Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 790703,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/790703/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 184,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Abdullahi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 263,
        "legal_name": "Dr. Ali Abdullahi Ibrahim",
        "slug": "ali-abdullahi-ibrahim"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I rise to second this Motion. It is very critical and important because it resonates well with the service delivery at the grassroots. As Members of Parliament, we represent constituencies. Constituencies are where the bulk of Kenyans live before they transcend to the counties. It is a matter of taking services closer to the people who really need it. As it has been said, it is now mandatory for all students to be registered but the key document that is required is the birth certificate. They have to travel hundreds of kilometers to acquire it. It is only available at the county headquarters. It is traumatising for students and parents to travel for about 600 kilometers to places that they have never been to, stay there for days, spend money and sometimes they are told they would receive it the following week. It is quite inconveniencing to say the least. The birth certificate is no longer an ordinary document. It is one of the key documents required for people to register in various fields. If you do not have birth certificates, you cannot even take your kids to school from the ECD level through primary education, secondary education to university. If this function is devolved to the constituency level where parents can walk to the offices and get services, then the issue of registration of students will be easier. The other day I read a report in the newspaper saying that so far the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has been unable to register a certain number of students. They were unable to register simply because their children do not have birth certificates but the kids are in school. So, it is very important to have these kinds of services taken to the constituencies. One thing that we require is not about building structures for these officers. We only need staffing levels. One registration officer and four clerks in each of the constituencies will deliver. In Mandera North where I am a Member, we already have structures owned by the national government and the space is available. We are only asking the registrar and four clerks to do the job. It is that easy. Now, the rains are pounding. Moving through the county is a problem. How will people get these services? The numbers of children that require these certificates are increasing day by day. In my constituency and the greater North Eastern region, the birth rate is very high. We are having at least six to seven children per household. When you have this number of children per household and you cannot get them birth certificates, where do they go, yet this is a requirement. I therefore urge this House to support this Motion with keen The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}