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"id": 1492117,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1492117/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Chimera",
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"speaker": null,
"content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, I wish to also thank and commend Sen. Thang’wa for raising this because we need to dignify our people. This bursary programme has been used for far too long as a way of politicising how we roll out issues for our people. Today, if you do not vote in a certain MP, he will say that I never got votes from Lokichar and as such, I cannot help. It happens by design, default or by way of circumventing how these bursary committees do their work and this is on record. The other day, we heard that officials from West Pokot County were arrested and arraigned in court because of misusing bursaries and diverting funds meant for bursary for needy students from Kacheliba and Chepareria which ended up in their pockets. How safe is this money when it is left at the hands of politicians? Madam Temporary Speaker, I am not afraid of any political opponent and I am not trying to soften my politics. I am also not saying that I suffer from undue advantage when an MP has NG-CDF and a Senator does not have. However, it is time to talk about how best to fix this bursary question. As I conclude, I would like to tell this honourable Senate that at times, you must do what is rightful even if you are alone. I know that under this Motion, we shall be fought. People will be against us, governors will make noise and say that we want to kill devolution. Hon. MPs will give beautiful and success stories of how the bursary programme has transformed many young lives. They will be up in arms against this Motion. They might even go ahead as they are doing now, trying to disband this House for obvious reasons. However, we would like to tell them on the question as to consolidating bursaries, we must do it. If we are to attain free universal education, the first port of call starts from consolidating all the monies going to bursaries and putting it together under one scheme, take those funds to schools and allow every young Kenyan child to access education without having to beg an MP or a governor for this bursary. Madam Temporary Speaker, as I conclude, I saw a photo of a very old lady who could pass for my grandmother somewhere in a political rally, kneeling before a sitting MP. This photo really trended across social media networks. It goes to show how Kenyans are forced to worship and bend before politicians just to get Kshs5,000. You will find a student who has a fee balance of Kshs60,000 and an MP gives him a cheque of Kshs7,000 yet his fee balance is Kshs60,000. Please tell me, just basic mathematics, even my two-year-old son, wherever he is, can tell you that you cannot afford to go to school when you have a fee balance of over Kshs50,000. This politician will come with the media, will come with everyone and will parade these people. This person comes from far many kilometres away. They have to trek to come and just pick a cheque that does not guarantee them admission into school. For how long shall we continue to jeopardize and threaten the lives of the young generation in the name of doing politics with these bursaries? With those many remarks, I beg to second. I urge this honourable House to support this Motion towards making sure that in the fullness of time, this conversation will be a reality. We want that young man from Tumwa, Vanga, Lamu or Lodwar, who is a student currently, who has to depend on the mercy of a sitting politician; be it an MCA, an MP of The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only.A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and Audio Services,Senate."
}