Senators fault Education Ministry for failing to protect learners

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Senators have accused the Ministry of Education of failing to protect vulnerable learners, citing the teenage pregnancy crisis in Kilifi County as evidence of wider neglect.

The matter arose after Kilifi Senator Justice Stewart Madzayo asked Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba to explain what the Government was doing to address high dropout rates among girls in his county.

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna led the charge, saying the Ministry could not distance itself from accountability on cases of sexual exploitation and school dropouts.

“The Ministry of Education is the custodian of our children. In some of these areas, you might not get a complainant, but the Ministry has the figures,” said Sen. Sifuna.

He noted that official data showed at least 6,000 teenage pregnancies in Kilifi County alone.

“For the CS to refer us to the DPP is disingenuous. The Ministry should actually be the complainant in these cases. If they have the data of the victims, how can they not have the data of the perpetrators?” he asked.

His colleagues supported the remarks, urging the Government to take a more proactive role in protecting learners and pursuing justice against abusers.

CS Ogamba admitted that the situation in Kilifi was dire, linking the dropout crisis to poverty, early pregnancies and cultural practices such as disco matanga.

According to the National Council for Population and Development, Kilifi recorded 9,578 teenage pregnancies in 2019. 

Mr Ogamba warned that poverty was forcing many children out of school, making them vulnerable to exploitation.

Beyond Kilifi, Senators pressed the CS on a wide range of challenges in the education sector — from the structure of Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) to teacher shortages, infrastructure gaps and the lecturers’ strike.

Mr Ogamba told the House that the Government was reviewing JSS to respond to concerns raised by teachers, parents and lawmakers.

“The process of reforming Junior Secondary to respond to emerging concerns is in progress. At the appropriate time, Parliament will be presented with proposals for its consideration,” he said.

He explained that while some JSS teachers had been forced to handle subjects outside their specialisation, all had undergone retooling to equip them with the necessary skills.

 Recruitment drives, he added, had prioritised science, mathematics and technical subjects.

On facilities, the CS admitted gaps in laboratories and workshops but pointed to the construction of 23,000 classrooms and the allocation of KSh4,000 per learner for infrastructure improvement. 

He also outlined funding strategies beyond NG-CDF, including budgetary allocations, development partners such as the World Bank, and support from foundations and alumni groups.

Senators also sought clarity on the status of Bomet University College, where the CS reported that new lecture halls, a library, kitchen and hostel facilities were over 90 per cent complete.

On the lecturers’ strike, Mr Ogamba accused dons of lacking sincerity, saying the Government had honoured the 2021–2025 CBA. 

He said a dispute remained over the 2017–2021 CBA and that the matter was before court, with a hearing scheduled for October 6.

Despite the sharp exchanges, Mr Ogamba assured the Senate that the Ministry was committed to reforms guided by evidence, consultation and the goal of ensuring that every Kenyan child has access to quality and relevant education.