Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 199453,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/199453/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 448,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Weya",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 304,
        "legal_name": "Sammy Arthur Weya",
        "slug": "sammy-weya"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am the Secretary-General of the Kenya Young Parliamentarians Association (KYPA), which the Minister is also an active Member. We also went for HIV/AIDS test publicly and he was very supportive. So, I know that as youthful leaders, they also have interest in this Sessional Paper. I would also like to support him for the initiative he has taken to revive the youth polytechnics all over the country. The only concern that we have, is the issue of young men and women who hang around bus stages. I think the Minister needs to go and get them to go to the youth offices that he has established in the constituencies and districts. They are at the bus stages and they are doing nothing. Some even have degrees. I remember when I was growing up and in school, some companies used to come, especially when we were about to finish school and identify students they would like to go and work for their companies and get trained. I remember companies like the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC), Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC), Kenya Posts and Telecommunications and so on. I want to encourage the Minister to collaborate with these parastatals so that they can start identifying bright students in schools so that we do not have an elite society capturing most of those jobs in those institutions. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the youth should not be made to feel that going to the farms in schools is a punishment. They should be told that, that is the way to go because Kenya is an agricultural country. They should be told that farming is the only way that we can make this country grow. In most schools, teachers punish students by sending them to go and plough farms. So, the youth find that farming is a punishment and not a way that will benefit their lives. The youth should be encouraged to engage in afforestation. Long time ago, there were October 17, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 4603 nurseries in schools and so the youth knew the importance of trees and tree-planting. The Minister should encourage that through a policy on afforestation. I sponsored athletics for the youth over the weekend in my constituency. The Ministry should collaborate with hon. Members to have road and bicycle races within the constituencies. These are the things that encourage the youth and also help in developing some of those sports. Although the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) is not allowed to be used in sports activities, there is a way in which they could organise and work hand-in-hand with us in creating those activities because we are Members of Parliament in those areas and we know how to mobilise the youth so that they can be involved in road races. They could also put up institutions like small gyms, a sports area or a social centre in every constituency where the youth can keep themselves busy. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, with regard to the issue of information, our youth lack a lot of information. Many youth do not know about computers or Information and Communication Technology (ICT). So, we should get the youth officers to go round and come up with informative documents so that the youth can be informed. Otherwise, we will not be able to compete with other countries where the youth are aware of what is going on around them due to accessibility to the internet and computers. I would like to congratulate the Minister for the work he has been doing in the Ministry and encourage him to continue. The Government should continue developing the youth agenda."
}