Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1277540,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1277540/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 485,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kangema, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Peter Kihungi",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you Hon. Temporary Speaker, I stand to support this Bill. I thank the Mover, Hon. Barasa, for his commitment to serve workers. I wish to know his background because I am a Member of the Departmental Committee on Labour. I have come across a number of legislation pieces that are mostly focused on helping the employed. The issue of pension came to our Committee. I want to put it clear that the reason for moving the retirement age from 55 years to 60 years was because of pension payments. During that time, the Government realised that it did not have money to pay pensioners. Therefore, it was forced to move the retirement age to 60 years. We must come up with a clear conclusive work plan on how to fund pensioners. I remember when I was in primary in the early 1980s, when a teacher retired there would be great celebrations in the neighbourhood. When the teacher got his pension, he would organise a retirement party for everybody to celebrate. It was good for a teacher to retire. His life would change during retirement. When the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) started using money for retirees to do development, that is when problems started hitting workers. This is because all the funds that workers had saved were channeled to projects that did not make money for workers. Their focus was for people to make money on behalf of workers through corrupt deals. Many people have suffered and gone through the challenge of getting pension. Every Member of Parliament who interacts with his constituents knows that the biggest issue is people asking for assistance so that they can be paid their pension. They are sent to the National Treasury, where they are told that their files have not reached there. There is a lot of bureaucracy. Therefore, the law must be changed. Hon. Barasa has put in the Bill, that the timeline should not exceed 90 days. We are happy because the accumulation of NSSF amount or pensioners fund was very slow, when the contribution by the worker was Ksh200 and the contribution by the Government was Ksh200. That amounted to Ksh400. It was not possible to accumulate enough funds to pay workers promptly upon their retirement. However, now that we have gone to percentage contribution, this money will triple. The Government will use the percentage. A worker will pay 6 per cent and the Government will match it with 6 per cent. This money will be available. I know that the Government will not belabour a lot. I call upon the workers to make enough contributions. The Ksh200 that was being contributed earlier on could not fund that account. Now that we are collecting it as a percentage, if we put a supplementary revolving fund – as a Member proposed – after the accumulation of the percentage amount gets to a recoverable amount, we will get this money. Therefore, this Bill is timely. The contribution will be high now that we have moved from Ksh200 contribution from the worker and the Government to 6 per cent contribution by the worker and the Government. We will easily accumulate enough for that fund. The law should be clear before the NSSF starts investing again as it did in Embakasi and failed. First of all, the workers should get all their money before any such decision is made. In budgeting, the Committee that is in charge of the budget of NSSF should prioritise the pensioners. It should not introduce other investments until the issue of pensioners is solved. I support the Bill and congratulate the Member for his support to the workers and his good thought of how to support those who are suffering. Thank you."
}