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{
    "id": 1439675,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1439675/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 103,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Runyenjes, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Muchangi Karemba",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "2. The Bill seeks to guard against the enactment of several legislations to provide for internship within the Public Service and seeks to harmonise the salient principles to be observed by all offices in the Public Service in the recruitment of interns. 3. The term “certificate” has been used in two different contexts as follows: (i) To mean the standard minimum qualification for internship. (ii) As a certificate issued upon completion of the internship period. 4. There is need to amend Clause 5 (1) to provide that the Act shall apply to every public office as defined in Article 260 of the Constitution. 5. Internship is not only aimed at professional registration, but also to acquire necessary skills and experience to enhance employability. The Hon. Member has really spoken to this. Currently, we have thousands of young people who have been engaged in the internship programme. What is happening across the country is that young people are being offered a chance to know what happens in public offices. It is the surest way of ensuring that our country has sufficient people who are full of energy and who also understand how the job is done in public offices. People are retiring from the Government every day. Those vacancies should be filled by people who possess the necessary skills. It is not just the skills but also the experience that goes with those offices. We have very good success stories from those who have been given internship opportunities. Going by what we have seen, when we enact this law, I am sure that more people, especially young people who come from the rural areas, will benefit. The internship programme that is run by the Public Service Commission benefits youths from across the country, who are posted to different offices across all the ministries. We have very good reports that have been coming from them. Additionally, the exposure they get from those offices will help them to start a new life or enhance their employability. Any internship period below six months may not be adequate for the acquisition of relevant experience, skills and inculcating of Public Service values and ethos. The current Bill has no provision for involvement of the private sector. It does not compel private sector institutions to offer internship to the youths and, perhaps, employ them permanently as doing so would create a financial burden to companies that are trying to stay afloat as the number of interns may be unsustainable. However, perhaps, with incentive from the Government, private companies may take some interns on board. Hon. Naisula dwelt on the Public Service sector but I believe that even the private sector, if given an opportunity and incentives, can provide chances for young people to get internships. For instance, the number of people who work in the Public Service is approximately 1 million, but this country has up to 20 million people who are employed. It, therefore, means that we have 18 million to 19 million people who are employed in the private sector. If the private sector is given incentives, which could include tax rebates, they can accommodate more young people and give them the necessary skills and experience. That way, the energy, skills and knowledge in young people can be properly utilised. Another observation we made is that the Bill will cure the mischief of exploitation of professionals like teachers, doctors and lawyers, who are currently being taken as unpaid interns in the private sector to gain experience and yet, they are struggling to repay loans that they took from the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) during their studies. There is a lot of exploitation. We are discussing this Bill at a time when the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has terminated the services of up to 700 Junior Secondary School (JSS) intern teachers. It is very unfortunate for the TSC to do that to young people who were just trying to say that it is unfair for them not to be absorbed. When intern doctors went on strike, they stayed away from work for over 50 days and they claimed an amount as high as Ksh206,000. They were not fired or interdicted. They remained employees. However, the JSS teachers who have been 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."
}