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{
    "id": 839643,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/839643/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 333,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Rev.) Waqo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13178,
        "legal_name": "Naomi Jilo Waqo",
        "slug": "naomi-jilo-waqo"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, for allowing me to add my voice to this important Motion on the establishment of youth polytechnics in our counties. I support the Motion and thank the sponsor because it touches on each one of us, as leaders. Again, we all know the dilemma that we are all in as a nation. We are proud to have many youth in our country, but, again, as leaders, we are saddened that a large number of them are unemployed. At the end of the day, they are frustrated because they have no hope for the future and no one to guide them. If we sit here and deliberate on important issues, without thinking of the young people who are unable to go beyond Class Eight, then we will not be doing any justice. My reason for supporting this Motion is because of our own experience. We know that almost half the number of the pupils who enroll in Class One drop out when they finish Class Eight or even before that. This exposes them to many challenges and also promotes poverty in our country. Many of us come from marginalised areas. It is even worse for students from those areas because the challenges that they go through are huge compared to those that come from urban areas. When our girls do not go beyond Class Eight, they are exposed to early marriages. Sometimes because our area is known for tribal clashes, they lose their husbands even when they are young and become so hopeless in life. If we can ensure that polytechnics are established in all counties, we will empower the girls and boys to depend on themselves. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, many parents invest a lot in their children. We should not call some of our children or students failures. This is the language that we use back in the villages. If one has not gone to high school or is unable to join high school, we call them failures in life. That is in itself traumatising, it brings down their hopes and frustrates them. As a result, many young people have committed suicide and parents who have invested in them from Class One to Class Eight have lost a lot. Their hope of one day their son or daughter giving them support is shattered. Therefore, the establishment of polytechnic is something that we all need to support and stand for. Establishment of polytechnics in every county is an important thing, but we also know that in all the counties there is a lot of corruption. Tenders are awarded to friends and relatives. Sometimes, those in offices end up benefitting from this. They then do some shoddy work which cannot help the people on the ground. As we establish the polytechnics, it is good for us to also stress on equipping and maintaining them, so that the resources that the country is putting into establishment of polytechnics will be felt even 20 years from today. As a nation, we are known for just doing things for the sake of it and not maintaining. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}