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"id": 189912,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/189912/?format=api",
"text_counter": 191,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Prof. Anyang'-Nyong'o",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Medical Services",
"speaker": {
"id": 193,
"legal_name": "Peter Anyang' Nyong'o",
"slug": "peter-nyongo"
},
"content": " I apologise to my dear friend, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I hope she can hear me now. I was saying that one of the most important contributions from this Ministry is the document before us, that shows that we have about 28 companies and organisations, which have committed a total of Kshs715,800,000 towards lending to the youth. My proposal is that we should establish a national youth foundation - Kenya National Youth Foundation - to which such funds could be contributed. A foundation managed by distinguished Kenyans who are entrepreneurs or known in various fields of excellence, and probably, who would attract contributions to this fund internationally. This kind of fund would then help finance all kinds of activities that could promote the development of the youths. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am saying this with respect to the contribution of my dear friend, the Member of Parliament for Rarieda, Eng. Gumbo, who made a very moving speech in this House regarding the fate of our athletes, particularly the late Naftali Temu. If, indeed, we had a fund line and a policy to support our youths and their prowess in athletics, soccer, drama, music and literature--- In doing all this, the youths need to be promoted and supported. Of course, they cannot be supported from nothing. As the Latin say, ex nihio, nihilo - from nothing, comes nothing. So, we must, indeed, realise that we need a foundation to support our youths. If we start a fund like this one, and is not properly vested, and then we spend it purely on recurrent expenditure, we shall never develop the capacity to sustain this kind of thing. It is much wiser to channel a fund like this to a foundation that is well managed. In any case, once you have proper managers for such a foundation, it will develop a reputation for giving good service. It will attract even more funds, nationally and internationally. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I know that there are certain philanthropists who are looking around, wondering what to do with their money. What they are looking for are good July 10, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1781 proposals and good causes to support. When I came into the House, I heard the Member of Parliament for Nyeri Town talking about a time-bomb - that we see our youth as a time bomb. I beg to differ. I think this is arguing from a position of fear. Obviously, there is a problem with our youth if we do not have opportunities for employment. However, every opportunity produces a challenge. The challenge that we have is to come up with opportunities that can give employment to our youth. If we react in that way, they will not be a time bomb. They will be a potential force for revolutionary change in this country. That is, the use of our people to develop powerful productive forces for propelling this nation to a first world nation. That should be the spirit of Vision 2030. We need to use the domestic potential of this country as a powerful force for propelling our nation into a first world nation; a nation of a people with hope, and not fear; a nation of a people aiming for the skies, and not heading for the grave. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, if, indeed, we see the youths as providing us with such a potential - to aim at the sky; to look at our stars and drive this nation to a first world nation - then we shall realise the potential that exists in the ICT today. People can now get knowledge by just knowing and having the key of access to that knowledge through a computer. Our youths can google and download all kind of information, provided that we build numerous youth polytechnics, where they can have free access to technology and the knowledge that comes with the technological revolution, so that it can kindle the potential in disuse to be part and parcel of the development of this nation's productive forces. To me, that is not a time bomb. To me, that is an excellent opportunity to explore the potential of our youth to push this nation to the pedestal of being a first world nation. So, I would like to appeal to this Ministry to aim high, ride with its shoulders high, and its neck and head held towards the clouds, and not to look down in pity to the problems that face this nation; instead, to turn these problems into opportunities using swords as ploughshares and turning danger into opportunities for positive change. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, our youths will, indeed, be dangerous if we deny them the opportunities. Our youths will, indeed, be dangerous if we frustrate the potential in them. That, we have already seen. It is not for us to frustrate the potential in our youth, but provide an atmosphere of good governance and hope, an atmosphere in which every individual counts as an individual and no individual counts as more than one; an atmosphere in which individual and people's freedoms means something in reality, and not just something that is recited as a song. If we do so, we shall provide tremendous opportunity for our youths to propel us to a worthy future. If we do that, hon. Gumbo will not find another opportunity to lament and, indeed, tell us a very sad story about Naftali Temu. If we do that, we shall not have another Naftali Temu in this nation, the Kibuas of this world. I beg to support."
}