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"id": 222576,
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"speaker_name": "Maj-Gen. Nkaisserry",
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"speaker": {
"id": 192,
"legal_name": "Joseph Kasaine Ole Nkaissery",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to support this very important Motion. First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to really commend and thank the hon. Oloo-Aringo for bringing this very important Motion which is long overdue. Compulsory and free education in primary and secondary level is overdue, because a country with educated people is likely to move forward in terms of development. This is because the knowledge acquired at the very basic level would be a very strong foundation for a nation to move forward in terms of development. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, as I speak, the primary education is not that much free, because we have a shortage of teachers. Therefore, even if the Government is offering free primary education, it is not quality education. But if we pass this Bill, it will compel the Government to employ more teachers, so that free and quality education can be provided to our children. At the moment, one teacher takes care of more than 100 pupils. In Kajiado District, for example, we have a shortage of over 400 teachers. So, free primary education is not effective because a large number of pupils have enroled in primary schools, yet, we have few teachers. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, likewise, there has to be a law to ensure that compulsory education is offered. As I speak now, the compulsory aspect of free primary education is not taking place, because there is no law to enable children to compel their parents to take them to school. This Motion, once it is passed, will enable this country, by law, to ensure that every child is given free education, from primary to secondary level. I think we must aim at providing free primary and secondary education. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, so many resources are collected in terms of taxes. Therefore, this country has the capacity to offer free primary and secondary education. Therefore, the availability of resources should not be an issue. The Government should not claim that it cannot offer free primary and secondary education because of lack of resources. The Government can provide free secondary education. One of the areas which we can tap from is for this country - we are part of the international community - especially this Government, to stop thumping its chest that we cannot borrow money. We are part of the international community. We have shares in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. We have the right to borrow long-term loans so that elementary and secondary education can be achievable if we go towards that direction. They should be long term loans because we are part of the international community. Similarly, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we must apportion part of the resources accrued through products like tea, soda ash and cement. We must consolidate these resources like wildlife income so that our children can have free primary and secondary education. So, I, indeed, support this Motion. I wish, once again, to thank the mover for bringing this Motion. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}