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{
    "id": 1213470,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1213470/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 283,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen Oketch Gicheru",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity. I rise to make a brief comment on the Statement issued by the Senator of Marsabit County, Sen. Chute. Statutory deductions in this country is becoming a very serious issue and a death sentence to many Kenyans. If one is able to work very hard over the course of a month to serve their county in different capacities and is paid a salary at the end of the month, why does a simple issue of a county making statutory deductions and remitting the same to various organs become so difficult and take many years? We have similar situations as what Sen. Chute has talked about. The situation in Marsabit County is similar to a place such as Migori County. In Migori County, when you go to hospital, you are told that your NHIF is not working reason being there was no money remitted. There are families that today are stuck in hospitals because they cannot pay their bills. We cannot understand why after money has been deducted from your salary, you are told your NHIF card cannot settle your hospital bills. This also goes to our national strategy for ensuring economic development. Workers in Kenya have almost five statutory deductions they must make. These are NHIF, Retention Fund, Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE), National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and Pension Fund. The deduction of PAYE, NSSF and Pension Fund take up to 57 per cent of a Kenyan’s salary in these kinds of jobs we are seeing in the counties. We are going to a dangerous path that people will now not see the sense of working. This is because if we add NHIF and retention fund, it is over 60 per cent of what Kenyans are earning ends up going to deductions. There is no incentive to work. As I conclude, apart from just committing this Statement to the relevant committee, I would propose that Sen. Chute considers bringing a Motion on having serious punitive measures taken against people who end up not remitting deduction for county workers and any other personnel we have in this country. With that, we can allow our people to get their right share of what they need to earn in the counties. I passionately support Sen. Chute on this Statement. I hope you can bring it as a Motion next time and we will support it. I thank you."
}