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{
    "id": 365913,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/365913/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 208,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Akujah",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2138,
        "legal_name": "Protus Ewesit Akujah",
        "slug": "protus-ewesit-akujah"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I rise to support this Motion. Before I make my contribution, I want to thank the hon. Members who denounced the amendment that was proposed because it was killing this Motion. I totally agree that the number of school dropouts, especially girls in ASAL areas is very high. For example, if 100 girls are enrolled in Class One, only less than 20 finish high school. This shows the unconducive learning environment that these pupils go through. One of the reasons is insecurity. In most of the ASAL areas, there is a lot of insecurity. In my constituency, there is cattle rustling and insecurity is the order of the day. Secondly, the distance from home to where the girls attend school is more than five kilometers. So, you can see the harassment and the problems that the girls will undergo. Some of them will end up with unwanted pregnancies because you do not know what happens between their homes and the school. I support this Motion also because civilization and religion went to the ASAL areas later and people are still engaged in some harmful cultural practices. For us to be compared with the rest of Kenyans - the way somebody wanted to do by amending the Motion - we need to be given some facilities to enable us to attain the same level with the rest of Kenyans. The Kenya Government should borrow a leaf from the Ethiopian Government where the girl-child is given some incentives, including their families. I worked in Ethiopia and I realized that in areas like Afar, Tigilai and Borana, the girl-child is given some incentives. They are given oil and some special treatment, so that when they take the incentives home, they encourage even the parents to take their girls to school. This encourages the girls to go to school; the incentives are given based on attendance. The girls are given incentives for attending school alone. The families will always push them to go to school. Another thing that I want to add is that the rising levels of poverty in the ASAL areas are also a contributor to the high school drop-out in the ASAL areas. In as much as we will want to be compared to other areas, building dormitories in schools will keep girls in school. It will also reduce the pressure on the parents, most of whom do not have income generating activities, or ways of getting food for these children. In boarding schools girls will face less pressure in looking for food and indulging in some activities which might not be conducive to learning. I support the Motion."
}