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{
    "id": 1144705,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1144705/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 224,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Bumula, Independent",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Mwambu Mabongah",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13309,
        "legal_name": "Moses Wekesa Mwambu Mabonga",
        "slug": "moses-wekesa-mwambu-mabonga-2"
    },
    "content": "This is the right time for us to put the right measures in place. If we talk of punishment, we have to be specific. If we research, we will know why there has been delay in payment of retiree’s pension. At times, the problem is not with the National Treasury. Money could be there but the staff have their own ways of working. I agree with the Member who said that after the lapse of three months, a retiree’s saved money should earn interest every month. If we have that we will save lives. Many of these people when they retire, they go back to their communities. If they have money, it will circulate within their communities and assist a number of people. Some people go on retirement when they still have school going children. Today, if you happen to come from the region that I come from, you will be surprised. Teachers of 1990s have a problem. They have a caucus that every time you are home they come to request for assistance. When you come back to Nairobi, you rarely get a good response to give them. Therefore, if we have this law, when somebody’s pension is not paid after the lapse of three months, it will start earning interest and it will be the responsibility of the involved Ministry or Department to ensure that they clear benefits of retirees on time. Something else has been mentioned by my colleague. That in this era of devolution, people are enjoying services at close range, including pesa za wazee ; they are not travelling all the way to Nairobi. We must find a way of serving our senior citizens at the closest point possible. If these units can be established at the offices of District Commissioners or at the county level, retirees will not struggle to come to Nairobi where some struggle to find places to sleep. They look for politicians and friends to assist them. If you go outside people’s gates, you find them lining up for assistance. In this Bill, we must find a way of accommodating our senior citizens within the devolved units so that they can be served better. I want to congratulate my colleague Didmus for coming up with such a great Pensions (Amendment) Bill. It will enable proper care of our people. Today we are here and tomorrow we will be the people requesting for the same service. Thank you, I support."
}