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{
    "id": 1266583,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1266583/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 183,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kathiani, WDM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Robert Mbui",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "where they end up getting involved in drugs and alcohol abuse. The cost of living is so high that those students in the university can hardly afford food. I was in the rugby team in the University of Nairobi - the Mean Machine - and we were actually the champions of the country. Today, I doubt whether any one of those students can actually go and compete favourably outside there because they are malnourished. They do not get enough food because of the cost of living and the situation. So, we need to adopt this. The Government has done this because of the changes that we have faced as a country and what is happening all over the world. What are the changes we have had to go through that are making us have to go to e-learning and distant learning? One, of course, a lot of money has been spent by Kenyans pursuing higher education. They cannot afford to do it in our local universities because of the cost. So, they have gone and spent a lot of money out there. Therefore, when we do that by ourselves, we will be saving money for the country. Two, there are many more people pursuing university education now than back then. This is the way by which we can have more people accessing higher education. It is really a brilliant idea, of course, not forgetting that in 2020, we were hit by COVID-19 which unfortunately forced us to shut down our learning institutions. Now, with e-learning or distant learning, education can continue even when we have such life-threatening diseases. In my opinion, it is really a game-changer, but I have one major concern. Much as I support this, my concern is about integrity in the education sector in this country. Every year, we have exams. We have national exams in primary schools and in secondary schools. Almost every year, there are rampant cases of exam cheating. Those are people that are frisked before walking into the exam room. Those exam papers are kept in a store under lock and key in a police station and yet, somehow, we still manage to have cases where people have stolen exams and some schools are benefitting from the same. I am asking myself even as I support this, how sure are we that the students that will be online learning and doing the exams are the ones who will be getting the certification? That is one thing we must figure out because, as a country, we really have a problem with lack of integrity. As we do this noble idea, we must introduce systems to make sure that those that are registered in those universities are the ones that learn there and are the ones that will do the exams. Otherwise, with those few remarks Hon. Temporary Speaker, I support."
}