Kenya’s Senate Education Committee is raising red flags over a draft pre-primary school feeding program, accusing County Governments of sidelining Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) learners in favor of primary school children.
During a heated session on August 5, Committee Chairperson Senator Betty Montet criticized the Council of Governors for submitting a draft policy that lacked clarity and substance.
“This program has nothing to do with ECDE learners,” Montet said. “It has been overtaken by a commercial approach designed for primary schools.”
Senators expressed concern that the feeding program, initially intended to support nutritional needs among pre-primary children, had been repurposed by counties without proper consultation or oversight.
Prof. Margaret Kamar warned against duplicating national programs and urged counties to refocus on the intended beneficiaries.
The priority must remain on pre-primary children
Governors Failing to Honour Senate Invitations
Senators Catherine Mumma, Seki Lenku, and Mwaruma called for a complete review of county submissions to ensure alignment with national ECDE goals.
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The session also spotlighted a broader governance issue, the growing pattern of absentee County Governors avoiding Senate summonses.
Montet singled out the Governors of Kirinyaga and Samburu for repeatedly postponing scheduled appearances, frustrating oversight efforts, and stalling critical education matters.
“This Committee must not be crippled by absence and avoidance,” Montet declared. “There must be seriousness in our engagements.”
In response to the no-shows, the Committee proposed new rules requiring Governors to respond to Senate invitations at least seven days in advance, with defined consequences for non-compliance.
Members also suggested moving meetings to Mondays to allow flexibility in case of initial absences.
Ministry on Ghost Schools
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba explained the government’s strategy to eliminate ghost schools, vowing firm action against those behind the fraudulent institutions siphoning public funds.]
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“If there is a ghost school, the investigation will allow us to arrest those involved,” Ogamba said during an interview on Egesa FM on August 5.
He revealed that the ministry has already formed a joint task force with the Auditor General to identify and flag ghost schools nationwide.
To ensure transparency and proper oversight, the ministry will deploy the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS), which will be used to register all legitimate schools and clean up existing data.
Ogamba explained that education funds are sent directly to verified school-owned bank accounts, not individuals, a measure intended to curb misappropriation.
This comes after MPs revealed that part of the Ksh1.3 billion school infrastructure fund was channeled to ghost institutions in what they termed a well-planned fraud by officials within the ministry.
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