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{
    "id": 1091785,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1091785/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 192,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Olekina",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 407,
        "legal_name": "Ledama Olekina",
        "slug": "ledama-olekina"
    },
    "content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, I rise to support this Statement by Sen. Iman. Suicide is a form of mental illness. The sooner we accept that, the sooner we will be able to have a conversation that will lead us into trying to investigate further the cause of all this. As I listened to Sen. Iman’s Statement, I nearly cried because I know most young girls from rural areas cannot afford sanitary pads. For a teacher to make fun of a young girl because she stained her clothes during her menstrual period is really a form of inhumanity. As leaders, I encourage that we serve the people who elected us because that is our job. It is about time we looked back and thought of why we are called servants. When it comes to servant leadership, we must have this conversation and talk about solutions so that we can help out people. Yesterday, I had this conversation with my brother, Sen. Wetangula, where a man killed his wife and then himself. This has nothing to do with wealth because that person is wealthy. In most cases, this COVID-19 pandemic has made suicide cases to skyrocket. There are more people killing themselves now because they cannot afford a meal. I do not think I am the only one here who receives text messages from people asking for even Kshs200 just to buy unga for that day because they cannot survive. Before you realise, the messages increase and soon those people stop sending them. If you investigate further, they ended up committing suicide. As a country – I want to speak to the Executive – it is about time that we now seriously think about why we were elected as leaders. The other day, I read that this Senate will go to Makueni County for the Devolution Conference and that it is a Presidential function which we must attend. Must we attend yet people are dying? We stop other functions from taking place, but when it comes to a Presidential function, we attend. Why not take that money and use it to invest more in Mathari Mental Hospital or develop mental health facilities in each county? We can use that money to even create a counselling centre that talks about suicide. It pained me to hear the suicide numbers in Narok County. Madam Temporary Speaker, when I speak about suicide, just know it could be knocking at our doors. Soon you will be telling stories like all those people who tell theirs, saying they will never see their brother or sister again because they ended their life. This is a matter which all of us must not only legislate on, but follow to ensure we at least have solutions to help our people. Losing a life is not easy and neither is it something that is enjoyable."
}