National Assembly Speaker Rt. Hon. Moses Wetang’ula has eulogized the late Emurua Dikirr MP Hon. Johanna Ngéno as a dedicated public servant who defined servant leadership, whose legacy will stand the test of time.

Accompanied by a section of the Parliamentary Service Commissioners (PSC) and Members of Parliament, the Speaker visited his Karen home where he condoled with his spouse Nayianoi Ntutu and the extended family as preparations for his interment progress.

“This is a tragic happening, Parliament has lost one of its finest leaders, “stated the Speaker.

The Speaker reminded the family that during his tenure in the National Assembly as he was serving his third term, he had never been reprimanded for disorderly conduct and was effective in carrying out responsibilities accorded to him including successfully chairing the Housing, Urban Planning and Public Works Committee which played a crucial role in occasioning the passage of the Affordable Housing Act, 2024, law.

“It is also unfortunate that he met his death doing public work beyond his constituency, as Parliament, we celebrate the life of one of us,” he added.

With preliminary reports indicating that the helicopter may have come down due to poor weather conditions, The Speaker urged members and users including pilots to extreme caution during adverse weather conditions adhere to the laid-out safety protocols including; pre-flight forecasting, avoiding thunderstorms and heavy rain, and maintaining minimum visibility standards among others.

“You need to realize the vagaries of the weather at this particular time. We should consider limiting the use of helicopters,” he cautioned

The Speaker, who together with his entourage, used the ill-fated aircraft barely two weeks before it came down, called on MPs to review regulations governing the use of air services to minimize accidents.

“In other parts of the world, no helicopter can take off unless cleared by the aviation authority; we need to improve on the existing framework and have more robust regulations”, added Speaker Wetang’ula.

Speaker Wetang’ula also notified members that he had issued instructions to have a special motion tabled on Tuesday afternoon, allowing MPs to celebrate the life of Hon. Ngéno, and with a further directive suspending the Wednesday morning sitting so that legislators can join the families of four of the victims for a memorial service to be held at AGC, Karen.

The four victims will be laid to Rest on Friday, 6th March 2026, in Emurua Dikirr Constituency, Narok County, while the pilot of the ill-fated chopper will be interred in due course.

The Parliamentary Service Commission assured the families of its support in giving the departed a decent send-off.

By Anthony Solly

MSEA Busia Office conducted a monitoring and familiarization visit to the Affordable Housing Project site at the ATC in Busia. The project aims to improve livelihoods by providing decent, affordable housing while creating employment opportunities for local communities.

The Inspector of Works briefed the team on the progress of the development, which comprises seven blocks, fourteen floors, and 1,024 housing units. Upon completion, the project will also feature key amenities, including a shopping mall, a school, and a swimming pool, creating an integrated and sustainable living environment.

During the visit, MSEA outlined its mandate in mobilizing and organizing Jua Kali associations to tap into available opportunities and discussed establishing a framework to facilitate the participation of local artisans and MSMEs.

The engagement strengthened collaboration among stakeholders and reaffirmed MSEA’s commitment to promoting local enterprise participation in national development projects.

By Anthony Solly

Mutula Kilonzo Jr. has urged Parliament to urgently resolve long-standing National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) arrears owed to counties, warning that continued delays could cripple devolved health services.

Appearing before the Senate Committee on Investments and Special Funds chaired by William Kipkemoi Kisang, the Makueni governor said counties were struggling with unpaid claims for services already rendered, accusing the national government of dragging its feet in finding a payment solution.

“Without a solution, health systems at the county level risk collapse,” he said, calling on lawmakers to treat the matter with urgency.

Mutula noted that adequate financing remains critical to delivering on the health agenda, arguing that counties can significantly improve services if funding challenges are addressed.

He also raised concerns over the mandatory 35 percent wage bill cap, saying it undermines service delivery. While constructing hospitals is classified as development expenditure, hiring professional staff to run them is treated as recurrent spending, creating a policy contradiction that hampers effective healthcare provision.

The governor further called for the zero-rating of medical equipment to lower costs and support the country’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) goals.

During his presentation, Mutula outlined measures Makueni County is implementing to enhance healthcare access, including automation of health processes and rapid registration under the Social Health Authority (SHA).

He said the county had set aside Sh90 million under its Universal Health Coverage programme to register approximately 11,000 indigent residents, with plans to scale up coverage to 200,000 people. The initiative, he added, is aimed at ensuring sustainability in healthcare financing, particularly for vulnerable populations with no alternative access to medical services.

Mutula also highlighted the use of Proximie technology to bridge gaps in specialised medical manpower, enabling remote support and expertise in local facilities.

Members of the committee commended the county for deploying technology in the health sector and for putting in place systems that promote accountability.

By Anthony Solly