News Categories: Education

H.E. Joseph Lenku commissioned a new class block and four ultra-modern dormitories with a capacity of two hundred students at The Namelok Vocational Training Institute. The institution has for the longest time experienced low student intake ratios and it is hoped that once completed, the dormitory will accommodate more students with an unprecedented intake of more than two hundred students set for May this year. Among these will be beneficiaries of the Vijana Tujiajiri Programme; a paid partnership between the County Government of Kajiado and The KCB Foundation that seeks to empower and equip needy and out of school youth with technical skills that will enable them to pursue self-employment opportunities.

During the function, the Governor also inspected the ongoing works at the practical’s workshop and revealed that Ksh16M had been set aside by The County Government to equip the new workshop once completed. He said empowerment of the youth through skills training was one of his administration’s key development pursuits in line with the Big Four Agenda on manufacturing, job creation and youth empowerment.

“The youth are taking over leadership roles in the County and we need to empower them through technical skills training and critical thinking,” said Lenku.

At the same time, The Governor challenged the youth to seek admission to technical institutions and pursue skills-based trainings in diverse fields such as electrical engineering, fashion, design, beauty therapy and masonry just to mention but a few.

“Technical skills training will not only mold learners to settle for employment upon graduation but empower them and offer them opportunities to be employers through startup businesses,’’ he added.

Lenku also challenged stakeholders in the education sector to tailor make course content with due regards to the needs of the localities in which the technical skills will be used.

In its current state, the Namelok Vocational Training Institute accommodates a mere seventy students and over the years has had to turn back students during enrolment due improper and insufficient infrastructure.

Residents of Kajiado have been asked not to pay any money as facilitation fees for them to be awarded the County Schools Bursary Fund.

Speaking in his office today, CECM in-charge of Education and Vocational Training, Lenku Seki said those who were claiming that officers at the County Headquarters were demanding an upward of Ksh 2,000 as bribes for them to award bursaries were peddling unfounded rumors.

“ Our staff are very transparent in processing bursaries and I challenge any resident who has been asked for any form of facilitation fee to come forward and report,” he said.

The minister revealed that the manual processing system for bursary application was reverted to following a County Assembly resolution arising from complaints by some applicants over inaccessibility of Internet in their localities.

“ The Electronics Funds Transfer system that had been previously adopted faced a few technical challenges in its initial phases of implementation causing confusion between the beneficiaries, financial institutions and the department,” said Seki.

He said the school bursars and principals failed to reconcile bank transactions vis-a-vis the list of beneficiaries on time due to challenges in accessing the Internet; especially in the rural areas. This he added made the beneficiaries anxious with some claiming that there were no bursary funds in the accounts yet that was not the case.

“The department is keen on ensuring transparency in the bursary application and disbursement process and as such we have fully reverted to the manual application system to accommodate beneficiaries who cannot access the internet,” said Seki.

He asked residents to confirm the names of beneficiaries from the Sub County Ward offices, County Government offices as well as the Website.

The County Assembly through a House Resolution compelled the department of Education and vocational training to adopt the previously in use manual cheque disbursement system to remedy the chaos caused by the Controller of Budgets preferred Electronic Transfer of Funds that was deemed efficient.

The beneficiaries list is managed at the ward level through ward commitee. The County Assembly vowed to challenge the controller of budget directive through a legislative process that will see them amend the existing guideline

The last disbursement of Ksh 40M was effected in October last year marking a total of Ksh 80M disbursed for the FY 2017/18 alone.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING

BURSARY BENEFICIARIES LIST

The second cycle of bursary disbursement of the year 2017/2018 has been completed.You may view the beneficiary list as per institution by clicking media then publication then bursary beneficiary list.

County Government corporates take up 200 vocational interns as skills program starts to bear fruits:More than 200 youths being trained for vocational skills by County Government are set to proceed for attachment.

The youths, who are part of the 1,000 youth’s targeted for skills this financial year, have completed their Grade 3 training and have been placed for internship starting in January. More than 20 corporate institutions operating in the County have offered to absorb the new graduates who will finish the internship in April next year.

Kajiado Education and Vocational Training CEC Member Lenku Seki said the trainees will proceed to Grade 2 in May. “We want to mold skilled youth who will be ready for the job market when we are through with them. We are happy the corporate institutions are supporting the internship programme,” said Seki.

The County minister said contractors in the county, especially those in building, construction and water works will also be drafted into the skills scheme so that they can offer on job exposure to the trainees.

Yesterday, Governor Lenku presided over the pass out for the trainees at the National Industrial Training Authority ( NITA) grounds in Kitengela.

The County Government and the KCB Foundation have jointly invested over KSh 100 Million in this the programme dubbed as “ Kazi Mkononi”.

