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{
    "id": 1013844,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1013844/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 257,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Olekina",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 407,
        "legal_name": "Ledama Olekina",
        "slug": "ledama-olekina"
    },
    "content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, I am very grateful because it is in line with my submissions. We have got these chiefs who are now made by this Bill to report directly to the County Executive Committee Member (CEC) in charge of health bypassing the entire formal structure, where they are supposed to work. The chiefs want to be the head of these community health workers. This Bill is proposing to pay these community health workers a wage at least at minimum of Kshs14,500. We have a huge burden in our counties. We know and we are alive to the fact that health is devolved. However, health being devolved and money stays in the Ministry of Health here. How is Kakamega County, as an example that I used, going to afford on an annual basis Kshs1.4 billion to pay the community health workers who are in the households? Madam Temporary Speaker, this Bill has very good intentions. My thinking was that before we even proceed so far in terms of discussing this Bill, I sit in the Committee on Health. I had a lot of problems trying to understand how each county is going to afford to pay these community health workers. If this Bill was proposing just to find a way to have them as volunteers, it would make sense. Also, put them through the formal structure and make sure that everything in this Bill is aligned to existing laws such as the Health Act. Madam Temporary Speaker, one of my biggest problems that we have in this country is that these institutions and the three arms of Government; Executive, Legislature and Judiciary all want to do good for this county. However, we do not talk to each other. If today, the Ministry of Health would loosen up its grip on revenue and we devolved more funds, we can guarantee that these community health workers. When we pass this Bill in this House, these people will become pensionable. Where will we get that money? These people will have a right to join a union or even form a union. We will end up having the same problems we are having today in this country. Two days ago, a patient died in the queue of Kenyatta National Hospital because that patient could not get medical support. The patient died because the health workers there were not happy with what they are supposed to be paid. Madam Temporary Speaker, I just think that before we proceed further, it will be important for the sponsor of this Bill to sit down with Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) and get proper advice in terms of the financial implication. Secondly, we need to look at the existing health Acts which are there. This is to see whether this Bill which now wants to treat the community health worker separate 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."
}