Senate · Morning Sitting

Clerk, do we have quorum? Serjeant-at-Arms, kindly ring the Quorum Bell for 10 minutes. Serjeant-at-Arms, ring the Quorum Bell for a further 10 minutes. Hon. Senators, we now have quorum. Sen. (Dr.) Boni and Sen. Mundigi, kindly take your seats. Clerk, proceed to call the first Order.

[(The Clerk-at-the-Table consulted the Speaker)]

[(The Quorum Bell was rung)]

[(The Quorum Bell was rung)]

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise to give Notice of the following Motion- THAT, notwithstanding, the resolution of the Senate made on 12th February, 2025 on the approval of Senators to serve in various Standing Committees of the Senate and pursuant to Standing Orders No.197, 199 and 228,

following nomination by the Senate Business Committee, the Senate approves the nomination of Sen. Consolata Nabwire Wakwabubi, MP to serve in the Standing Committee on National Cohesion, Equal Opportunity and Regional Integration and the Select Committee on Delegated Legislation. I thank you.

Next Order.

Hon. Cabinet Secretary, you may now respond. The Cabinet Secretary for Education : Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I beg to respond to those two questions together, if I may be allowed. As I have already indicated and as we all know, the Government’s policy of 100 percent transition means that there will be additional pressure on school infrastructure as enrolment continues to grow. In addition to …

[(Hon. Julius Migos Ogamba)]

Hon. Cabinet Secretary, you may now respond. The Cabinet Secretary for Education : Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I beg to respond to those two questions together, if I may be allowed. As I have already indicated and as we all know, the Government’s policy of 100 percent transition means that there will be additional pressure on school infrastructure as enrolment continues to grow. In addition to …

[(Hon. Julius Migos Ogamba)]

I have heard some beautiful measures from the Ministry, but if indeed these measures have been in place for these years, then one would be interested to know why we have dilapidated public schools across the country. Recently, we were treated to news from some parts of Tharaka-Nithi County where some mud schools were paraded by media houses. Those schools are not even fit for human habitation. Th…

I have heard some beautiful measures from the Ministry, but if indeed these measures have been in place for these years, then one would be interested to know why we have dilapidated public schools across the country. Recently, we were treated to news from some parts of Tharaka-Nithi County where some mud schools were paraded by media houses. Those schools are not even fit for human habitation. Th…

Sen. Mandago? Sen. Mundigi.

Asante, Bw. Spika. Kwanza, ninampongeza Waziri wa Elimu kwa sababu wakati alikua akifanya kazi kwa KenGen, aliilainisha. Na wakati ameenda kwa Wizara ya Elimu anajaribu kuilainisha. Swali langu liko upande wa elimu kwa zile pesa zinapeanwa, ni bajeti haijatosha kwa sababu tumeona kwa shule nyingi, capitation imechelewa? Utapata kuna pesa ya mambo ya emergency. Upepo unaweza kupata shule nyingi ha…

What is your question?

Swali langu ni kutaka kujuwa Waziri wa Elimu atasaidia shule za Gatete na Karura namna gani ili ziweze kupata mabati kutokana na pesa ile ya emergency ama ni National Treasury haijakupea pesa?

There was infrastructure development with the Kenyan Government and the World Bank that has been done for the last three or four years. Up to now, most of the contractors have not been paid. What happened? Why was this money not paid? Where is this equipment that they are waiting for, I do not know from China or wherever? The TVETs have not been opened. The CBCs in my county have very few classes…

There was infrastructure development with the Kenyan Government and the World Bank that has been done for the last three or four years. Up to now, most of the contractors have not been paid. What happened? Why was this money not paid? Where is this equipment that they are waiting for, I do not know from China or wherever? The TVETs have not been opened. The CBCs in my county have very few classes…

Sen. Abbas, what is your question?

Why has the money not been paid and the TVETs not yet equipped? What is the situation?

Hon. Senators, let us avoid speeches; straight and direct to your question. That way, we will save a lot of time and allow many Senators to ask questions.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I will avoid any speech. My question, supplementary to the question by Sen. Gataya, is the basis upon which the Ministry permits additional registration of either primary or secondary schools when we have got these statistics of institutions which are in deplorable situations and not even fit for habitation. Secondly, the CS is able to give us statistics of the instit…

Thank you, Hon. Speaker. We are really constrained to ask direct questions because sometimes we build a case, so that we are able ask the question. Since we are really struggling in this country with the Ministry of Education, since I joined Parliament in 2013, we have only had one chair of the Education Committee, I mean, a Member of Parliament for Tinderet, Hon. Melly, for 10 years. For almost …

I am afraid our Standing Orders do not recognise Nchuri Ncheke.

