REPUBLIC OF KENYA THIRTEENTH PARLIAMENT

19th August 2026

Vol. V No. 76

[The Deputy Speaker (Hon. Gladys Boss) in the Chair]

PRAYERS

QUORUM

PAPERS

1. 1. Reports of the Auditor-General and Financial Statements for the Years ended 30th June 2021, 30th June 2022, 30th June 2023, 30th June 2024, 30th June 2025 and the certificates therein in respect of the following:
   1. (a) Kituro High School – Baringo County
   2. (b) Miruriiri Boys Secondary School – Meru County
   3. (c) Mikinduri Girls Secondary School – Meru County
   4. (d) Ntunene Girls Secondary School – Meru County
   5. (e) Oinobmoi Boys High School – Baringo County
   6. (f) Gaitu Secondary School – Meru County
   7. (g) Nthare Secondary School – Meru County
   8. (h) Kirige Boys High School – Meru County
   9. (i) Holy Rosary Girls Secondary School – West Pokot County
   10. (j) Ngara Girls’ High School – Nairobi City County
   11. (k) Joseph Allamano Wachoro Boys’ Secondary – Embu County
   12. (l) Ntulele Secondary School – Narok County
   13. (m) Salvation Army Aboloi Secondary School – Busia County
   14. (n) David Lee Adventist Nagis Secondary School – Turkana County
   15. (o) Ruiru Boys Secondary School – Kiambu County
   16. (p) Dagoretti High School – Nairobi City County
   17. (q) Upper Hill School – Nairobi City County
   18. (r) Kaliwa Secondary School – Kitui County
   19. (s) Kakuyuni Secondary School – Machakos County
   20. (t) Lenkisem Mixed Secondary School – Kajiado County
   21. (u) St. Andrian Kiongwani Boys High School – Makueni County
   22. (v) Kivuthini Secondary School – Makueni County
   23. (w) St. Jude Girls High School Napara – Bungoma County.

1. 2. Reports of the Auditor-General and Financial statements for the Years ended 30th June 2024, 30th June 2025 and the certificates therein in respect of the following –
   1. (a) Hill Crest P.T.A Secondary School – Nakuru County
   2. (b) Kamandura Girls High School – Kiambu County
   3. (c) Regina Caeli Girls High School – Karinga – Kiambu County
   4. (d) Lari Boys Secondary School – Kiambu County
   5. (e) St. Catherine of Siena Mugunda Girls Secondary School – Nyeri County
   6. (f) St. Johns Malivani School – Makueni County
   7. (g) St. Joseph’s Girls High School – Trans Nzoia County
   8. (h) St. Ann Githunguri Girls Secondary School – Nyeri County
   9. (i) Kimulot Secondary School – Bomet County.

Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I beg to lay.

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE HOUSE

(Order for Committee read) [The Deputy Speaker (Hon. Gladys Boss) left the Chair]

IN THE COMMITTEE

[The Temporary Chairlady (Hon. (Dr) Rachael Nyamai) in the Chair] The Temporary Chairlady (Hon. (Dr) Rachael Nyamai): Order, Members. We are in the Committee of the whole House. The Bill we are working on this morning is the Sports (Amendment) Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 5 of 2026).

THE SPORTS (AMENDMENT) BILL

(National Assembly Bill No. 5 of 2026) Clause 3

The Temporary Chairlady (Hon. (Dr) Rachael Nyamai): Chairman? Hon. Naomi Waqo, you are prosecuting on behalf of the Chair. Please proceed.

THAT, Clause 2 of the Bill be amended by deleting the proposed definition of the term “manipulation of a sports competition” and substituting therefor the following new definition— The Temporary Chairlady (Hon. (Dr) Rachael Nyamai): The Deputy Whip of the Majority Party, kindly go to Clause 3.

1. 3. The principal Act is amended by inserting the following new section immediately after section 54— . Investigation of manipulation of a sports. 54A. (1) Where there are reasonable grounds to believe that a person has committed the offence of manipulation of a sports competition under this Act, the matter shall be investigated by—
   1. (a) The Directorate of Criminal Investigations in accordance with this Act and any other applicable law; and
   2. (b) The relevant sports organisation to which the person belongs, in accordance with its constitution, rules, regulations, codes of conduct or disciplinary procedures.
1. (2) The investigations under subsection (1) shall be independent of each other and neither investigation shall be dependent upon the commencement, progress, suspension, conclusion or outcome of the other.
2. (3) For the purposes of an investigation under this section, a relevant sports organisation may—
   1. (a) require any athlete, coach, technical official, referee, administrator, club, league, intermediary, support personnel or any other person subject to its jurisdiction to provide information, records or explanations relevant to the investigation;
   2. (b) interview any person subject to its jurisdiction;
   3. (c) cooperate and exchange information with law enforcement agencies, regulatory bodies, betting regulators, sports organizations and other competent authorities, subject to any applicable law relating to confidentiality and data protection; and
   4. (d) (d) take any other reasonable investigative measures authorized by its rules and regulations.