H.E the Deputy Governor was joined by Member of Parliament for Kajiado North Hon. Joseph Manje, area MCA Hon. Martin Kimemia, Ngong Ward MCA Hon. Robert Mouria  and other leaders for the official commissioning of  a new ECDE complex and World Friends Projects from The Italian Agency for development  who have built a sanitation facility  at Oloolua primary school in Oloolua ward.The ECDE classes will make learning  easy and reduce congestion in the already full classes .

The County Government is committed towards the improvement of our School’s infrastructure and modern ECDE Centres fully equipped in line  with the new curriculum.

Improving the quality of education in our institutions is of utmost urgency and importance to us.Therefore,we welcome all our development partners to help us realize our aims towards quality education.

H.E the Governor was  accompanied by leaders of Oloosirkon/ Sholinke Ward community for in the opening of the new face of Kajiado ECDE Centers at Enkutoto, Tipatet Emakoko and Oloosirkon Primary Schools in Kajiado East.

The Governor says he is committed to build a sound education foundation for our children and improve the transition from Primary to Secondary school. “We shall continue supporting infrastructure development in schools to enable our children get a conducive environment for learning and improve the quality of Education “said the Governor.

H.E Joseph Ole Lenku has raised concern over the state of underdevelopment in the rural areas of counties more so Kajiado avowing that the National government funds through devolution has only focused on urban towns in various counties.

During an opening ceremony of Ilkelunyeti Primary School at Imaroro Kajiado East, he said that when county funds were slashed down by 9 billion. This is against the aspiration and spirit of devolution because many Kenyans will not feel the effect of the big 4 agenda starting by the president.

The funds have been focused on developing urban areas such as Nairobi, Nakuru, Eldoret while the remote areas of Kajiado, Turkana, Isiolo may never get to experience housing, security, affordable healthcare and manufacturing. According to H.E the Governor, Kenyans fought for devolution and brought it through the constitution hoping it would become a distributing mechanism for development.

“Developing primary, secondary and tertiary schools is a function of the National government apart from Vocational Training institute. But already counties are doing all this work because a substantial part of counties have never had this facilities,” said the Governor.

He therefore asked the National Government to reconsider about the slashing of county funds because it negates the spirit of uniformity and equity among counties.

Adult Literacy levels in Kajiado County continue to plummet raising fears among County education officials and stakeholders in the sector.

Over the years, adult education has received a wide berth a situation that has forced out of school youth to shun learning altogether and opt for menial jobs to make a living. Early marriages of young girls who lack school fees has been the norm as they also opt to settle as homemakers at the expense of pursing education opportunities into their adulthood.

A meeting between religious leaders from different denominations together with county and education officials was held in Kajiado today to map out ways of empowering out of school youth and adults through education and skills training opportunities.

Kajiado County Governor Joseph Ole Lenku who met the religious leaders said improving literacy levels of the people of Kajiado was in the scope of his government’s agenda. He expressed his optimism with the partnership between the county government, religious institutions and other education stakeholders in achieving this within the next four years.

He implored upon the religious leaders to commit their existing infrastructure to be used for adult learning.

“Due to limited County resources I urge you to use your churches and mosques with large halls to advance adult education due to strained resources,” he said.

During the meeting County Committees to oversee adult education were formed and it is hoped that these will be replicated at sub county level to reach the most remote parts of Kajiado.

On his part Education and vocational training Executive Member, Samuel Seki agreed that literacy levels in Kajiado was low especially in the remote areas of the County.

“It is a fact that the County has strained resources and needs all the help it can get from religious organizations and other stakeholders to achieve its goals,” he said.

Seki requested religious leaders to be proactive in this endeavor to utilize their infrastructure to help the County Government achieve its goal of eradicating illiteracy in Kajiado.

Joseph Agina, secretary to Olkejuado Adult and Continued Education said the initiative taken by the County Government and religious leaders to focus on adult literacy is timely in steering the big four agenda for the common good of the nation.

He added that if tapped, the clergy have a good platform to reach people of all levels of the society since they were their congregants.

Agina intimated that according to a 2006 Kenya National literacy survey of 48% of Kajiado residents consisting of 280,000 people were illiterate. This is against a backdrop of 78% national illiteracy index consisting of 7.5M people.“We need to have literacy levels of this group enhanced to achieve economic development,” he remarked.

Speakers at the meeting also proposed to the concerned ministry to engage the Kenya Literature Bureau to come up with a Maa Literature and curriculum to cater for adult learner in a language familiar to them.

Kajiado County Government today held its first and a one of its kind goat auction whose proceeds will be used to secure medical insurance under the National Hospital Insurance Fund cover for five thousand needy and vulnerable households within the County.Each of the 25 wards of the five sub counties had been allocated 200 goats to be sold during the auction which attracted buyers from different parts of the country.

