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{
    "id": 934892,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/934892/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 338,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Prof.) Kamar",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 33,
        "legal_name": "Margaret Jepkoech Kamar",
        "slug": "margaret-kamar"
    },
    "content": "In this case, the deaf do not get to know what the judge is saying. God forbid, they will be betrayed, if they have taken someone who is ready to betray them. So, it is extremely important that for avoidance of misrepresentation and deaf enjoying the right to legal services, that we actually use sign language in the legal proceedings, alongside all the other languages. This is a language too. Those who cannot speak in English, their proceedings should be in Kiswahili. They should be asked questions in Kiswahili. The same thing should apply to the deaf. They need to be addressed in their language. That is why we are saying that it must be developed to the level that it can be used. In fact, the Bill in Clause 7 on the roles that we expect the Cabinet Secretary (CS) of Education to do says that a lot of support must be given to the deaf learners because they are late-comers. As much we are talking of affirmative action on other areas and development for marginalised areas, this is an area that was forgotten for a very long time. There is need for the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) and the CS to champion affirmative action activities that will enable us to come up with curricular documents and books required by the deaf, so that they are enabled to move further. Further still, there has to be a way of progression so that we do not just use sign language for communicating alone, but also to progress the person. How can we train them? This brings us to the big question that we are trying to bring in the Bill; that is, when we are training our teachers, how many teachers do we have today who know how to communicate to the deaf? A deaf child goes to school, watches everyone, plays with the other children and goes home because no one has communicated to them. We know that we do not even have enough schools for the deaf in our country. You will find that in Clause 17, we have said that there has to be promotion of the Kenya sign language both at the national and county level. Every county must have its own school for the deaf. This is very important. In Eldoret, we have a school for the deaf that a number of Members from this House visited when we held the Senate Mashinani in Uasin Gishu County. At that time, we were again honored to have the Speaker launch sign language pamphlets and books from Sen. (Dr.) Musuruve. But we have realized that there are people who are keeping their deaf children at home because of the costs of boarding schools. In fact, that school takes care of most people from the North Rift and not Uasin Gishu County because there are no schools for the deaf in that area. It is our hope that as we talk of promotion of the Kenya sign language both at county and national governments, counties will seriously consider developing schools for the deaf in each and every county. That way only, shall we be able to take care of them. This also affects us in Uasin Gishu where we have a primary school for the deaf but we do not have a secondary school. So they finish the primary level and they do not have anywhere else to go. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}