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{
    "id": 1625623,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1625623/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 374,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cherarkey",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "I saw the statement today on stalled projects. The Governor of Nairobi City told us “Lazima iwork” . Unfortunately, at the moment “haiwork” . I want to challenge the two leaders from Nairobi who are seated behind me to be at the forefront to ensure there are deliverables for the betterment of this country. As I conclude, on the issue of the marginalized, I would like to add something and request the Vice-Chairperson of the Committee on Finance and Budget, Sen. Mutinda, that the issue of hardship allowance must be relooked. I have seen the SRC has issued a clarification, and I want to agree with them. Under the law, they do not have any role in terms of how hardship areas or zones are declared. It is the public service department that does its job. I am aware of a report and I want to challenge Committee on Finance and Budget, because the issue of equalisation is still part of the marginalized. In this financial year, where counties are getting Kshs16.8 billion, this should be considered. I have seen a letter from the SRC clarifying that they do not have a role. In fact, under the Constitution, the role of the SRC is to only advise on issues of remuneration. I am aware there is a report that was presented through the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary, where they were proposing scrapping of hardship allowances to teachers. They were saying they are saving Kshs6 billion. What will attract teachers and other civil servants to work from hardship areas? We must disagree. I totally oppose the intention of any form to remove hardship allowances for teachers and Government civil servants. There is a reason why 44 hardship zones and even more should be included. I have said in Nandi, we need to see Terik and Chepterit as hardship areas. We also need to see Kapchorwa, Soba/Songhor, Chemilil and Chemase, being declared as hardship areas among the 44. To say they want to scrap hardship allowance to save Kshs6 billion does not make sense. Therefore, I appeal that in the spirit of equalisation and the issue of marginalized areas, I agree with the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) to reject the intention of scrapping hardship allowances for teachers and other civil servants in the guise. In fact, this is going against Legal Notice No.534 of 1998 and Legal Notice No.196 of 2015, which declared some of these as marginalized areas. It is very unfortunate. I am aware that we should give more hardship allowances to not only teachers, but all civil servants, so that we can get somebody coming all the way from Nandi to work in Garissa, Banissa, Todonyang and Namanga. This will ensure that they are motivated through these hardship allowances. Therefore, the issue of hardship allowances and the marginalized should be married together, so that as we provide basics like roads, hospitals and schools--- There is no need for us to pass Kshs16.8 billion to go and build schools. There are no teachers to teach there because we have not given them hardship allowance. You know they complement each other. It must and should complement each other. I am aware that the CBA agreement of teachers, a collective agreement, has come to an end. I urge KNUT and KUPPET to move in and ensure that CBA negotiations are effected. The reason I am marrying that with the workforce of human resource is because you cannot give out equalisation fund without human resource. According to the United Nations (UN), you must have what we call human resource development. It is not only 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."
}