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{
    "id": 174587,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/174587/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 110,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Njuguna",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 20,
        "legal_name": "Peter Njuguna Gitau",
        "slug": "peter-gitau"
    },
    "content": "Thank you very much, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this very important Motion. As I support the Motion, I wish to remark on one or two items. The first item concerns the vehicles that were impounded at the Port of Mombasa. I think a directive was issued to crush all those vehicles which are about 2,000. I think that, instead of destroying those vehicles, why can we not, as a nation, make a firm decision to give some of those vehicles to our Police Force, hospitals and even our schools? Why should we look like a nation that is very wasteful and uncaring on that very important issue? Secondly, I wish to direct my contribution to the issue of shortage of teachers in our schools. That is a very great concern to all our primary and secondary schools. Now that the schools will be opening in January, the Ministry of Education should put in place very strong measures to make sure that the process of recruiting teachers is put in place. We noted during the second term that our schools went on strike because we did not have enough teachers. To contain that situation, the Ministry should wake up and release the required number of teachers in good time. It has been indicated that the Ministry is in the process of recruiting about 16,000 teachers. The Ministry should fast track that process. Regarding the release of funds to our schools, this is an area that has caused our schools not to be run properly. That is because the principals and boards of governors in our schools are unable 4208 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES December 17, 2008 to finance the day to day programmes in our schools. It is, therefore, prudent and imperative that the Ministry releases those funds in good time so that, when schools reopen in January, they get those funds in their accounts to meet their basic requirements. Regarding the resettlement of IDPs, that is a thorny issue that we have talked about frequently. It is an issue that is not moving anywhere. I think that during this time, our Government should make concerted efforts to resettle the IDPs and other people who are staying in the churches with their families. That will make that cluster of people feel happy in this nation. Regarding the security in our nation, we are now going back to our homes. Security must be improved in our homes, towns and particularly during the Christmas period. We should also increase security in the sea where we have seen some people interfering with ships transporting crude oil and other important cargo. We should also improve security at our boarders. We should also increase security in Lake Victoria where we hear that some soldiers from one of our neighbouring countries are interfering with fishermen. We also need to support the fishermen, so that they can continue earning their daily bread. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, regarding food, we have talked about it for quite some time. There are areas that deserve food but there is a shortage of it. We note that the is an intention of importing 5 million bags of maize. This consignment must be brought into the country immediately and be sent to those areas that are really deserving. We are almost confident that some areas in this nation will not spend Christmas holidays happily due to food shortage. They must be given the necessary attention by our Government. We are now approaching Christmas holiday and our people are likely to travel to spend this time with their families. There is the problem of shortage of fuel. This must be addressed so that the movement of our people is not limited. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, regarding security on the roads, it must be improved because time and again we have had buses and even matatus being hijacked. It is important that families travel safely upcountry. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}