Baringo Senator Gideon Moi arrives for Senate sittings

Baringo Senator Gideon Moi (right) is received by Moiben MP Silah Tiren, when he arrived in Eldoret to attend senate committee meetings. [Peter Ochieng/Standard]

Baringo Senator Gideon Moi yesterday caused excitement in Eldoret town when he arrived for the inaugural Senate Mashinani sittings.

The senator’s convoy snaked its way from the Eldoret airstrip into the town centre, where crowds gathered by the roadside to welcome him.

The Senator acknowledged the crowds as the convoy, escorted by police outriders, made its way to the county assembly chambers, where the senators are meeting.

The senator, who is also the chairman of the Senate committee on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is in the town to attend the first full senate sittings outside Nairobi that began on Monday.

Gideon later attended senate plenary sessions at the chambers.

Senators are meeting in the town in line with Article 126 of the Constitution that allows either House to sit anywhere in the country.

Inside the chambers, the senator backed a Motion seeking to recognise athletes who did the county proud at the Berlin marathon, where Eliud Kipchoge broke the world record.

The Motion also sought to push for recognition of other sports personalities who flew the county’s flag high. “There is need for the State to compel lottery firms to cover all sports and not only football. Athletics, polo, volleyball and other games should be covered too. This is the only way to develop other sport disciplines and nurture talent,” Gideon said.

“I want to congratulate previous athletes who made us proud. We should show our youths that there are other talents they can engage in instead of getting into destructive ways,” he said.

He also attended public hearings on the maize crisis, where he presented a memorandum on the plight of the region’s farmers.

In the memorandum, the senator called for establishment of buying centres, where farmers could deliver maize to cut off cartels.

The Kanu chairman is also among leaders pushing for a restructuring of the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) in the wake of concerns that the institution has failed to adequately address the plight of farmers.

He is pushing for a raft of changes that could see NCPB replaced with a National Grain Regulatory Commission to streamline the grain sector. He is also seeking the creation a National Food Security Agency to advise on food security.