Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1033663,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1033663/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 280,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wako",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 366,
        "legal_name": "Amos Sitswila Wako",
        "slug": "amos-wako"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Sir, for giving me an opportunity to speak on this Address by our President, which touches on the measures taken and the progress achieved in the realization of national values referred to in Article 10. I was there reading the provisions of the Constitution. Under Article 10, we have a number of issues that ought to be addressed. I did not want to go through them. One of them is the issue of sustainable development. I want to go through it because the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) Report, if you have read it, has sought to amend Article 10 to make it clear and expand the issues on which the President should inform the nation. I can refer to it now because it does not appear to be a controversial provision of the BBI. Therefore, I take it that it is acceptable to both sides. It says that the President should not just address the nation on values referred to in Article 10, but should also address the nation on the issue of economic and social rights referred to in Article 43. I want to use Article 43, which gives us details that ultimately should be contained in the Presidential Address. Article 43 talks about the economic and social rights. One of those rights that it has made reference to is the right to education. The Address does recognize that to enhance quality of education in terms of both physical structure and content, is necessary. I am pleased that the President does recognize that the physical structure in our educational institutions is over-stretched. In the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more that treble overstretch. I am glad that the President has recognized that. I am glad that the President has given the assurance at Page 22 of his Address, that the issues of growth inadequacy of the physical structures in our educational institutions will be dealt with conclusively in the next 24 months. The President is giving a promise that within the next 24 months, the issue of overstretching the physical structures in our schools will be a thing of the past. I mentioned this because it will be useful to mention it in his next Address, maybe in a year’s time or a few months, because this one was given late. He could address and inform the nation on how far we have achieved that objective. We would, of course, be looking forward to saying: “I said two years, it is now one year and we are half way through to achieving the objective of having adequate infrastructure in schools”. Article 43 deals with health. On health, our President gave a good promise that the Universal Health Care will be fully functional. Everything will be quite okay by the end of 2022. We would want that in his next Address, he will come and say: “That was the objective and I am glad to inform the nation that we are half way to achieving this objective”. The President has scored on those two issues. There is also the issue of the urban poor that is mentioned in detail. I feel strongly that time has come that we should deal with the hardcore poor; the urban poor. We have the Equalization Fund, which deals with the historical issues. Since Independence, the slums have grown in a big way in every city and township in this country. In Busia, here in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kwale, Kakamega slums are there. We must come up with an aggressive plan to see how this can end. I hope that in his next Address, he will give us some assurance. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}