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{
    "id": 927005,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/927005/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 251,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Prof.) Ongeri",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 124,
        "legal_name": "Samson Kegeo Ongeri",
        "slug": "samson-ongeri"
    },
    "content": "We also have occupational problems. We have issues such as chemicals, for those who are working in chemical industries and hospitals. They are potentially exposed to radioactive substances. Those who are working in asbestos firms are potentially exposed to those substances. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to come to lifestyle. I think I heard Sen. Murkomen asking about the advice we could get. Our lifestyle has got to change dramatically. The consumption of sugar in this country is a potentially dangerous element towards the onset of cancer. I think we must accept it. It is a delicacy; we eat sweets, give them to our children, encourage the drinking of Coca-Cola sodas and all the ales full of sugars. That is potentially one way of getting diabetes, which predisposes one to cancer. Some of the cells are destroyed and, therefore, become unrecognizable by their own body cells. There is what we call autoimmune system that sets in and makes those cells unrecognizable. The normal cells will tend to attack and create unnecessary proliferation of abnormal cells that cause cancer. We, therefore, need to look at these elements. We also need to look at the meats we eat and some of the preservatives. The other day health workers pounced on supermarkets that sell meat. That is a classic example, and Kenyans over the weekends are feasting on these meats all over the place. What amount of chemicals are they ingesting, and yet we are saying that cancer is all over the place? We should look at the causative elements of these cancers, so that we can deal with them more squarely and straight. Do the foods we eat contain a lot of nitrites and other substances that are not important? I should have gone the scientific way, but let me make it simple; things that contain lots of carbon chains are potential foods that will cause cancer in this country. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have every reason to say that the Mover of the Bill, Sen. (Dr.) Ali, was very well trained. I had the opportunity to train him. My contribution is that we should now shift our emphasis to preventive rather than curative measures. Yes, for those who have the disease, we will be able to treat them at these centres that will be established. However, let us also encourage Kenyans to have a normal habit of going for early check-ups. This is because simple things such as obesity are other causative factors of cancer. We need not run away from what we see are glaring causes of cancer. We need to tell our people that the lifestyles we enjoy need to be limited. We need to limit the foodstuff we take. We do not drink enough clean water. I do not mean polluted water because some of this polluted water has some of these substances like chemicals and gases, such as radon gas which comes from other gases that are potential agents for causing cancer. We now need to look at water and the simple foods that we take in our homes and restaurants and how they are prepared. We need to look at simple things such as the air we breathe and whether it is clean. You will have noticed these days that when in Nairobi, you are a sick person, but when you move to Meru, you feel well as if some new energy has come into you. This is because of the change of atmosphere and oxygen. The oxygen saturation level is much higher than we find here in Nairobi. If I looked at the oxygen saturation level in Nairobi, it will not be 97 or 98 per cent. It will probably be The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}