HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 228817,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/228817/?format=api",
"text_counter": 91,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Rev. Nyagudi",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 325,
"legal_name": "Ken Nyagudi",
"slug": "ken-nyagudi"
},
"content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I have been trying to catch the Chair's eye since yesterday. I have been unlucky, but today I am very lucky. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would like to start by congratulating our athletics team for the good performance at Mombasa. On that same note, I would like to thank and congratulate Harambee Stars for the good performance in football. By extension, the cricket team has also done very well. Therefore, my congratulations also go to them. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the Chair for recognising the fact that hon. Members of Parliament are very taxed in terms of what we do both in the House and at the constituencies. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would like to contribute to the President's Speech. The Speech started by addressing the issue of education. We are aware of the free primary education programme and its impact. I want to give the Government credit for that programme. However, we are facing a very difficult situation because schools are over-populated and we do not have enough teachers. The Government should do something to improve on the pupil-teacher ratio. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would also like to thank the Government for availing the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) money. The CDF money will help this nation to prosper very fast. However, when Ministries have financial constrains, they always want to refer to the CDF to subsidise the shortfall. For that reason, it would be very appropriate to amend the Constituencies Development Fund Act to increase the allocation from 2.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the President talked about women. I find it very interesting that this is a case in which we preach water and drink wine. I want to start with the Office of the President. We have a blue booklet which has been given to each hon. Member. There are 27 positions in the March 28, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 163 Office of President. Out of these, only two are occupied by women. In an exam if you get two marks out of 27, you could be advised to see a psychiatrist. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Cabinet itself has only two women out of a possible number of 31. If we want to speak about affirmative action, I believe it should start from the President himself. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the House Business Committee has one woman out of more than 20 Members. There was a good chance for this nation to have the first woman governor in the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). However, the Government squandered that chance. They did not appoint a woman. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we have our own Nobel laureate; Prof. Wangari Maathai, who is internationally renowned. However, locally, she has not been recognised. Why is she not given a Ministerial position? When talking about women, we must, first of all, recognise our own women who have done us proud. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the President indicated that women would be included in the CDF committees in the constituencies. However, the law is very clear. The CDF Act is an Act of Parliament which does not allow Maendeleo ya Wanawake Organisation an entity to be included in the CDF committees. Therefore, we have to do so through a legal framework. We should bring a Motion to this House to amend that Act. Women should not be excited. This was just to make them feel that they have been remembered."
}