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Education CS outlines vision for inclusive learning before senate committee

By
Vincent Amara
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In a comprehensive submission to the Senate Standing Committee on National Cohesion, Equal Opportunity, and Regional Integration, Education Cabinet Secretary Hon. Julius Migos Ogamba outlined the Ministry’s active strategies to guarantee equitable access, representation, and fairness across Kenya’s education sector.

Speaking before the lawmakers, the Cabinet Secretary emphasized that achieving true national cohesion requires dismantling systemic barriers that have historically underserved vulnerable populations, marginalized regions, and persons with disabilities.

To turn this vision into reality, the Ministry of Education is collaborating closely with key stakeholders, regional administrative bodies, and educational institutions to implement policies that expand learning opportunities at every level.

CS Ogamba highlighted that these efforts go beyond classroom admission, extending into human resource management to foster non-discriminatory, transparent, and balanced recruitment practices across all learning institutions. By ensuring that recruitment, resource allocation, and infrastructure development are conducted with strict adherence to fairness, the Ministry aims to create an environment where every student and job seeker, regardless of their background or geographic location, enjoys equal opportunities to thrive.

The presentation before the Senate panel underscores a firm commitment to building an inclusive educational framework that reflects the diversity of the nation.

Through targeted funding mechanisms, infrastructure expansion in hardship areas, and robust oversight of institutional practices, the Ministry is actively addressing regional disparities and structural inequalities.

CS Ogamba reaffirmed to the committee that the government remains resolute in its determination to transform the country’s educational landscape into a engine for social equity, leaving no learner or community behind in the pursuit of sustainable national development.

Empowering the youth: Kenya’s strategy for job creation and economic transformation

By
Vincent Amara
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President William Ruto has established a range of transformative programmes designed to create employment opportunities for young people across the country, ensuring that youth remain at the centre of our nation’s economic transformation.   

In Nairobi County alone, 36 Affordable Housing Programme projects are currently underway, set to deliver more than 180,000 decent homes while creating tens of thousands of jobs and stimulating economic activity across the capital city.   

To further strengthen the informal sector, KSh 80 million will be provided to support artisans and mechanics in Nairobi County to acquire modern equipment and tools, enabling them to improve productivity and expand their enterprises.

Thousands of Kenyans have already registered under the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programme, which trains and issues certificates to artisans of various crafts so their experience and expertise are formally recognised, opening doors to greater economic participation.   

Further, modern workshops are being constructed for artisans and mechanics across the city to provide dignified workplaces, enhance safety standards, and facilitate the licensing and formalisation of their businesses.   

At State House Nairobi, President William Ruto hosted more than 5,000 mechanics and artisans from Nairobi County to outline the Government’s comprehensive strategy to empower them through targeted economic initiatives

Education ministry defends hiring record in TVET institutions

By
Edgar Kalimbo
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Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba has defended the Ministry of Education’s recruitment practices in public Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, assuring the Senate that the sector fully complies with constitutional mandates on regional diversity, gender balance, and equal opportunity.

​Appearing before the Senate Standing Committee on National Cohesion, Equal Opportunity and Regional Integration, CS Ogamba disclosed that all 47 counties are represented among the 23,388 employees currently working across Kenya’s 246 public TVET institutions. The committee convened to address inquiries raised by Committee Chair Senator Mohammed Chute and Nominated Senator Beth Syengo regarding staff distribution, recruitment fairness, and regional inclusivity.

​The Ministry presented detailed demographic figures showing that men account for 56.8 per cent of the workforce while women represent 43.2 per cent, successfully adhering to the constitutional two-thirds gender rule. Ogamba noted that trainers constitute the largest employee category within TVETs, followed by technical specialists, administrative personnel, and support staff. To bridge existing staffing gaps, the government has recruited 3,300 Public Service Commission trainers since 2022.

