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{
    "id": 1073113,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1073113/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 287,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Sakaja",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13131,
        "legal_name": "Johnson Arthur Sakaja",
        "slug": "johnson-arthur-sakaja"
    },
    "content": "In the history of this country and this Parliament, there has never been a stronger champion for these issues on mental health. She has moved out of her comfort zone and on television. I know it was a new world that was opening up to her. She has gotten champions. She has lobbied. She has spoken to stakeholders. She has knocked doors of Ministry or Government or private sector and she has brought to light a conversation that for a long time pushed the back bands of the political and policy discourse in this country. It is the efforts of Sen. Kasanga that the conversation around mental health is where it is today. We have had the taskforce, the report, metal health adviser, Dr. Frank Njenga who is my great friend and that we even have this law that has come to us. I would like to ask her not to be dismayed that it has come back. There is a reason for everything. Part of the reasons why it has come back is the strengthening of this bicameral system. I have five Bills that have come back that I was very happy had already gone to the National Assembly. Madam Temporary Speaker, the one Bill that we worked on together, the Pandemic Response and Management Bill is back. That start up Bill which is seeking to help our entrepreneurs and innovators is back. I sponsored the Prompt Payment Bill with Sen. Farhiya. It is a back. The National Disaster Management Authority Bill which I sponsored with Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr. is back. There are a few more that have also come back, including one for county governments and the County Public Service Boards. There is a reason for everything. However, as we discussed in the Senate Business Committee, we have resolved that we will find a way to fast track these Bills administratively so that we do not have to go through the entire process that will be required for Bills. We have done public participation, we have brought in amendments and I am glad the amendments have been incorporated in the new Bills that have been published. We had gone a long way in processing these Bills and so we do not need to be caught up with technicalities but really just send them back to the National Assembly. I hope there is a better working relation between the Senate and the National Assembly so that we are not caught up in the sibling rivalry that has existed before in terms of processing Bills and our respective mandates. As we shall realize, this country needs us to work together. I hope that we can also as leadership push for the co-sponsoring aspect in our Standing Orders so that we do not have the issue of money Bills when Bills that are co-sponsored come to the House of Parliament. Madam Temporary Speaker, Sen. Kasanga has said it and we have had this discussion. I remember when she first brought the Bill and then later published a book, one of the things we said is that we must realize as a country that indeed it is okay not to be okay. For a long time we have felt there has been a lot of stigma, fear and hushed conversations around issues of mental health. For the common Kenyan if you talk about mental health, they think about Mathare and they think that you have lost your mind. However, there are very many aspects of mental health illnesses. In fact even the definition of mental health by the World Health Organization is really a state of well- being whereby individuals recognize and realize their abilities and are able to cope with"
}