1. (4) The imposition of a disciplinary sanction by a relevant sports organization under section 64A shall not prevent the Directorate of Criminal Investigations from investigating any criminal liability arising from an act of manipulation of a sports competition.
2. (5) In conducting investigations under this section, both the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and the relevant sports organization shall afford any person under investigation the right to be heard before any adverse finding or sanction is made, except where interim measures are necessary to protect the integrity of a sports competition.

The proposed amendment establishes a two-tier framework for investigating the manipulation of sports competitions by providing for independent investigations by both the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and the relevant sports organisation. The Committee noted that manipulation of sports competitions may constitute both a criminal offence and a breach of sporting rules, necessitating separate but concurrent processes to ensure effective enforcement and accountability.

Thank you. (Question of the amendment proposed) The Temporary Chairlady (Hon. (Dr) Rachael Nyamai): Hon. Justice Kemei, Member for Sigowet/Soin.

The deletion of Clause 4 is necessary, noting that the amendment to Clause 3 removes the proposed obligation of Sports Kenya to conduct an investigation. The Committee observed that Kenya’s Sports mandate primarily involves the management of sports facilities. Therefore, it lacks the institutional and technical capacity to investigate allegations of manipulation. The investigation will be effectively conducted by the DCI and the relevant sports organisation as highlighted in the amendment to Clause 3.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Chairlady. The Temporary Chairlady (Hon (Dr) Rachael Nyamai): Thank you. (Question of the amendment proposed) Hon. Mayaka.

1. 5. The principal Act is amended by inserting the following new section immediately after section 64— 64A. (1) A person who participates directly or indirectly or aids enables or assists in the manipulation of a sports competition commits an offence.
   1. (2) A person who commits an offence under this section shall, on conviction, be liable to—
      1. (a) a fine not exceeding three times the value that was the subject of a manipulation of a sports competition or ten million shillings, whichever is higher; or
      2. (b) imprisonment for a term not exceeding
      3. (c) five years; or
      4. (d) both such fine and imprisonment.
   2. (3) Despite subsection (2), where a relevant sports organisation finds that a person committed the act of manipulation of a sports competition, the relevant sports organisation may impose such disciplinary sanctions as may be provided under its rules and regulations, including—

1. (a) reprimands or warnings;
2. (b) fines;
3. (c) suspension from participation in sporting activities;
4. (d) temporary or permanent bans from participation in any sport or sports- related activity;
5. (e) de-registration or cancellation of registration;
6. (f) re-registration subject to such conditions as the organisation may determine;
7. (g) forfeiture of any proceeds or benefits gained as a result of the manipulation of a sports competition; or
8. (h) any other disciplinary measure authorised under its governing instruments.

1. (4) Where the act of manipulation of a sports competition is committed by a sports club or sports association, the sports club or sports association may be sanctioned with the forfeiture of the outcome of the match that was the subject of the manipulation.

The amendment seeks to provide stricter penalties for the offences of manipulation of a sports competition so as to provide effective deterrence for the commission of the offence. The amendment further empowers the sports organisations to take disciplinary action, including the imposition of fines, bans, deregistration or re-registration to protect the integrity of sports and deter misconduct.

(Question of the amendment proposed) The Temporary Chairlady (Hon (Dr) Rachael Nyamai): Hon. Justice Kemei.

Ksh1 million, it does not feel punitive enough and it does not, in essence, deter the practice. So, this being made more punitive is actually helpful.

The Temporary Chairlady (Hon (Dr) Rachael Nyamai): Hon. Mayaka, I know you are very conversant with it and this is a very dear Bill to you. But remember, we are in the Committee of the whole House. So, I would like to request that you make quick comments.

(Question of the amendment proposed) Hon. Simon King’ara, Member for Ruiru.

THE BREASTFEEDING MOTHERS BILL

(National Assembly Bill No. 8 of 2024) The Temporary Chairlady (Hon. (Dr) Rachael Nyamai): Hon. Members, before we move to the next step, I would like to report that the Breastfeeding Mothers Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 8 of 2024) by Hon. Sabina Chege is deferred.

