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{
    "id": 1463744,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1463744/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 79,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kirinyaga County, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Njeri Maina",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker. We miss the point when we do not understand where the Petition is coming from. We passed a robust law on mental health in the last Parliament. Unfortunately, we have not had the capacity to fully implement the same. There is a joke that goes around that in heaven, there is no beer. I do not think any person of sane mind would want to take away his life. There are medical data that claim that for a long time, mental illness in the African society has not been addressed adequately. Even in the village, we used to say, ‘‘ Yule mwendawazimu .’’ We do not understand that in the 21st century, it is a disease like any other. It is a condition that must be addressed medically. These people undergo clinical testing. They see therapists, and it is very expensive to see one in this country. A resident in Kirinyaga County cannot afford Ksh3,000 per session of one hour to see a therapist. Mental health must be addressed adequately by the 13th Parliament. The Ministry of Health must also fund county governments to address issues of mental health adequately. We are not sanctioning people to take away their lives. We are saying these people need help. Let us come up with solutions to help them so that they live longer until the Lord decides otherwise. Let us address the concerns of mental health without bringing in religion or saying that this House or that petition would sanction people taking away their lives. Thank you, Hon. Speaker."
}