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{
    "id": 1558870,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1558870/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 110,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Suba North, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Millie Odhiambo-Mabona",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I wish to thank you for giving me this opportunity. From the outset, I support the Bill. When I first came to Parliament, I originally intended to Move a similar Bill. However, after I spoke with the late Hon. Joyce Laboso, who also had a similar idea, I agreed to cede my Bill to hers. This Bill is very good and timely. All my life, social work is what I have witnessed. My mother was a social worker, working with the County Council of Homa Bay those days. Social work is all that she did all her life, cushioning vulnerable persons. One of the things that was very clear then, was that we got used to people coming to our house when they did not get Government support. My mum helped a lot of young bright students to access the Starehe Boys Centre – we did not have Starehe Girls Centre then. She also helped a lot of people to get medical assistance. Now, we have different systems of assistance by the Government. I am happy that the Social Protection Bill will ensure that we take care of the vulnerable in a more cohesive manner. When Hon. Joyce brought her Bill, it was not actualised. So, the Bill coming from the Government will get the support that it needs. I know Hon. Masara proposed a similar Bill. I wish the Government side had spoken to him prior. Sometimes it is discouraging for a Member of Parliament, especially if it is a Member who is serving a second term, to put in so much effort then midway they are told the Government has a similar Bill. Of course, it is much better when a Bill is supported by the Government, but a Member has to be notified in good time. I have been here for a long time and I have ceded a few of my Bills to the Government. A few years ago, Hon. Duale told me that the Government would take over one of my Bills. It is okay for the Government to take over a Member’s Bill as long as it makes sure that it does not lose the core concerns and interests that a Member had in that Bill. It is orderly and courteous for the Government to talk to a Member when it wants to take over his Bill and agree with the Member on how to consolidate the Bill. One of the things that I like about this Bill is its principles. If you look at Clause 5, it says that the implementation of this Bill shall be guided by the following principles: equity, social justice, inclusiveness, non-discrimination, and participatory governance. When you talk about equity, it means that it will be focusing on the marginalised and vulnerable groups, including women, poor children, and areas that have been marginalised economically for many years and have not been included in the system. Hon. Deputy Speaker, when you talk about non-discrimination, it is the same concept that includes all those areas that have been left out. I am also happy that the other principle in the Bill is promotion of a rights-based approach in the delivery of social protection interventions. A rights-based approach ensures public participation and introduces a component of accountability. It includes an appeal system 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."
}