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{
    "id": 759842,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/759842/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 122,
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    "content": "with disabilities should be a basic requirement. Indeed, that is why you will even see that a wheelchair user in this country is always confused for a sick person. This is what Goffman calls the “sick role”; that you are apportioned a sick role identity because then disability is associated with poor health. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would want to imagine that it is the desire of the Jubilee Administration that we move gradually towards universal health care services. One of the ways to do so is to ensure that as many Kenyans as possible are covered by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). This fund is actually doing wonders; it is able to take care of the cost of dialysis and other medical complications. However, the deterrence is that it is targeting those who are in gainful employment and the monthly contribution, even if they would be US$5, cannot really be accessed by many Kenyans. Therefore, I would want to imagine that if we were to pass this Motion – and if the government would be so persuaded –it would ensure that we reduce the cost of burden to the country when we facilitate the families that do take care of persons with disabilities. Currently, the Government cash transfer program for person with severe disabilities is able to reach out to 52,000households, yet there are so many people who are on the waiting list. I am very happy because if you succeed in getting into the program, the Government has gone ahead and provided the NHIF Card as a complimentary service so that, then of course, we increase the health care of such individuals. The issue of social safety has gained a lot of currency. Indeed, bodies such as the World Bank have allocated a lot of resources towards the social assistance of countries so that they can reach out to the poorest of the poor. When you look at the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the real aim is to ensure that we reach out to those who have not been reached, starting out with the furthest. I would want to argue that, indeed, persons with disabilities are really at the bottom of the bottom. Mr. Speaker, Sir, for the last 10 years, we have had an initiative to register persons with disabilities under the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD). This Motion seeks to ensure that the concerned Ministry and, indeed, the state agency conduct an audit or a vetting of those who are not able to pay for their health care. We really want to thank the Jubilee Administration because those who are in gainful employment do benefit from tax exemption of up to Kshs150,000; but a majority of the people with disabilities are not in employment. It is the reason why we have the provision of Article 54(2) which seeks to ensure that 5% of all members of the public in both appointive and elective positions be persons with disabilities. But we are yet to achieve such a goal, although we have been able to do that progressively under the Jubilee Government. However, we need to ensure that whatever social safety nets we provide to our people are not just seen as handouts, but are seen as hand-ups. I do not want to imagine that there would be a better hand-up other than ensuring that whoever you would want to assist or empower would be able to access medical services. Many of the Senators will agree with me that a majority of the requests that come to us, as legislators within our informal social welfare regime, appertains to requests to help them foot medical bills, access hospitals and what have you. I would want to imagine that for many of the Senators here, some of those requests do come from very"
}