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{
    "id": 229028,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/229028/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 88,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Ahenda",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 256,
        "legal_name": "Paddy Ahenda",
        "slug": "paddy-ahenda"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for being mindful of my welfare. Let me start by thanking the Kenyan men and women who participated in the recently 206 PARLIAENTARY DEBATES March 28, 2007 concluded World Cross-Country Championships. They brought us glory. Actually, when the World Cross-Country Championships are hosted in other countries in the world, Parliaments are closed for hon. Members to go and watch Kenyan athletes. I am surprised that not many of us were in Mombasa to cheer our men and women when they were wining those medals. Mr. Speaker, Sir, may I also thank the Harambee Stars for bringing glory to our country, even after being under suspension for nearly six months. They went ahead and hammered Swaziland thoroughly. On the same note, my thanks go to our cricket team. They competed in a world championship recently and brought us some glory. Mr. Speaker, Sir, on the Presidential Speech - and I have a copy here - let me start on the exposition of public policy as contained herein. The President mentioned, and I quote, inter alia :- \"The future of this country rests on its children who must be nurtured, educated and trained to prepare them for the challenges of nation-building.\" It is ironical to say that we want to nurture and educate our children and yet, there are insufficient teachers in our schools. I am glad an hon. Member of this House has already given Notice of a Motion to compel the Government to employ more teachers to take care of the children of this country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I also intend to give Notice of another Motion on the juveniles. The aim of that Motion is to nurture and mould our children when they are still in their early childhood years. If we do not give that early childhood education attention, then teaching an old dog new tricks might be very difficult. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Government is developing a policy to make secondary school education affordable. Secondary school education can be affordable to you sitting on that Chair, but not to me! When is education affordable? I cannot comprehend what the word \"affordable\" in this case means. That is because to me, the word \"affordable\" is rather ambiguous. Secondary school education should be made completely free. When it is free, then we can talk of being affordable. You cannot gauge the income of individuals and say that you will make secondary school education affordable. Mr. Speaker, Sir, on the issue of the Women Enterprise Development Fund (WEDF), I need not thank the Government less. That is something that is overdue. During the recess, I traversed my constituency promising that when Parliament opens, I would bring a Bill compelling the Government to create the WEDF. I tend to believe that through some means, the Government learnt of my promise and sent word to His Excellency the President to create the Fund. I thank him for that. If it is true that the Government will create that Fund, let it not be a gimmick like the Youth Enterprise Fund (YEF). The way it is being handled leaves a lot to be desired. We are almost half way through the year and only Kshs210 million out of the Kshs1 billion has been released. I still do not know whether the Government will release the remaining Kshs790 million before the end of the financial year. His Excellency the President also said that the Government has invested Kshs12 billion for the development of Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs). During the last Session, I brought a Question to that effect. I think His Excellency the President borrowed a leaf from me. However---"
}