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{
    "id": 627995,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/627995/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 266,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "counties, we are also hiring ambulances. In some counties an ambulance is hired at Kshs600,000 per month, whether you have a patient or not. We should have a firm policy to measure value for money. During the presentation by my chairman, one critical item that came up is the realization that we have a problem in the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). All our primary and secondary schools have an acute shortage of teachers. It is a pity that at this time in Kenya, over 50 years after Independence, we can still claim that we have a shortage of teachers that is more massive than we had before. The committee is proposing 25,000 teachers, but we have a shortage of over 80,000 teachers. In my county alone, I have 2,961 primary school teachers on duty with a shortage of 2,023 teachers. That is about 40 per cent deficit. The children have a right to education under the Constitution. This Government should be sued for not enabling these children to go to school. Some go to school and start playing for lack of teachers. In secondary school, I have 580 teachers and a shortage of 532 teachers. That is a staggering 48 per cent deficit. If this what is happening in West Pokot, what is happening in Turkana, Mandera, Lamu, Nairobi and other counties? The Constituency Development Fund (CDF) has found its way back to Parliament. The current Constitution anticipates devolved funds. However, our colleagues in the “lower” House conspired with the national Government to have it given back to them. They are using it for construction of classes and some police housing. We are in a scenario where it is the teacher that is missing and their houses. We can use that money, over Kshs35 billion per year to employ teachers. We can engage them as teachers under Schools’ Boards of Governors. Even if we cannot pay them a full TSC salary, we can pay them better than what they are being paid, at least Kshs20,000 to Kshs30,000 per month. That way we can mitigate this shortage. On page 8, No.16 says- “Kshs3.7 billion, be re-allocated for the programme on integrated regional development under the State Department for Environment to respect counties.” There are some regional authorities whose analysis on what they have been doing for the last three years is shocking. For example, Ewaso Nyiro, Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA), Coast Development Authority (CDA), and so forth. These bodies need to be closed very fast. The money used should be divided according to the counties that they serve. Their original buildings can be rented out and the rent shared to all the counties annually. The authorities seem to be “lost” since the counties came. On crop development and productivity; these sectors should all be transferred from the National Government. This is correct. On schedule four, most of these have been devolved, including the National Cereal Produce Board (NCPB). A few minutes ago I have asked about availability of fertilizer. Not all counties require fertilizer in the bulk that we see in the counties. It is important that counties like Trans Nzoia, Uasin-Gishu, Nakuru, West Pokot, part of Western Kenya and so on are keenly looked after so that we have sustainable and genuine food for our people. W should not import food whose genetic makeup we do not know. Treasury and the national Government should look at that keenly. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes"
}