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{
    "id": 418375,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/418375/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 280,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Elachi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13115,
        "legal_name": "Beatrice Elachi",
        "slug": "beatrice-elachi"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I rise to support this Motion and to thank the Mover for bringing it. During retired President Kibaki’s administration, a Fund was established for the elderly. Within their policies; they said that they would be giving each elderly person Kshs2,500 per month. Some of the challenges with the Fund which we were trying to question at that time were how to identify the elderly person and how to ensure that there is equity across the constituencies. This was a big challenge and I remember the then Minister, Ms. Esther Murugi Mathenge, tried her best to map out how one region would get and next time another region. However, at the end of the day, people would still complain. When you talk about a comprehensive policy, you should look at what South Africa and the Scandinavian countries are doing because they have very good social support programmes. These countries take care of their old because they also have a challenge of not having young people owing to the controlled birth programme which makes them have more elderly persons than the young people. I like what Sen. Karaba said. Let us be honest with ourselves. Today, in our country, we have communities which have decided to build homes so that at one time when they are too busy to take care of their parents, they can take them to a home and that is where they would visit them. However, in the African culture, we believe in staying with our own so that they get blessings before they go back to their creator. However, due to change of culture and the western culture that is taking over us, we are also changing. At Kasarani, there is the Nyumba ya Wazee where we took our grandfather who fought for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in terms of education. When he was taken to the home, he became more miserable. This is because he was used to a certain environment in Eldoret. This is the late Kimani Maruge. We thought that it was a good initiative to take him to the home and when we visited him at the home, he told us he wished he was in Eldoret where he could walk and look after his farm. This comprehensive policy will allow them to stay in their homes until they go to their creator. My grandmother died when she was 115. My maternal grandmother died at 98. These people were still strong because they would stay at home and even go to church. The other day, I saw on Citizen Television Channel, a lady who has never gone to hospital but who is now approaching 100. She appeared to be very strong. That means that we need to take care of them. These are resources from the public but who is the public? The public came from the old people. They are the ones who have given birth to us and, therefore, it is time that we took care of them. When you look at our lives, you will see that at one point, you will grow old and become like a baby. When you are undergoing your middle age, you are a strong human being. However, as you age, you start doing the things you were doing as a baby. 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."
}