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{
    "id": 928632,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/928632/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 436,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 210,
        "legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
        "slug": "moses-wetangula"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I congratulate the distinguished Senator for Wajir for bringing a Bill that restates and reaffirms that a devolved function ought to be properly handled at the county level. Listening to all that is going on about cancer leaves one in a state of near confusion. When you listen to both local and international radio, there is so much that is being talked about. There is a clip from America that is going around and it appears to say that cancer is a creation and that leaves everybody wondering what we are talking about. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, this Bill is domiciling a large part of dealing with cancer where it should be, in the counties. Resources must follow functions, and functions must be executed properly and professionally. There are several questions that we need to ask. Do we have enough personnel or sufficient equipment? Is the division of revenue being done in a fair manner to enable counties to discharge the responsibility we are trying to give them? Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we did a casual calculation the other day on devolved functions in health, water, agriculture and environment, that are still being held on at the centre. We found out that at least Kshs170 billion that ought to be going to the counties is still being held at the centre for functions that are already at the counties. Therefore, as we debate this Bill, we need to have a very clear focus on how resources will follow what we want the counties to do. Even as my distinguished colleague is laying emphasis on prevention, and listening to the debate that is going on now publicly and privately, what preventive measures does one take? When we talk about HIV/AIDS, we are talking of abstinence from sex or careless sex. When we talk about malaria, we are telling people to sleep under treated nets or kill mosquitoes. When we talk about diarrhoea, dysentery and water-borne diseases, we ask people to boil water or drink clean water. When we talk about malnutrition, we tell people to eat good food. However, when it comes to cancer, what is the method of prevention? What is it that we are supposed to do to prevent it? The medics are not telling us enough."
}