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{
    "id": 1496845,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1496845/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 67,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cherarkey",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13217,
        "legal_name": "Cherarkey K Samson",
        "slug": "cherarkey-k-samson"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Let me be the first to have the bite on the cherry. I support the Statement by Sen. Wafula on the issue of Bungoma employees. In most of the audit reports that come to the Senate, almost all counties are beyond 35 per cent in their fiscal responsibility. In fact, you have been a governor and you will notice that most counties are going beyond 35 per cent in terms of employees’ compensation. This crisis is also in Nandi. Yesterday when the Nandi County Assembly tabled a report on ad hoc committee, one of the crises that we are facing is on the issue of employees. Even the current sitting governor has employed his close relatives, among other individuals. They are gobbling a lot of money and which is very unfortunate. This report has been underscored by the Public Service Commission (PSC) which did a Human Resource (HR) audit in Nandi County. It is very unfortunate that many counties are struggling with this, especially in non-payment of statutory deductions. The counties are maybe not giving pension for their employees. We have this issue in Nandi and Bungoma counties. I hope with time, we can address it going into the future. On the issue of university funding model, I thank the President that after the hue and cry, he decided to form a commission to look into it. This is the Presidential Working Party on Education. Nonetheless, in my own opinion there are many challenges. Some of us who used Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) know that there are many tools we can use to fund university education in this country. I thank the Chair of the Committee on Education, Sen. Joe Nyutu. My proposal is that we only need to have Band I and II. Band I will be for the people who are vulnerable. There are many yardsticks we can use. For instance, wazeewa mitaa, the priest or the sheikh to determine who falls under Band I. On Band II; this should be parents who are not vulnerable, but are unable to finance the education. We also need to widen this. Remember, you being a senior lawyer in this country, the students who go to Kenya School of Law (KSL) are not able to access the loans from HELB. I know Senior Counsel, Sen. Omogeni, is also aware of this. The teachers who undergo teachers training programme also cannot access the funding. Hence, this new university funding model will ensure that university education and that of tertiary colleges is well covered. Going into the future, I think we need to agree as a country to sit and resolve the issue of university funding model by ensuring that it is student-centred funding. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}