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{
    "id": 1380638,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1380638/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 462,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Ezekiel Machogu",
    "speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary for Education",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13458,
        "legal_name": "Ezekiel Machogu Ombaki",
        "slug": "ezekiel-machogu-ombaki"
    },
    "content": " Hon. Members, thank you for raising the issue of Egerton University and other universities that were on the verge of collapsing. Egerton University was on its knees, but thanks to the allocation from Parliament, we are now paying our professors and lecturers at 100 per cent. Progressively, we are looking at financial stability in our universities. The question of TVET is a concern for each Member of this House. I admit that 70 of our TVET institutions are not fully equipped. We negotiated with the Government of China and expect to get the equipment from them. We are also following up with the Italian Government. We are aware of this. We know how critical it is because teaching and training cannot be effective unless we have the necessary equipment. Hon. Members, I made an undertaking on the registration of schools. My Principal Secretary is here. We allowed some flexibility because the way the system was before, there was a lot of bureaucracy, which I have removed. Following that, we have registered a number of schools. Hon. Charity Kathambi, if yours have not been registered, you do not have to come. Kindly call me, and I will make sure that my officers do it. Any other Member of Parliament, including those in your areas, if there is such a problem, kindly contact me, my Principal Secretary, or the Director of Quality Assurance. Every one of us has firm instructions to have that one done. Hon. Members, on the other question, we have a problem, not only in education, but as a country. The things we call buses are not buses because we use the chassis of a lorry. When the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) probably wants to buy a bus, it buys something that was initially not supposed to be a bus. The danger is that in the case of an accident and that particular bus overturns, the chances of it killing people are very high. A bus is meant to be made so that it carries people, not luggage. So, on this particular one, the Ministry of Roads and Transport came up with a policy where they proposed that a bus cannot have a chassis which is supposed to carry luggage. The case was taken to court, but Kenyans, being the way we are, the matter is still pending, and they were stopped from implementing that. I am aware that some of the buses, including school buses and those being used outside, are not anywhere near their standards, which are supposed to be met as far as buses are concerned. It is a conversation that we are supposed to have as a country. I hope we will somehow fast-track that case pending in the High Court so that the court can open up that policy for implementation. I thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker."
}