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{
"id": 1496946,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1496946/?format=api",
"text_counter": 168,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Tabitha Mutinda",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Bringing in the issue of fundraising and adding more responsibilities to the Cabinet Secretary is uncalled for. Actually, since we have Nyumba Kumi, our chiefs at the mashinani lower level, will be the best people to engage as they normally give permits for gatherings to take place. Perhaps, in one way or the other, they would be in a better place because they are much more confined within the environments of where this Harambee is supposed to take place. They are in a better place to understand what the Harambee is for. As I have said earlier, most of these harambees are for medical, education, funeral expenses, or building a community infrastructure that will help the people. You can imagine someone coming all the way from Kitui County to Nairobi to submit application for permit, for Christ's sake. In one of the committees that I sit in; the Senate Committee on County Public Investments and Special Funds (CPIC), where we do audit, we are struggling with late submissions of documents that are should be able to help in the conclusions on audit. When you ask the Members of the County through the Executive, they keep on telling us to give them more time or this was the issue or it has been submitted but late submission. Look at what we still want to make them do. At the end of the day, what are we trying to solve? What is that one or two things that we are trying to cure today as far as these fundraisings are concerned, is it the issue of money laundering? Is that what you want to get to the bottom of? If so, how do you deal with that? We have Government agencies. The EACC and other Government agencies should look at these matters, if that is what they are trying to cure. What are we really trying to cure? Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, for us to cure medical issues, we should give more time to Social Health Authority (SHA), so that the benefits that SHA is and was supposed to provide to the people are realized. One of them, which the President pronounced himself on, was to reduce the issues of harambee because the medical scheme should be able to cut across most of these chronical diseases that make our people end up incurring very high treatment costs. The solution for medical issues cum harambees is and should be in SHA. The discussion should be the speed up of ensuring people register and the system is rolled out maximally, as we have seen in counties whereby this is taking place, so that when we achieve 100 per cent registration and roll-up of SHA, we will be able to have the benefits that SHA has introduced, especially in financial issues. As far as harambees are concerned, I have participated in contributions. Last weekend, I did a contribution to a foundation of one gentleman, Meshack Mwenge, in Machakos County, with his good intentions of helping the needy. Focusing on the element of education factor and why people do harambees for education, the solution should be on free education in the country. Who will come and ask you to support their child to pursue a particular level of education, if from the lower level of education, the primary level to the highest, which is the university level, there is free education? We will not need to have the discussion of harambees for education matters. On the medical issue, SHA should be able to take care. So, what are we left with? Looking at the issue of the church, it is not dealt with in this Bill. Therefore, that is taken care of. Mostly these contributions are because of funerals, when we lose our loved ones. Where I come from, the eastern region, when you 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."
}