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{
    "id": 1537768,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1537768/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 266,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Osotsi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13588,
        "legal_name": "Osotsi Godfrey Otieno",
        "slug": "osotsi-godfrey-otieno"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, for this opportunity to also make my contribution to the County Library Services Bill (Senate Bills No.40 of 2024). From the onset, I support this Bill. However, I will also express my reservations which can lead to amendments to this Bill. As you know, library services is one of the services that are devolved and as Sen. Kinyua has said, our counties should not wait for a legislation like this one, for them to start having libraries in their counties. They need to have developed library services in all the 47 counties. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the drafters of the Constitution had a good reason why they wanted libraries to be devolved. Perhaps, they were taking cognizance of the fact that most counties have diversities. We have community diversities, interests and cultural issues which can be organized at the county level. Therefore, having this Bill, which hopefully will become an Act of Parliament if passed by the two Houses, is important towards achieving that agenda. This Bill proposes to establish libraries in each county. It also proposes to establish the county library development committees in each county. This will ensure that our people have access to library services. If you look at the object of the Bill, it also proposes to promote literacy, support education, cultural and research activities, as well as ensure the preservation of cultural heritage of the counties for future generations. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this is very important especially in this era where most of our children are forgetting the indigenous languages. They only speak Kiswahili and English, and cannot speak mother tongue. Libraries will provide the necessary facilities for them to read the mother tongue books and understand their language, so that they can communicate. This will also help in preserving our mother tongue in our various counties. Libraries should also be a source for cultural knowledge so that our youth can go there, learn about their culture and be educated. However, as we talk about libraries, we also need to have a futuristic thinking on how these libraries will be operating. In the traditional library, there were books and people would come in, read the books, borrow and take them home. However, that is changing, because of technology, interest and generally because reading should not be punitive. Reading should be enjoyable and fun. It should be accompanied by other entertainment aspects. I remember when I was in school, we would go to our library and stay there the whole day. We would sit in the cold library hall, read and leave. There would be no lunch or entertainment. However, in the modern day, people want to read in an environment where they can enjoy the reading, where they can access refreshments, listen to music and generally be in an environment that is conducive to make reading not look punitive but entertaining. All the same, libraries are key to developing a reading culture in this country. 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."
}