​Ogamba explained that TVET recruitments follow a transparent, competitive framework jointly managed by institutional councils and boards, the State Department for TVET, and the Public Service Commission. Job advertisements actively encourage applications from women, persons with disabilities, and historically marginalized communities. To ensure fairness, the Ministry routinely audits TVET institutions for compliance with the National Cohesion and Integration Act, which strictly prohibits any single ethnic group from occupying more than one-third of jobs in a public entity.

​Looking ahead, the Cabinet Secretary announced that new human resource instruments scheduled for rollout in October 2026 will further standardize hiring, governance, and promotion frameworks across all institutions. Addressing specific concerns regarding marginalized areas particularly educational access for the Daasanach community in Marsabit County Ogamba highlighted ongoing government interventions, including the establishment of Illeret Sub-County, expanded school infrastructure, targeted teacher deployments, and the continued delivery of capitation and school feeding programs.

​Kenyan MPs push for nandatory gender-budgeting units across public ministries

By
Edgar Kalimbo
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​NAIVASHA — Kenyan lawmakers are demanding an immediate end to delayed policy implementation, urging the government to back its gender commitments with strict agency deadlines, enforceable penalties, and dedicated funding. Speaking during an intensive policy summit in Naivasha, members of Parliament warned that progressive laws aimed at driving Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) will remain performative gestures unless state organs face real consequences for failing to execute them. The capacity-strengthening workshop was convened by the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (KEWOPA) and the Institute of Public Finance (IPF), with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

​Delivering a statement on behalf of KEWOPA Chair Hon. Leah Sankaire, Nominated MP Hon. Irene Mayaka asserted that achieving economic parity requires joint leadership from both female and male legislators. She emphasized that Parliament must leverage its legislative authority and budget oversight to compel public institutions to deliver equitable services to all citizens. Echoing these sentiments, IPF representative Ms. Victoria highlighted that because economic inclusion spans multiple sectors, cross-committee collaboration within Parliament is essential to scrutinize executive expenditure and ensure gender-sensitive policies receive direct funding.

​During the working sessions, lead facilitator Chrispyn Afifu presented the core pillars of the National Policy on Women’s Economic Empowerment (NPWEE). The national blueprint aims to dismantle economic barriers, expand access to formal credit and capital, safeguard vulnerable communities against climate shocks, and track policy outcomes through gender-disaggregated statistics. Facilitators reminded legislators of their constitutional mandate to actively defend these priorities during annual departmental budget allocations.

​Floor discussions exposed sharp frustration over executive bureaucracy. Teso South MP Hon. Mary Emaase singled out state implementing agencies as the main bottleneck to reform, calling for binding completion schedules and strict penalties for non-compliant government bodies. Kisumu County MP Hon. Ruth Odinga cautioned against shrinking political opportunities for women in decision-making roles, while Nyamira County MP Hon. Jerusha Momanyi called out the unfair public scrutiny female leaders face compared to their male colleagues. Matuga MP Hon. Tandaza Sawa added that lawmakers must intervene early during draft policy stages to guarantee strong legislative oversight.

​To translate discussions into concrete action, MPs proposed establishing specialized gender-budgeting units across all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to audit spending through a gender lens and publish regular progress reports. Lawmakers also stressed the importance of social balance, concluding that while elevating women remains a critical national priority, economic programs must simultaneously support men and boys to build resilient, stable communities nationwide.

High court convicts former Migori governor Okoth Obado and aides in Sharon Otieno murder case.

By
Newton Ingui
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High Court Judge Cecilia Githua found former Migori Governor Zachariah Okoth Obado, along with his former personal assistant Michael Oyamo and former Migori County Clerk Caspal Obiero, guilty of murder in the 2018 killing of Rongo University student Sharon Otieno.

The court found that Obado had a compelling motive to silence Sharon Otieno to prevent the public disclosure of their extramarital affair and her pregnancy, which posed significant reputational and political risks.

Although there were no direct eyewitnesses, Justice Githua ruled that the prosecution established an “unbroken chain of circumstantial evidence” pointing directly to the three accused.

The court held that Michael Oyamo lured Otieno to a meeting under false pretenses before handing her over to abductors, while Caspal Obiero facilitated the logistics and transport.

