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{
    "id": 1439768,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1439768/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 196,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kericho County, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Beatrice Kemei",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me this opportunity. From the onset, I support the Public Service Internship Bill, 2022 by Hon. Naisula Lesuuda. I want to thank her so much for bringing it at a time when we have unemployment issues in this country. Over 10 million people are unemployed and those are the youth and young adults. When you look at this Bill, I am impressed by the fact that it is speaking to graduates from colleges and universities, who attain certificates, diplomas, degrees and so forth. The 12 months internship program will help them to add experience to their skills. Therefore, when it comes to employment, at least, they will have one-years’ experience. This Bill has come at a time when the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has done something which I condemn in the strongest terms possible. Yesterday, I heard that the TSC had terminated the contracts for 742 Junior Secondary School (JSS) intern teachers. I felt sad because 164 interns are from Kericho County. That is 22.1 per cent. So, what does that mean? Is it only intern teachers from Kericho County who went to the streets to ask for their rights? What does the TSC County Director have to say about this? I am sure he is the one who is in-charge and is assisted by the sub-county directors. Does it mean that the head teachers and the principals are the ones who are doing all this? Other counties have not terminated their intern teachers apart from Samburu, where 40 of them were terminated. This is very sad. To me, it is malice and witch-hunt. I call upon the TSC to relook into this case of intern teachers whose contracts were terminated. The other day, intern doctors were on the streets for over two months and no one was terminated, unlike the intern teachers. I request TSC to relook at this issue. Even, the Departmental Committee on Education should also come forth and address this issue. I am saddened by this matter. The interns should be supervised, guided and encouraged. They should not be given too much work compared to the stipend that they get. Those interns have different qualifications like certificates, diplomas and degrees. So, when the time comes, an amendment should be brought because the stipend should not be the same for all the qualifications. A framework should be put in place. I would like to ask that when the time comes, we should also give a chance to those who finished school, say, five to ten years ago to be absorbed. They should not be discriminated against. Many people who graduated from colleges, universities, and tertiary institutions over ten years ago have not been employed. So, when that programme is started, they should not be discriminated against. I also plead with organisations that take interns to 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."
}