Deputy President William Ruto who officiated the auction assured the residents of support from the National government in spearheading the matters health in line with the big four agenda spearheaded by the Jubilee Government.

He congratulated the County Government on its efforts in partnership with the Kenya Literature Bureau, KLB to empower ECDE schools through introduction of literature and other materials that give learners a firm foundation in basic education.“For our children to succeed they need a solid educational background,” said Ruto.

Having earlier laid a foundation stone for the construction of the first ever university in Kajiado Ruto said young people transitioning from secondary schools need to have technical training and skills that will help them drive the development agenda.“This country needs technical people with skills and expertise within the various sectors and the education arena needs to be equipped with tools to help it achieve this,” he said.

The Deputy President further assured the residents of continued infrastructural developments that will see the completion of key roads that will open up the county to more industrial opportunities. “The development agenda needs proactive efforts and not mere talk,” added Ruto.

Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku in a rejoinder said the goat auction will be an annual event and hopes that in the next one year 50% uptake of medical insurance through NHIF will be achieved within the county. “One of the pillars of the big four agenda is universal health coverage. We hope to achieve 100% coverage from 20% by 2022,” he said.

He lauded the work done by the county and sub county administrative officers in sensitizing the residents on the importance of the NHIF medical insurance as well as the county government goat auction initiative. “90% of our health facilities are accredited by NHIF and our people are now more aware of what they stand to gain by taking up medical insurance by NHIF,” said the Governor.

The governor further thanked the partnership with national government institutions like the Kenya Literature Bureau, KLB who have played a key role in facilitating a curriculum that empowers the youth in technical & vocational training thus making them employable and abled to start up sustainable businesses.

Narok County Governor Samuel Ole Tunai on his part admitted that the health sector had unique challenges that needed to be bridged and congratulated the Kajiado County Government for being proactive in its “Mbuzi Moja Afya Bora” initiative as a way of safeguarding the health of its people by offering workable alternatives.“It is high time that we as a pastoralist community consider the gains of selling one goat versus the health and wellbeing of our households,” said Governor Tunai.

The goat auction exercise which was held at the County Demonstration Farm in Kajiado attracted buyers among them Members of Parliament and County Assembly, County and National Government leaders and residents from within and outside the County.

Ground breaking exercise of the proposed Olkejuado university college of applied technology presided by the Deputy President William Ruto

H.E the Deputy President being taken through an architectural design of the proposed Olkejuado University College of Applied Technology.

H.E the Deputy President and Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku conducting the auction process at the Kajiado Demonstration Farm in Kajiado

Teachers have been called upon to take up seriously their roles as mentors to children in their early years of school as the values they instill in them molds them to be responsible citizens capable of fostering change and development for the County.

Kajiado County Governor Joseph Ole Lenku said this while presiding over a closing ceremony for a capacity building workshop for county ECDE teachers at Athi River. The training which comes as a priority objective by the County Department of Education and Vocational Training sought to equip the teachers with requisite knowledge on key concepts as outline in the competency based curriculum manuals by The Kenya Literature Bureau.

“We take pride in knowing that when we empower our ECDE teachers in capacity building and skills development trainings we are creating enable mentors who will harness and impact knowledge to our children,” said the Governor.

He added that teachers were the most important stakeholders in the education sector and his government has committed to ensure that the gains made in empowering them are not eroded by inflation.

The governor intimated that the county government will set aside a budget to cater for medical care for those who cannot afford it. This initiative he said is meant to reinforce the Mbuzi Moja Afya Moja medical insurance program spearheaded by the National Hospital Insurance Fund, NHIF. The program hopes to ensure universal health care to all residents of Kajiado County in line with the health pillar of the big four agenda of the Jubilee Government.

Further, he said plans are underway to issue 5000 needy families with NHIF Cards that will give them access to medical care in their health facilities of choice within the county.

At the same time Lenku challenged teachers to further their education and explore technical skills development to access self-employment opportunities.

“Kajiado County will soon become the hub of skilled training for available job markets countrywide, soon we will have our people being exported to other counties to offer their professional expertise,” he said.

Speaking at the same function the CECM in charge of Education and Vocational Training, Samuel Seki lauded the Kenya Literature Bureau(KLB) for being accommodative as to cut costs on the competency based curriculum literature books. He said together with the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, KICD these two institutions have not only upgraded the levels of our education in the county but ensured children receive all round education.” We have not only empowered you (teachers) to be ECDE teachers but to be able to teach at various levels including primary schools,” said Seki.

He recommended the ECDE teachers for playing a pivotal role in the success of the County school feeding Initiative the Uji Program by ensuring that the children have their daily meals without fail.