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{
    "id": 202172,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/202172/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 107,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Billow",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 260,
        "legal_name": "Billow Adan Kerrow",
        "slug": "billow-kerrow"
    },
    "content": "No, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I just wanted to quote the figures. In the following year, we still had less than 70 students in North Eastern Province being admitted to our universities for the regular programme. Again, that means that there are hundreds of students who will have to struggle to get to university through the parallel degree programmes because of their qualifications. Those students will not have access to the same funds that students from other parts of the country have access to. For those reasons, I believe that it is absolutely important that we devolve these funds so that we can also bring on board the students who are under the parallel degree programme who come from North Eastern Province. This is important. September 26, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 4165 Education is not just about education for the sake of it. It is about livelihood and the future. It is about getting trained manpower so that, in the future, they can be appointed to high positions in this country. You will find a situation whereby only particular regions - those regions in the country that have high potential and are developed - produce all the manpower. Consequently, we live in a vicious cycle. Since we cannot produce quality students from North Eastern Province, we do not have access to public universities. Since we cannot afford to pay for them to do courses in the parallel degree programme, we cannot train them. Since we cannot do that, they cannot secure jobs in senior positions in Government. So, we have a situation where those living in marginalised areas are actually resigned to poverty forever unless we actually stop the systems that we use. One of the fundamental systems that we need to change is this one which actually provides funding to students who are in university. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the other concern is that in addition to what they get in the Budget, the HELB actually receives money from students who had been given money earlier on. In other words, they recover loans through the Loans Recovery Programme. We also know that they have challenges because of the inefficiencies regarding the recovery of loans. There have been proposals that, for example, they may use the very efficient system that the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) is using. The KRA has everyone who is able to pay taxes or who is employed in the Personal Identification Number (PIN) System. Everyone who is in employment has a PIN. Consequently, it becomes easier to trace people and recover loans from them. You can actually monitor them using the PIN issued by the KRA. Perhaps, HELB could use this method to recover loans from people. However, the most important thing is for the Government to consider allocating more resources. More importantly, the Government should ensure that these funds are devolved to the constituencies. We now have the CDF being enhanced. The Government is now appointing Account Managers and, perhaps, in future, more officers will be appointed and made permanent. That way, it becomes easier to manage resources, including the money under the Kenya Roads Board. Last year, we passed a Motion which brought those funds under the CDF. Perhaps, this is an opportunity also to take these funds down to the constituencies so that we ensure fairness and equity in our country. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those few remarks, I beg to support this Motion."
}