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{
    "id": 1510307,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1510307/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 361,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cherarkey",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13217,
        "legal_name": "Cherarkey K Samson",
        "slug": "cherarkey-k-samson"
    },
    "content": "Another right under Article 53 is the right to parental care and protection, but not be detained whenever they commit an offence. The reading of Article 53 is that access to basic education is a basic human right. I am happy these Motions on access to education and bursary can be consolidated. As I talk today, the issue of bursary has become political tokenism where people who have been elected give bursaries to their cronies and campaigners. You will realize that the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) gives out bursary. The national Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) that is run by women representatives also gives bursary. County governments are also giving bursary. However, it is a pity that a number of students who cannot access education and stay at home because they lack school fees. We, as country, must bite the bullet and agree there should be access and consolidate all bursaries. Let our children go to learning institutions and learn free; we must stop this political tokenism. This is so that we also stop using bursary as a campaign tool or political tokenism by elected leaders. As we all know the NG-CDF, which Members of the National Assembly are walking around with, is an unconstitutional kitty. Even the Supreme Court and the courts of Kenya have ruled that it is unconstitutional and it should remain so. In fact, after the consolidation of bursary funds in this country, we must now consolidate the division of revenue to only the national Government - the national executive, independent commission institutions and only to county governments. The work of MPs is defined under Article 93. The Senate and the National Assembly will oversight. Right now, there is conflict of interest because the MPs running the NG-CDF kitty. They want to run it. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, you have heard the “blackmail” they are using against the mediation process of the County Allocation of Revenue Bill – the additional funds that are supposed to be given to counties. There is the World Bank and other donors where Kshs30 billion is just lying there for counties to use. However, the National Assembly is blackmailing and is telling the Senate to tell the Council of Governors (CoG) to withdraw the court case on the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF) that is around Kshs11 billion. That is very unfair. This Kshs11 billion should be given to counties. If you divide this amount against 47 counties, you will be giving them around Kshs200 to 300 million per county to develop the bitumen standards and tarmac. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask the committee that is on mediation from the Senate not to even cede an inch. We do not have powers to ask any Kenyan to remove a court case. We have more than 10.4 million learners in primary school. We also have 3.9 million learners in secondary schools, both in private and public. Let us consolidate the bursary funds and make free education available to Kenyan children. It is possible. In the last budget, we allocated close to Kshs700 billion to the education sector. Yet, as we talk today, many young men and women, boys and girls, cannot access education. 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."
}