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{
"id": 1519184,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1519184/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Omogeni",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13219,
"legal_name": "Erick Okong'o Mogeni",
"slug": "erick-okongo-mogeni"
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"content": "LSK. We came up with a very good initiative to open the borders in East Africa, so that lawyers in Tanzania can come and practise in Kenya, and lawyers in Kenya can go and practise in Uganda, and vice versa. When we were making that declaration in Speke Munyonyo Hotel in Uganda, the contingent from Kenya was the largest in that meeting. They came there loaded; they had money. So, they painted Kampala. When the proposal was put on the table, the Ugandans were like, “if this is the way these guys are behaving, even before we open the borders, if we open the borders, they will take over Uganda.” The Tanzanians said, “if these guys are allowed to practise in Tanzania, they will take over.” Whereas we acted in good faith and opened the borders, we have Ugandans who are practising in Kenya today courtesy of that decision. However, Uganda and Tanzania have never opened the borders for us, because of the way we conducted ourselves. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the delegation that accompanied our candidate to Addis Ababa should have quietly given moral support to our candidate, without lording it over the other countries or presidents because social media news travels faster than even normal news. Next time, let us learn. If it is a football match, you show your might and shout, but if it is something that is diplomatic, let us be sensitive as to how we conduct ourselves since our conduct can irritate and annoy people who could have voted for us. The third thing is our own domestic policy. We should speak about this matter very candidly. At times, the way we run our domestic policy shapes the perception of other countries about us. What has been happening within our borders, we should also go back, look at the mirror and ask ourselves, out there, how do other countries in Africa perceive us as Kenya? How is our human rights record? Have we created a country that has people who are happy? Every year you get an index released on the happiest people in the world. Currently, I think it is Norway followed by Australia and others. We also need to know if we have created a happy population as a country. When a Member was contributing on this Floor and mentioned SHA, somebody from Nyamira sent me a note he was given at a hospital called Christine Marie for a patient called Douglas Nyang’au, whom they were trying to admit this afternoon in that hospital. What he told me is that, that hospital told them they do not accept patients to be admitted using the SHA card. The SHA card should only be used in public hospitals yet we are priding ourselves as a country that has rolled out Universal Health Coverage (UHC) for everybody. Another person also sent me a message and said, “Senator, remind the President that our people are dying because the SHA card is not being accepted in private hospitals.” I have just been told a patient, aged 94 years, called Martha Nyamwange, was taken to a hospital called Medifort Hospital in Kisii. That hospital which had no sympathy on this senior citizen, 94 years old, only accepted coverage on that SHA card on bed only. What happens to the medicine, surgeon and surgical expenses incurred in the hospital yet we are proudly telling people the SHA is working? It is not right. That is a lie. Let us also look at our domestic issues. How are we treating our people? 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."
}