Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1563817,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1563817/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 225,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Oketch Gicheru",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, MPs and governors cannot clearly articulate their expectations for excellence when awarding bursaries to students. As a result, these funds do not function as an investment in education. Money is distributed largely for political reasons, handed out as if it were Panadol for students. As a result, it degrades families, especially women and sometimes men, who are forced to line up and collect bursary funds from MPs yet, there is no alignment between these funds and student performance. There is no system to track how students are progressing, whether they are performing well or have dropped out due to an inability to pay the remaining balance. Therefore, there are no expectations at all on the return on investment by giving out these bursaries. Lastly, treating bursaries as tokenism or as mere gifts from a political class that has been mandated to lead by the people is deeply degrading and undermines the fundamental right to education. Currently, bursaries are handed out in a manner that suggests an MP or a governor has done a personal favour to you. Sometimes, due to the lack of proper criteria, some individuals are unfairly segregated based on wealth disparities. If a family is profiled as having more wealth than another, its children may be denied bursaries simply on that basis. The core problem with this is, regardless of whether a child comes from a wealthy family, a moderately well-off family or a destitute family, they must have the right to access education. Therefore, bursaries must move beyond tokenism and instead be recognized as a basic right to education, enshrined in our Constitution. Every single child should be able to exercise that right. Regardless of whether a child comes from a well-off family or a poor family, they must have access to educational funding. This is an important Motion. I hope the National Assembly Members have the courage to support the consolidation of bursaries as it has been presented in this House. As we deliberate on this issue, I hope that they will recognize the sense of consolidating these funds and to back the Senate’s efforts to ensure that education is made free. If bursaries exist to facilitate access to education, then there is nothing wrong in making sure that indeed, we guarantee free education for all by consolidating these funds. Madam Temporary Speaker, with that, I thank the Senator for Kiambu County for this thoughtful Motion. I fully support the consolidation of bursary funds into a single framework that will pave the way for free education within our borders. I thank you."
}