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{
    "id": 1439728,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1439728/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 156,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Ol Jorok, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Michael Muchira",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I rise to support the Public Service Internship Bill, (National Assembly Bill No. 63 of 2022), as sponsored by the Member for Samburu West, Hon. Naisula Lesuuda. Let me start by applauding the Member for bringing this Bill at the right time. We appropriate money for internship programmes every year and yet, we do not have a legal framework for that programme. We do it based on the goodwill of the current Government, but we know that goodwill alone is not good enough. The necessary legal framework needs to back goodwill, which is what this Bill is trying to do. We have had court pronouncements on internship programmes, especially Junior Secondary School (JSS) internships. The Court nullified the internship programme because there exists no framework for that programme. This Bill will try to sort this out. We also know the basis on which the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) engaged the interns. It was not an internship but employment. My understanding of an internship is that one works under a mentor. Nobody was mentoring those interns in the JSS programme. Let it be clear that the TSC did not engage JSS interns in an internship programme. It was employment because nobody was mentoring the interns that were employed by the TSC. Having said that, we all know the importance of that programme. The purpose of an internship is to ensure that fresh university graduates acquire the necessary skills and experience to enhance their employability. Our public service is the best trained and best skilled. Therefore, it is best to teach our interns. The internship also ensures that the values and ethos of Public Service are inculcated in the interns. I hope our civil servants will inculcate positive values in our interns. This Bill also enumerates the responsibilities and entitlements of interns when they join the Civil Service or the Public Service. Their responsibility and entitlement, such as stipends, are clear. I wish stipends would be clearly enumerated and the minimum stipend known so that we can avoid exploitation. Just as we have a minimum wage bill, it is also important that we have the minimum stipend that interns in Public Service will be earning. There are other entitlements like sick leave and others. There is no way we can deny an intern sick leave just because they are not permanent and pensionable. There is paternity and maternity leave, as well as personal accident insurance coverage. This Bill includes them. The Bill also handles disciplinary procedures once an intern joins the Public Service. They are bound by the rules and regulations of the Government entity. Once they break the rules, they are subject to the necessary disciplinary procedures. The TSC could not take proper disciplinary procedures on striking interns because, probably, there was no legal framework. The Bill stipulates ways of recruiting interns to ensure there is transparency, accountability, fairness and that, every intern from every corner of this country has the same probability of being absorbed into the Public Service as an intern. We expect to pass this Bill so that the recruitment reflects gender and regional balance, and is not skewed. The basis of recruitment will not be who you know or nepotism. It will reduce corruption in the recruitment of interns."
}