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{
    "id": 584943,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/584943/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 295,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "We have two levels of Government; the national Government and the county governments. I think it is the obligation of both governments to provide an environment in which we can create policies which will assist the elderly people to live dignified lives. I am aware of the Social Assistance Authority, which is in existence at the moment, which to a certain extent has provided some financial support to the elderly people in the country. But it is very unfortunate that the Act that is in existence has been applied in a very haphazard manner, in that we do know that there are some elderly people who receive support. For example, there are some elderly people in my county who receive Kshs2,000 per month. The method through which these individuals are selected to be beneficiaries is haphazard and not consistent. We are looking for a way in which we can consistently give some financial support to these people. This Bill seeks to rectify and ensure that stringent legislation is made, so that there is consistency in supporting the elderly people. Part III of this Bill seeks to establish community based programmes for the care and protection of senior citizens. These programmes may exist but there is no legislation that will support them to continue, be consistent and fair to all the elderly people. Whether or not they have children and live within our community, these community programmes will assist all of them. Part III of this Bill also seeks to establish home-based care programmes. These are programmes through which the elderly people will be taken care of or assisted by the State in their homes. The programmes will include providing medical care in the homes of these elderly persons, supporting them and making sure that their medical conditions are taken care of. It is at this old age that there are many health challenges. Therefore, we must have a sensitive structure which can recognize immediately what kind of health challenges the elderly people have and they can be taken care of. Part Four of the Bill is very challenging. It seeks to find a way in which we can establish a central point or homes where we can reach and provide their needs. Many times, the elderly people get abandoned as they grow older either because of their children getting involved in missions within or out of the country or they leave the elderly people very susceptible to neglect. This Bill seeks to have a point where we can reach out to these elderly people and take care of them. The rest of the Bill provides for ways in which the elderly could be taken care of. If they are taken care of by individuals who are not their children, there must be regulations and rules which must be complied with, so that they are able to provide the service. The last part of the Bill stipulates and seeks to legislate on the monitoring process of taking care of these elderly people. There should be somebody or an authority that will lay out the ground rules and regulations which anybody who wishes to give care to the elderly person would have to comply with. Therefore this Bill is very important, in that in the level of suffering that the elderly people in this country are going through is so excruciating that the State, in particular, must support them. It is mandatory that the State must offer its senior citizen a leeway in which they can be supported during the difficult time that comes along with aging. I know that those of us who are in this House now are not very old and, therefore, 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."
}