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{
    "id": 1478495,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1478495/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 145,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. John Mbadi",
    "speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury and Economic Planning",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 110,
        "legal_name": "John Mbadi Ng'ong'o",
        "slug": "john-mbadi"
    },
    "content": " Sometimes, when you are graduating in age, we do not say you are advancing, but you are graduating in age. Your eyes sometimes start misbehaving, but we also politicians do not like wearing specs. You will notice most politicians even when they get to 70 or 80, do not like wearing specs, apart from a few like the Senate Minority Leader and Sen Faki. Let me respond by saying why are hospitals still being bought. I think there have been challenges with the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) generally, which is why the Government even saw it fit to change the system. There have been a lot of fraudulent activities around NHIF in terms of collusion with service providers and the hospitals. That has complicated the management of this Fund. I would assure this House that there is a high-level engagement to ensure that all pending bills are paid. A lot of pending bills are also owed to NHIF, even by Government institutions. I have the figures. In the last Cabinet meeting we had on engaging in this exercise, we agreed that the National Treasury will work very closely with the Ministry to ensure we pay the money that is owed to NHIF, so that NHIF can also pay the hospitals for a smooth transition to the new system. So, there is work going on that. To Sen. Chute, final dues not been paid since 2020 to a Kenyan is very unfair. Let me also confess that I almost said ‘my constituency,’ but the constituency I have represented for 15 years. There is a lady who yesterday sent me details of her husband’s final dues and she wants that paid. Her husband was a former assistant chief. So, there is a problem with the payment of final dues. This is something that we will take. We can address this specific case, but I think we need to have a clear vision of how to resolve all the cases, so that they do not come one by one. Some people may not access a Senator or a Member of Parliament for help. So, on this particular one, Senator, you can give us the details. I will be able to follow it. Sen. Wamatinga on the plans to reintroduce Huduma Number, especially on issues of land compensation, I want to be very clear that what remains the standard document in this country as proof of your being a Kenyan or your existence in this country is still the ID. To me, that is the anchor point. For these others, we can look for ways of integrating and reintegrating our systems, but we must anchor it on National ID. Again, the question by Sen. Kavindu Muthama is on pending bills. I think I had addressed that earlier when I was addressing issues raised by Sen. Okenyuri. On the issues raised by Sen. Tabitha, where application for IDs takes too long, maybe I did not capture it well. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}