The judge rejected Obado’s defense regarding his physical absence at the scene of the crime, ruling that physical absence does not absolve criminal liability when acting in concert with perpetrators.

Sharon Otieno, a 26-year-old university student who was seven months pregnant, was abducted alongside a local journalist and later found murdered in a forest in Homa Bay County.

Okoth Obado, Michael Oyamo, and Caspal Obiero were arrested and formally charged with murder at the Milimani High Court in Nairobi.

High Court Judge Cecilia Githua ruled that the prosecution had established a prima facie case, putting all three accused on their defense.

Justice Githua found all three accused guilty of murder beyond a reasonable doubt, concluding an eight-year legal battle.

With the guilty verdict delivered, the High Court will proceed to pre-sentencing reports and mitigation hearings before pronouncing the final sentences for Obado and his co-convicts.

Police recover over 4,000 rounds of colonial-era ammunition in Moyale, Marsabit

By
Mike Kwoba
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MOYALE, Kenya — Security officers in Marsabit County have safely recovered 4,060 rounds of old military ammunition discovered near Moyale Township Senior School on Wednesday. The cache was accidentally unearthed by construction workers excavating a building foundation directly opposite the school grounds.

Marsabit County Police Commander Leonard Kimaiyo confirmed the incident, stating that preliminary investigations point to the bullets being 8×50mm caliber rounds left behind by Italian forces during the colonial conflict era in the 1950s.

Following a quick alert from the construction crew, security personnel responded immediately to secure the scene, carefully collect the unexploded ordnance, and transfer it to a safe location.

Police are now collaborating with the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to conduct further joint investigations and safely neutralize the historic cache.

Assuring local residents, Commander Kimaiyo emphasized that there is no active security threat to the surrounding community or the school. However, he urged the public to exercise caution and immediately report any unidentifiable metallic objects or suspected military gear to the authorities rather than touching or moving them.

Ongoing investigations aim to trace the complete historical timeline of the ammunition cache and determine how it remained hidden underground for over seven decades.

Turkana Deputy Speaker urges lawmakers to strengthen skills for vulnerable groups

By
Festus Basabo
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Turkana County Assembly Deputy Speaker Hon. Gilbert Topos has called on local lawmakers to continually sharpen their governance skills to better serve marginalized communities and drive accountable leadership across the region.

Speaking during the opening of a three-day capacity building workshop, Topos emphasized that Members of County Assembly (MCAs) play a critical frontline role in advocating for vulnerable populations who face persistent barriers to public services. He commended VNG International for supporting initiatives that enhance the legislative capacity of local leaders to fulfill their constitutional mandates.

“It is important that we continue building our knowledge and skills so that we can serve our people with integrity, competence, and accountability,” Topos stated.

The training, organized for the Turkana County Assembly Women Caucus, focuses on Gender-Responsive Legislation and Oversight in Refugee Affairs. It aims to equip female legislators with practical tools in gender-responsive governance, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) analysis, and the application of GESI principles in lawmaking and county oversight.

Echoing the Deputy Speaker’s call to action, Women Caucus Chairperson Hon. Ruth Kuya urged female MCAs to remain united in advancing the rights of women and girls. She highlighted that strong solidarity among women leaders is vital for amplifying marginalized voices and ensuring equal participation in socioeconomic development.

The workshop comes at a critical time for Turkana County, which hosts one of the world’s largest refugee populations, including the Kakuma Refugee Camp and Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement. Participants are expected to leverage the training to draft inclusive local laws, strengthen oversight of county-level development programs, and foster equitable governance across both host and refugee communities.

Turkey extends Somalia military mission as security and economic ties grow

By
Binti Wangila
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Turkey has extended its military mission in Somalia for another two years, keeping its forces in the country until July 2028 as Ankara and Mogadishu strengthen cooperation in security and energy.

The extension, approved by Turkey’s Parliament following a request from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, allows Turkish troops to continue supporting Somalia’s fight against Al-Shabaab, piracy, illegal fishing and other security threats.

Ankara says the mission will help strengthen Somalia’s security institutions and support the country’s efforts to take greater responsibility for protecting its territory.

