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{
    "id": 711966,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/711966/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 223,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Otucho",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 12837,
        "legal_name": "Mary Emaase Otuch",
        "slug": "mary-emaase-otuch"
    },
    "content": "it is everywhere, I wonder. It is in the society; it is in our schools; it is everywhere. To address this problem of mismanagement, it goes beyond employing the bursars. Secondly, we must put our priorities right. When we look at primary schools, sometimes I pose to ask myself: “Do we have free primary education?” If you ask a parent in my Teso South Constituency whether there is free primary education, they will say they do not know and they do not see it. I want to join my colleagues in congratulating Dr. Matiang’i for what he has done. He has done extremely well. But, I want to tell Mr. Matiang’i to make those surprise visits to the parents of Kenya across this country and listen to them to see whether there is free primary education. To me, the priority should be to make sure we have free primary education. There are children in my constituency who have discontinued education - which is a right and an equaliser - because they cannot raise extra fees that are being charged for sports, mocks, exams and to pay teachers. So, can we first make primary education free so that every child can access that education? I belong to an association where we sometimes have to raise money to help our parents employ more teachers. There is serious understaffing. So, how can we talk of employing bursars when we do not even have enough teachers in the schools? Can we employ more teachers? Can we promote those teachers to motivate them? Can we remunerate the teachers properly then we begin to talk of employing bursars? Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, as a result of what is on paper as Free Primary Education, we experienced increased and massive enrolment. In my constituency, one class has over 100 pupils. There is serious strain on physical infrastructure. I heard a Member say his constituency has 143 schools. My constituency has close to that. The National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) is not sufficient. I am urging Dr. Matiang’i that the same energy, vigor and interventions he directed at KNEC, he directs at primary schools so that we have the Ministry supplementing what we are doing through the NG-CDF. We need to develop our infrastructure so that we have conducive learning environment. If these three things are addressed, then we can increase capitation. The money being given to schools is little. The Ministry needs to increase capitation in order to address those issues. The Ministry should cater for mock examinations, sports and so on. This is so that the parents of Kenya can really enjoy Free Primary Education. Once we increase capitation we can talk of employing bursars who are trained in financial management to manage these monies. At the same time we should declare corruption a national disaster and confront it head on. We also now need to address all those issues concurrently be they about bursars, proper financial management and prudence in the management of resources in our schools. I oppose. Those issues must be addressed."
}