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{
    "id": 1024256,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1024256/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 346,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Ijara, PDR",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Ms.) Sophia Noor",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 375,
        "legal_name": "Sophia Abdi Noor",
        "slug": "sophia-noor"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for this chance to add my voice to this very important Bill. From the onset, I want to support the Bill. What we are doing is common practice in the Commonwealth countries. I have interacted with many Commonwealth parliamentarians and listened to them. I have shared some of our experiences as a country like what our former MPs are going through. The information that they shared with me was that what our country was doing to former MPs was not just and it was not portraying a good image to our country. We know what our former parliamentarians are going through. It is a fact. As I was listening to many Members contributing, they have all alluded to the fact that there is a problem that is affecting these former MPs. The developed countries have welfare systems where every less fortunate member of the society is covered. As a country, we do not have that welfare system that can address issues that affect former MPs. I am happy that the Committee on Pensions has realized the importance of addressing a crucial problem that affects our founders: People who founded; people who have struggled; and people who have given themselves and a lot of their time to this country, which is a lot sacrifice. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, there are countries where senior citizens are given a lot of respect. They are given tokens, welfare and medical covers. But in our country, we know of people who have died: our senior citizens, people who fought for the independence of our country because they could not afford Panadol . I think this will cover a wider area of representation and we will look into all other people who have not benefited in terms of pensions in our country. Medical care is very expensive in our country. We have seen people auction their houses, land, farms and animals and today they are destitute because they cannot take care of their loved ones in hospitals. Because of that, we will ask the committee that when they are looking at the Bill, they should consider and think critically about the medical cover for former MPs. One other important thing that this Bill is treating which I feel is important is the issue of equality. The law was looking at the National Assembly, but this Bill is including Parliament which covers our colleagues in the Senate. That gives legality whereby you do not leave out a whole group of serving Kenyans. Of late, for the last two weeks, they have been great to the country in discussing the formula for revenue allocation to counties. So, when we legislate, it should be broad based to cover the future by addressing problems we will be facing."
}