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{
    "id": 229351,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/229351/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 234,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Prof. Olweny",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 122,
        "legal_name": "Patrick Ayiecho Olweny",
        "slug": "patrick-olweny"
    },
    "content": "We can co-opt them, but they will be \"illegal\" members, who are not entitled to vote. In fact, other members of the committee may decide not to allow them to make a March 27, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 151 contribution. Let us amend the Act, so that we can incorporate those ladies. Some of them are very brilliant. They can make very good contributions in the committees. But we should not make a political statement; that the Maendeleo ya Wanawake leaders should be incorporated in the committees. We reconstituted Committees last year. How do we again include those leaders midstream, because the committees last for two years? Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, if we are genuine about the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF); if the President is genuine about the CDF, let him allow us to increase the percentage of CDF from 2.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent, because we know that it is the Government which is against that amendment that we wanted to bring to the House last year. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Government has done very well as regards free primary education in this country. That is a major contribution towards education. I am pleased to hear political statements being made to the effect that secondary education is also going to be made free. That will be very good if implemented. But one problem that we have in schools is that, we have too many pupils in schools and just a few teachers. The teachers are overworked and the conditions of teaching in classrooms are just impossible for the teachers. This is because we have too few teachers. Staffing is one thing that the Government needs to address properly because the teachers are too few for the pupils we have in primary schools. One thing which I have been concerned about when it comes to education is special education. I wish the Assistant Minister or Minister for Education was here to listen to me. We have children with disabilities, and special education in this country is the most expensive; it is horribly expensive! You take children to special schools where the deaf and those living with physical disabilities are taught and those kind of special schools are terribly expensive. Why should we tax our children who are living with disabilities to pay exorbitantly while others who are normal are enjoying free primary education? This is an issue which the Government needs to address when handling education sector matters. It is a major failure for the Government. I also wish to suggest to the Government that we need to have, at least in every district, a special school, both primary and secondary. I think there are only six secondary schools that deal with disabled children in this country. We need one at least, for every district. With those few remarks, I beg to support. Thank you."
}