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{
    "id": 421580,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/421580/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 186,
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    "content": "The civil society played a key role in civic education but it almost disappeared after the promulgation of the Constitution. It is important that civil societies continue to play that role. The advertising should go on, media campaigns should go on, workshops for civic education should continue in various areas so that people can understand what is happening. We should also have direct messages so that nobody feels that it is somebody else’s responsibility. It should not be seen as the role of Members of the County Assemblies (MCAs) or the role of the Governor. It is our role. If we begin to take out messages for example in Swahili “Ni haki yako” for example, so that people know that it is your right to participate. As Senators, we can be questioned by governors on certain issues, but how much so for the civilians who then have to stand up and speak about certain issues. It will give people the power and the sense of connection. In the long term, these programmes have to be evaluated in terms of their effectiveness so that we can see if there has been effect over time. We are talking about posters, leaflets, radio, talk shows, call-in programmes so that people can ask questions about various articles in the Constitution and be given direct answers. I think more people are now moving towards a situation where you can ask few questions and you can be given key answers and that becomes very critical for them. Therefore, they get reminded over and over again about the importance and the need to continue to remain alive. Therefore, civic education gives us an opportunity to begin to dream the real dream. If, for whatever reason, we do not make Kenyans understand what the Constitution is all about and it is going to take a lot of time -, about 7 per cent, in a study that was conducted, had not read the Constitution. They had not understood the Constitution. Therefore, when it comes to the need for civic education, I think this Motion is so timely. If we were to reap the fruits of Constitution making and especially the Constitution of Kenya 2010, then we need to put civic education at the forefront at all levels and let us use all the avenues possible. There is an avenue that has been suggested within the school curriculum, like it happens in the United States of America (USA) where key articles in the Constitution will be part of the syllabus. Therefore, children will grow knowing that they are part and parcel of that process. So, at any one time, they can come up and feel that their voice needs to be heard, they can talk when they want to talk; they can share when they want to share and so on. It is not a mean fit but if we have to reap from the Constitution and constitution-making, then we have no other way out. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, one of the tenets of that Constitution is the key role for participation and there are certain counties who have been able to put themselves into"
}