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"speaker_name": "Eng. Okundi",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for giving me a chance to contribute to this Motion. The President mentioned a large number of areas where some work has been done in this Government. However, he did not mention how effective a number of those areas that he mentioned have been to the Kenyan people. Many of them were initiated by this side of the House, and they have actually been partly implemented. Mr. Speaker, Sir, let us consider education, for example. The introduction of free primary education was a very fundamental change to the development of this country. We all know that the enrolment increased many folds. In fact, at least, 1.5 million new pupils enroled in primary schools. But they enroled in schools which were in completely dilapidated conditions. Classrooms were swelling with pupils, up to even 100 pupils in one classroom. But we all know that many of these buildings were in very poor conditions, and yet there was no budgetary provision to improve or enlarge the space required, because of the increase in demand for education at the primary school level. Now that the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) money is being used in the grassroots, it would be very good if it was increased, in order to take care of the need to refurbish, enlarge or provide more facilities, to cope with the increased enrolment in primary schools. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would like to talk about secondary education. We know that neighbouring countries like Uganda, for example, are providing free primary education. A number of countries have tackled the need for secondary education being provided at the cost of the public. I would have liked the Presidential Speech to indicate clearly what the Government plans to do about secondary education and how to take care of it. Mr. Speaker, Sir, on University education, we know that recently the Joint Admissions Board (JAB) announced that the minimum mean grade required to join the public universities could move to A minus. If this happens, a large number of Kenyans who have qualified will not have a chance to join public universities, because our university system has been pegged to certain requirements which restrict enrolment in those institutions. I remember when I joined university, March 29, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 253 there was no need for accommodation to be provided within the university system. One was just given a class to go and learn and he or she looked for where to live. I think there needs to be a very clear policy on education in total, to take care of students who have attained the grades to join universities or other institutions of higher learning, so that the issue of pegging it to things like accommodation and so on, does not restrict them. Education is crucial. If we do not educate our people, we are actually stifling the growth of the nation. I think this needs a major policy statement by the Government, to show how we are going to do this. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to speak about a very sensitive subject called tribalism. I support my colleague, hon. Ojode, who mentioned it last week. I have here the Organization of Government document. If you read it carefully and see who is in this and that Ministry and so on, it looks like in every paragraph and page, one community is dominating the operations of the Government. This is a subject that we all need to be very clear about. It is of no use talking carelessly about it, like some hon. Members did yesterday. They talked as if it went against a particular tribe. When we offer the management of our state resources to one community, we are actually plunging the future of this country into real problems. This is an issue which we need to look at soberly and very clearly. We should ask ourselves: \"Who are really calling the shots in the Ministries?\" If you look at the positions held by Ministers, Assistant Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, Deputy Secretaries and various areas where decisions are made within the Government, you will find that they are dominated by one community. This is not any good service to even that community. We are endangering that community to the extent that they will find it very hard to operate in their calling in the future Kenya which will be an extremely democratic country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the President mentioned economic growth. Many people say it has grown by 5.8 per cent, while others say it has grown by 7 per cent. It is of no use talking of economic growth without mentioning the inflation component. If the economic growth is 5.8 per cent and inflation is over 10 per cent, basically we are really going down to a minus. This so-called economic growth that we are talking about is not visible. I would like to live in a Kenya where I go to the rural areas and find people saying: \"Look, I am seeing this and that happening. The price of"
}