Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 471386,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/471386/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 178,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Minority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 210,
        "legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
        "slug": "moses-wetangula"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. The point raised by the distinguished Senator for Kitui County is so important that this Senate has to pronounce itself fully on it. The idea and act of schools withholding certificates of children who have finished school is actually criminal. It has the effect of denying these children an opportunity to participate in seeking opportunities beyond school. Right now, there is a police recruitment exercise going on. I have no doubt that, probably, each and every one of these Senators in this House has been visited by a young person who wishes to be assisted to get their certificates out of school by paying money, so that they can go and participate in the recruitment. This is wrong. Certificates are the property of the children who sat exams. There are very few cases in this country where children pay their own fees. Where there is a default it is a civil debt for which the school can pursue the guardian, parent or the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) bursary committees that have committed themselves to pay fees for these children. It will help this country a great deal not only by Sen. Musila making a Personal Statement, but even you, as our Speaker - this is the protector of counties and everybody in this country lives in counties – to make a reasoned directive and ruling that schools must, as a matter of duty, release certificates to every candidate who has sat for exams and had their certificates withheld in school. It serves no purpose at all for a school to hang on a certificate of child for ten years. You will be surprised that some have been held for 20 years, meaning that the lives of those children are completely truncated by a malicious act of a school teacher. It is unacceptable and we have to bring it to an end. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. 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."
}