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{
    "id": 775998,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/775998/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 257,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "The Woman Representative for Kisii County",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "thank them for the confidence they bestowed on me. I promise them, as I said in my election manifesto, I shall be the bridge of hope for them. The women, youth, persons with disabilities, the girl-child and now the boy-child who is also, for the first time, vulnerable. I begin by looking at this Sessional Paper and I support it. First of all, I start by noting that we have passed very many sessional papers in this honourable House yet these sessional papers always find themselves in the archives of memory. I hope, as we adopt this Sessional Paper on National Housing Policy which is very important, it will not find itself in the archives of memory. This country has many sessional papers that have been passed since 1963 and they are always thrown into the archives of memory. I am very passionate. I want to commend all my colleagues who have supported the notion of rural housing. As you know, our houses in the rural areas are houses whose standards are deplorable. I hope, as this Sessional Paper is being considered, those who seat on the other side representing the Government are going to look into ways in which we can improve the rural housing. I hope that we can, for example, introduce micro-financing through cooperative societies to help the poor and vulnerable; those who are not able to build affordable housing. With this will be issues of clean water and sanitation. As you know, this is Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No.7. It is a very important SDG in rural housing because there is a problem without clean sanitation. In the North Eastern region, for example, there is a problem because of the high water levels. You will find that toilets and houses are too near each other. Because of poor sanitation, there is a serious problem in having clean water in these areas. Another issue I want to contribute to in this House is that of slum upgrading. The Deputy Leader of the Minority Party, who I respect and is my senior, spoke about the Government’s policy which I hope they will implement. I hope they are serious about it. One of the issues that should be considered is the question of slum upgrading. A policy had been started in slum upgrading. It ended up dismally. Nothing was ever done. The poor who were supposed to get the houses, unfortunately, did not get them. Instead, who got the houses? It is the rich; the cream of Kenya. They are the ones who are occupying the houses. It is a shame. I hope the National Housing Corporation is one of the corporations that shall be looked at and shall be properly reconstructed with the aim of ensuring that the houses they are constructing can be occupied by the poor. If we are talking about tenant purchase, let it be real tenant purchase for the poor. Let it not be tenant purchase for the cream of the society; the cream of Kenya. That is so that our very poor and the vulnerable can get these houses. As we consider this Policy, I am glad to note the issues of housing for the venerable, women, persons living with disabilities, which constituency I represent, and the youth, is being considered. That is really commendable. Let me end by saying that we cannot have a successful sessional paper without proper implementation. I hope our oversight Committee on Implementation will look at this Sessional Paper and track the Government’s record. The Committee should check upon the Government to see to it that the provisions are implemented. I take this opportunity to thank you for giving me the opportunity. I support."
}