Sifuna Edwin Watenya

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, thank you very much to the Majority Leader for donating that time. As you are aware, the State of the Nation Address was given last week. My position has always been that since the rules require that the President be heard in silence, those of us...

Allow me also to commend His Excellency, the President, on the comprehensive, visionary and strongly grounded and worded address. I also would want to emphasize on a few remarks made. Truly, inflation has been controlled under 4.6 percent. We have a reserve of Kshs12 billion. That is very stable and...

Yes, indeed, I do have a petition. Just before I do that, let me also join my colleagues who have passed their condolences to Dr. Buchere's family following his demise. This afternoon, we also received news that our colleague, the Senator for Siaya County and the entire Jaramogi Oginga family,...

I am holding the very petition that was approved by the Speaker. I am almost done. The Deputy Speaker (Sen. Kathuri) : Kindly, give me one minute. Have your seat. Sen. Sifuna, kindly approach the Chair. (Sen. Sifuna consulted with the Deputy Speaker)

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we will try and truncate it, so that we go straight to the prayers. There is a confirmation here that this issue is not pending anywhere in any court of law or constitutional or legal body in Kenya. “WHEREAS, we, the undersigned, on behalf of the...

Hon. Speaker, Sir, as you know, I am a Member of the Committee on Energy. This morning, we woke up to news that Kenya Power owes Kshs30 billion out of this same programme, rural electrification, because the Government has pushed power to people who cannot sustain that power. Those people...

Mr. Speaker, Sir, immediately I heard the President speaking about load shedding, I knew that the target was the moratorium that had been placed on Independent Power Producers (IPPs) . It has taken less than three weeks and I have heard that the Cabinet Secretary has confirmed here that the...

Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is good to see the Cabinet Secretary for Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development. As you are aware, we have very many pending questions for her Ministry. This is Question No.043- [The Speaker (Hon. Kingi) left the Chair] [The Deputy Speaker (Sen. Kathuri) in the...

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I propose that the Cabinet Secretary should move to part (b) of the Question, then we take the supplementary questions from there. There is a part (b) there of the same question- What is the Ministry doing to safeguard the rights of legitimate owners of these parcels...

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker. Just before I do this, I think there was an agreement that colleagues who have raised questions and have been waiting for a long time for answers from the Cabinet Secretary should be given priority when the Cabinet Secretary finally appears. I urge my colleagues...

Sen. Sifuna, your question is very wide. You are asking the CS what sort of defense they put up in this case on a matter which has already been pronounced by the courts. Madam CS, I assure you that you have the full support of the people of Nairobi as...

Hon. Temporary Speaker, you heard her saying that even in the case involving Tom Mboya, the Ministry is putting up a strong defense because their records are what the courts rely on. So my only concern is how was it possible? So if she can just give us a brief...

Yes, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. Waziri, on this critical point of public participation that has been raised by Sen. Nyutu, you are aware of an ongoing Affordable Housing Programme (AHP) at Makongeni. The residents of Makongeni have asked me to ask you when you will sit down with them to...

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I appreciate that offer from the Cabinet Secretary. Maybe she could be kind enough now to direct her Ministry that the threatened evictions be put on hold until we have that conversation. Cabinet Secretary, I believe you will agree with me that it would be pointless...

No. Since the current residents needed to give way for the project, they had already been given those notices to leave. The Cabinet Secretary for Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development (Hon. Alice Wahome) : Projects are ongoing in that place. Therefore, I may not be able to withdraw...

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise pursuant to Standing Order No. (53) (1) to seek a Statement from the Standing Committee on Education on a matter of countrywide concern regarding delays in the issuance of the 2024 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Examinations (KCSE) and Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) certificates...

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I really do not know where to start with the statement by the Senator for Kiambu County. I have said on the Floor of this House that my perception of the current Government is that it does not care about its citizens. I have actually asked myself...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. If you look at the budget of Nairobi, vis-a-vis the capitation of Sidian Bank, if we ourselves as a county were a bank, we would be bigger than Sidian Bank. I have written to the Governor to explain to me the rationale and he is...

Mr. Speaker, Sir, can inform Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale?

On a point of information, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I wish to inform the Senator for Nyamira County that I do not feel misled. The initial promise on why we moved from the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) where people paid almost the same amount regardless of income, to a graduated payment system, was made by...

