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{
    "id": 443360,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/443360/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 185,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Omondi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13157,
        "legal_name": "Godliver Nanjira Omondi",
        "slug": "godliver-nanjira-omondi"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, for allowing me to contribute to this important Motion. First, I want to thank Sen. Halima for having thought of this issue. It is something that needs everybody to come together to achieve. The issue of having boarding schools reminds me of something we normally talk about, that of having special schools for children with disabilities. I have corrected myself by saying that if we have such boarding schools, this will allow integration of vulnerable children together with other children. This will improve the social well being of these children because they grow up interacting and understanding the challenges of each other. I support this Motion because in 2011, I managed to visit Turkana County. It was difficult to move around because Turkana has a lot of sand everywhere. It was very difficult for me to move around on a wheel chair because it would sit in the sand. I asked myself: How are the people with disabilities and especially school going children managing because it would take time for them to access the learning institutions? If we have such facilities, I am 100 per cent sure that the admission and retention of vulnerable children in learning institutions will go up. I also support this Motion because education is the key foundation for the well being of every Kenyan. As we embrace and have passion for this, it is an indication that we, as leaders, are building a strong foundation for our young Kenyans who in the future will be able, across the country, to compete well in the job market because each of them will be well catered for education wise. Children from these areas will be able to compete in the job market like other Kenyans from different areas. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, why should we rally behind this Motion of having boarding schools in the ASAL areas? I agree with Sen. Wetangula when he said that this Motion needs an amendment because when it comes to disability and vulnerable children, it does not matter where one comes from, the challenges are the same. In some of the institutions, the principals or headteachers sometimes quote some words that send away teachers teaching learners with disabilities or vulnerable groups because of separating special schools from other schools. As a result of difficulties of the vulnerable children, it reaches a time that the issue of mean score becomes a problem to retain such children because they have a lot of difficulty accessing education; the material that they need are also expensive. If we support this Motion and it is operationalised, we should ask the Government that if we have these boarding schools then they should have reasonable accommodation where the needs of the vulnerable are met based on their challenges. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this Motion is important because it will improve the learning standards in each county now that we are operating in the context of counties. As we support this Motion, we want it to be such that each Kenyan will benefit from it. We The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}