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{
    "id": 1440427,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1440427/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 252,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Funyula, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) Ojiambo Oundo",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Senators and Members of Parliament are not experts in legislative drafting and that is why the legal office is populated with adequate number of technical people who ought to advise that the way the Bill is drafted is impossible to implement. There is a policy to abolish children’s homes and minimise custodial arrangements. Care centres is another name for a children’s home, and this country has a very bad history with the children’s homes, which includes abuse, child trafficking and sexual violence. I thought you would deal with the matter that way. Looking at this Bill, it contemplates that the child would go back to school after weaning the baby. That a child who is pregnant and in school and probably with medical challenges, and has to attend to pre-natal care, the school will give her an opportunity to cover up the lost hours or minutes in school. For any typical Kenyan or school manager, how practical is it? Would a teacher stop teaching because a pregnant girl in class has gone to attend a pre-natal clinic? Will you force the teacher to provide remedial classes for a student who returns after the others have gone home? That is against the Government policy. How can we even consider such kind of a matter? Under Clause 6(2), the programme under Section 1 shall involve the parents and the guidance of the children in the governance of basic education institutions; which is clearly established in the Basic Education Act. The Bill does not purport to amend this Act to include parents of expectant children in the board of management of the school. It is impossible to approve. I just want to tell Kenyans that Clause 21(2) of the Bill says that a county government, for the purpose (1), shall establish care centres in or within the vicinity of basic education and training institutions in order to ensure access to such facilities by a child parent. We are telling our girls to go and get pregnant and we will put a baby nursery next to their classrooms. Is that what any parent would wish his or her child to go through? Is that the kind of morality that we want to teach our children? As I said, the intention is good."
}