HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 1013020,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1013020/?format=api",
"text_counter": 301,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Zani",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13119,
"legal_name": "Agnes Zani",
"slug": "agnes-zani"
},
"content": "It was already mentioned that because of the measures that we took during COVID-19, we have had fewer people in hospitals. This speaks to the fact that if you have a primary healthcare system that is very solid, then most of these issues are sorted out. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, there is a Health Act in place. The Health Act articulates many things. It goes up to the community health extension workers, after which we have the community health volunteers. A lot of the legislation that is there has not touched on this particular category, and thus this particular proposed legislation. We hope that through this proposed legislation, we will be able to address--- I think it was Sen. Olekina who talked about secondary legislative systems. We do not want to do that. We want to come up with a system to empower this category of workers who are so strong, knowledgeable, and who the communities need. In fact, if we had very strong community health workers within the counties, we would be able to move very fast. I will move a bit faster because I think we also want to move the Equalization Fund Bill in the next few minutes. I would like to thank Sen. (Dr.) Milgo, who seconded this Bill, Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve, Sen. Were, Sen. Olekina, Sen. Poghisio, Sen. Omogeni, Sen. Sakaja, Sen. Wetangula, Sen. Cherargei, Sen. (Rev.) Waqo, Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr., and Sen. (Dr.) Mbito. I want to pick three critical issues that I need to address. The first is the issue of the money Bill. You know that I have been one of the casualties in terms of legislation on money Bills. In any legislation, we work on now, we try to avoid that. One of the things that this Bill proposes right from the onset is that from the time that the money is allocated- and one of the Senators said this – is that we should be able to cascade and put in this money at the level of the County Allocation of Revenue Act (CARA) so that we are able to ring fence this money in the counties. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, legislation has already started in the county assemblies on community health services. They are actually a step ahead. They are looking for the structural and functionality aspects to be legislated, so that this category of people who already exist and do too much--- I know that there is the issue of terminology that I will come to briefly, but when it comes to entrenching them in whichever way, that will be just fine. Homa Bay County has already passed their legislation, and so has Turkana. Migori, Siaya and Nairobi City counties are already debating this. This is the Bill from which we hope that the county assemblies can also spring up and cascade their Bills. It is, therefore, important that we get onto this. This Bills starts from the point that money that has been appropriated and gone to the counties, is what is going to be used. We are, therefore, not going through the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) in the National Assembly. We are talking about money that has already been appropriated into the counties. Some governors have said that there is a lot of work to be done at the counties, but we heard on the Floor of this House today that in some counties there are as many as The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}