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{
    "id": 1563862,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1563862/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 270,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Veronica Maina",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "have debated this Motion are very passionate about the decision that may be arrived at at the end. I am confident that many of the Senators who have spoken on this issue have received their education through public institutions. The majority of them, like myself, come from the village, with the exception of perhaps a few, such as Karungo-Thangwa. I am not sure whether he comes from the village or from the suburban areas of Kiambu Town. Many of us are here today courtesy of the education we received, which was provided by the Ministry of Education through public institutions. I am a proud product of public institutions, from nursery, primary and secondary school, to the university. That means, during my years of growing up, if I had not had a government that was responsive to children's right to education, I may not have been here today. That is why I speak on this issue with deep compassion for the young children and learners I meet every day in Murang’a County or in many other counties across Kenya I examine the funds that have been disbursed to various offices, including the Office of the Member of the National Assembly, the Office of the Governor and the Office of the Presidency, all of which have distributed bursaries into different pockets. When we call on the Controller of Budget to account for how much has been disbursed to the Ministry, we are unable to obtain a clear figure. The funds are scattered here, there and everywhere. We must now find a way to consolidate these funds, so that we can work with a policy that moves us towards free education. This sentiment has already been echoed by Senators who have spoken before me. However, I feel it is important to weigh in on this idea. It is important that every child in Kenya should wake up and not have to return home in search of school fees. I personally had to go back home to look for school fees, except for the first term in secondary school and the last term. I know how painful it is to lose an entire week as a bright student simply because you are unable to stay in school and complete your work. I stood up to say that it makes a lot of operational sense to pool that money and send it directly to the schools, so that we cut on the time that parents have to go to make applications, queuing in thousands outside an office, only to be given Kshs2,000 or Kshs3,000 out of what they need in a school fees invoice that could be asking for Kshs40,000 of Kshs50,000. If there is something the Government can do that will become a signature of the current regime, it should be offering genuine free education at both primary and secondary school levels. Sen. Thang’wa, this is a good Motion because the initiative is good. I know reason will prevail because it is not about politics of the day. We are looking at how to operationalise a Fund in an effective way, so that the best interests of a child are served as per Article 53 of the Constitution and the Children Act which details the rights of every child. One of the rights of every child carried from Articles 43 and 53 of the Constitution are social and economic rights, which by extension could mean education is part of that because it enables a child to have economic and social rights. 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."
}