The Chairman and Director General of National Museums of Kenya today appeared before Senate Committee on Trade, Industrialization and Tourism chaired by Sen. Lenku Ole Kanar Seki, following the Committee's resolution of its meeting held on 25th May 2023 to invite them to a meeting to discuss further, Sen. Mohamed Chute's statement on the status of management of Museums and Heritage Sites in Kenya. 

Five National Assembly Committees  hosted a delegation of Political Counsellors of the Member States of European Union (EU).

The five Committees; the Budget and Appropriations Committee, the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs, the Departmental Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations and the Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee jointly deliberated on a range of issues related to the EU-Kenya relations.

The National Assembly Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education, chaired by Hon. Jack Wamboka (Bumula)  met with officers from various technical institutions to address the audit queries raised in the reports of the Auditor General.

The meeting was called to shed light on a range of concerns, including financial impropriety, erroneous financial statements, hiring of unlicensed trainers, unvalued assets, non-compliance with ethnic diversity and a lack of comprehensive management policies.

The Leader of the Majority Party in the National Assembly Hon. Kimani Ichung'wah has said the National Treasury hopes to clear the outstanding balance of Ksh19.2 billion owed to National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) by the close of the Financial Year.

The National Assembly Education Committee, chaired by Hon. Julius Melly (Tinderet) conducted a familiarization and inspection visit of the Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE) headquarter in Kasarani, Nairobi County.

Making remarks, Hon. Melly underscored the importance of KISE in ensuring all children with special needs access an education, noting that it needs to be strengthened and undertook to work closely with the Institute to ensure it achieves its mandate.

Lamu County - Senator Joseph Githuku Kamau, is seeking a statement from the Standing Committee on Land, Environment, and Natural Resources pertaining to the alleged illegal encroachment of land. The affected areas include the villages of Pangani, Nyatha, Kaisari, Mavuno, and Poromoko.

In a statement presented to the committee, the senator is requesting a comprehensive response from the committee, following the points outlined below:

𝐎𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞:

Kisumu County Senator, Prof. Tom Ojienda, SC has sought a statement in Senate on measures to enhance tourism resources and tourist potential in Kisumu County.

The Senator wants the Committee on Trade, Industrialization and Tourism to provide information on the extent of mapping of tourist sites in Kisumu County, stating policies in place, if any, to ensure that Kisumu County and the Lake Region are robustly developed as a tourist destination.

Kisumu Senator Professor Tom Ojienda has today sought a statement from the Senate Committee on Land, Environment and Natural Resources regarding the water and sanitation situation in Katito Town and its environs in Kisumu County.

While requesting the Statement on the Floor of the House, Senator Ojienda asked the Committee to provide an update on the status of water sanitation in Katito Town located in Nyakach Sub-County in Kisumu County, and state measures taken by Kisumu Water and Sewerage Company (KIWASCO) to effectively resolve the water shortage experienced in the area.

Senator Beatrice Ogola has today sought a statement from the Senate Committee on Land, Environment and Natural Resources regarding the measures taken by the Lake Victoria South Water Services Board to restore water supply in the Ndhiwa borehole.

While requesting the statement on the Floor of the House, the nominated Senator asked the Committee to state when the broken-down system will be repaired and state when the supply of water from the Ndhiwa Borehole will resume.

Kiambu Senator Karungo wa Thang’wa has today sought a statement from the Senate Committee on Land, Environment and Natural Resources regarding the delay in compensation to the residents of Ndeiya, Limuru Constituency in Kiambu County due to the Government’s compulsory acquisition of private land.

The National Government will continue supporting Kenyans affected by the long drought until there will be a significant improvement. Answering questions in Senate this Wednesday, the Cabinet Secretary for East African Community (EAC), the ASALs and Regional Development Mrs. Rebecca Miano told Senators that despite rain being experienced in a section of the areas affected, the effects of the long drought are still being felt necessitating support from Government.

Below is the excerpt of the session.

Debate on the Finance Bill (2023) commenced this morning as the Bill entered the Second Reading Stage in the House. 

Moving debate on the Bill, the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning Hon. Kuria Kimani (Molo) told the House that the Committee had carried out comprehensive public participation and stakeholder engagement, adding that the Committee would be introducing some amendments derived from the submission received.

Meru County Senator Kathuri Murungi is seeking for a statement from the Senate Standing Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations on the alarming closure and threatened closure of the county assemblies across the country.

In his request, the lawmaker wants the committee to give measures being taken to curb the alarming adjournment of County assemblies across the country, with so far Narok, Mandera, Kericho, Embu, Tana River, Kisii, Marsabit, Makueni, Wajir, Garissa, Mombasa, Kwale, Nakuru, Kajiado, Nyamira, Laikipia, West Pokot and Samburu shutting down.

The County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) has directed the Governor of Laikipia County Joshua Irungu to act tough against officers in his administration who enabled fake claims pushing the pending Bills by over Sh1 billion.

The Committee further advised the governor to improve its own source revenue by going on owners of expansive ranches in the county if his administration has to meet its revenue targets.

At a meeting on Tuesday, the governor revealed that he had inherited a Sh2.2 billion pending bill when he took over following the August 2022 general election.

The Senate Standing Committee on Trade, Industrialization and Tourism Chaired by Kajiado Senator, Lenku Ole Kanar Seki held a meeting today to consider response from the Ministry of Road, Transport and Public Works on a Statement requested by Sen. Samson Cherarkey on Operations and Financial Status of Kenya Airways. 

Sen. Cherarkey wanted the Committee to apprise the Senate on the current operational and financial status of Kenya Airways, stating measures if any, to address significant losses by the airline which stand at Kshs. 38.26 billion by December, 2022.

The Principal Secretary State Department of Lands and Physical Planning Hon. Nixon Korir, today appeared before the Senate Land, Environment and Natural Resources Committee Chaired by Nyandarua Senator John Methu to give response to the Ten Statements pending before the Committee and on a Petition by Mbogo’s Family concerning historical injustices and illegal alienation of L.R NO. 7153/1,7153/2,7153/R also known as L.R 12825.

Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Junior has defended the operations of the Makueni County Fruit Development and Marketing Authority telling a committee of the Senate that it operated within the law.

In the report of the revenue and expenditure account for the county, Auditor General Nancy Gathungu had raised queries over misrepresentation of bank details and in some cases some of the signastories were not employees of the county government.

The name of the authority is defined in the enabling law as Makueni County Fruit Development Authority. 

The National Assembly Audit Committees yesterday hosted a delegation of Members of Parliament from the Republic of Zambia. The Decentralized Funds Accounts Committee (DFAC), the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the Special Funds Accounts Committee (SFAC), and the Public Investment Committee on Governance and Education (PIC G&E) collectively hosted the Zambian delegation in the Main Chambers of the National Assembly.

The National Assembly Select Committee on Delegated Legislation chaired by Hon. Samwel Chekponga (Ainabkoi) held meetings with the Cabinet Secretary for Defence Hon. Aden Duale and Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Hon. Mithika Linturi over the Public Finance Management (National Peace Support Operations Fund) Regulations, (2023), and the National Cereals and Produce Board (National Strategic Reserve) Regulations, (2023), respectively.