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{
    "id": 1506342,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1506342/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 113,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Marakwet East",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Kangogo Bowen",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker for giving me an opportunity to support this Bill. I also want to congratulate my good friend Hon. (Dr) Makali for bringing it. Many of our former colleagues are languishing out there and cannot afford medical services. I want to thank Hon. Makali Mulu and the former Member for Mwatate who is the Governor of Taita Taveta County for initiating this Bill. It will help Members of Parliament. Former Members of Parliament are always asking us to help them seek medical services. I am happy this Bill is amending the current Pension Act and aligning it with the Constitution. When we have such a Bill the media always reports negatively. You will find the headline tomorrow is that Members want to increase billions to their pension. We want to make it very clear that this amendment Bill is about voluntary contributions from our salaries. So, this scheme should be administered by PSC because currently it goes to the Consolidated Fund. So, the National Treasury will not give us additional money. Members of Parliament’s work is completely different and unique from that of civil servants. You will find a Member serving for one or two terms. So, those who are 20 or 30 years old may serve for two terms and retire when they are 30 or 40 years old. So, this Bill is addressing a situation where a Member serves for two terms and retires at the age of 35 or 40 years and is forced to wait until 60 years old yet they served very well in this House. When you retire at the age of 40 years, you should access your pension and move one with life. I support this Bill and ask my colleagues to do so. As I wind up, some Members of Parliament have served three, four or five terms. The PSC should look into this issue because a Member who has served five terms and is in the sixth one is paid the same as Members who are in their first term. According to the international labour laws, salaries are always in an upward trajectory. For Members who came to Parliament in 2013, their salaries should be higher by a certain percentage than those serving their first terms. If you look at civil servants, every year they get a salary increment. Members who have served for five terms should have a higher salary that those serving their first or second terms."
}