Kenneth Odhiambo Okoth

All parliamentary appearances

Entries 411 to 420 of 979.

• 6 Oct 2016 in National Assembly: The timing of the Bill in front of us is very important. I wish the Senate had brought it three years ago. Be that as it may, we now as the National Assembly must tackle it and make sure it is done and implemented. It is really one of those core Bills and things that our own devolved county systems and county government need guidelines to fulfill their constitutional obligation. We have been remitting money for basic education to our counties but we have not been sure that our counties have had a standard and guideline by which to implement ... view
• 6 Oct 2016 in National Assembly: In the Basic Education Act that exists there are alternative providers for basic education and training guidelines. County education officers and quality assurances officers in this country and in the Ministry have been failing in registration. I see Section 17 of the Senate Bill is actually touching very clearly on the regulations and making sure it will be clear as required. I hope that the people who will be tasked with registration of early childhood centers, will not be lethargic and weak in fulfillment of their mandate. This is because of the way we have seen the Ministry failing in ... view
• 6 Oct 2016 in National Assembly: Since those regulations were passed in March, the Ministry of Education, Research and Technology has not registered, even one school. This is very sad because we pay people in that Ministry to do a job and for over six months they have not registered even one school. As we look at Section 17 of this Bill that establishes modalities like the transition clauses which talk about a one year transition for all schools and Early Childhood Development Education centres to be registered, I hope that these people will be very diligent, committed and efficient to make it happen. view
• 6 Oct 2016 in National Assembly: The second thought that comes to me as I think about this Bill is the question of access, quality and innovation. We have seen that Kenya spends a lot of money in education. I sit in the Budget and Appropriations Committee and the Departmental Committee on Education, Research and Technology. We push a lot of money into our education system. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Kenya education system was a gold standard in the Sub-Saharan Africa and in fact, in many places in the global south. Today, sadly our results have been on the decline. We are not the ... view
• 6 Oct 2016 in National Assembly: Studies that have been done recently show that absenteeism by our teachers is very high. That is why we are not getting quality pass rates and outcomes from our children in public schools. We must think about ways to innovate, bring in technology, different modes of holding teachers accountable and making sure that access to education and the quality of education is available to every child and at every level as a basic human right. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, this is why I want to tell you that I will soon be proposing, as they have done in the United ... view
• 6 Oct 2016 in National Assembly: partnerships exist even in education. I have seen the capitation models which the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology provides to Government schools have been embraced for 10,000 young people, to go to private universities in Kenya which will be funded by the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB). We really need to think about this at the county level for Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE), primary education and secondary education. Where parents choose to send their children to what is not a Government school, they should move to the private provider with a capitation voucher. That private provider must be ... view
• 6 Oct 2016 in National Assembly: Hon. Richard Tong’i, I am seconding. I am seconding on substance. Please allow me, do not rush me. The issue of human rights, access and best processes is very important. This Bill is good. I must commend the Senators for including feeding programmes in education centres in Section 51. Holistic development of children is part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There is a goal on food and nutrition and it will be important. Section 69 of the Bill touches on prohibition of corporal punishment. Corporal punishment is a crime. It is a crime as designated in the Constitution of ... view
• 6 Oct 2016 in National Assembly: people is important. It is something that must be looked into as we consider what a quality and holistic childhood education will look like. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I am going to mention something on Section 7. I am concerned with where it says “parents will be liable for not taking their children to school to a fine or possible jail term.” Parental choice is important in the education of their children and protection of that right. We must consider procedures for home schooling because there are parents who do home schooling. Home schooling can be equivalent to formal schooling ... view
• 6 Oct 2016 in National Assembly: Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, you will find that even public schools find it hard to meet the criterion that is set for the minimum acreage of land. So, this Bill is timely. Let us support it and ensure that it is inclusive and it helps Kenya to rise again because the foundation of our children in the first few years is very important. Let us make sure it is inclusive and where there is talk about fees, let us not discriminate. There are poor people in this country like refugees, asylum seekers and stateless persons who under the current guidelines ... view
• 5 Oct 2016 in National Assembly: Thank you, Hon. Speaker. I also want to thank Hon. Theuri for bringing this Petition. Land grabbing in Nairobi is a disaster. Another Petition came here recently which you referred to the Departmental Committee on Administration and National Security. Land- grabbing has turned life in the community upside down. In many estates like Salama, Karanja Road, Fort Jesus and Ayany, you cannot find a playing ground. The grabbing ranges from private business people to even institutions like churches. Places where we could have built local dispensaries and clinics are all gone. This Petition must be looked into very carefully, so ... view