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{
    "id": 1501854,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1501854/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 56,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": "I appreciate the fact that on the day of the State of the Nation, His Excellency the President reminded all of us, as leaders, that in this day and age, listening is actually a full-time occupation of leadership. There are many things that you can abrogate as a leadership, but listening is not one of them. We have to listen full-time from morning to evening, awake or asleep, because citizens continue to engage us. I appreciate the fact that in his speech he says that, “As Kenyans continue to ask difficult questions of us as a leadership, they deserve a meaningful engagement. That you understand and are thoughtful in your response to the issues that continue to be raised. They may not necessarily agree with what you are saying, but it is important that as you engage, you are thoughtful and thorough to cover all the concerns that citizens continue to have.” I like the fact that further down the speech, many of the issues of great concern to the Republic were tackled. He gave his reasoning as a leader of the nation on why certain things are the way they are and what it will take to make them better. However, we were reminded that we must listen. We have also been reminded that the response has to be thoughtful. It is not a retort of acknowledging that there is a problem and saying that something is being done. Mr. Speaker, Sir, you must carry the citizens with you to appreciate your perspective of the issues of concern to them. Explain to them whether there is cause for alarm or they should take it easy and appreciate that though we may not be where we ought to be, we are certainly not where we were. There is progress being made and at the right time and pace, we will eventually get to the destination in each of the sectors that have been spoken to. Education features as a first topic and that cannot be gainsaid about our society. Our society minds deeply about our education system. It is no wonder that on each of the budgets that we have done over the years, as long as I can remember, education has the biggest charge. It is a matter of great national concern and no president or leader can afford to take their eye off the education standards of our country. The reason Kenya produces professionals that compete with the best on the globe and continues to be competitive globally is courtesy of the fact that we have a sound education system. It has transitioned over the years from education systems that I cannot even recall and we have continued to improve on it and make it better. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I do not know whether you did the Certificate of Primary Education (CPE) at class seven and I do not intend to ask you this. However, gazing by your age, I know what you may have participated in. I know for a fact without having to ask him that my Whip, Sen. Boni Khalwale, does not know what KCPE at class eight is."
}