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{
    "id": 1134319,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1134319/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 125,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wambua",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13199,
        "legal_name": "Enoch Kiio Wambua",
        "slug": "enoch-kiio-wambua"
    },
    "content": "On the same matter of health - on this I have to be very candid - it does not make sense to talk about increasing the number of our Level Three hospitals to 50 across the country. I keep asking myself why this preoccupation with 50? Why not 10, 20, 100 or 300? What is the basis of the number 50? It will be remembered by this House and by all Kenyans that in the BBI conversation that almost divided this country right down in the middle, there was talk of an increase of 70 constituencies. This issue of throwing numbers at people will not work. What should be done is to make sure that a proper SWOT Analysis is done to find out which counties need more facilities, which counties will be more comfortable with equipping the existing facilities, which counties will be more comfortable with training medical personnel to handle existing capacity. I think that is the best way to go. The idea that somebody will just say we build 50 additional level three hospitals across the country, does not make sense. Mr. Speaker, Sir, on the issue of social protection because it is another policy priority for the BPS, I like that idea that money is now being set aside to deal with the elderly in our society. It will be remembered that yours truly brought a Statement on the Floor of this House as a follow up to a Motion that was brought by Sen. Kinyua and seconded by the Senator for Nandi County on the issue of compensation for former councilors. I hope that Sen. Kibiru and his team will continue to engage on this matter of the BPS 2022 so that the money that this Government promised former councilors earlier in the year will be available in the next financial year. I hope that money will be captured under social protection. I would have wanted Sen. Kibiru to hear that matter but Sen. Kajwang’ is engaging him. For the benefit of Sen. Kibiru, I will say that on the issue of social protection, priority here seems to be given to cash transfers, money for the elderly, which is a good thing and I think we need to increase that next year. However, I was saying that I brought a Statement on the Floor of this House, which the Committee on Labour and Social Protection processed successfully and this Government promised to pay a one-off gratuity to about 12,000 former councilors. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I hope, through you and through the Committee, that under this social protection priority, the money, which was promised to former councilors will be made available, processed and paid to them. As we said the other time when we were moving the Statement, we continue to lose many of these councilors to very poor and very deplorable conditions. On the issue of the environment, which is another policy priority for this BPS 2022, I see that there is money set aside to settle all claims - the underlying word here is “all claims” - relating to human-wildlife conflict in areas where those conflicts do exist. I know in Taita-Taveta we have quite a number of those cases. I also know that we have a number of those cases in my county Kitui and also Narok. It is my hope that all these claims, some of them dating as far as 20 or 25 years ago, will be settled. Mr. Speaker Sir, under environment, we also have money for reforestation. I wish we would get to the specifics when it comes to the reforestation. The Committee on Finance and Budget should push this agenda and we will support them; that we just do"
}