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{
"id": 1229109,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1229109/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Cheptumo",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13591,
"legal_name": "Cheptumo William Kipkiror",
"slug": "cheptumo-william-kipkiror"
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"content": "It is time for this House and State organs, the Senate and National Assembly, to rise to the occasion and pass this Bill. Article 53 talks about socio-economic rights. We have done very well as a country to address other rights. If you look at the right to life, privacy, human dignity, slavery, freedom of expression, media and political rights, we have done so well. However, when it comes to economic and social rights, we have not done well. In my view, for us to enjoy other rights, we have to deal with economic and social rights. Every person has the right to the highest attainable standards of health. I come from Baringo County. I assure you that the conditions of health facilities and the provision of health are the worst. I also believe my colleagues in the House are facing the same problem. The right to healthcare services should include reproductive health care. If you dissect the economic and social rights under Article 43 from sub-Article 9(a) to (f), all the pastoral communities; the entire North Eastern region, the Coastal region and a larger part of Rift Valley, which is actually more than 70 per cent of the country, those economic and social rights have not been achieved. On housing, I want to appreciate the Kenya Kwanza Government for coming up with the housing programme. However, as we receive this particular programme, how many of the 50 million Kenyans can access them? It is still a big challenge and a fundamental requirement under Article 43 for us to ensure that our people access this and so on. With regard with free from hunger; you witnessed recently up to even today when we got the rains, the kind of situation that our country faced. We were unable to feed ourselves. We depend on donor support. However, we are unable to produce enough food for our country and for our people. When we come to the issue of clean and safe water; Vision 2030 is here with us. There was the proposal under the leadership of Kibaki that by 2030, every household should have clean water in compliance with this Article 43. I do not know the Members of this House today if you were to ask them what percentage of their county is going to access clean water in the next seven years, I am sure that they will all say a small fraction of their population. With regard to social security; the country has tried social protection. On education, in my county, there are schools that have been closed because of insecurity. Our young people are unable to access their schools because of insecurity. Even when they are able to be in those schools, they are unable to even access food. So, they are again not able to access this fundamental right to education. Mr. Speaker, Sir, so that I do not take a lot of time on this matter, this Bill although there will be certain amendments as proposed by the Committee. I serve in the Standing Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights (JLAHR) and even in this House, I think that this is the right step in the right direction. As a House, we should be able now to ensure that this House of the Senate, the National Assembly, the national Government and the county governments as State organs are able to fulfill the obligation placed on them under Article 21 of the Constitution of"
}