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{
    "id": 928600,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/928600/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 404,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13156,
        "legal_name": "Mutula Kilonzo Jnr",
        "slug": "mutula-kilonzo-jnr"
    },
    "content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, instead of complaining too much about this scourge, we can do something about those Kenyans who are walking around. As we were told this morning, people are going for treatment for chest, leg pains or arthritis but it is early cancer which has never been detected or treated. Can we speak about this matter a little more openly? I have said before that I was saddened to hear that some of our colleagues in this House are being treated for these diseases yet we do not know. Can we be bold enough just like our brother, hon. Ken Okoth, who demonstrated that a person can still get treatment even though he or she is suffering? If we speak more openly, it will give hope to those who are suffering all over the country that they are not suffering alone. The only way we were able to deal with the scourge of HIV/AIDs is when Kenyans came out boldly to say that they are victims, they are suffering and living with it. Therefore, I encourage those that are suffering from cancer to come out. Let us start a national conversation so that we can help Kenyans who are dealing with this on a day to day basis. As we debate this Bill, could Sen. (Dr.) Ali go to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH)? I am told that there are many children who are suffering from cancer. We should demystify this thing. This disease does not only affect adults. It also affects children. Children below the age of five years are in special wards in KNH suffering from cancer. Are they victims of food? No. Are they victims of herbicides? Are they victims of lifestyle diseases or what is it? Education about this disease needs to be done because it is affecting everybody. It affects both the young and the old in our country. If it is environment, there are people in Makueni who between 80 and 90 years old who have never eaten processed food since they were born. They have never come across the types of things I have seen in this world and who do not smoke, but are suffering from cancer. Somebody said this disease may have been brought to deal with the population. Can we get some research? Is it possible to put in a special budget for research about these diseases, so that we get proper information? When I was in New Delhi in 2015, the doctors from Medanta and Apollo hospitals told me that every year, they make a tour to Dar-es-Salaam and Dodoma to treat heart, blood and cancer patients for free. My investigation shows that we have some impediments in terms of those doctors coming to Kenya. Is it possible that we can waive some of the requirements that are imposed by the board in terms of practice in Kenya, for purposes of helping Kenyans? It is possible to do so. We did so in the case of emergencies where we needed doctors to come to the country to treat victims of fire because we do not have experts. There are certain waivers that have been done when they come into the country to treat people who are suffering from severe burns. Some certain exemptions are done by the board to make sure we get the necessary expertise during those emergencies. This is just another opportunity. An amendment can be made to the law to waive some of the requirements, so that these doctors can come to Kenya. They are willing to come to Kenya. We have just impeded their work. Lastly, as I mentioned, is the question of treating cancer without chemotherapy. Could you, please, explore that option and see whether that doctor in Kenya who has treated a person by law can come out and treat Kenyans?"
}