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{
    "id": 1251923,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1251923/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 374,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Maanzo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13589,
        "legal_name": "Maanzo Daniel Kitonga",
        "slug": "maanzo-daniel-kitonga"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, five minutes are enough. I rise to support this very important Bill. I congratulate Sen. Crystal Asige and Sen. (Prof.) Kamar. It has distinguished the current practice on learners. Whatever has been happening has been without a law. There are international conventions on this. The Constitution has touched on it and there are scattered laws on how to deal with this issue. With this Bill, it is settled that people with disabilities will get an opportunity to learn because education is an equalizer. If Members, including those from the National Assembly, took care or employed a person with disability in their National Government-Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) offices, own offices and in this House, it will go a long way to scatter these opportunities across the country. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I have been doing this since I was a Member of the National Assembly. Right now in my office, there is a young man called Dennis. He has gone to school up to Form Four. I met him when he was in high school. Although he is an adult, he looks like a seven-year old boy. Many people mistake him for a child. When he boards a matatu, they think a child is lost. From the time I employed him in my office, he has had a big impact. I am now helping him to study acting. I believe he has a future. Since I employed him, he has changed his family. Education is important for anyone with disability. There is something else I thought probably Sen. (Prof.) Kamar will look at. Some of the disability cases can be attended to medically and they are cured. We also have a problem across the country where many families hide children with disability and they do not give them an opportunity to go to school. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, we should come up with a punitive measure in this law to punish a person who is found hiding a child of that nature and not taking him/her to school. This will create fear and make sure that people come out and release these children to go to school. There are quite a number of facilities of children with disability but some are sponsored by the national Government. Therefore, this Bill has shared responsibilities between county governments and the national Government. It has come out that we have a definite way of dealing with these schools and giving those children education according to their needs and interests. There has been no proper way of funding. One time, I employed a member of staff who was the only child in that family that could see. Upon employment, one of the things we did was conduct an harambee to make sure that these children go to Thika School for the Blind. Now, she has changed that home completely. A big relief was given to my employee who came on board by us helping that family. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, we have to come up with a system of making these children or adults go to school. Other than conducting harambees, the Government has to"
}