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{
    "id": 396740,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/396740/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 188,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Okong’o",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 948,
        "legal_name": "Kennedy Mong'are Okong'o",
        "slug": "kennedy-mongare-okongo"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, for this opportunity to contribute to this Motion. First of all, I thank Sen. (Prof.) Lonyangapuo for coming up with this Motion. The wazee wa mtaa as they are called, are men and women who are reservoirs of knowledge and wisdom. They play a very important role in nurturing communities. The African culture and heritage is deteriorating each day because we are aping the West. The values that were inculcated in us as we were growing up by these men and women have been set aside. I support this Motion so that we can allow these men and women to contribute to the good of this country. In the larger Gusii region, for instance, we had what we called Turet where the old men could sit and they would discuss on all the issues affecting the community. In Nyamira County, they have set up a council of elders which spreads to our sister county, Kisii County. It is very important that the Government comes up with a token of appreciation for this old men and women to contribute to their welfare. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, another area which has not been captured very well is the area of drugs. These old men and women know who brews chang’aa in the villages. With the inherent democracy, the chiefs’ powers have waned. If these old men and women are motivated by some token, they can have an opportunity to assist the chiefs in curbing chang’aa consumption in areas like Nyamira and Kisii and other parts of central Kenya. The other issues have been well articulated by Sen. (Prof.) Lonyangapuo, my elder brother Sen. Obure and even my sister. It is not a big deal to appreciate these old men. We are not going to pay them a salary, but simply to appreciate them for their role so that they can have a sense of belonging. I would suggest that Sen. (Prof.) Lonyangapuo comes up with some amendments to include the payments which are being made to the old people in the country. We are just appreciating their role and I also propose that we do an amendment so that we can include the elders who were supposed to benefit from those tokens but were not catered for. I think at an appropriate time, I will consult my brother, Sen. (Prof.) Lonyangapuo, to see if the other group of elders can be incorporated. With those few remarks, I beg to support. 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."
}