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{
"id": 255316,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/255316/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mrs. Tett",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Housing",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to contribute on this Motion. The President, in his Speech, challenged us by telling us that we are not working hard enough. I agree with him because we must really pass laws in this House in order to be at par with other African countries, or even overtake them. Our core function here is to pass Bills. There are very many challenges ahead of us and we must soldier on as one unit and one country. We must, therefore, improve our performance in this House. As a supreme organ of the State, we must be united and support each other. We must not be partisan, biased or bear personal suspicions, hatred and mischief. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, a lot of us have talked about the youth. Indeed, we should talk about them because they are the leaders of tomorrow. For the first time in the history of Kenya, we have the Ministry of State for Youth Affairs. This Ministry is long overdue because the youth really need to be supported. The other day, we went to see a women's football match between Kenya and Djibouti. Our girls performed wonders. They scored six goals against zero. These girls should be supported because they do not have enough resources. These are the leaders of tomorrow and they are trying to do something for this country. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is, equally, a very talented lady called Conjestina Achieng. She has won many boxing titles; in fact, more titles than the male boxers in this country. However, she is really demoralised. Even look at the place where she does her training. We really need to support our youth. I, therefore, wish to take this opportunity to tell hon. Members that Ms. Conjestina Achieng will be fighting an American lady next Saturday, in the afternoon, at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani. As a Government, we should be there to support her because she has done a lot for this country. No matter what tribe she comes from, she has done a lot for this country. I am urging the Minister for Gender, Sports, Culture and Social Services who is very gender-sensitive to look for ways and means to support this lady. She can even be given uniforms so that she does not feel demoralised. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, today I was encouraged to hear that our President has increased the remuneration for our athletes from Kshs300,000 for gold to Kshs500,000; from Kshs200,000 to Kshs300,00 for silver and from Kshs150,000 to Kshs200,000 for bronze. This is 214 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES March 29, 2006 what we are talking about. We should appreciate these people. We should show them that we love them and that whenever they go out they will at least have some food on their table when they come back home. This is very commendable. I would also like to touch on the issue of the youth who are in the music industry. In Sweden, music is the second biggest foreign exchange earner apart from the Nokia phones because they protect their musicians and their youth who want to become musicians. A lot of piracy goes on in this country. Some of these musicians grow old and die poor. They do not even have somebody to bury them because the moment they release a hit record into the market it is pirated and the poor musician gets nothing. If we are really serious, we should look at all these areas where our youth can benefit. I am quite sure a lot of our youth can concentrate on athletics because they will get something out of it and, in the music industry because the Government will protect them. This way they will be self employed. There are so many things these youth can do. If you switched on your radio today and all you heard is discussions and no music you would be so bored. Why do we not appreciate these people? Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, this House needs to adopt very strict laws to protect this industry which is one of the biggest industries in the world today. We can also export our music. We can do a lot with music if those found to be pirating it will be made to face the law. Today when arrested they are taken to court and told to pay a fine of Kshs1,000 or Kshs2,000 and that is the end of it. We should empower the youth of this country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, without the youth of this country, we are doomed. We should not say that they are the leaders of tomorrow. They are leaders even today. We also need to encourage women. We are very few in this House. There is no woman working as a provincial commissioner. We have eight provincial commissioners, but none of them is a woman. We urge the people who do all those things to look at the plight of women. I am sure that there are many women who can be very good PCs in this country. We are told that Mrs. Mwatela is now the Acting Governor. Why should she be acting? She is capable of steering the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). But since she is just a woman, you will hear that somebody else has been appointed to that position. It is time to recognise the youth and women of this country. When we are appointing people even at the lowest level, for example, the chiefs; how many women chiefs do we have? Is it that they are not capable? They are capable and highly educated, but they are not appointed! I urge everybody, even you Members of Parliament, to consider women when there are openings in the constituencies. Without all of us together, we are doomed as a country. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}