I am afraid our Standing Orders do not recognise Nchuri Ncheke.

Maybe at some point Nchuri Ncheke is not recognised in this Senate.

Proceed, Sen. Mumma.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. My question takes into account the fact that the bulk of the education function is with the national Government. Also, that in the last three or four months, we have been discussing the multiple parallel programmes around education by the NG-CDF, yourselves, the President, philanthropists such as Wings to Fly Scholarship Programme, governors and others. Is the national…

Asante, Bw. Spika. Swali langu kwa Waziri ni hili: inakuwaje majengo mapya yanajengwa kwa mashule ilhali shule ambazo zimekuwa kutoka kitambo ziko katika hali ambayo imedorora? Nitakupa mfano wa shule ya Jamvi La Wageni, Likoni na Shule ya Peleleza. Watoto kutoka Pwani wanaendelea kupata majibu duni na bado tunakubali Hazina ya National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) na hazin…

Sen. Consolata, I allowed you to get away with that, but according to our Standing Order, you are entitled to ask only one question.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am guided.

Asante, Bw. Spika. Swali langu kwa Waziri ni hili: inakuwaje majengo mapya yanajengwa kwa mashule ilhali shule ambazo zimekuwa kutoka kitambo ziko katika hali ambayo imedorora? Nitakupa mfano wa shule ya Jamvi La Wageni, Likoni na Shule ya Peleleza. Watoto kutoka Pwani wanaendelea kupata majibu duni na bado tunakubali Hazina ya National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) na hazin…

Hon. Cabinet Secretary, you have five minutes to respond. Proceed. The Cabinet Secretary for Education : Mr. Speaker, Sir, I will start with the question raised by Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale. We have constructed 23,000 classrooms. Those classrooms are not in 23,000 schools. Some schools required four classrooms, others five and others two depending on the streams that they had. Each classroom required …

[(Hon. Julius Migos Ogamba)]

Thank you very much, Hon. Speaker, Sir. Could the Ministry of Education come up with a policy that regulates the mushrooming of these schools? They should focus on improving the existing infrastructure.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am a bit worried about the 33,000 primary schools where this facility has been constructed. According to data from the Ministry, we have a total of 35,570 primary schools in this country, of which, 11,000 are private. This means that the Ministry has 23,000 primary schools. So, if the Cabinet Secretary has constructed classrooms in 33,000 schools, that means a whopping 10,000 …

where you can get a centralized figure to say this is the amount of money that is being utilized totally in the education sector. So, we want to do an audit first, then that audit will be able to give us the data that we require to push for probably the consolidation of all these amounts into one kitty, and then we have that kitty running the sector. It is work in progress; it is a conversation t…

policy that each constituency has a TVET institution. So far, we have constructed 252 TVETs in those constituencies and some of them are very well equipped while others are awaiting equipment ordered from China. We all know that the process of getting grants, loans and the equipment takes time. However, some of those TVETs are already allocated or listed awaiting the particular equipment to come, …

where you can get a centralized figure to say this is the amount of money that is being utilized totally in the education sector. So, we want to do an audit first, then that audit will be able to give us the data that we require to push for probably the consolidation of all these amounts into one kitty, and then we have that kitty running the sector. It is work in progress; it is a conversation t…

[[The Speaker (Hon. Kingi) left the Chair] [The Deputy Speaker (Sen. Kathuri) in the Chair]]

Question No.066

Next Order, please.

Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker. I beg to move- THAT, AWARE THAT, the Public Service Commission (PSC) has provided internship opportunity to many youths in various Government Departments and Agencies for a period not exceeding one year pursuant to

Guidelines on Management of the Public Service Internship Programme of October, 2019; APPRECIATING THAT, since its inception, the internship programme in Kenya has been instrumental in providing practical experience to graduates, enhanced employability, offered networking opportunities and has on a number of occasions led to full-time jobs to graduates; CONCERNED THAT, internship opportunities a…

Sen. Cherarkey, you are not discussing, you are reading the Motion as is. Please, read it as is.

My reading culture is different, Madam Temporary Speaker. Your Clerks-at-the-Table do not understand me. I am reading everything that is here. Okay, let me read. I think the Kenyan style is that you must look at it as you read. Let me do so. NOW THEREFORE, the Senate resolves that the Cabinet Secretary for Public Service and Human Capital Development in consultation with the Public Service Commis…