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{
    "id": 213398,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/213398/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 185,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Kamama",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Lands",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 165,
        "legal_name": "Asman Abongutum Kamama",
        "slug": "asman-kamama"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I will try to be brief, so that other hon. Members can also get a chance to speak. First, I want to commend the Minister and his team for a job-well-done. The Minister has conducted the affairs of this Ministry in a very professional manner. I want to commend him, especially, for dealing with the teachers' strike, which was almost affecting the education of our children. Because of time, I want to raise a red flag. In this case, the Ministry will employ about 11,000 teachers this year. But I would like to say that in Baringo, we were only given 21 teachers, while in East Pokot, which is a new district, the rate of under-staffing is about 100 teachers. So, this means that in the entire East Pokot District, no learning is, actually, going to take place. This is because the staffing rate is about three teachers in almost every school. The 21 teachers will be taken by Baringo District. East Pokot District will not have any teacher. So, this issue should be addressed as a matter of priority. If it is not going to be addressed, I think we will just have to demonstrate to the office of the Provincial Director of Education (PDE) in order to send the July 18, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2631 message home. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, again, I would like to thank the Ministry for actually setting aside Kshs60 million for the volunteers. The volunteers have done a good job in the Ministry. They have actually been missionaries in that Ministry. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to talk about learning in Arid and Semi-Arid Land (ASAL) districts just to buttress or support what hon. Ethuro was saying. In ASAL districts, without food in the schools, actually, learning is not going to take place. So, the School Feeding Programme (SFP) should actually get extra funding. I would also like to advise the Ministry, because it is pursuing the policy of free and compulsory education. It should combine efforts with the Office of the President together with other relevant bodies to make sure that all children in the ASAL districts are sent to school by force. I know hon. Prof. Saitoti has the guts to do that because he is a performer. This issue should be taken seriously because usually it is treated casually. I do not know whether the Ministry of State for Administration and National Security actually wants to enforce the Children's Act because it is being flouted in the ASAL districts. We want the standards of education to improve in those areas. We want these children to be taken to school by force by both the Ministry of State for Administration and National Security and the Ministry of Education. This is because most of the boys in those areas are now participating in cattle rustling and those other things. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, another issue is the exodus of Kenyan students to Uganda. Some Ugandan high schools are actually admitting students who scored \"D\" and \"D\" plus in their KCSE Examinations to Form V and Form VI. I think this matter has not been taken seriously. So, these high schools should be advised not to take students who attained Grade \"D-\" (Minus) to Form V. What kind of education are we going to get from those kind of students? Lastly, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, because of lack of time, I would like to thank the Ministry for actually waiving tuition fees for secondary school education from next year. That is a Presidential directive and we are happy about it. It is not an ODM(K) policy the way Prof. Anyang'-Nyong'o put it. That is the policy of His Excellency President Mwai Kibaki. I also think that is the policy of NARC(K), which is going to be the next ruling party. Thank you very much, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me the time."
}