HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 255320,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/255320/?format=api",
"text_counter": 228,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Muriithi",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 230,
"legal_name": "Peter Gichohi Muriithi",
"slug": "peter-muriithi"
},
"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, thank you for giving me an opportunity to contribute on the Presidential Speech. Whilst appreciating the growth of all the sectors of our economy as outlined in the Speech, I still strongly feel that there are areas where the Government needs to put more effort. Last year, we were told in this House that we have 15,000 Kenyan students in Uganda pursuing A-Level education. I do not see the reason why the Government cannot reconsider our 8-4-4 system of education. The increasing number of students going to Uganda to pursue A-Level education is a clear indication that they are not satisfied with the system of education in this country. I thank the Government for providing free primary education. But if you cook food, you must be prepared to eat it yourself, or have enough visitors to eat it. The Government is educating pupils free of charge up to Standard Eight and the results are wonderful. However, when they cannot pursue secondary education, it beats the logic. The same applies to university education. When the minimum entry points to universities are raised and over 400,000 students are cut off, where does the Government expect them to go? The Government should encourage private high schools and universities and not ask for high tax quotations that hinder people from starting such institutions. What does Uganda do to attract most students from other parts of Africa? Kenya should be able to do the same, so that our children can access education locally. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, last year, I requested the Government to convert Mombasa port into a free port. We were told plans were on the way to do so. Why has it not been done? It worries me to see Kenyans flocking to Dubai to buy wares, including vehicles. As a result, there are many goods in the country which were imported from Dubai. It, therefore, means that Kenyans are prepared to buy wares and bring them to Kenya, so that they can attract other traders in Africa. We will gain even through tourism because traders will be paying some fees when they visit the port. The traders are now moving to Turkey to purchase merchandise from there. I am so worried because Turkey does not buy anything from Kenya, but we flock to that country to buy clothes. When will the Ministry of Agriculture revive our cotton sector to avoid this trade imbalance? Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have so many people living on the road side. I can say with a lot of authority that in Nyeri, we have about 18,000 families living on the road side. This March 29, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 217 is now the time for the Government to revert to the village concept and improve it very fast. This is where the people will live together, have lighting, clean piped water, clinics, schools and other essential facilities provided by the Government. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am sure that most of the people who live on an acre or a half an acre or two acres or three acres, should be prepared to move to such improved villages to allow for communal funding system to provide for people living in a village. If able bodied people are on the road side, begging, what happens with people with disabilities? I cannot remember when I last saw accounts of funds of organisations which deal with the welfare of people with disabilities being displayed publicly. I have not seen any funds being disbursed to the disabled people. Some of these organisations have a lot of buildings from which they collect a lot of funds in rent. What is happening to these organisations? Could their accounts be published so that we, leaders, can know what happens with their funds? Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the President said that the Government will bring to this House a Bill to provide for free healthcare to Kenyans. I agree with that proposal. However, even the resources being directed to healthcare right now are not being well-managed. In Nyeri District, we do not even have functional maternity clinics. How can we expect to have free healthcare for all Kenyans if the labour wing at Nyeri District Hospital is not functional? The maternity wards have collapsed. Expectant mothers in that district have to seek alternative venues for delivery. Some of them go to Karatina District Hospital or to private hospitals. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, they cannot afford to pay for maternity fees because it is very expensive. A single delivery in a private hospital will cost Kshs50,000. When an expectant mother is due for delivery she must be rushed to the nearest private hospital. Therefore, the Government cannot convince us that there will be free health services for all Kenyans if the existing public healthcare institutions are not operational. Even the clinics we have put up using the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) money are not operational because there are no medical personnel. No medical supplies have been supplied to those clinics. So, before promising Kenyans free medical care, the Government should, first, improve the existing medical infrastructure. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, even as I speak, I am concerned about the security situation in the country. The so-called mercenaries even challenge people holding the highest offices in this country. Even Government Ministers are nothing to them. I was surprised the other day when one of the alleged mercenaries dared the Commissioner of Police, who has the best trained dogs in this country, to go and arrest him. He said: \"Even if the Police Commissioner himself tries to jump over the fence to my house to arrest me, I will set my dogs on him.\" Who is protecting these people? Kenyans are tired! Therefore, these people should be deported back to their countries. Otherwise, we should be told the kind of business they are doing in this country. It is inconceivable that a white person, who does not even hold a proper passport can stand up on Kenyan soil and challenge the authorities: \"Try to arrest me. I have the best trained dogs, which I brought from Dubai. I will set them on you.\" I have better dogs than his. He should dare me and I will go to Runda Estate and challenge his dogs. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}