Education officials have been obliged to exercise the constitutional mandate to share information to publicize and seal the communication gap in its programmes.
Article 35 of the Constitution on access to information guarantees every citizen the right of access to information held by the State.
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu urged education officials to share information to enlighten the public including education stakeholders on the work the ministry of education is doing.
“Every one of us including our Regional, County, and Sub County Directors of education, I want to sound a reminder because it is not only me and the PSs and even at the level of The Presidency to be able to inform the people of Kenya what is happening in the education sector,” said CS Machogu
The Ministry of Education is committed to continue improving access and participation, equity and inclusivity, quality and relevance, transition, retention, and completion in all levels of education including dealing with cross-cutting, pertinent and, contemporary issues in the sector.
“What I am saying is let us share information. Anything we discuss it is not only for our own domain but should also share the public information to all levels in the country.” Hon. Machogu reiterated.
The Education minister noted that the Kenya Kwanza administration was determined to implement her pre-election pledges including ensuring even the funding that is supposed to come to each sector is available taking into consideration the very tight fiscal state and economic constraints in the country.
The amount the government allocated in January alone was Sh67 Billion for the Ministry from Basic Education, Technical, and Vocational Education Training up to university.
“Sometimes when I look at the media and around the regions people are quiet, Right from regional directors of education they don’t publicize what the government is doing and even the disbursements of funds.” lamented the CS.
He urged his education officials spread across the country to make sure they share information to the lowest levels since it is by so doing that the people will be able to appreciate what the Kenya Government is doing.
Machogu warned that if propaganda is allowed to come in like a shortage of funding, leaving him and the PS to come out with information will create a vacuum saying when there is a vacuum in communication people will listen to just anything.
“As we get anything kindly share it out so that people including union officials come to know and appreciate what the government can do.” The CS was quoted.
He was surprised how allegedly some schools were going against the government directive through the circular issued by the PS on charging illegal levies are being escalated to the president yet it can be dealt with locally.
Machogu called on Regional and County directors of education to diligently deliver on their duties and furnish his office and members of the public with information on important matters affecting schools in their areas.
He tasked the education heads to make sure they give feedback from the circular issued by the PS to enable the office to hold everyone accountable to allow the National Education Sector Strategy Plan (NESSP) document to be useful.
Milestones in the Education Sector
The CS clarified that the e-Citizen plan for payment of fees will be reflected in all the schools leaving no gaps in management for accountability, transparency, and openness saying this is the best thing for the country.
Digital labs number 124 in TVET institutions to get to 238 before the end of the year calling on education officials to share such information.
The Education CS defended the president’s flights to other countries as going to get opportunities for the young people because the online jobs in American and European companies are available and the young people with technological digital competence skills are now accessing these jobs.
The amount of training given so far is 390 youth while those earning are 120 with knowledge and confidence to start earning.
This is a game changer something that is revolutionary and transformative which is going to offer solutions to unemployment in this country but people do not know about it since the field officers did not share the information.
In Meru for example, one of the youths a girl who was unemployed for years since graduating from university in 2017 trained for the one-month digital training where she now earns over Sh120,000 monthly from online work.
This information needs to be escalated to the Universities such that they earn while learning since it does not interrupt one with a computer needs only two hours a day to enter into the league of earning while learning.
Opportunities such as The National Open University of Kenya expected 5000 plus enrolment by now, but only 1500 have enrolled because the people in the field are not giving information to the public that qualify for degrees in the university from the comfort of their homes.
By Joseph Kamolo Mutua
