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{
    "id": 764928,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/764928/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 146,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Mulu",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1955,
        "legal_name": "Benson Makali Mulu",
        "slug": "benson-makali-mulu"
    },
    "content": "Committee is to make sure that the interests of former Members of Parliament and the current ones is taken care of. This is not being selfish. Labour laws are clear that if you work and you are entitled to a gratuity, which is normally 31 per cent, when you conclude your contract, in organisations that practice best international practices, your final pay cheque is supposed to come together with your gratuity cheque, so that you do not waste time waiting for it. It will then help you as a former Member of Parliament to reorganise your life. These people want to start a new chapter in their lives, but their money is tied up here. It has been here for the last three months because this Committee was not in place. As we move forward, it would be important that we learn a number of lessons from what has happened. By the time we conclude our term as the 12th Parliament, we should be in a position to make sure that by the time one is not re-elected, his or her cheque is ready. That is very critical. That is why the new Members of this Committee need to start this process early enough. The other thing is that I hear there is a debate in terms of whether they should earn pension or gratuity. The law is very clear. In a situation where you have lost an election, you get your gratuity. In addition to that, you get your pension contributions because you have been contributing. The law is very clear. The work of the five Members who will sit in this Committee on behalf of Members of Parliament is to make sure that the law is followed. However, as you follow the law, we should not lose track of the fact that once Members of Parliament leave this position, they cannot be employed in any other organisation on an 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. job. Therefore, Members should join the Committee and work as fast as possible to make sure that our colleagues get their money and are able to re-start their lives. Those who believe in statistics like me know that when we were in the 11th Parliament, the talk about “70 per cent of sitting Members will go home” was a daily discussion. Every time we came here, we were reminded that 70 per cent of Members of Parliament would go home in the next general election. Each one of us believed that we could not be among them. So, it is like you are saying “70 per cent will go home, but I cannot be among them”. I wish to tell the new Members that it can be anybody as long as you are in this House. Please, be psychologically prepared that it can be you. The question is that if it is you, how would you want to be treated as a former Member of Parliament? If you are operating from that angle, then you realise that the likes of Hon. Mwadime and the other Members who are in that Committee will go an extra mile to make sure that the interests of Members of Parliament are fully addressed for posterity. I am very happy that this Committee is now in place. I indicated that I will be making a small presentation to the Committee in terms of some details which I do not want to say here to champion the interests of the Members. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I cannot conclude without sending my condolences to the people of Nyeri for the demise of my colleague. Dr. Gakuru is my professional colleague. I have known him for some time since he was at The Vision 2030. I last met him when Archbishop Muheria of the Catholic Church was transferred from Kitui to Nyeri County. At that time, we interacted. Nyeri has lost a great man. We pray to the Lord that they continue to believe in the Lord. The family should trust that God will pave way for them to prepare so that the plans that God has for them can be fulfilled. With those remarks, I support."
}