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{
    "id": 1166140,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1166140/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 322,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cherargei",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13217,
        "legal_name": "Cherarkey K Samson",
        "slug": "cherarkey-k-samson"
    },
    "content": "Going into the future, we should encourage our colleagues; who because of different factors were not able to pay school fees because we are in leadership. If you walk around your county, you will meet a number of students who are brilliant but because of lack of school fees or other factors, they were unable to go to higher institutions of learning. I agree with Sen. Murkomen that some of us who grew up through bottom up or hustlers, we had to stop our education at some level so that others can continue or you can go to a kibarua for the family to fend for themselves. There are so many other factors that may have led to lack of a university degree. Education qualification is not a yardstick of a good leader. It is just among the many factors that make a leader. Kenyans should be allowed to decide the leaders they want to elect and how they want to elect them. I know the political class has generated a lot of heat on this matter. As I said initially, I know a number of people in this House who were excited that the degree requirement will be there so their opponents would disappear. I urge them to change the strategy. Let the people decide because many people imagine that when you do not have a degree, you are stupid. There is a Member of Parliament who had counted and said that out of his eight opponents, six of them do not have a degree. He was excited that things were looking good during nominations. Unfortunately, things have changed. Sen. Murkomen has a lot of support because a number of MCAs have called me. The people of Nandi County have told me that I have to support Sen. Murkomen’s amendment so that we give what we call free hand. Let the people elect the person that they want. If they want a person with a PhD, so be it. If they want someone who just knows how to read and write, so be it. The only problem I know is the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC). We need to find ways to deal with that animal, because it will have an excuse of saying, before we set terms of engagements, emolument, allowances and salaries, we must look at the qualifications in place. The SRC should know that this issue is beyond their paycheck. They are punching above their weight. We are the lawmakers; we make and amend the law. We legislate and oversight. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) will insist that one must be able to read and write. Hon. Barngetuny and Hon. Mulu Mutisya were good leaders in this country but they did not go to any school and yet they were able to lead our people. For an MP, the SRC should look at the job description and not to be busy with academic qualifications. That has been the argument for a back and forth fight. I hope the next Parliament should deal with this animal called SRC. It should know that their meritocracy should apply to civil servants and professional courses only. For example, it should apply to the very good staff that we have here because of the legislative agenda in Parliament. If you want to be a doctor, you need some qualification. At the end of the day, the SRC should relook at its application of the law and ensure they do not punch beyond their paycheck. Leadership does not mean coming here to just legislate. You must be able to communicate to the people in the village. They might not understand the English I speak"
}