“The continued deployment of the Turkish Armed Forces will contribute to improving the capacity of Somalia’s security institutions and support the country’s efforts to ensure its own security,” the Turkish government said.

Turkey’s military presence in Somalia is built on defence agreements between the two countries, including the training of Somali soldiers at Turkey’s military facility in Mogadishu.

The latest extension comes as the two nations expand cooperation beyond security, with Turkey also involved in offshore oil exploration projects in Somali waters.

Officials say the partnership reflects Turkey’s growing role in Somalia and its wider efforts to promote stability in the Horn of Africa.

Marsabit’s Hillo gold mines reopening: Government sets 7-day assessment deadline

By
Mike Kwoba
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The Kenyan government has set a seven-day deadline for a multi-agency field assessment report that will clear the way for the safe and structured reopening of the Hillo Gold Mines in Marsabit County. Following a directive by President William Ruto, Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs, Hassan Ali Joho, chaired a high-level consultative meeting on Wednesday to fast-track the resumption of mining activities in the region.

The consultation brought together senior local and national leaders, including Marsabit County Governor Mohamed Ali, Senator Mohamed Chute, and County Commissioner Stanley Kamande, alongside Members of Parliament Prof. Guyo Waqo Jaldesa (Moyale), Dido Rasso (Saku), and Wario Adhe (Laisamis).

The leaders agreed to dispatch a multi-agency team to conduct a comprehensive field review. This team is tasked with reconfirming demarcated artisanal mining zones, inspecting registered mining co-operatives prior to issuing artisanal permits, and guiding regulatory compliance under the Mining Act, 2016.

Speaking after the meeting, CS Joho also announced an immediate nationwide crackdown on illegal mining operations. Emphasizing that strict adherence to environmental and legal standards is essential for safeguarding lives, Joho issued a firm warning that those found engaging in illegal mining or contravening the law will face appropriate legal action.

Addressing another recent tragedy in Lolgorian, Narok County where five people are feared dead after a mining tunnel collapsed Joho extended his condolences to the grieving families. He assured the public that authorities are actively pursuing key leads to ensure individuals whose negligence or unlawful actions endangered lives are held fully accountable.

The Hillo Gold Mines were shut down by the government in March 2024 following deadly violent clashes and land disputes between rival groups fighting for control over the rich gold deposits. After the clashes caused multiple fatalities and injuries, the Ministry of Interior officially declared the area a dangerous and disturbed zone. The current multi-agency assessment represents the government’s first major effort to safely return artisanal livelihoods to the local community under full state regulation.

Government pledges full funding for students joining Universities and TVET Institutions

By
Binti Wangila
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0

The government has pledged to ensure that every student who qualifies and is placed in a university or Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institution receives adequate financial support to pursue higher education without being hindered by financial constraints.

Speaking on Thursday at State House, Nairobi, during a meeting with skilled artisans, President William Ruto said the government has made significant progress in reforming the higher education funding system and is now moving to ensure that no student misses out on tertiary education because of a lack of school fees.

“We are taking that model one more step forward. Every child in Kenya who has been placed in a TVET institution or university will be guaranteed funding to support their education,” the President said.

Ruto said the initiative will be anchored in the Higher Education Loans Board (Amendment) Bill, which is currently before Parliament and seeks to establish the legal framework for the new funding model.

According to the President, reforms introduced in 2022 have helped stabilize the higher education sector after universities faced severe financial challenges.

“Universities were on the verge of shutting down. They could not pay lecturers or suppliers. I changed the model and introduced a new one, and it has transformed our universities,” he said.

If the proposed legislation is passed, the government will be responsible for ensuring that all students admitted to universities and TVET institutions receive financial support regardless of their family’s economic status.

President Ruto said the government’s ultimate goal is to eliminate financial barriers that prevent many qualified students from accessing higher education.

“The Government of Kenya will have a funding model that ensures all these students receive money to study, and no Kenyan child will miss the opportunity to pursue higher education because of a lack of funds,” he said.

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