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{
    "id": 470429,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/470429/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 158,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Elachi",
    "speaker_title": "The Nominated Senator",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13115,
        "legal_name": "Beatrice Elachi",
        "slug": "beatrice-elachi"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. It is my pleasure this afternoon to thank you because I finally caught your eye. I also thank the President and his Deputy President for being elected to serve this country. In 2010, Kenyans promulgated a new Constitution because they wanted it to address challenges of development, distribution of resources and marginalization. That is why the President in his Address came out strongly in support of devolution. This is the only framework within which we can realize development in this country. He also talked about economic pillars which will be the guiding principles for us to achieve development in this country. That is why I support the policy on the Free Primary Education (FPE) and the provision of laptops to our children. In Rwanda, for example, each child in a primary school has a laptop. If a country like Rwanda is able to provide laptops to children in primary schools, I believe Kenya will even do much better. We have public schools in Nairobi and other places where children have laptops. Parents are paying Kshs2,000 for their children to access this very important service. I am happy they will now have their own laptops. We know for a long time children in public schools have been disadvantaged in many ways. Those in academies have the best facilities because their parents are able to pay. So, let us give children in public schools the opportunity to learn like other children in academies. Kenya is one and that is the advice that the President is giving us. If, indeed, Kenya is one, then our children in public schools deserve better infrastructure and better access to technology. One of the economic pillars highlighted in the Presidential Address was job creation. Many of us are worried that some people, in the process of procuring of these laptops, will be out to make money. This is not true because laptops will be locally assembled by our universities. I believe that will reduce the cost of each laptop and create job opportunities for our people in universities. I want to applaud the President for emphasizing the issue of two-thirds in his Address. This is an issue that I know he will take into consideration when he will be appointing Cabinet Secretaries. He also promised to serve all Kenyans. I am sure Kenyans will look back after five years and appreciate the role of women in this country because God has blessed us with the best brains in the Senate. We will develop this country. We will positively criticize the President because we want him to steer this country to greater heights of development. However, we would not like to be drawn into political ambitions, as we saw in the Tenth Parliament, at the expense of serving our people. Kenya is bigger than all of us. Let us build this country because God has given us the opportunity to do so. We must address all injustices in this country. Everyone is crying about the roads in their counties. But if we were to be honest to ourselves, Kenyans will be shocked because many Senators here have served in successive governments in various capacities. Most of the leaders here were part and parcel of the development agenda of this country. If it is within the purview of public service that we have challenges, then the President promised to address. I am sure there are guidelines in the CORD manifesto, the President 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."
}