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{
    "id": 1533668,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1533668/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 982,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mandera South, UDM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Abdul Haro",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "We have seen many challenges with the infrastructure in Junior Secondary Schools (JSS). Those areas are not covered adequately every time we come up with the BPS and our Budget. We are running through many challenges even in our health sector. Among many others, I am told inadequate funding is one of the reasons the Social Health Authority (SHA) is running through some problems. We need to review how we do our budgeting so that we can look at some of the critical areas that are always a challenge to our people, especially in the education and health sectors, so that we adequately resource those areas and take care of them. Electricity, particularly from the region where I come from, is a major thing. As we speak, almost 60 per cent of Mandera County is in darkness due to lack of electricity. Diesel- generated power is no longer sustainable. It is giving people in our region many problems. Big towns have been without electricity for the last six months. Elwak, which is in the constituency that I represent, is an example. There are many electricity challenges in that area. We are going through Ramadhan and yet, we are unable to provide electricity for those areas. An area I will also zero in on is around low-cost boarding schools. Picture this: We have been giving low-cost boarding schools Ksh400 million per year since 2003. This is supposed to be for 411,000 students. That is Ksh5 per student per day for 180 days for a school’s calendar year. That is supposed to cover breakfast, dinner, salaries for staff and support staff, bedding, and infrastructure like constructing boarding facilities for those schools. This is very unfortunate. Imagine Ksh400 million for low-cost boarding schools since 2003. This is unfortunate. I take no offence in mentioning our prisons. Our prisoners are given Ksh105 per day for their meals. For boarding schools or low-cost boarding schools, our students are only budgeted for Ksh5 per day for 180 calendar days. These are some of the areas we need to look into. Given the theme and the mood in the country right now, as spearheaded by His Excellency President William Ruto, the question around equity, equality, and inclusivity should be reflected in all our processes of the BPS and our main Budget. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker."
}