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{
    "id": 1121793,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1121793/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 209,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Emurua Dikirr, KANU",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Kipyegon Ng’eno",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1453,
        "legal_name": "Johana Ngeno Kipyegon",
        "slug": "johana-ngeno-kipyegon"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for allowing me to contribute to this Amendment Bill, knowing very well that it is a Bill that touches on pensions and issues that affect the elderly. We know the people who are retiring are no longer youthful. They are elders who are retiring to go and take care of their homes, property and children. I support this particular Amendment Bill mainly because these are people who are not asking for anything from the Government. They are not beggars. They are not asking the Government to give them what they do not deserve. They are people who shed sweat for this particular money. Pension schemes exist globally to cater for people retiring from active service. Even international law caters for pension schemes. It is known worldwide that workers cannot, on their own, save enough money to cater for their needs while in retirement because of the many issues that we have to deal with in our day- to-day routines. Therefore, pension schemes were introduced to ensure that while you are working, certain amounts of money are deducted from your salary and saved for you in a pension scheme. That is why pension schemes have been recommended internationally. As a retirement scheme created to ensure the future comfort for those who are working hard today, it is prudent that when these people retire; their money is released with immediate effect. Nobody should be taken round in circles as one seeks his pension. I hope during the Committee of the whole House we can introduce amendments to ensure that as people proceed on retirement, their pension funds are released immediately. They do not have to fill forms requesting to be paid. They should be able to access their pension even through their mobile phones. A person who is due for retirement should fill those forms shortly before leaving office to enable pension scheme administrators to process one’s pension so that the money can be released as soon as possible. Once one goes to an automated teller machine, or if they access their bank accounts through their phones, they should be able to withdraw their money instantly. It is not a favour to pay them their pension. I wish to state that I am supporting this particular amendment because of that. Pension should be merged with a medical cover. You may get your pension after retirement but your medical cover is not assured. Sometimes pension comes when you have so many needs. You may be having children in universities, among other commitments. There should be a way of ensuring that while your employer deducts your pension money, they also deduct an amount for your medical cover during retirement so that you continue to enjoy the benefit of medical cover just like when you were in employment. We have seen so many people who have retired facing myriads of problems. They are admitted in hospitals and hospitals demand big sums of money as deposit before they admit you. Nowadays when you go to hospital, unless you deposit about Kshs100, 000, you will not be attended to even if you are dying. This is true for all medical facilities, be they public or private. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}