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{
    "id": 599538,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/599538/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 325,
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    "content": "Kenya National Examinations Council Bill. They are so clear and I do hope that this time round, those who are involved at the policy level including the head teachers, will take the directive as it is. It has also gone further to show how it should be done. We see in Section 45 (2) that it is the District Education Officer (DEO) who will have the jurisdiction, keep the certificates, and I am sure we can also have other mechanisms to ensure that later, these children can also give back to the schools or compensate the schools just as many of us have done through the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB). Many of us did not just go through our university because our parents were able but we have diligently continued to repay back HELB loans so that other children can also access this important facility. It is something that we can look at because we also need to cushion our schools, because there are services that are being offered, there are needs in these schools as well and I think it is important, going forward, that it is very clear how we cushion our schools, how the Education Ministry can look at it so that this law is not abused by many. Many will just go through the four years but they are not able to pay. We will leave our schools in wanting situations. I do hope that we can be able to take care of it in this law or even further in our schools. I would like the head teachers and our schools to realise that this Bill will not make them suffer by not meeting their ends. We know that some of the teachers have children in national schools where school fees are a little bit higher. Some of them are not able to pay fees for their own children in those schools. Therefore, this will cut across the board for all Kenyans and ensure that our children are cushioned through access to their certificates. Personally, I speak for the children from different parts of this country. For example, there are children from northern Kenya who mostly rely on pastoralism and livestock keeping. They always face a challenge because of the cycle of drought. In this country, we have not taken livestock keeping seriously despite it being the only source of livelihood for these families and children. By the time the parents sell their livestock to raise fees, their children will have missed sitting for examinations. Sometimes the animals fetch very little because of the effects of drought. As Sen. Muthama has said, it is unfortunate to see children or their parents coming to us to seek assistance to get their certificates. Some of these children performed well in the examinations. Some of them have been offered admission to universities through the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS). Some of the students who have been offered admission miss their positions, since they are competitive, just because they cannot get their certificates from the secondary schools. This is a very important Bill that will level us. I believe that apart from death, one of the things that make us equal; whether you are from a privileged family or an underprivileged family, in this country and the world, is education. That is why despite coming from Samburu, I can sit in this Senate and speak eloquently. It is because I was educated. Those of us from such communities and in position of leadership are not more privileged than those who are not in these positions. We were able to access good 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."
}