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{
    "id": 631949,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/631949/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 349,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Elachi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13115,
        "legal_name": "Beatrice Elachi",
        "slug": "beatrice-elachi"
    },
    "content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, I rise to support this Bill. According to the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution, library services are a devolved function. As we discuss this Bill, we need to ensure library services are devolved to serve our people at county levels. However, it is a pity that land where libraries were to be built in counties has been grabbed. Although the Transition Authority (TA) would up its activities, we must make sure we repossess land that was grabbed and build libraries in our counties. We must take the inventory of all existing assets of library facilities. I hope the county governments will take over those facilities and refurbish them. We must sensitize our young people to understand the importance of library services in the counties. These facilities can benefit them abundantly. Most of the time, you find that one would wish to go to the library to do studies. Some libraries are well equipped. Therefore, our young people should go there and read books. I hope that as we devolve this service, we will find many Kenyans appreciating the services. We should have good customer care service. Staff in libraries must encourage our students to use library services for their own good. Madam Temporary Speaker, the only gold mine that we have as a country is education. It is the only solid gold that every Kenyan can count on. Parents struggle to give their children quality education. We have a lot of challenges with shortage of teachers. If we can build good libraries, our children will be able to walk into any library to revise and prepare themselves before doing their examinations. We, as parents, must inculcate a reading culture. Most of us do not like reading. We read shallow publications. If you compare a child who is in an international school vis-à-vis one in a public school, you will discover that the one in an international school like Rusinga School, in year one or two, is able to write and read because they have library services there. A Child who is in Rusinga School, in year one or two, for example, can write a composition because they read a book every week. For us, we wait until they join Form One, then we instill a culture of reading a book every week. These libraries should be established. The county governments should implement a policy of ensuring that when schools are closed, children go to the library to learn to be innovative and how to read. They should develop a reading culture to enhance the English language and vocabulary. In addition, we should also encourage the teachers to do research in these libraries. We should ensure that the libraries have the requisite books for teachers to enhance their skills. Nowadays, they do not have time but most of them go to the universities to build their capacity but also the libraries could also assist them. For, example, Kenyatta University has a new library with many books. We have many people who would like to donate books but they do not know where to take them. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes"
}