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{
    "id": 1286907,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1286907/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 132,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Seki",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13598,
        "legal_name": "Samuel Seki Kanar",
        "slug": "samuel-seki-kanar"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I also want to put my voice in supporting the Bill. I will go direct to Part II on recruitment of Community Health Promoters (CHPs). This is a good Bill. We have been having a big problem on primary healthcare and issues that concern health workers in the community. Most of our counties are rural based and they have a big problem on health. Getting a health facility or a dispensary is a problem. That is why we are coming in with CHPs, so that they can be first-hand healthcare officers in the rural areas where one cannot even get a health facility. Mr. Speaker, Sir, passing this Bill will be advantageous to remote and marginalized communities like in Kajiado, which I represent. It will be good for them to realize that the Government has come in to help them. I am also happy that county governments are going to appoint these CHPs. They will be a function of their governments. This is something that needs to be looked into carefully because there will be a large number of employees serving counties and the government of the day. Functions must be followed by funds. Promoters of this Bill need to ensure funds are devolved to the county governments. Part IV, Section 13(e) of the Bill as earlier discussed by a number of Members says that the national Government shall provide capacity and technical assistance and monitor implementation for the effective management of primary healthcare across the Republic of Kenya. This function needs to be enhanced. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I suggest that this should be part of what we are talking about on devolving funds to county governments like funds for training and building capacity of the CHPs. Most of the functions of the committee of health workers are technical and yet they are not trained. Therefore, they need to be trained for them to understand issues of community health and nutrition as required in (f). They need to be sensitized. Capacity building of health workers should be done by county governments and not by the national Government as indicated in this Bill. On the issue of the council as indicated in this Bill, Section 14 gives the Cabinet Secretary powers to appoint it. We only have the chairperson of the CoG or a representative in the entire advisory council. That defeats the essence of devolution because this is a function of county governments. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as indicated in Part IV Section 14, the members of the council in the first meeting elect the chairperson from amongst themselves. We should instead indicate that the chairperson of the COG should become the chair so that they take the responsibility and function of county governments."
}