{"id":491344,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/491344/?format=json","text_counter":217,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Sen. Ongoro","speaker_title":"September 24, 2014 SENATE DEBATES 43 The Temporary Speaker","speaker":{"id":125,"legal_name":"Elizabeth Ongoro Masha","slug":"elizabeth-ongoro"},"content":"Next Order! ESTABLISHMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAMME FOR TEENAGE PARENTS THAT, aware that the number of the teenage and pre-teen parents is increasing by the day; noting with concern that majority in this category are girls from poor households and that this problem compounds the vicious cycle of poverty in Kenya; recognizing the socio-economic challenges facing this special category of parents including lack of income and entrepreneurial capacity, inadequate parenting skills, low educational levels and lack of health care; appreciating that Article 45 (1) of the Constitution of Kenya recognizes the family as a fundamental unit of society that enjoys protection of the State; cognizant of the fact that the Government has a duty to cater for the youth and children of Kenya; the Senate urges the National Government and the county governments to:- (a) put in place mechanisms that will help establish a comprehensive capacity building programme for teenage parents to ensure they practice responsible family life; (b) come up with non-discriminatory back to school or training programmes and initiate necessary legal and policy framework that will identify persons within this group to benefit from the programmes; and, (c) guarantee funding and sustainability of the initiative and other child welfare programmes aimed at benefiting teenage parents."}