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{
    "id": 382163,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/382163/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 60,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Obure",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 118,
        "legal_name": "Christopher Mogere Obure",
        "slug": "christopher-obure"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to move:- THAT, aware that the State and other Government agencies have been the biggest impediment to payment of dues to Kenyans, including retirement benefits, court awards and insurance claims; recognizing that such delays amount to violation of human rights and undue punishment; noting that claimants spend a lot of money and time travelling to Nairobi and other far off destinations pursuing the claims; acknowledging that the purpose of devolution is to take services closer to the people; the Senate urges the national Government to immediately establish a one-stop Public Compensation Claims Bureau to enable victims of delays and all future claimants to lodge their claims for immediate verification and subsequent expeditious settlement through the nearest commercial banks and to ensure that legally confirmed dues are settled within six months of the award. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as leaders and representatives of the people, we should all be familiar with situations in which wananchi come to see us, either singly or in delegations, seeking our intervention and support to have their dues and other entitlements paid to them by their former employers, Government or other public agencies and even by private insurance companies. In my career in politics, I have witnessed and continue to witness many such cases. The majority of the cases involve claims for payment of benefits both from Government and other private entities, workman’s compensation awards by courts in respect of accidents taking place in various places of work, claims in respect to payment of pension emoluments, valid court awards, compensating individuals for wrongful dismissal from their jobs, payment of insurance claims following court awards and many other similar claims. In my experience, many of the claimants, even where courts have given awards and no appeals are pending, are still subjected to long delays. I am aware of delays which have taken as long as ten years and more. Sometimes those claims are not even settled at all. In pursuing these claims, the victims often travel long distances from their areas of residence to come to Nairobi, incurring huge expenses. But even after doing so, they are still told to wait or come back another day because the files cannot be traced. Mr. Speaker, Sir, imagine a Kenyan who lives in the northern part of Turkana travelling to Nairobi to pursue a claim. He or she spends a lot of money because they have to find accommodation in Nairobi which they do not know well, all in pursuance of The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}