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{
"id": 1489914,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1489914/?format=api",
"text_counter": 59,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Cherarkey",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13217,
"legal_name": "Cherarkey K Samson",
"slug": "cherarkey-k-samson"
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"content": "How could they remove about Kshs523.1 million meant for construction of county headquarters, yet these counties continue to struggle? Thirdly, on the issue of county aggregation and industrial parks, counties were to give Kshs250 million and the national Government was to match with a similar amount. It is indicated as Kshs2.5 billion, but it was supposed to be Kshs4.5 billion, so that we build industrial parks. Mr. Speaker, Sir, a number of visitors in the Gallery are young people who are looking for opportunities and jobs. One of the ways of growing this country by moving from Third to First world is by looking at the Singapore story. The only way is to have the manufacturing sector, so that we have job opportunities for our young people. This slashing of money going to aggregation centres will affect Kilifi, Nandi and Vihiga, yet we had agreed that Kshs250 million be given by the national Government. That is unfortunate. Another issue that I found weird is that we are talking about Universal Health Coverage (UHC), Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) and Social Health Authority (SHA), yet people cannot access healthcare. The Government came up with what we call Community Health Promoters (CHPs). It was unwise for the National Assembly to cut this money to Kshs2.584 billion. The money can only pay 86,133, yet we had hired 107,831 CHPs. These CHPs are like extension officers that we have in the counties. These are people who go to our villages. Some of us come from areas where for you to access a health centre, it takes you a journey of five kilometres. Once you access that health centre, there are no drugs and services. These CHPs are supposed to assist people to access quality healthcare. When you go to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital(MTRH) in Eldoret, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) in Kisumu, formerly known as Russia Hospital, Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital, Nakuru County Referral and Teaching Hospital or Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital (MLKH), there is no quality healthcare. Over the weekend, in one of the leading television stations, I saw a story of MLKH, where four people were sharing a bed. How can we alleviate that if at MLKH there are four or five people sharing a bed and others are sleeping on the floor? That is for countries that are still in medieval period. It should not be happening in Nairobi. That is the reason there are CHPs to assist people during delivery. Some of us were not lucky to be born in hospitals like the Gen Z and the rest. Some of us were under the mercy of midwives in the villages. No wonder we are brilliant, because the first time we got into this world, we got good slaps that awoke us to the realities of this world and here we are. That is why we thought that having CHPS in the villages was critical. I am happy the Senator for Nairobi City, my good friend and the Secretary General of the broad-based Government, is here. What happened over the weekend at MLKH should not be allowed. How can four people share a bed? That should be condemned in the strongest possible terms. I hope that after this, the Senator for Nairobi City, who is my good friend, will request the Committee on Health to do a thorough inspection of MLKH, so that our people can get better access to medical care. 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."
}