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{
    "id": 202165,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/202165/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 100,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Wamunyinyi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 291,
        "legal_name": "Athanas Misiko Wafula Wamunyinyi",
        "slug": "athanas-wamunyinyi"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this very important Motion. This Motion seeks to decentralize the distribution of loans to students of institutions of higher learning in the country. Since we adopted the spirit of district focus for rural development, we were aiming at devolving and decentralizing most of the activities. We want to improve the efficiency on the distribution of the loans. The proposal to decentralize the distribution of loans should be supported to ensure that we support needy cases in rural households and poor families. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, as a result of the past mistakes which we are all aware of--- Deserving cases have been left out. Many students have not been given loans for their studies. Some of them even dropped out or postponed their courses until they were able to raise the money. I am sure that, at the constituency level, every constituency has many students in higher learning institutions, particulary in the universities. It will be easy for those needy cases to be identified and supported at the constituency level. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I really support this Motion. I know that HELB has done a good job. We commend their efforts. HELB has been able to support quite a number of students. But it needs to be structured in a better way. Necessary reforms should be undertaken to ensure that HELB is decentralized to benefit the people in the rural areas. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, some regions have not benefited from HELB. It has also been difficult, in some cases, to follow-up on the repayment of the loans. If the distribution of those loans is decentralized, follow-up can easily be done with the help of the constituency where the students came from. They can easily be pursued in terms of tracking them down wherever they are. After completion of their studies, those who are not in the Civil Service can always be known where they are, and be followed up. 4162 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES September 26, 2007"
}