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{
    "id": 587674,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/587674/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 84,
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    "content": "African traditions and lifestyles. Other factors affecting the society include inter- marriages and present day lifestyles. Young people are global citizens and no longer reside in close proximity to the elder members of their society. This makes it very difficult for the society to take care of the elders. Therefore, it is important that we design other ways of looking after the elderly. As the traditional societies disintegrate and break up, it is much more important that we design other ways of taking care of the elderly. This Bill proposes several ways in which we can take care of the elderly. One of the ways is through placing them where we can reach them. We know that there are very well designed and comfortable homes for the elderly where they can access the care stipulated in the Constitution. In a country like ours where the retirement and medical schemes are not well developed, it is very important to design other ways of taking care of the elderly. This Bill is futuristic and it is looking at what is happening in society. Most of us in this House are approaching that age in which we will need to be assisted to survive. We are aware of countries with excellent medical schemes but they still have homes for the elderly. While in China, I had an opportunity to visit a home for the elderly despite the fact that they have good pensions and excellent facilities. Therefore, it is not un-African to provide a situation in which we can take care of the elderly people. This will be more appropriate in the times to come. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, this Bill is important in this country because we do not have a welfare State. Neither do we have the necessary infrastructure where the State can take care of the elderly people. Article 57 of the Constitution has specifically stated that we should use the resources in the country to take care of the elderly in the society due to their vulnerability. The elderly in the society made their contribution to the society and the communities where they live. So, it is only fair that the younger generation takes care of the older generation. I have also heard from several speakers that taking care of the old is an expensive venture. I wish to disagree with this view because I have looked at cash transfers where the money has been largely wasted. I am sure that counties have sufficient funds to enable support to the elderly. It is my view that there are sufficient funds in this country at this juncture to take care of members of our society who are vulnerable. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, as I conclude, I want to ask my colleagues to look at this Bill in a futuristic sense, in an effort to take care of members of our society and in time we shall be the people who will need to be taken care of. I am sure if I had 20 years to go, I would find a mzee who is toothless and probably from Kakamega or probably a former Senator. Therefore, he would need to be taken care of by getting a fair share of soup and other amenities. Since that mzee has been living in an urban area, he will need to sleep in clean sheets as he writes his memoirs to educate future generations. There is no better place to do that except in an elderly people’s home."
}