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{
    "id": 185400,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/185400/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 192,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Njuguna",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 20,
        "legal_name": "Peter Njuguna Gitau",
        "slug": "peter-gitau"
    },
    "content": "Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I take this opportunity to thank you for granting me this opportunity; at the same time I thank the Minister for Education for very ably presenting his Vote in the House. I also extend the same remarks to the Permanent Secretary, who is in charge of the Ministry for the manner in which he responded to the crisis that we experienced in our nation. As I support this Vote, I wish to give more attention to the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC). I would urge the Minister to, maybe, think of allocating more funds to the KNEC, because its is a nerve centre of the entire nation. I recall that in the past, we have had very serious concerns which have not really been addressed! More caution and attention must be given to that Council. More funds are required to provide better security for the materials because we realize that security could have been the problem at the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC). The storage of the materials could also have been a problem. That is an issue that needs to be addressed properly. The delivery system of the materials to the centres where the examinations are done is also a concern. I think examination materials are even transported October 7, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2521 in matatus! We should be able to improve the mode of delivery of those materials. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, the other issue that needs to be addressed very seriously is about the personnel who man the KNEC. Those are people who need to be vetted and, if need be, by the National Security Intelligence Service (NSIS). They should be people of professional integrity whose word will be taken very seriously by our people in this nation. The leadership of the KNEC should be beyond any doubt. It is a position, maybe, that should be taken by somebody of great prudence; somebody who is really credible and whose background, in the minds of the Kenyan people, is taken very seriously. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, the other issue that qualifies for more funds is the computerisation programme of KNEC. We recall vividly in our minds that the Minister blamed a computer error. We need to give more funds so that the Ministry could acquire modern computers so that, that problem is really behind us. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, another area that the Ministry of Education should give more thought about is the management of our institutions. The appointment of principals, primary school heads and boards of governors needs to be addressed seriously if we really need to improve the quality and standards of education in our schools. If you wanted to have a heart operation in this country, you would really have to go to Nairobi Hospital or Kenyatta National Hospital and consult Prof. Asego or somebody else. Similarly, we should look for the best people to man our institutions. Such people must be checked and paid properly. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, regarding the bursaries that we have been giving to the students in our institutions, they have been of better use and relief to the parents. But, time and gain, the bursaries have been late. Regarding food, it has been another issue. The Ministry should liaise with the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) to make sure that secondary schools get cheaper food. About the workers in our schools, they are poorly paid and a review must be done! Regarding the under-staffing in our schools, why are our trained teachers moving across the border to Tanzania? Why are we wasting our resources? Why should we train people only for them to go to Tanzania, Eritrea or to other areas? Are our schools seriously overstaffed? Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, regarding the flight or exodus of students from this nation to Uganda, this is an issue that we should consider so that we retain the students here and provide the best standards of education here. That is because every year, the Ugandan Government admits about 20,000 students from Kenya. That translates to about Kshs150 million going across the border. We need to do something about that! Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, we should not wait as a Ministry and as a Government to be given a warning by KUPPET and KNUT. We are then frightened and kneel down telling them: \"Allow our kids to sit for the examinations\". There is another warning by KUPPET that come January, 2009, the teachers will be on strike. Let us be committed! Let us bring all those bodies together so that we can contain the problems! Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, concerning the issue of quality of teaching in our schools, let us improve the number of Quality Assurance Officers. Three hundred Quality Assurance Officers are very few to manage all the schools in the country. Let us improve their numbers and give them motor vehicles, and not motorbikes, and ensure that every district, every constituency and every other unit is manned by those officers. Three hundred is a very small number. However, we should thank the Minister because they have already started the safari with 300 Quality Assurance Officers. I hope that next time, the Minister will tell us that they have employed 2,000 or 3,000 Quality Assurance Officers. The issue of drug abuse in schools is of great concern. We need to put in place mechanisms that would contain drug abuse in our schools. Most of the problems we have experienced in our 2522 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES October 7, 2008 schools were triggered and led by drunken students. This is a big problem which we need to address, as a Ministry and as a community. We realise that some students in our schools market and sell drugs. This is an issue which causes a lot of concern to parents. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, regarding the issue of school fees, our schools now are affected by accumulated debts running into billions of shillings. If we are not careful, as a Ministry and Government, our schools will be auctioned for non-settlement of bills to suppliers. Even the new buses that you see will be auctioned and students will move to the streets and start demonstrating. Therefore, we need to come up with a proactive plan of action on how we can bail out secondary schools from this dilemma. School principals, Parents Teachers Associations (PTAs) and Boards of Governors (BoGs) are under pressure. How will the students react if they realise that their school bus has been auctioned? So, we need to address this issue very seriously. Regarding the issue of re-construction of burnt secondary school buildings, we need to wake up and release the funds immediately. We should not be rhetoric about this issue. Once we restore the infrastructure that was destroyed during the post-election crisis, let us have photographs of such facilities taken. We should be told where that has been done. A sum of Kshs285 million is a lot of money. We want to see real change in those institutions. Such change will give the learning community much confidence and trust. I beg to support."
}