(Loud consultations) portion. That is the justification for my contribution increasing from less than Kshs1,000 to Kshs33,000. He told us that those able to pay more should do so, so that harambees would end. Are Kenyans still holding harambees to fund medical care? Yes, they are. Therefore, SHA is not...

Mr. Speaker, Sir, if you go to the HANSARD--- (Laughter)

withdraw and confine himself within Standing Order No.120 of the Senate Standing Orders?(Loud consultations) You should listen.

we are not able to get ample evidence to move or interrogate a case. There are so many things that happen in the police cells. For example, we have custodial deaths and alleged brutality. We even have Gender Based Violence (GBV) cases that are meted upon some of the victims...

What about the President of Tanzania?

Mr. Speaker, Sir, with your kind permission, I just wanted to inform the Majority Leader that part of the delegation is from Elgeyo Marakwet. We had very serious loss of lives there, so that maybe he records the message of condolence from this House to the delegation from Elgeyo Marakwet...

Very well, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I take this opportunity to send our condolences to the delegation from Elegyo Marakwet both as your countrymen, as the people of Nairobi, and of course the party that I represent, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) , for the tragedy that has befallen you. We...

Mr. Speaker, Sir, allow me to comment on the Statement sought by Nominated Senator Hamida Kibwana regarding the development on Langata Link Road. They say that the price of democracy and freedom is the turn of vigilance. I have continued to argue that the levels of impunity that have been...

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. Mine is, the first one is Question No.40. Unfortunately, you will note that this question is from 4th of March, 2025. The reason it is being brought to the Floor nine months later is that we have been unable to secure the attendance of the Cabinet...

Yes, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. You will realise that the response that the Cabinet Secretary has read is from April, 2025, but we are now in November. My expectation would be that he gives us the current status. For instance, Cabinet Secretary, have the reimbursements been paid to the officers...

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. The next question is from friends of mine in Kibera and across the country, the Nubian Community.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I read this response and I was not satisfied. However, I started first by correcting you that the Nubian Community is spread across the country. In fact, part of the question was in discrimination on identity card issuance. We were told that vetting had been removed,...

Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Senate Majority Leader forgot to mention that Namibia elected its first woman President and she is quite exemplary, unlike others we have seen on the continent. (Laughter) OWNERSHIP STATUS OF JAMHURI PARK IN NAIROBI CITY COUNTY

Mr. Speaker, Sir, first, I must apologise to my colleague, the Senator for Busia County; I know he is watching us from the USA. I was not able to take his statements that he had delegated to me. I am sure I will get an opportunity to do them tomorrow....

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a Statement from the Standing Committee on Education on a matter of nationwide concern regarding the persistent and systemic non-payment of allowances to teachers who supervise extracurricular activities and national examinations across the country. Mr....

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I confirm that I have written instructions.

I am reading this Statement on behalf of the Hon. Sen. Andrew Okiya Omtatah, Senator for Busia. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise pursuant to Standing Order No.53 (1) to seek a Statement from the Standing Committee on Trade, Industrialisation and Tourism on a matter of countrywide concern regarding the privatization...

I was laughing, Mr. Speaker, Sir, because I do not know if the Senator for Kisii has seen the Schedule at page 15 of that Report, that the number one county on that schedule that is losing up to half of the money that was scheduled or passed by this...

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I have no problem with Sen. Oketch Gicheru’s point of order. However, he should give us an explanation of the Kshs1 million reduction from the five counties. That money was allocated for construction of--- (Loud consultations) Hon. Members, allow Sen. Sifuna to conclude. I believe he...

Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I have dedicated my life to teaching people who are in the broad-based government. First, the stay in the Court of Appeal did not stop Parliament from legislating. A court cannot stop one from putting a schedule on a piece of legislation. That is what they...

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I used to hear this thing called all-of-government approach shouted from podiums. Therefore, I am surprised that the Cabinet Secretary, in his response, is telling us that we directed the questions to the wrong Ministry and that we should have looked for the Cabinet Secretary, National Treasury...

I hope the students have noticed. You know the tradition of this House is usually that the Senator of the area from which the students come ordinarily welcomes them to the Senate. You have seen how the Chair has struggled to find a reason for me not to be the...