The Education Cabinet Secretary, Ezekiel Machogu, faced a setback when his plea for a Ksh100 million allocation to train new teachers was rejected by Parliament. Instead, lawmakers directed him to prioritize hiring unemployed graduates.
Machogu, along with Principal Secretaries Esther Muhoria (Technical, Vocational Education and Training - TVET) and Dr. Belio Kipsang (Basic Education), appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Education on Monday to present his case.
CS Machogu had sought approval for the allocation of the funds within the Ministry's Supplementary Budget estimates for the current financial year, 2023/24. The requested money was intended to support the induction and training of recently recruited Vocational and Technical Trainers (tutors). The government had hired nearly 1,000 teachers earlier in the year for placement in 144 TVET institutions.
The Public Service Commission had been seeking degree and diploma holders to fill these positions, aligning with President William Ruto's commitment to address the teacher shortage. However, these newly hired tutors lacked the necessary professional teaching skills and required retraining to enhance their teaching capacity, as explained by PS Muhoria.
Despite these justifications, the committee, led by Tinderet MP Julius Melly, opposed the request. MP Melly questioned the allocation, saying, "Why should such a significant amount of money be spent on retraining tutors? The funds should be directed towards equipping educational institutions or other worthwhile endeavors."
He further recommended, "There are thousands of Kenyans with degrees in various technical subjects and postgraduate diplomas in education. These are the individuals you should hire when seeking tutors. There's no need to incur additional costs in training people."
To address these concerns and avoid additional expenses associated with hiring and retraining teachers, CS Machogu assured the MPs that his ministry would prioritize applicants with postgraduate training in education.
Meanwhile, Basic Education CS Belio Kipsang appealed to the committee to lobby the Treasury for an additional Ksh22 billion allocation in the Ministry's overall budget to bolster the school capitation program. Kipsang stressed the program's critical role in the functioning of secondary schools and the potential consequences for students if funds were insufficient.
The MPs pledged to examine the issue and engage with their Treasury counterparts to take necessary actions.