The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Education has held a public participation forum in West Pokot County to gather views from residents and education stakeholders on six proposed Bills seeking to reform and strengthen Kenya’s education sector.

The forum, held at the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) Kapenguria, brought together parents, teachers, education officials, trade union representatives and other stakeholders to deliberate on the proposed changes before the Bills are considered further by Parliament.

The delegation was led by Baringo North MP Joseph Makilap, Chair, National Assembly Departmental Committee on Education, and Kibra MP Peter Orero.

Makilap described the engagement as an important and fundamental forum that would enable Parliament to understand the experiences, concerns and recommendations of communities before making decisions on the proposed legislation.

“We have had robust, informed and interactive discussions with the people of West Pokot. They have raised various issues and made proposals that will give us further direction as we consider these Bills,” Makilap said.

He said public participation was critical because the proposed changes would have a direct impact on learners, teachers, parents and education institutions across the country.

The six Bills seek to address various aspects of the education system, including basic education, tertiary education funding and placement, national assessments, teacher training, qualifications and curriculum development.

The Basic Education Bill seeks to repeal and replace the Basic Education Act, 2013, and introduce new provisions covering school registration, governance, inspection and protection of learners.

The Kenya National Educational Assessments Council Bill proposes a new legal framework for national assessments and seeks to repeal the existing Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) Act.

The Pre-Service Education and In-Service Training Bill seeks to strengthen teacher preparation as well as continuous professional development for teachers.

Meanwhile, the Kenya National Qualifications Framework (Amendment) Bill proposes measures to strengthen tracking of academic and professional credentials and establish a national qualifications database.

The proposed amendment to the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) Act seeks to streamline the institute’s mandate and address overlaps between its functions and those of the tertiary education sector.

Orero said all views raised during the public participation forums would be documented and presented to Parliament through a comprehensive report covering the 47 counties.

“The views and recommendations that we are receiving from the people will be discussed by Members of Parliament. Our committee will compile them into a report and present it to Parliament,” he said.

He said the discussions in West Pokot had also brought to the fore emerging questions concerning the role of sponsors in schools, particularly where the interests of sponsors and school management may differ.

“One of the issues that has come up is the question of sponsorship in our schools. Who qualifies to be called a sponsor? At what level is one determined to be a sponsor, and what contribution is that sponsor making to the school?” Orero posed.

He said such issues, together with other concerns raised by stakeholders, would be considered as Parliament reviews the proposed legislation.

Kapenguria MP Samuel Moroto welcomed the public participation exercise, saying it provided residents with an opportunity to directly contribute to legislation that would shape the future of education.

Moroto also commended President William Ruto’s administration for prioritizing education and supporting infrastructure development, including improvements at KMTC Kapenguria.

He said increased investment in education had contributed to opening up West Pokot, which was historically regarded as a marginalized and relatively closed district, to greater integration and development.

“Education has played an important role in opening up our county. We have moved from being considered a closed district to becoming increasingly integrated with the rest of the country,” Moroto said.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary Dorcas Lotome supported the proposal to strengthen comprehensive schools, saying keeping learners within an integrated system could make transitions between different levels of education smoother.

She said comprehensive schools could also create opportunities for teachers to share knowledge and work together in monitoring learners’ progress throughout their education journey.

“The schools should not be separated in a way that makes transition difficult for children. Teachers should also be able to share their knowledge and work together to track the progress of a child from one level to another,” Lotome said.

The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Executive Secretary Alfred Kamuto also attended the forum and presented the union’s views and recommendations on the proposed Bills.

The public participation followed a courtesy call by the parliamentary delegation to West Pokot Governor Simon Kachapin, who was accompanied by Deputy Governor Robert Komolle at his official residence in Kapenguria.

During the meeting, the delegation presented copies of the six Bills to the county leadership.

Kachapin urged residents and education stakeholders to take advantage of the public participation exercise to ensure West Pokot’s concerns are reflected in the proposed reforms.

“Education policy is being rewritten from the ground up, and our county’s voice must be part of these changes,” Kachapin said.

He added that the proposed reforms would influence how children learn, how teachers are prepared and how education institutions are funded for years to come.

“These changes will determine how our children learn, how teachers are prepared and how our institutions are funded for years to come. I urge education stakeholders, parents and residents to attend today’s public participation forum and ensure our county’s practical realities shape what becomes law in Parliament,” he said.

The forum was attended by Rift Valley Regional Director of Education James Indimuli, West Pokot County Director of Education Yophes Magara, County Executive Committee Member for Education Rebecca Kide, KMTC Kapenguria Principal Rhoda Losiamoi and other national and county government education officials.

The views collected from West Pokot form part of a wider nationwide public participation process through which Parliament is seeking the views of Kenyans before determining the way forward on the six proposed education reform Bills.

By Parklea Ivor