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{
    "id": 1161502,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1161502/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 98,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cherargei",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13217,
        "legal_name": "Cherarkey K Samson",
        "slug": "cherarkey-k-samson"
    },
    "content": "equipment was a public rip-off. It is a report that was presented before this House by Sen. Dullo’s Committee. They said at that time that the issue of medical equipment, supplies and leasing to counties was a money rip-off by the counties. I can see they have an added Kshs7 billion in this proposal. I do not know, as the Senate, what we can do. I know we might end up going to mediation. I do not think we can go against our word as the Senate. We agreed here that this was a public rip off but, again, we want to pass another Kshs7 billion that goes to the Medical Equipment Leasing Scheme. Counties have complained that some of these things that we are leasing like gloves, reagents, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds and oxygen plants are things that can be purchased one off by counties. County governments should be allowed to buy even diagnostic machines and dialysis machines. They do not need to lease them. Putting additional money to medical leasing again; allocating Kshs7billion continues to be a threat and abet the corruption. We must relook at these issue of medical equipment supply because counties almost 10 years down the line are yet to realize--- When you go to these hospitals that have received leased medical equipment, they are in a pathetic state. I read an item on Kajiado County Referral Hospital in one of the media houses. It is in a pathetic state same to Kapsabet County Referral Hospital. People even buy Panadol and gloves. Doctors cannot do anything because of Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) and many others. You need to go buy gloves in Kapsabet Town, bring it to Kapsabet County Referral Hospital so that the doctor can serve you. When we talk about counties leasing equipment, I disagree that it should not be added here. I hope that when it goes to mediation, it will be important. There was the issue of subsidies. I have seen in the items that we have is the fertilizer subsidy. They have indicated National Irrigation and Fertilizer Clearance. I do not know what that means. For us and even in Narok, we are in a planting season. It is sad that a bag of DAP fertilizer that was retailing the other day at Kshs2,500, goes for Kshs7,000. Our farmers in Nandi, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet, Narok and many other parts including Kilifi have to buy fertilizer at Kshs7,000. It is very expensive. I want to warn the country that if our farmers in the North Rift and in Nandi do not farm, there will be hunger. I am told that 3.5 million Kenyans as today are facing a crisis of hunger. If there will be no food in this country, Kenyans will go hungry and it will be a threat to the national security. The issue of National Fertilizer Subsidy Programme must be reinstated as soon as possible so the we buy fertilizer at Kshs2,500 as opposed to Kshs7,000. Unfortunately, Sen. Orengo has left early. He was alluding that since the Government after “handshake” things have become better. For me, things have become worse. How can you explain to Kenyans- my farmers -that under the handshake of His Excellence President Uhuru Kenyatta and Rt. hon. Raila Odinga, we are buying a 50- kilogram DAP bag at Kshs7,000 but during the first term of the Jubilee Government, we were buying it at Kshs2,500? The cost of living has gone up, and you cannot tell us that because of--- I heard a very lame excuse and I laughed to myself because it was funny. That you know the reason we have fuel going up and the cost of living is because there is fight"
}