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{
    "id": 971140,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/971140/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 230,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Emuhaya, ANC",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Omboko Milemba",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13328,
        "legal_name": "Jeremiah Omboko Milemba",
        "slug": "jeremiah-omboko-milemba"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. This Care and Protection of Older Members of Society Bill (Senate Bill No.17 of 2018) has come at the correct time because there are serious changes of trends in the society. In the past times, older people invested in their children and expected that their children will take care of them. Those times are long gone. A clear provision must be put in place on how we shall take care of the older people in the society in our country. This is an important Bill given that there is nowhere in this country – including the Hon. Members seated here – where there is no interaction with the older people of the society. You will agree with me that they are always needy and they need assistance. This Bill tries to bring out a clear mechanism on how the national Government will create a framework of assisting those older people of the society and obligate the county governments to also have a structured way of taking care of the older people within our society. That has been well elaborated in the Bill. It includes creating and registering homes for them and continuously taking an audit of the old people each year and reporting it. That will allow us, as leaders, to have an audit report of how many older people of the society are within our areas. The Committee travelled to several counties among them, Kwale, Busia, Vihiga and Kilifi. In all those counties, we saw the desperate situation in which the older members of the society are living in. The Government has provided a provision through the Social Assistance Act, 2013, which has a limited mandate on the national Government, on how to support. However, that support is limited to those who are above 70 years. Unfortunately, even for those who are above 70 years, there in no continuous uptake of those who obtain that age, for example, today or tomorrow and other days onwards. This Bill is broadening that aspect beyond what the Social Assistance Act, 2013 did to include the general taking care of the older people within the society. When we moved around, we found out that some county governments, at one particular time, had tried to come up with a scheme to assist old members within our community, but they lacked a law to stand on and act as a podium upon which they could have operationalised their activities. Hon. Members, this Bill will be important in opening that particular aspect to the county governments, so that the older members of the society can be taken care of. In essence, this Bill basically actualises Article 57 of the Constitution. That is the core matter here. Article 57 of the Constitution, 2010 states: “The State---\" No, I am being let down by my eyes which are going too fast. I am realising that I am also growing old quickly. Let me get it clearly as it is in the Constitution. Sorry for that. Basically, it actually operationalises Article 57 of the Constitution. It states: “The State shall take measures to ensure the rights of older persons- (a) to fully participate in the affairs of the society. (b) to pursue their personal development. (c) to live in dignity and respect and be free from abuse, and (d) to receive reasonable care and assistance from their family and the State.” Basically, that is what this Bill is trying to actualise. That is very important, because the older members of the society risk being abused. That is the crux of the matter. With those few remarks, and without repeating what was stated clearly by the Mover, I beg to second."
}