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{
    "id": 1266594,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1266594/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 194,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Emuhaya, ANC",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Omboko Milemba",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "level, but even in the high schools. We should do away with the boarding section so that we reduce the cost of education. The Open University idea will reduce the cost of education. I also wish to indicate that the Departmental Committee on Education must come in to work together with the Select Committee on Delegated Legislation because we need to align certain laws. I am happy that the pseudo Vice-Chair of this Committee, Hon. Ruku, is here. There are certain laws that do not accept degrees that are earned from certain universities, possibly including this type of university with the system in Kenya. We shall need to actually realign our laws so that the degrees that come from that type of university are accepted. Of course, with the charter, that should be a step forward. We have seen many of our students go to Uganda or outside the country to do degrees but, when they come back here and want to teach, they are told that their degrees are not valid. They are not recognised in Kenya and, therefore, they do not get employment. Many students have suffered this because they have wasted a lot of money going to universities outside the country but, when they come back, they do not get job opportunities. I should also be quick to say that it is a very good opportunity to make education a foreign exchange earner for this country. If you go to Boston State, education is simply funded by the universities. Payments to the universities become foreign exchange to the country. This will actually provide an opportunity for Kenya to earn foreign exchange from education. We will also possibly export qualified people outside the country and this will be very good for our system. Education should be earning us foreign exchange. I am glad that Hon. Mbui is still in the House because I heard him talk about how education was very well funded during the old times. I think that was the nostalgia period of when education was a sacred cow. Those are the theories of a man called Todaro, the economist of education. At that particular time, when we got Independence, education was still a sacred cow. And being a sacred cow, you just went to school to get employment which was waiting for you. People would not even go to the university because they would easily get that employment after the A and O-Levels. But things have really changed and education is no longer a sacred cow and possibly that is why the boom was removed. Things have changed and that is why we are where we are. I would wish to say that the Open University will create Kenya and Nairobi as a hub for all other students from outside and around the region to learn in the institution and pay us some money. I would also wish to indicate that such a university must then have a dollar account for payments before they come here. Currently, our country is lacking in terms of foreign exchange and that is what we really need. Finally, the threat would be the standardisation and the quality of the degrees coming out from that university. But I am not threatened by this because even without ICT, we already have people struggling with papers. When we were going through the elections, you saw how papers were a problem. So, we must fix it using technology and this will take us forward in expanding education for our students in this country. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me this chance."
}