

So you want to reply now? Yes, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir.

Okay, go on. Distinguished Senators, I think the most important point that requires my response is in this report of our committee. If you go to page 24 (iii) , it says:- “The Committee notes that the Budget Policy Statement (BPS) uses a very conservative revenue growth rate in the...

I can see an intervention by Sen. Billow. Sen. Billow Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I rise under Standing Order No. 99 to move that the Motion be now adjourned.

Sen. Billow, are you referring to the main Motion? Sen. Billow No, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I am referring to this one because we are not able to proceed to the next stage of voting.

The amendment has been deferred for voting. The main Motion is being adjourned as per the request of the Chair. I then order that it appears in tomorrow’s Order Paper. March 1, 2016 SENATE DEBATES

Hon. Senators, Order Nos.14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 are deferred. COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE THE KENYA NATIONAL EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL (AMENDMENT) BILL (SENATE BILL NO. 7 OF 2015) THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY ATTORNEY BILL (SENATE BILL NO. 37 OF 2014) THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY PRINTER...

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I beg to move the County Library Services Bill (Senate Bill No.6 of 2015) ---

Just say that you beg to move that the County Library Services Bill (Senate Bill No.6 of 2015) be read a Second Time.

- THAT, the County Library Services Bill (Senate Bill No. 6 of 2015) be read a Second Time. This is a simple Bill. Therefore, I will not take a long time on it as it seeks to devolve library services to the counties. It also seeks management of libraries set...

I corrected her and she said it correctly then went on to debate. Please, proceed Sen. Gwendo. Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale, please, pay attention. I am privileged to have studied a degree course in Information and Library Sciences, which included studying the cataloging of books...

people learn from us. We are looked upon as sources of information in the community. Why can they not look for such information from the libraries?Many people do not know much about the Constitution. What if the copies of the Constitution were put in these libraries and made accessible to...

will be imparted and disseminated.The committee will also plan, coordinate and advise the county government and other bodies on all matters concerning the library. Like I earlier said, the library is not just books. It is a hub of information including entertainment. One can visit a library to read biographies...

to encourage a reading culture in the society. We will request the committee to also include such libraries that can be accessed and have information that is important to the society.The Bill will also impose an obligation on the committee to prepare and submit annual reports to the county executive...

March 1, 2016 SENATE DEBATES

March 1, 2016 SENATE DEBATES

Hon. Members, we still have one minute. ADJOURNMENT