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{
    "id": 218223,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/218223/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 155,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Lesrima",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 178,
        "legal_name": "Simon Saimanga Lesirma",
        "slug": "simon-lesirma"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, let me join my other colleagues to congratulate hon. Dr. Naomi Shaban for introducing this very important Motion. June 13, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1749 Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, as we all know, university facilities in this country are not evenly distributed. One of the major problems in marginalised areas is the lack of opportunities for children to pursue secondary education. They perform poorly in the national examinations. This poor performance usually arises as a result of lack of adequate facilities in schools. There is lack of proper infrastructure, especially the science facilities in most schools in these areas. There is an acute shortage of teachers of English, Science and Mathematics subjects. The result of lack of adequate teachers for those subjects has led to lower grades. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, if you look at the number of children who go to universities from these areas, it is extremely low. If I may give an example of my own district. We hardly get more than five students going to pursue university education because of lack of adequate teaching facilities in those areas. For a student to join university, he is supposed to have attained B+plus and above in those critical subjects. Therefore, I support this Motion which requests for putting up more schools with the requisite facilities to enable our children to access university education. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, at the moment, we do not have a university at the Coast, Eastern and North Eastern provinces. We all know that there are universities in other provinces of this country. However, those universities are not able to access the remotest parts of the north rift such as Samburu, Turkana and Pokot districts. Even before we have a fully-fledged universities established in those areas, there is need to establish branches of those universities to specialise in resources that are very common in those arid areas. I have in mind the northern part of Rift Valley Province where we have Lake Turkana. Marine studies can be carried out there. We also have adequate mineral resources, forestry and wildlife in those areas. These are resources which universities like Moi University could easily capitalise on. So, initially we should start off by opening up branches of those universities there. However, with regard to Coast Province, I think it is about time that a university is set up there that will specialise in marine studies. We have a lot of space at the Coast Province for marine studies and utilisation of her resources. We own 200 miles of the coast line referred to as an exclusive economic zone. We are aware that the resources available in the deep sea are utilised by other countries. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, with regard to Eastern and North Eastern provinces also, there are opportunities to set up universities that will not only provide research opportunities for us to link up with economic activities, but for the further development of those areas. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is for this reason that I wish to support the setting up of universities in those areas that have been neglected for a very long time. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}