Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 1049688,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1049688/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 224,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kwanza, FORD-K",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Ferdinand Wanyonyi",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2065,
        "legal_name": "Ferdinard Kevin Wanyonyi",
        "slug": "ferdinard-kevin-wanyonyi"
    },
    "content": "to develop their intellectual capabilities. I have not gone through the whole Bill, but there would be an interest in acquiring books that are available for the future of our children, and for eradication of illiteracy. I am a parent. When you talk to today’s children about the importance of acquiring knowledge, they think it is bullshit. There is nothing you can take home. You cannot say “that boy or girl is intelligent” because of the kind of activities they are involved in. This review of the Act will increase reading interest amongst Kenyans - an interest which is currently not there. When I was in Standard Three, Four and Five, we had libraries around the vicinity. You could go there and borrow a book, sit down and do some homework. There were no televisions in those days. Nowadays a child comes home from school and closes oneself to watch television. One cannot even have time to read a newspaper. They cannot even say what is in the headlines. They just look at the pictures. I think libraries will encourage people to read. It will help to eradicate illiteracy and inculcate cultural change amongst the youth. What I hope would be in the Act are mobile libraries. I used to see vehicles moving from one centre to the other on Fridays or Saturday afternoons or mornings, which would pack in some place and erect some tents. You could go there and borrow books or whatever reading materials. So, we want to encourage this. Once this Bill goes through the Third Reading, we will have some money put aside to have mobile libraries, which can move around in the constituencies or counties to ensure that people develop reading interest. People will be curious and they will be able to cultivate that interest and read. I am going to be the first person to do it. I want to spend some little money to buy a mobile library and get some books that are relevant. I can consult teachers and other people who are of value to give us ideas on the kind of books to buy. Mobile libraries will be going round the constituencies as they used to do in the past. I saw mobile libraries going round when I was young. You could go there, sit, borrow a book and read. That kind of initiate will arouse some reading interest amongst the youth other than sitting and playing some funny games, watching television and surfing the net on mobile phones. It does not help our children. The NG-CDF can also come in so that at some point, we can buy some mobile libraries to assist. Let us invest in that, so that it can change the reading culture. Today, I am sure your child and my child are not interested in reading. Therefore, that will change that kind of culture for prosperity. Lastly and not least, on the borrowing of books - which I think was properly presented by the Leader of the Majority Party - let us have this country get as many books as possible maybe from Europe at a fee so long as they are English books for our children to have some interest in them. There are past books that I know which are very interesting. I read some of them and I am afraid children tear some of them. However, they are good. I repair them and if you come to my house, apart from getting whatever soda, you will see some of those old books. In addition, they are very valuable. Therefore, I want to support this Bill and hope and look forward to us doing something else to change the culture of our people for the future prosperity of this country. I support the Bill."
}