Pensioners, after years of sacrifice and relentless commitment in making their contributions in building the nation, find themselves begging and almost destitute because their nest eggs are out of reach.
The predicament of the retired private sector and civil servants is totally avoidable and must form one of the key deliverables of Treasury CS John Mbadi.
It’s a no-brainer that after retirement a large number of retirees, if they spent their productive years in an urban area, will find refuge in their rural home where access to good quality medical care cannot be guaranteed.
The children they spent their hard-earned cash educating will themselves be raising their own kids and will therefore have little time looking after the old pensioners.
This must call for a change of approach in the fashion in which pension savings are managed.
Employers, both private and public, must look beyond the mandatory contributions, granted the rates are have been reviewed upwards so retirement can be an enjoyable experience.
How a country treats the weak and sickly speaks volumes about its place in the hierarchy of civilised nations.
HISTORICAL QUOTE
“I don’t like people who have never fallen or stumbled. eir virtue is lifeless and it isn’t of much value.”
Boris Pasternak
The Russian novelist was born on February 10, 1890