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{
    "id": 1243539,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1243539/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 216,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Mumma",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "now factoring another scheme to buy things that are not required. Some of the things that were bought at that time are still in boxes because we do not look at what we need. If we increased this budget in order to take care of key services such as taking care of police officers, I would cheer them on. The Executive should consider key issues because they are supposed to be a people-centered Government that should take care of the needs of the people. Among the people, I dare say, we have police officers and their families. They are human beings with rights like the rest of us. As I have said, because of that limitation that they cannot speak for themselves, I urge that the Committee that will deal with this issue and the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, Hon. (Prof.)) Kindiki, who I know is a human rights lawyer, to look into this issue and get this moving. He should not work alone. He needs to work with the Ministry of Health to ensure that the mental health policy and regulations are taken seriously. We do not just want to see policies in the books. We want to see programmes, plans and budgets beyond Mathari Teaching and Referral Hospital, which is completely run down. It is not a hospital that you would want take a person with mental health issues. We make jokes about madness. When we want to demean somebody, we say that they belong to that hospital. We need to know that each and every human being can only function with human dignity and properly if their mental health is good. If you are not in the right state of mental health, it does not matter who you are. You are actually sick and a danger not just to yourself, but also to the society. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, we need to embrace the need to invest in mental health. As we prioritise, we need to remember that the police officers have no voice. Therefore, those of us in the legislatures should be the voice of the police force. Sen. Kibwana, I request that we should be scrutinizing the national Government budget every year, both for the health and internal security sectors, to see whether whatever we say is taken seriously, or whether the Senate is just a talk shop where we speak, but nothing happens. I hope that this will be taken seriously. I support."
}