Author: Hezron Rooy

Government Fails to Prove Lecturer Salary Payments. Efforts to end the ongoing lecturers’ strike in public universities met a setback after the Committee on Education of the National Assembly’s meeting, aimed at resolving the dispute, ended in disarray for the second time. This was due to the Inter-Public Universities Councils’ Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) failing to provide proof of government funding for lecturer payments. Students remain out of classes, as neither the Ministry of Education nor the National Treasury presented documents showing the government’s commitment of Sh4.3 billion to fulfill the lecturers’ pay demand. Government Fails to Show Evidence of Funding…

PS Kipsang Outlines Career-Based Placement for Senior School Students. The Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) introduces a unique system of placement for Junior Secondary School (JSS) learners advancing to Senior Secondary School (SSS), focusing on individual strengths, career interests, and academic abilities. Basic Education Principal Secretary (PS) Belio Kipsang announced that students will be placed based on one of three career-oriented pathways, each offering a structured curriculum aligned with higher education and career requirements. The three available pathways are: Structured Selection and Placement Process According to Kipsang, this pathway-based approach ensures that learners receive a tailored education experience. Before selecting schools, students…

University Strike Talks Fail Once More, Students Told to Stay Home. University students remain at home as recent efforts to resolve the ongoing lecturers’ strike faced yet another setback. A meeting organized by the National Assembly Committee on Education was postponed after the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) failed to present documents confirming the government’s commitment to invest Ksh. 4.3 billion towards reopening universities and resuming classes. The Committee’s chairman, Julius Melly, stated that three Cabinet Secretaries—Education CS Julius Magoha, Labour CS Alfred Mutua, and National Treasury CS John Mbadi—will be summoned next week to outline the government’s strategies…

Two Months On: Moi University’s First-Year Students Yet to Begin Classes. First-year students at Moi University remain without classes since their admission in August, due to a standoff between striking staff and university management. The ongoing strike, which involves teaching and non-teaching staff, has caused significant delays and frustration among new students who expected to begin their studies promptly. Students reported to Moi University on August 26, 2024, but less than two weeks later, the university closed due to the strike. Many students, such as Hannah Bula, a Bachelor of Education student, regret joining the institution. Hannah expressed disappointment in…

Students Urged to Pursue Technical and Vocational Training. To meet the expanding demand for higher education, the government has heavily invested in tertiary institutions, aiming to accommodate the surge of high school graduates and facilitate access to technical and vocational education. Dr. Langat Kipkirui Langat, Director General of the TVET Authority, highlighted the urgent need for students to pursue technical education, especially as the nation grapples with a shortage of skilled technicians. Dr. Langat urged students to consider fields critical to Kenya’s economic growth and healthcare sector. He pointed out that globally, nurses represent over half of the healthcare workforce,…

TSC Regional Director Selected for SRC Role. President William Ruto has nominated Jane Gatakaa Njage, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Nyanza Regional Director, as a Commissioner for the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC). She will represent the TSC, which serves as the teachers’ employer, in this role. Njage, from Embu County, was among 11 candidates interviewed for the position on June 20, 2024, at the TSC headquarters in Upper Hill, Nairobi. The position had been advertised in March 2024. Notable Candidates Interviewed Njage’s interview group included several prominent figures in education and administration: Join Teachers Updates on Facebook These candidates…

Students Encouraged to Pursue Sports as a Path to Employment. Students in higher education institutions nationwide are being encouraged to pursue sports not only as a career but also as a sustainable income-generating activity that could improve financial independence and self-reliance. The initiative underscores sports as a pathway to financial stability, allowing students to balance academic goals with athletic pursuits. Wycliffe Sirengo, Head of Sports at Zetech University, urged students to view the sports industry as a viable business opportunity with numerous avenues for professional and personal growth. He highlighted that engaging in sports such as athletics and ball games…

KCSE Cheating Scandal: 13 Teachers Released on Ksh.100K Bond Each in Siaya. Thirteen teachers from Nyamninia Secondary School in Siaya, arrested on Monday over allegations of cheating during the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams, were released on Tuesday. Each teacher was granted a bond of Ksh.100,000 with a surety of the same amount or an alternative cash bail of Ksh.20,000. Siaya Resident Magistrate Jacob Mkala dismissed the prosecution’s request to detain the suspects for seven more days. Instead, the magistrate mandated that the teachers report to the investigating officer every 14 days if released on bond. The defense…

Private Exam Centers Risk Closure Over KCSE Manipulation or Malpractice, Says Ogamba. The Cabinet Secretary for Education, Julius Ogamba, has urged the Judiciary to expedite the handling of cases against individuals arrested for malpractices in the ongoing Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations. His appeal follows a string of recent arrests across Kenya, including Stephen Nyang’au Mbeche in Nyamira County, who is believed by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to be managing a Telegram group that offers supposed examination materials for sale. A trend has emerged on social media where groups exploit parents, students, and teachers by pretending…

Exam Malpractice Won’t Affect Entire School Results Unless Coordinated, Says Education CS Ogamba. Education cabinet secretary Julius Migos Ogamba has assured examination officials of his support for upholding credible examinations but clarified that he would not tolerate malpractice. He confirmed that the Ministry would not nullify the results of entire centres due to isolated incidents unless the cheating appeared coordinated, thus protecting innocent candidates. “This year, if there is any malpractice, we are not going to condemn the whole school, the whole centre, the whole number of people who are there but it is going to be individualised unless the…