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{
"id": 938283,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/938283/?format=api",
"text_counter": 181,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kipkelion East, JP",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Joseph Limo",
"speaker": {
"id": 1915,
"legal_name": "Joseph Kirui Limo",
"slug": "joseph-kirui-limo"
},
"content": "meeting, there were several Members who were not able to come. In fact, we were told that this is a repetition of the story which was seen during the various stakeholder consultations during the Akiwumi Commission sittings. When they went all over the country, there was a time the former Members of Parliament could not travel from their market places to reach the nearest county headquarters and then district headquarters because they did not have fare. That is why we plead with members of the public. As we present this, we do not want stories tomorrow that Members of Parliament want to increase their pension. We are not talking about ourselves. We are talking about former Members of this House who are currently in trouble. When they appeared before us, in fact, they surprised us. They told us the public does not differentiate between Members of Parliament who are currently in position and former members. People in the villages come to their houses and tell them: “ Mheshimiwa, we have a problem. Please help us resolve it.” Most of these problems revolve around money. Given that they are not able to fund it, they actually get more stressed. They told us this: “Why do you not help us to get something while we are still alive instead of waiting for us to go then you come to our family and say ‘pole’ and then you contribute money which cannot help us?” In fact, one of the biggest strains they have is medication. Currently, because of their age, they spend a lot of money buying drugs and they rarely afford even a pain killer like Panadol. Sometimes they want to visit the nearest dispensaries to even ask for painkillers. They cannot afford fare of Kshs50 to board boda boda . Most of them earn between Kshs2,000 and Kshs8,000. When you hear the sad stories, you do not want to really imagine that it is you. I want Members of this House to listen. In fact, they told us that during their time, they did not anticipate that there would be a time when they would not afford a single meal. The public thinks that we are highly paid, but remember, income and expenditure have to be balanced. In most cases, Members of Parliament run on deficit because the demands are so high. In fact, people in the villages do appreciate. The only problem is a certain provision in this Bill which they do not understand. We are expected to fund projects which, practically, are not funded by the national Government. Of course, there are certain social responsibilities, including building of churches and funding members who, unfortunately, lose their relatives like in funerals. The problems Kenyans are facing currently are too much. Mostly, they revolve around medical problems. That is why if this programme of universal healthcare, which is one of the pillars of the Big Four Agenda, can be enhanced that will lessen the burden which Kenyans are facing. If Kenyans have a medical bill, they come to Members of Parliament. If they lose one of their own, they want Members of Parliament, MCAs and any other elected leaders to help them during fundraising. Most of us have that responsibility. Given that we are Africans and we always work together, we are required to help them. Therefore, when we retire, we should be in a position to get something which is able to sustain us. The report by Akiwumi proposed that from the year 2010, the minimum a former Member of Parliament should earn is Kshs100,000. If we support the proposal of former MPs earning Kshs100,000 per month, the total for the whole year will not be more than Kshs200 million. That amount compared to our current budget of Kshs3 trillion is a drop in the ocean and it is affordable. I urge MPs to support. If we support the issue which was recommended by the"
}