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{
    "id": 1347735,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1347735/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 228,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Ainamoi, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Benjamin Lang’at",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "saying that there are four categories of people that the Constitution has given special mention. They are children, persons with disabilities, the youth and minority groups, and marginalised groups, whom we have taken care of. Older members of the society are the only ones who have not been taken care of by way of legislation or organisation. I support this Bill. Older persons are members of our community. They have contributed to our society, economy and culture. Kenya is where it is today because of the elderly. Somebody has said that we are also headed in that direction. At that age, there are those who are lucky because they still have children to take care of them. Many of our communities obligate the children of elderly people to take care of their parents. However, the society we are in today is changing drastically. When our children grow up, they pursue their careers. Some of them relocate to other countries, leaving behind their parents. Even though you might find parents who are well off with land and money, they are incapacitated at that age. Therefore, we must have a framework that provides that the State can take care of them. I like the idea of establishing a council that will pursue the rights of these members of our society. Even as we establish the council, we must make sure that we put structures in place all the way to the lower level where we can identify the elderly and vulnerable members of our society. I thank the Member who brought this Bill. I support it. This House has continued to provide money to support the elderly. This is the time we need to reconsider the amounts and criteria. I hope that, once it is in place, the proposed council will develop criteria that really define who an elderly person is, specifying the age. What we have been using in the past has been very discriminatory. You can find people of the same age with some of them enjoying the benefits of being elderly and others not benefiting at all. It is high time we harmonised this situation so that all people of a certain category are given the same support. I support the Bill. I hope the Committee will re-look at it with a view to amending the title and strengthening the structures that will be formed. When the time for voting for the funds to support the elderly comes, I will be the first one to do it. They are our senior members. Those of us who are Christians are called upon to respect and take care of our parents, so that our days can be increased. I totally support the Bill and look forward to taking care of the elderly."
}