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{
    "id": 1081385,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1081385/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 626,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Bomachoge Borabu, Independent",
    "speaker_title": "Hon (Prof.) Zadoc Ogutu",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13302,
        "legal_name": "Zadoc Abel Ogutu",
        "slug": "zadoc-abel-ogutu-2"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I stand to support this Report, with a few reservations. The fact that there is a huge reduction of allocation to the State Department for University Education is a very unfortunate decision. I say this because universities have been experiencing financial challenges. Following a number of consultations, as the Departmental Committee on Education and Research, we made a number of recommendations. One of the recommendations was to ensure that universities are able to implement all stalled projects, including accommodation facilities, to be able to attract more students and raise some funds. The universities have been having challenges in terms of human resource. The CBA that they signed with the Ministry over the last few years has not been fully implemented. These are issues that should have been given priority. Statutory deductions have been a big issue in the universities. So, when I hear that there has been a further deduction of the small allocation that was given to the universities, I feel that, as a nation, we do not value key institutions in terms of development. As much as we are pressed with issues concerning COVID-19, it is important to ensure that we do not cripple institutions that are key to our development. The allocation that has so far been given to universities is not enough to meet their enormous demands. The Committees exist in order to bring out issues. As a Departmental Committee on Education and Research, our key issue was to ensure that the universities are up and running. Over the last one year, because of COVID-19, universities have been experiencing a lot of challenges. I am very concerned about that particular issue. This Supplementary Estimates is coming in too late. This is not the first experience for the time I have been in this House. Very crucial documents will always be brought to the House within a very short period. We are not running away. Kenya has put resources in the departments that prepare the Budget. They are well serviced. So, I do not see the reason why year after year, season after season we have this issue of discussing a very crucial document at the eleventh hour. It is important that this signal gets clear to those people who prepare the Supplementary Estimates. It is not in the interest of this nation that the House is pushed into some form of pressure in order to support the documents. We have this tendency of hiding ourselves behind certain calamities as a nation. We hide behind drought and floods. This time round we are hiding behind the COVID-19 pandemic. As much as we are hit by the need to buy more COVID-19 vaccines and equipment, it is important for this House to open its eyes and be ready to face any anomalies that would arise. Everybody is talking about COVID-19. We are talking about direct sourcing. It may also have its own consequences. Those are issues that I feel should be considered even as we go ahead to support this important document. I support."
}