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{
    "id": 418377,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/418377/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 282,
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "The Jubilee Government, in their manifesto, promised to give us this support. We told Kenyans that we would look at this aspect. The number of old people may not be more than 1.5 million in this country. The Senate must ensure that there is a comprehensive policy. We should look at what was proposed for the elderly, put a comprehensive policy and see how that can work. As I conclude, we have one thing in this country that the Senate should start looking at; that is, the unclaimed assets. Among the unclaimed assets are billions of shillings that are held by insurance companies and banks. It also appears as if the legislature is afraid of dealing with unclaimed assets. These are monies that institutions have taken to be their own while many Kenyans do not know where the resources of their old people are. The other day, we attended the burial of Prof. Wanjiru Kabira’s mother who was also over 100 years. You could see the brothers asking the chamas that their mum used to go to. They wanted to know where her resources were because she continued to contribute to social support programme in her old age. If we do not take care of them, some of them will end up not sharing with us what they had before they go. The families end up wrangling for nothing. However, if they are given time and something to support them, they become strong and they depart in peace. Everything they had is shared equally and, therefore, everybody becomes happy. As the Senate, we must look at the policies and ensure that all the monies we are wasting come to this Fund. This Fund will help you and me in future. You will be somewhere and nobody will be there with you. However, you will remember that one day you fought for this fund. Look at the likes of Githu Kahengeri today. If we had a Fund, this would be one person to benefit having fought as part of Mau Mau. I do not think he has anything to be proud of. I do not think that there is anything that he draws from the Government as a benefit for bringing this country to where it is today. We also have John Keen. I know that people will always say that these people have properties. Yes, they have properties but there is something they did for this country. They fought for this country. Therefore, the Government should look after them in a different way. Let us not remember how the late Martin Shikuku and others passed on. There was no Fund to assist them to go to hospital for treatment. This Fund will assist in many ways. We have hunger and many other problems and they are the victims. The other question we need to ask is: Who will manage the Fund. We do not see the profits of the elderly because it goes through the local administration, the District Commissioner and you wonder whether it got to the right people or whether it was eaten. We have said that we have to talk openly on corruption and we have that challenge as Kenya. I support."
}