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{
    "id": 517272,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/517272/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 292,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "March 10, 2015 SENATE DEBATES 38 Sen. Elachi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. I also rise, first to thank the Mover of the Bill. For the last 50 years, our motto “harambee” was there to support us in a united way so that we could pool resources together and develop. At that time, the initiative brought members of the families, relatives and friends to fundraise to offset medical bills or even pay for school fees. The whole community came together to assist. I believe its intention was good. However, over the years, the same motto has changed; it has become a different initiative. That is where the Bill now comes in to address the different challenges that we face. When politicians who are the victims - but they are also the ones who started and changed the whole process because it became a competition for the new comers who are trying to fight for political positions. Therefore, you find that some have the resources and others do not have. The churches then took advantage of the same process. You will find a whole team lined up in a church and every person has to contribute an amount. What we need to ask ourselves is whether these resources that we give are accounted for or not? How are the resources used? Are we able to account for them? I can vouch for some churches because they have done well with harambee money. We have put up many church buildings through Harambee. I believe the church can guide us on how to spend Harambee funds. Today, we have changed the system because we have realized that you can invite people for so many of these harambees and find them wondering what you are doing. So, what most of the mainstream churches have done is to apportion some amount of money to be contributed by each family towards their activities. For example, the Catholic Church gives its followers a timeframe within which to contribute the said amount. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, my Senator from Kakamega has alluded to the fact that there are scarce resources in this country and we have to participate in harambees to assist our people. Yes, I agree with him that we need to pool resources together. I would rather even give less, but ensure that I support him. We as comrades and friends within our community can come together and pool our resources to assist one another. However, there are people who have used harambees for their selfish ends. They go to harambees and contribute more than Kshs50,000 while we contribute Kshs5,000 because we depend on our salaries. Others flush out Kshs100,000 or Kshs200,000 because we are guests of honour. This has changed the whole notion of harambee spirit. In this scenario, you will find that the community is against you because you do not contribute generously like Senator so and so. In fact, they wonder why you cannot contribute generously like their Member of National Assembly or a Governor. You will even find people starting to boo you and gossip you that you do not contribute in harambee. This is the culture this Bill has to cure. This culture has now been inculcated into us. Our people feel it is a must for us to contribute a certain amount of money in harambee. This now boils down to corruption, as the Senator was saying, because you are forced to go around and seek donations in order to please your people, which is not right. So, as we bring in this Bill, we are not banning harambees in this country. I know that for now, we have those who are in dire need of money to pay for medical expenses. 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."
}