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{
    "id": 1280196,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1280196/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 236,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kipipiri, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Wanjiku Muhia",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I am sad because we are discussing people with special needs. When we speak in this House, and I believe Special Olympics International is watching, presenting contrary facts is a bit disheartening. The Cabinet Secretary has said that he provided money for accommodation, which is far from the truth. Special Olympics are special in nature. Once the children arrive at the destination, the host government takes over accommodation, transport and food. For the record, the children were sleeping in four to five star hotels. All the 90 participants, including myself and Hon. Catherine, were given badges for free transport by the government. What is the point here? If accommodation was to be taken care of by the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Sports and Arts, these children would have been sleeping on floors or on the streets. Air tickets were procured when the games had already started. In fact, the local organising committee in Germany kept calling the coordinator of Africa, who is based in Kenya. At one point on Sunday evening she broke down and called me, literally crying. The local organising committee was asking whether they should reserve accommodation and plan for transport for Team Kenya. The children had not yet received the air tickets and, as a result, they flew with unintended air transport. They landed at Munich, which is an eight-hour drive to Berlin where the games were being held yet these are children with special needs. Why? The procurement officer in the Ministry did not allow last-minute flight bookings. I was informed that he was so arrogant, even indicating that he would book the flights when he is free. That was the scenario. The second truth that I want to go on record in this House is that Her Excellency Dorcas Rigathi is the patron of Special Olympics. She does not work for the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Sports and the Arts. Through her own goodwill, she accompanied the children and stayed with them. I also want to go on record that I, Hon. Wanjiku Muhia, through the Chairman of Africa International Olympics and the coordinators for Kenya, stood in for Kenya at the high roundtable meetings which were meant for the Cabinet Secretary. The 20 African countries were represented but when the time for Kenya came, the Cabinet Secretary was absent. I only participated in the field twice because the rest of the time I spent sitting in for the Cabinet Secretary. Let the Cabinet Secretary understand that we are dealing with children. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}