Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 1241004,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1241004/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 78,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Olekina",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 407,
        "legal_name": "Ledama Olekina",
        "slug": "ledama-olekina"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, this is one of the Petitions that makes me wonder what we do in this country. You have teachers who are educated through training and increase their salaries. However, 27 years after, they are still crying because they are yet to receive their increments. What exactly are we doing? When you read the Petition, you wonder whether we truly represent the people we say we do. My views are a bit unorthodox when it comes to issues to do with people’s welfare. Why is it that whenever we, as leaders, are promised an increment, we all get some form of salary increment every year, which is never delayed or not paid? The day you delay Members of Parliament (MPs) increment is the day they will shut down the country. Why can we not treat well the teachers who educated and gave us wisdom to come here and represent them? This does not even need to be a Petition. One of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to Petitions is that any member, as provided by the Constitution, can present a Petition to this House, but what happens after? We interrogate the matter, call the people and hand over our findings to the petitioners. How is it going to help them? Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beseech you to handle this differently. This is another crisis we have, similar to that of former councilors, who served this country diligently. While the current Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) are getting gratuity or pension, they have been forgotten. Every so often, we talk about the budget, but we know that the Senate does not deal with it. I wish our colleagues in the “Lower House” would, suo moto, take on this matter, add that budget there and reduce tea and travel budgets, so that they can pay those teachers. From 1996, that is 27 years ago. The distinguished Nominated Senator, Sen. Tabitha Mutinda, who is looking at me, was not born then. Look at her now, she is serving in this House and representing those teachers. However, their salary increments have not been paid to date. What exactly are we doing here?"
}