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{
    "id": 820410,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/820410/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 124,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Were",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13183,
        "legal_name": "Petronila Were Lokorio",
        "slug": "petronila-were-lokorio"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for giving me the opportunity to express my sympathy and consolation to the families and the school that lost 10 children in a road accident. There is a law we passed here barring school buses from transporting children beyond 6.00 p.m. This bus had an accident at 11.00 p.m. There were policemen, parents and members of the public along that road, but nobody saw it fit to stop the bus because the driver was flouting the law. Kenyans also need to take responsibility. The era of looking aside when somebody’s child is making a mistake is long gone. We should all take responsibility for whatever is happening in this country. It is the frequent accidents by school buses that made the Ministry to Education direct that all school buses be painted in yellow colour. This bus was painted yellow. Does it mean that we need to do something more to school buses other than paint them yellow? Do we need to put the reflectors on them as it is with the trailers? That is something that the Ministry of Education needs to look into. We should also have two drivers per bus. There is a rule to have two drivers per bus so that if one driver is exhausted, the other one can drive. I am not sure whether schools have more than one driver. School drivers should also have some special qualifications other than just a driver’s license. They should have particular number of years of experience other than just having a driver’s license and having driven for two years. There must be a record of the schools they have worked in as drivers. I am sure that some of these schools have all these regulations, but the problem is with their enforcement. Who has the responsibility to enforce some of these rules in our schools? Is it the quality assurance inspectors of schools? If it is, are they not doing their jobs? Who should take responsibility? Therefore, Mr. Speaker, Sir, even as we debate this issue and blame the roads, matrons and teachers for not ensuring that the children had seatbelts, how do we move from here so that we do not have a repeat of this? This Statement should be taken to the relevant Committee so that these issues are looked into, because it is not interesting to lose ten innocent children. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir."
}