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{
    "id": 1511584,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1511584/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 660,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kibwezi East, WDM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Jessica Mbalu",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. From the outset, I congratulate Hon. Alice, the Member for Thika for coming up with this Bill through her able Committee. I also want to congratulate Senator Asige for the Persons with Disabilities Bill (Senate Bill No. 7 of 2023). Today is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) and as leaders and a community, we celebrate with our brothers and sisters living with disabilities. Persons with Disabilities is a special category that is helpless. It needs to be considered and involved in the running of all the activities of the society as the Bill has proposed. I support the proposal that they get access to all the social, economic and political activities available in the country. That has been highlighted in the Bill, including them being involved in the procurement process. We know that we passed the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal (Amendment) Act in this Parliament that considers the Persons with Disabilities. However, we need to do more so that we can make them feel appreciated and that they are part of us. To ensure that Persons with Disabilities enjoy their rights, we have this Bill before this House. I support it and encourage all the Members to support it so that it becomes part of our laws. On assistive devices, I have travelled to different countries and it has become a very important sector and an area of concern. Persons with Disabilities need to be given assistive devices. Where I come from, Persons living with Disabilities – babies, women and men – cannot move from point A to B. In fact, they are locked in houses. This reminds me that we need to encourage fathers and mothers not to hide their children in houses. They do that because they cannot access assistive devices to help them move from point Á to B. It is important for us to have sessions where we can speak to Persons with Disabilities. Today we are celebrating them. We need a programme of talking to them and giving them hope. They normally feel discriminated when they are hidden. I am happy that the Bill is talking about the caregivers. Caregivers do a lot of work. It is like having a baby to take care of. Hon. Temporary Speaker, I am a mother and you know when a baby is small or when you have those old grannies, you must be there 24-7 for them. Now the people living with disabilities grow from young to old. So, I think that we want to support that token of cash - Kshs10,000. I wish it can be higher than that because the caregivers take all their time. They give their all to these people so that they take care of them. I think this is very welcome and I really support. So much has been said by the other Members. I think all of us should be able to support, and we will be bringing some amendments at the right time just to ensure that we enrich this Bill. So, with those few remarks, I support."
}