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"id": 222607,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Wamunyinyi",
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"speaker": {
"id": 291,
"legal_name": "Athanas Misiko Wafula Wamunyinyi",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. But the point I am trying to put across is that this church has some premises within the compound where people with mental illness, that are referred to as mad people, are locked up there and they keep praying for them, but nothing happens. There is no cure for these people; they do not recover. But if we have psychiatrists in our areas working with counsellors, they will easily look at the problems, or what causes this mental illness. The psychiatrists will play their bit and the counsellors will also play their bit in providing this service that will get this person back on track. This locking up of people in Kisumu will not help. They will continue to keep people there, they torture them, they stay without food, just praying to God to help them recover, which can never work. You will agree with me that a case like that cannot work with prayers alone. We appreciate that God also must work. Even for the medicines to work, you require God. But just praying alone is like having someone in a critical condition with an infection, and you are talking of God helping them get out of the infection. This cannot work. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, this Motion seeks to first of all create the Board that will act as a regulator and an umbrella of all those involved in this profession. We have individuals practising, institutions, training and various interest groups. They will all be under the umbrella of this Board, and the Board will, of course, put in place various guidelines, syllabi and curriculum to be followed by those training, the standards required for those practising and even the aspects of discipline for those who will be cheating, those who are not ensuring they stick to ethics. They are also dealt with. There are also provisions for that aspect of discipline. Now, I want to point out basically to Members the envisaged Board's functions. This Board will clearly determine the qualifications of a psychological practitioner and make provision, of course, as I said, for the requisite training and the registration of the person intending to practice. It will also be the responsibility of the Board to co-ordinate and harmonise activities of the members and institutions within the profession in dealing with clients or persons with psychological problems, which require professional help. They will put in place that required standard as I said earlier for the conduct and practice of those in the practice. The Board will also prescribe and regulate syllabuses of instruction for specific courses for certificate, diploma, degree, researches, masters in the profession for all the persons seeking to become counsellors or psycho-therapists and psychologists. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Board will also supervise the conduct of those who are in the practice and will deal effectively with cases of violation that may be reported. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to appeal to hon. Members, that this is not too much to ask. It will only help our communities. Even in the established mental health centres in our regions, I know we have them at the moment at provincial hospitals, I believe. I think that each provincial hospital has a psychiatrist. We need to harmonise these issues to make sure that people who require these services are not condemned and ensure that any cases of this nature can be dealt 1194 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES May 9, 2007 with. So, I want to appeal to hon. Members to support the Motion, which only seeks to establish the Board. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, having said that, I beg to move and seek your permission to request hon. Miriti to second the Motion."
}