- The Equalization Fund appropriation Bill was also to be discussed.
- The morning session starts at 9:30 am and ends at 12:30 pm.
Image: COURTESY
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi was on Wednesday morning forced to suspend the sitting due to a quorum hitch.
At least 15 senators are required to be in the House at any given time for any business to be transacted.
When the speaker made his way into the chambers for the sitting, some senators could be seen entering and leaving the chambers.
This forced him to call the House to order and ordered the sergeant-at-arms to ring the bell for 10 minutes.
The morning session starts at 9:30 am and ends at 12:30 pm.
After the lapse of time, he further ordered for it to be rung for the second time when it became clear there was no response from the members.
Some nine bills which include the Tea Amendment bill by Bomet Senator Hillary Sigei among other motions had been listed in the order paper for debate.
The Equalization Fund appropriation Bill was also to be discussed.
Cabinet Secretaries Sopian Tuya (Environment), Zachary Njeru (Water) and Mithika Linturi (Agriculture) had also been lined up to appear during the sitting to respond to questions from senators.
They did not, however, make any appearance.
“Honourable, senators, there being no quorum and having rung the bell pursuant to standing order 14, the Senate stands adjourned until today Wednesday, December 6, 2023, at 2pm,” Kingi ruled as he left the chambers.
It remains unclear as to why the senators snubbed the sitting.
Tuya was to answer questions by nominated Senator Peris Tobiko on the measures put in place by the government to prevent further pollution and restore the rivers, particularly the Isinya and Nairobi Rivers.
On his part, Njeru was expected to respond to questions by Kirinyaga senator James Murango and nominated Senator Mariam Sheikh Omar.
Linturi was expected to respond to questions by nominated senator Joyce Joyce Korir, Tom Ojienda (Kisumu) and Bonny Khalwale (Kakamega).
Senators are set to break for the long recess on Thursday until February 2024.
This is not the first time the Senate has adjourned due to a lack of numbers to conduct its business.
In July, the House suffered the same fate on a day Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu was to make an appearance.
He had been summoned to give a brief on the criteria used by the Ministry in placement of learners in Junior Secondary Schools and when the learners in Grade VII will transition to the existing secondary schools among other issues.