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{
"id": 1558733,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1558733/?format=api",
"text_counter": 194,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kilifi North, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Owen Baya",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I beg to move that the Social Protection Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 12 of 2025) be now read a Second Time. The principal object of the Bill is to reduce poverty and vulnerability and improve the well-being of the people by providing assistance, services and programmes that build human capital and cushion people against risks and contingencies throughout their cycle. Part I of the Bill provides for the preliminary matters such as the interpretation of terms used in the Bill objects and the Act, the application of the Act, the guiding principles and the role of the county government in the provision of the Social Protection Bill. The Bill provides for the establishment of the National Board of Social Protection and defines its composition, functions, powers, and sources of funds. Some functions of the Board include advising the Cabinet Secretary on matters related to social protection, designing and implementing social protection interventions and programs, providing social assistance and care to vulnerable persons, coordinating social protection interventions, establishing and maintaining a social protection registry, undertaking civic education on social protection, periodically indexing social assistance benefits in collaboration with the National Treasury, and mobilising resources for social protection initiatives. Many people in this country require social protection, but we currently lack a law that anchors it. This includes vulnerable individuals, persons living with disabilities, and many others who need assistance from the government to shield them from the vagaries of the kind of life that they live in. For instance, while we provide monthly stipends to the elderly, there is no law backing this up. There are many other disbursements from the government without any legal framework to support them. This is an opportunity to establish a law that guides social protection in our country. One of the key aspects of this law is its provision for a registry. At times, county governments issue resources to individuals, and the national government and NGOs do the same. Just a few people benefit from this because they know how to go about the system. However, if we have a registry of those who need social protection, we can better care for them. Currently, an individual may receive funds this month to buy food, but then in three months, they receive nothing. We need to ring-fence those who require social protection in this country by ensuring we have a law in place. Another important aspect of this law is that it extends to the grassroots level. How do we create a registry? We need officers to go out and identify the beneficiaries of the social protection funds provided in this country. Last month, we disbursed around Ksh3.2 billion for the elderly. As Members of Parliament, we received messages confirming that this money reached the beneficiaries, but the criterion for how this is done remains questionable. There are no established procedures for identifying a beneficiary of social protection funds here. Even when the Exchequer is released, we are left asking under what law it has been executed. Many donors want to help the vulnerable in our country, but due to the absence of a proper law guiding the process, they are hesitant to assist. This law will go a long way in establishing the criterion, a system, a legal framework, and regulations that ensure that we take care of the vulnerable people in this country. Part III of the Bill provides for the administration of social protection benefits. It outlines the categories of persons who may be granted social protection benefits, the types of social protection benefits offered under the Act, the eligibility criteria and the procedures for The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}