West Pokot Senator, Julius Murgor Recha, the chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Labour and Social Welfare has today made a Statement in Senate on the Committees activities for the period commencing 8th September 2022 to 11th April 2023.

The chairperson while tabling the statement reported that during the period under review, the Committee held a total of fifty (50) sittings, considered three (3) Bills, three (3) Petitions and twenty-two (22) Statements. The Committee also considered two (2) legislative proposals.  

The three Bills considered are: The Employment (Amendment) Bill, 2023, (Senate Bills No. 11 of 2022); whereby the Committee held public participation and tabled its report in the House. The Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2023, (Senate Bills No. 7 of 2023); the Committee placed an advertisement in the local dailies calling for submissions on 24th March, 2023 and its scheduled to hold a stakeholder engagement on Thursday, 13th April, 2023, after which it will sit to consider the submissions and write its report on the Bill. The Heritage & Museums Bill, 2023, (Senate Bills No.8 of 2023); the Committee placed an advertisement in the local dailies calling for submissions on 24th March, 2023, and its scheduled to hold a stakeholder engagement on Tuesday, 18th April, 2023, after which it will sit to consider the submissions and write its report on the Bill; and the Committee also considered legislative proposals on the above-mentioned three bills. 

During the period under review, this Committee also considered three (3) petitions. Petition by Mr. James Muriu Gakonga and other residents of Lamu, Baringo and Nairobi Counties on Linda-Soka tapping into Kshs. 302 Billion football economy.  

The Committee has met with the Petitioners and is scheduled to meet with the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Sports and the Arts on Friday, 25th April, 2023. Petition by Mr. Kimutai Kirui and Mr. Chepses Arap Koech concerning alleged fraud by the First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy Agency.

 The Committee has met with the Petitioners and has scheduled meetings with other stakeholders; and Petition by Dr. Davji Bhimji Atellah and others on the unfair terms and conditions for universal health coverage (UHC) staff and delay in internship posting. The Committee is scheduled to meet the Petitioners on Thursday, 4th May, 2023.

On Statements on matters of county-wide, inter-county, national, regional, or international concern, as well as general topical concern, the Committee received three (3) Statements and its following up on the responses from the Ministries.

The Committee received twenty (20) Statements which had been requested on the floor of the House pursuant to standing order 53 (1). It has concluded on four (4) of these statements while others are at various stages of Committee consideration. The concluded four are:-The Statement concerning the status of white collar employees laid off in 2009 at the Kenya Ports Authority; The Statement concerning the on-boarding process of employees in Marsabit County Government; Statement concerning Older Persons Cash Transfer Programme; and Statement concerning the skewed distribution of relief food in Kirinyaga County sought.

On a Statement concerning, the plight of migrant workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Committee met with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection and the National Employment Authority on the Matter. The Committee was invited to travel to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for a study tour and review of the Bilateral Labour Agreements. The Committee is scheduled to meet the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs and the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection before adopting its report for Tabling in the House. The Committee is also following up on Senate Resolution requiring Ministries of Interior and National Administration, Labour and Social Protection, Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Immigration Department, the National Employment Authority and the Kenya Private Employment Agencies to cease all travel by Kenyan migrant workers to the Gulf States with immediate effect until some outlined outstanding issues are dealt with by the said ministries.

The Committee is scheduled to meet the National Treasury and the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection on Tuesday, 25th April, 2023 on the Statement by Sen. Enoch Wambua, MP, on the Payment of One-off honorarium to former councilors of the now defunct local authorities as well as a meeting with the Vihiga County Government on Tuesday, 2nd May, 2023 to consider the Statement by Sen. Godfrey Osotsi, MP, concerning the Human Resource Audit process in Vihiga County.

Further, the Chairperson reported that the Committee is awaiting responses from the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Sports and the Arts on the Statement concerning the exemplary performance by athletes Eliud Kipchonge, Amos Kipruto and Joyciline Jepkosgei in Berlin and London marathons respectively. Statement concerning the establishment and management of sports training academies in counties. Statement concerning the Management of athletics in the country following poor performance at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics. Statement concerning plans by Government to launch Bottom –up Football Tournament in all 47 counties.

In addition, the Committee is awaiting responses on the statement concerning the African Fashion Week. Statement concerning discrimination of locals in the recent employment at Bomet University. Statement concerning the status and welfare of baby Junior Sagini. Statement on registration and welfare of People living with Disability. Statement on status of Database update of Inua Jamii Programme. Statement concerning non-remittance of statutory deductions by County Government of Marsabit. Statement on the ratification and use of appropriate scheme of service for clinical officers. Statement on rampant sexual abuse in plantations owned by James Finlay (Kenya) Limited in Kericho and Bomet Counties. Statement on the status of Older Persons Cash Transfer Programme in Embu County. Statement on delayed payment of pension to retired employees of the Kenya Railways Corporation (KR). Statement on the state of labour export from Kenya; and Statement concerning claims of inaccurate data of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) as reflected in the National Census of 2019.

Sen. Julius Recha stated that the Committee visited Kericho County on matters of sexual harassment of workers in Tea farms and also visited Kisii and Nyamira Counties from 2nd to 6th April, 2023 on oversight matters under their mandate and also to specifically look into the welfare of tea farm workers in Nyamira County. 

In conclusion the Chairperson informed the Senate that the Committee looks forward to accomplishing the following key activities this quarter: Consideration and tabling of the Reports on all the Bills and Petitions under its consideration. Hold continuous engagements with the National Treasury and County Governments including the Assemblies on the issue of statutory deductions, pension and Sacco payments. Hold continuous engagements with the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Sports and the Arts on Sports Development and Management. Hold continuous engagements with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection on Labour Migration, promotion of skilled labour and protection of unskilled labour migrants; Registration of Persons with Disabilities; Social Safety Nets for the vulnerable in the society; and The welfare of children.