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{
    "id": 583016,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/583016/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 395,
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    "content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, as I sit here, I weep for the children and parents of Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, Lamu, Kakamega, Samburu and, of course Bungoma County where my good friend comes from and the rest of Kenyans. I also weep for teachers of this nation. Madam Temporary Speaker, after completing O-Levels, P1 teachers undertake at least a two-year training course. After training and getting a certificate or a diploma, they earn Kshs16,000 while a cook in my good friend’s house, the Senator for Bungoma County, earns almost Kshs18,000 or Kshs20,000. I am appealing to the Government to solve this issue of teachers once and for all. We are tired, year-in, year-out, teachers go on strike yet we are here for the sake of our nation. We want it to prosper. We do not want, day-in, day-out, nurses, teachers, the Central Organisation of Trade Union (COTU) and other workers to go on strike. We must come together as a country and see how to solve these issues. I appeal to my colleagues on the other side that we should go by the rule of the law. If teachers have gone to court, why do they not allow the Jubilee Government or the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to appeal against that issue? Let us just give it some time. I know that we will pay the teachers. As Senators and Members of Parliament, let us sacrifice for this nation. Let us stand up together and follow what hon. Duale said the other day. We should take half of the Kshs35 billion meant for the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) to pay teachers. I do not want to talk about the Euro bond because I do not know where that money is. I know that CDF is in Parliament. We have a voice if we stand together and say that half of the CDF money should be used to pay the teachers. Why do you build classrooms and teachers houses yet nobody will use them? There are no pupils and teachers. What will you do with them? I stand for those children from the arid areas. Children in Central Kenya and Nairobi are enjoying because there are many private schools. Their parents can pay the teachers while those children in arid and semi-arid areas are at home looking after cattle or goats. Madam Temporary Speaker, I appeal to all my colleagues both within and outside this House that we stand together and look for ways on how we will pay the teachers. I do not want my good friend from Bungoma to talk ill about Sarah Serem. I am sure that he was one of those Members of Parliament in the last Parliament, who stood and said that the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) must be there to tame the rogue Executive or the rogue Parliament. I wish he would be given time to say why he did so. They gave Sarah Serem a lot of powers even to control the elected leaders. Now, we cannot increase MPs allowances or any other benefits because of the SRC. We, as Senators, must stand together and come up with a solution which will solve this issue once and for all. We do not want our teachers to suffer."
}