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{
"id": 15457,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/15457/?format=api",
"text_counter": 450,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mrs. Odhiambo-Mabona",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 376,
"legal_name": "Millie Grace Akoth Odhiambo Mabona",
"slug": "millie-odhiambo-mabona"
},
"content": "classes. If, as a country, we can pick up something that another country has been doing and perfect it for the betterment of this country, that is the innovation that we are looking at this institute to provide. It is not that we have come with a new Constitution and all that we are doing is repackaging the old institutes. Even the Bible says that if you put new wine into an old wine skin, it will burst. So, we must put new wine into new wine skins. I heard a Member talking about how impressive it is that our universities are expanding and giving opportunities to many young people. Even though this is a good thing, personally, I am concerned because if you look at what some of our universities and some of the colleges are providing, really, there must be some level of standardization. You cannot provide a kiosk and expect us to call that a university. There are certain standards that are accepted worldwide. That is why you find that when Kenyan students go outside the country with a degree, the degree itself is not accepted because our standards are falling. If you look at the students at KIM, I was an employer myself and I can tell you for a fact that when you see people who come to do interview before you, it is dismal. The standards of education in this country are falling and as a country, we must rescue that. It is good that universities are expanding, but there must be standards towards that expansion. Lecturers now are moonlighting. One lecturer is moonlighting in some college in Homa Bay, one in Meru, one in north eastern, one in middle eastern and God knows where else. With that kind of standard, they are too tired to even research. When I went back to school in New York some time ago, I was used to Kenya where we cite authorities which are ten years old. In the United States, for instance, now we are in the month of October/November, you cannot cite the authorities of summer, which is only a few months ago. You must cite authorities of the fall because they are always constantly learning new things. As a country, we must learn that the world is moving fast and it is flat with new technology. Our students must also learn to move with that speed. Finally, I want to go back to the issue that hon. Khalwale and other Members have spoken about. We are hoping that this institute will teach about leadership and ethics. The greatest tragedy that this country has is that we speak a lot and act very little. When we come here as leaders, we speak very nicely, but in our privacy, we talk about corruption like it is taking a bottle of water. Perhaps, if I walk out of here with hon. Laboso, the next thing I will be telling her is that I went to the Post Office and I was having it difficult and then I bribed this guy with Kshs1,000. I hear that all the time. So, why are we preaching here to the public about things which we are not doing? If we want change, it must start with us. Let us not start preaching to the public before we, the leaders, change our attitude. Corruption will never end unless politicians change at a very personal level. The things that we think are innocent corruption or innocent chai are not. Today, somebody came and told me that so and so said that he had done a good job and I should give him chai. I said I will not. If you do for me some good work and I think I want to appreciate, it has to come from me. It cannot come from you. When it comes from you, then it is a bribe. It is not appreciating."
}