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{
    "id": 209861,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/209861/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 84,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Syongo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 316,
        "legal_name": "Zaddock Madiri Syong'oh",
        "slug": "zaddock-syongoh"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I will make only a few comments to reinforce the wonderful contribution of the Assistant Minister and other hon. Members who have contributed towards this Motion. First, the Structural Adjustment Programme was one of the worst things that we ever did. So many Kenyans were forced out of jobs both in the private and public sector. Whereas they might have started with the capacity to educate their children, they were deprived of that capacity as a result of the retrenchment policy which was part of the Structural Adjustment Programme. Secondly, there is the question of unemployed youths. For a number of years; almost two decades, there was a decline of economic activities and, therefore, there are a huge number of our youths who graduated from various institutions into unemployment. They have grown into adulthood and parenthood without the capacity to educate their children. All those children are 3030 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES August 8, 2007 Kenyans. Thirdly, we all know about the real impact of HIV/AIDS pandemic. Many children are orphaned and as a result, there are a large number of children who cannot afford education. I would like to say that from an economic point of view, return on investment in human resource is the surest and guaranteed business that any society can do. That return comes in the form of higher taxes which are collected by the Government. It comes in the form of higher productivity of the human labour. It also comes in the form of capacity to be entrepreneurs. The recently launched Youth Enterprise Development Fund is going to yield results very soon. Not only are they going to create jobs for themselves but once they are entrepreneurs, they are going to employ their fellow youths. That means that unemployment is going to be dealt with. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, when I was watching television last night in a programme sponsored by Barclays Bank, some of them are already venturing into export trade. In fact, they are contributing towards foreign exchange earnings. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, because of all those things, the Government policy on free education is most commendable. Even moving towards free secondary education is commendable. But the first cohorts of those who were the first beneficiaries of free primary education in Standard I are maturing into secondary schools in another three years only. Unless we have the capacity to ensure that we finance their entry into secondary education and sustain them through to university - each in accordance with his or her ability - then all that investment will be over. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) has also---"
}