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{
    "id": 386376,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/386376/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 76,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Ong’era",
    "speaker_title": "The Nominated Senator",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13117,
        "legal_name": "Janet Ongera",
        "slug": "janet-ongera"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for giving this opportunity as this is my maiden address. First of all, I would like to congratulate you for your successful election to the office of Speaker and all other colleagues here in the House, both elected and nominated. I congratulate all of you. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I also take this opportunity to thank my party, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), for nominating me to this House. First of all, I would like to salute one man who has been at the forefront of the reform process in this country. For over 20 years, the former Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga, has been in the forefront in ensuring that we have the necessary reforms including a new Constitution that has brought us the desires we had, including this Senate. I raise my hands in appreciating the role that the Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga has played in this country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, with regard to the President’s Address, these are just mere words and until these words are implemented, we cannot say that we have seen the taste of the pudding. As you know in English, there is a saying that the proof of the pudding is in the eating. I say this by making the following three comments: First of all, while as women, we welcome the idea that we can have free maternity care, but maternity care cannot really be anything unless we have a health system that meets all the necessary challenges. We heard the President addressing issues of adequate resources and finances. We know that there are many issues to be addressed in the health care system and we do not have enough facilities and the necessary human resource. Our nurses, to-date, are not paid enough salaries so as to take care of these women. Women can have free maternity care but if there will be no nurses to help these women deliver, what will it help us? I expected to see the President, in his Speech, addressing issues of social and cultural barriers. How will our women address issues that hinder them from accessing medical care? These are many as you know. I expected to see the President dealing with the issue of utilizing maternity services. How will the perennial lack of adequate essential medicine be addressed? It is not just enough to say that we will have free maternity health care unless we know how the facilities and the necessary infrastructure will be taken care of. The other issue I want to look at is that of devolution. I want to support what my party leader, the Senate Leader of the Minority, said in this House. We know that the President has indicated that there is commitment with regard to devolution. However, that is not just enough. If this Government was serious, today being 21 days after the Speech was read, I have not seen any Motion being tabled in Parliament that is supposed to do 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."
}