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{
    "id": 981644,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/981644/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 45,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, health is a devolved function. On many occasions, when we get a chance to address ourselves to issues pertaining how the citizens that we represent in this House are treated in our health centres, be it from the local dispensaries to level 4 hospitals, it is an extremely sad and disturbing story. As a House, we cannot continue to lament. I have said times without number that we are the only people who do not take ourselves seriously. You recall that a few months ago when we visited a hospital in Kitui, more than 200 people were let free. There were small inconsistencies and mal-administrative practices. However, when someone realised that the Senate will walk through the doors of that institution, things changed. I believe that if our Committee on Health takes up this request and pleading that has been made passionately by our colleague, Sen. Anuar, and visits Lamu County, listens to the cries and witness for themselves the challenges that are being faced by the citizens of Lamu, there will be change in that county. Mr. Speaker, Sir, Kenya is one of the signatories that signed the declarations that were made in Abuja in 2001. We committed to ensure that, at least, 15 per cent of our budget on a year to year basis is committed to provision of health services and facilities to our citizens. Unfortunately, 20 years down the line, we have never gotten to 5 or 10 per cent of that figure. When we went ahead to devolve huge amounts of funds, huge amount of money continues to remain at Afya House. We have the Budget Policy Statement (BPS) before this House. Therefore, I look forward to the deliberations that will be brought before this House by the Committee on Health. It is proper for them to point that out. We may continue to blame our governors, but how much of the funds that are sent to the Ministry of Health are sent to our counties? Why do we leave billions at the Ministry yet we know well how they are used? That is a challenge that I give to the Committee on Health. This is the time we are having a conversation about how to restructure our systems of Government. I have seen that in the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), there is a proposal to set up the national health sector. Unfortunately, in the ongoing deliberations, I have not heard our governors speak about the challenges they face in this regard. Instead, they are telling us about third tier, how they want to increase their term in office and such kinds of things. We have to be a House of reason and speak up for ordinary Kenyans. If we have to devolve health, we have to devolve the funds as well because this is one area where we are having a lot of challenges."
}