Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 497365,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/497365/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 253,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "because there is no pain of non-enforcement which he can inflict, nobody bothers about his letters. So, it is one of those offices which are very powerful; but power without the mandate to cause some discomfort is not power. I think it is only when you can deprive somebody of his job, confine them or fine them that you can say that you have some power. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I was even thinking of how we will know that in Homa Bay County, for example, some of these contracts and jobs have been given to persons with disability. Who will report? I was thinking that there should be some officer designated and employed there even by the same county government to one to monitor and report. I do not know how, but we should think of that so that even the Governor or his own Ministers who give out these jobs and contracts would fear that a report made against them can cause some discomfort to them. Unless we have that, we are not going anywhere. I will give another example which I was forgetting. When I was much younger – I think I was in first year at law school – a lady from my constituency who I think was the most beautiful head teacher - She was the Principal of Kisumu Girls at that time. She was threatening to run for the Mbita seat at that time. I am sure that if she ran, probably, we would have voted for her. One time, she was travelling in a bus from Kisumu to Nairobi to conduct official work and the bus rolled. From then henceforth, she was on a wheelchair. I remember that she had to buy a car, after she got her compensation, which could be operated by hand not by use of the pedals down there. The legs would not help. The car had, therefore, to be operated like a piki piki . I used to see her in church whenever we met. For her to import that car, she had to pay duty. I remember that the President then had to intervene to say that such cars should be imported duty-free. I am echoing what Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr. said about importation of wheelchairs and other equipment that is used by disabled people. This cannot result to a loss in revenue but it goes very far in giving our people access to what they need to survive. I recently watched an artist paint with his toes. I saw a painter and his paintings were beautiful. The paintings were going for a fortune. However, at times, we allow them to let them to try doing what they can. Of course, once in a while, when they meet a politician, a photograph is taken and people get to know about them. However, we do not take these issues at the national level or even at the county level to support them so that they also earn a living from some of these things. I do not know how we can craft some compliance, sanctions or enforcement rules so that we go the route we want to take. I would like to thank the second President of the Republic of Kenya, hon. Moi, for taking affirmative action in meeting these needs. Although he took the route of benevolence and Harambee, this did something. I am sure that hon. Njoroge will concur that some money is sent to him from that kitty every year. It may not be much but they have a building where they collect rent and share out the money. I remember receiving some wheelchairs from that organization. One of the Senators here was a Member of that council. I distributed the wheelchairs in my constituency. However, we should take this seriously as a policy. It would be good if we could put this in our laws or Constitution. We should take it as a policy of the state and the 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."
}