Senate Debate on Mining, Vaccine Shortages, Stadium Projects, and Revenue Allocation

Thursday 5 June, 2025 | Afternoon Session

The Senate convened to discuss a wide array of urgent national and county-level concerns. The session included numerous statements on vaccine shortages, stalled infrastructure projects, mining policy, and smallholder agricultural disruptions. The House also debated an amendment to the Fourth Basis revenue sharing formula, with robust arguments on the fairness and equity of increased allocations to 11 underfunded counties. The Senate unanimously adopted a motion to honor the late Professor Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, recognizing his global literary legacy and contribution to cultural identity.

Bills Discussed

• Conflict of Interest Bill, National Assembly Bill No. 12 of 2023 – Presidential reservations communicated to Senate for further consideration

Topics Discussed

• Nationwide shortage of BCG and polio vaccines
• Incomplete construction of stadiums in Machakos County
• Public health risks from contaminated irrigation water in Nairobi metro counties
• Reduction in milk collection in Kirinyaga and unfair penalties to smallholder dairy farmers
• Concerns over direct payments to coffee farmers and impact on cooperative societies
• Declaration of 14 strategic minerals and its impact on artisanal miners
• Failure to publish findings of a $65M aerial mineral survey
• Petition on abduction and disappearance of Joshua Gishuki Mwangi
• Status of artisanal and small-scale mining policy implementation
• Amendment to increase the allocation to 11 counties under the Fourth Basis formula
• Debate on fiscal equity, reward for good governance, and concerns of regional disparities

Key Takeaways and Decisions

• Communication from the National Assembly received regarding Presidential reservations on the Conflict of Interest Bill; Senate committee given 45 additional days to report
• Senate adopted a motion celebrating the life of Prof. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o
• Multiple statements were tabled on mining, health, and agriculture for committee action
• Proposed amendment to increase the equitable share allocation for 11 counties from KES 2B to KES 4.46B under the Fourth Basis formula sparked extensive debate
• Emphasis on protecting small counties, while maintaining caution against disadvantaging the rest
• Concerns raised about governors undermining Senate oversight while lobbying for higher allocations

Major Participants

• Sen. Eric Okong’o Omogeni: Moved amendment to increase allocation to 11 underfunded counties by KES 4.46B
• Sen. William Kisang: Seconded the amendment; emphasized equity for marginalized regions
• Sen. Moses Kajwang: Opposed expanding the allocation; warned against deal-making and imbalance in per capita allocations
• Sen. Boni Khalwale: Urged caution, warning against overreaching after consensus had been achieved
• Sen. Osotsi: Justified the amendment as a compromise between CRA's proposal and the committee’s original formula
• Sen. Agnes Kavindu: Raised concerns about stalled stadiums in Machakos
• Sen. Murango James: Highlighted milk crisis and coffee payment restructuring affecting Kirinyaga
• Sen. Eddie Oketch: Filed four detailed statements on mining regulations and policy failures
• Sen. Methu Muhia: Called out revenue inflation tactics by some counties
• Sen. Kajwang, Sen. Atieno, Sen. Kisang, Sen. Mungatana: Critiqued lack of fiscal discipline and demanded stronger reward structures for good governance
• Sen. Moses Wetang’ula (Speaker): Chaired proceedings and enforced order on multiple heated exchanges

Key Moments

• Senate adopted a motion to honor the late Prof. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, with emotional tributes recognizing his contribution to Kenyan literature and language
• Senator Kajwang mocked absentee governors for lobbying at State House while evading Senate accountability
• Senators clashed over whether the proposed 4.46B allocation was excessive, with some calling it a fair compromise and others a dangerous precedent
• Calls to ring-fence any new funds to prevent misuse by counties with weak governance
• Debates touched on colonial-era mineral mapping, lack of data transparency, and foreign domination in small-scale mining areas
• Senators proposed caucuses for other causes (e.g. HIV burden, blue economy) if affirmative allocations became routine

Notable Quotes

• “We’ve given you an inch—please don’t take a mile.” – Sen. Boni Khalwale
• “How do we reward counties that inflate revenue to appear fiscally disciplined?” – Sen. Methu Muhia
• “You can be a big county with a small leadership mindset.” – Sen. Moses Kajwang
• “We cannot say we’ve signed an MOU and not support 450 billion for counties.” – Sen. Godfrey Osotsi

This summary was generated from official YouTube livestreams of the Kenyan Parliament using bunge-bits, an automated transcription and summarization tool.