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{
    "id": 1202813,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1202813/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 234,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": "I thought I still had time. I think you did not hold my time. Allow me three or five minutes to conclude because I know many of my colleagues want to speak. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to conclude by saying that it was a good speech. There are two or three things he said which I would like to highlight. He talked of affordable credit, something that Kenyans have been talking about. If you were to call your domestic workers back in the village and ask if you can send them money to buy something from a shop, the first thing they will tell you is not to send it to a particular number because of Fuliza or M-Shwari loan and the likes. Affordable credit is a big challenge to the ordinary citizens of this country. I am happy that it came up in his speech. Owing to that, the interest rate on Fuliza loans, which is one of the most popular avenues for mobile borrowing, has reduced by 40 per cent. However, that is not enough. I still find the charges being pushed for to be extremely high. I look forward to our colleagues who will be Members of the Committee on Finance and Budget to demand that it should be as competitive like in other jurisdictions. Finally, is the issue of health. The President dwelt a lot on his plan on the Universal Health Care (UHC). We have had this discussion. If there is something for which this Senate must be counted, it is UHC. Colleagues who have been here before know the journey that we have had trying to push for UHC. We all remember the trial phase that was launched in four counties last term which had many challenges. County governments reported very little progress in terms of penetration and access to affordable healthcare. This Senate should partner with the Executive and pass the necessary legislation for reforms in the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF). We also need to pass additional resources to go to our county government in terms of user-foregone fees, so that ordinary citizens can access primary healthcare at affordable fees. That was properly exposed. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I look forward to colleagues who will be nominated to serve in the Committee on Health partnering with the Executive because as we oversight them, we are also partners. If there are legislative interventions that they want from us, let us deal with them as quick as possible, so that all the 47 to 50 million Kenyans that live in this country can access healthcare cheaply and at the right time. Nobody should sell their land or any other property because of the unfortunate occurrence of being sick. That is the kind of a country that I look forward to living in. I am sure my colleagues will also speak about many other issues, including the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and the kind of reforms needed which were espoused by the President. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move and request Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale to second."
}