(Bill deferred)

IN THE HOUSE

[The Deputy Speaker (Hon. Gladys Boss) in the Chair]

MOTION

CONSIDERATION OF REPORT ON THE SPORTS (AMENDMENT) BILL

BILLS

Third Reading

THE SPORTS (AMENDMENT) BILL

(National Assembly Bill No. 5 of 2026)

THE EMPLOYMENT (AMENDMENT) BILL

(National Assembly Bill No. 62 of 2023) (Moved by Hon. Didmus Barasa on 12.8.2026 – Morning Sitting) (Resumption of debate interrupted on 12.8.2026 – Morning Sitting)

We shall defer it and the Mover can come back to reply. (Bill deferred) Next Order.

THE MICRO AND SMALL ENTERPRISES (AMENDMENT) BILL

(National Assembly Bill No. 25 of 2025)

I also wish to introduce a school that is seated in the Public Gallery, Mwaasua Comprehensive School from Mwala Constituency, Machakos County. On behalf of the substantive Speaker, the Members of the National Assembly and myself, we welcome you to the precincts of Parliament and wish you fruitful undertakings here.

Thank you. The Mover, Hon. Mukunji Gitonga, is not in the House to move the Micro and Small Enterprises (Amendment) Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 25 of 2025). We, therefore, defer it to a later date.

(Bill deferred) Can we move to the next Order?

MOTIONS

MANDATORY GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING PROGRAMME IN SCHOOLS

1. (a) introduces a mandatory, structured and time-tabled Guidance and Counselling Programme in all public and private primary and secondary schools in Kenya;
2. (b) develops and implements a national policy framework providing for the recruitment, accreditation and deployment of professionally trained school counsellors;

1. (c) integrates mental health education, child protection awareness, personal safety training and life skills development into the school curriculum;
2. (d) allocates adequate resources to support counselling services in schools; and
3. (e) establishes clear coordination and referral mechanisms between schools, child protection institutions and relevant Government agencies to ensure effective safeguarding of learners. [The Deputy Speaker (Hon. Gladys Boss) left the Chair] [The Temporary Speaker (Hon. (Dr) Rachael Nyamai) in the Chair] Hon. Temporary Speaker, Article 43 of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, provides for the economic and social rights of every person in Kenya. It guarantees every Kenyan the right to education and to the highest attainable standard of health, including psychological health. Guidance and counselling, therefore, provide a good basis for broader education for life. It is a foundation for general life-skills training and enables students to develop personal resources to cope effectively with their future lives. Guidance and counselling is imperative for effective teaching and learning in schools and for the future success of children. The Government has a constitutional responsibility to protect children from harm and ensure their well-being. Many learners face abuse, neglect and exploitation, which often remain hidden because they lack safe spaces to speak out. A mandatory counselling programme will ensure that trained professionals can identify warning signs early and provide appropriate support, while also linking schools to child-protection institutions such as the National Council for Children's Services. Our nation prides itself on investing in education because we understand that the future of Kenya lies in the hearts of our children. Yet today, many learners in primary and secondary schools are silently battling challenges that go far beyond the classroom. I am sure the children who are here understand what I am talking about. They are exposed to drug and substance abuse, indiscipline, school unrest, emotional distress and poor academic performance. These challenges are not isolated incidents; they are signs of deeper social and psychological struggles facing our young people. There has also been a deeply disturbing rise in cases of sexual violence against children.

In some heartbreaking situations, minors have been abused or even killed by individuals known to them, including relatives, caregivers, uncles and even neighbours. Such tragic incidents leave learners traumatised and emotionally scarred for life. Many students carry these burdens quietly because they have no safe and trusted system within schools to help them process their experiences, which also affects their self-esteem.

Further, many learners come from homes affected by domestic violence, family instability, poverty and other social pressures. These circumstances affect their emotional well- being, and they are often unable to concentrate on their studies. A child who goes to school with fear, trauma or confusion cannot be expected to perform well academically or develop into a confident and responsible citizen. This equally affects their self-esteem. The need for guidance and counselling services in schools cannot be overstated, given the increasing difficulties of modern life that place heavy demands and responsibilities on pupils and students. We know exactly what is happening because of social media.

The Kenyan Government recognised guidance and counselling as an essential service that should be provided to every student. Since the 1990s, the education system in Kenya has undergone dynamic and rapid changes that have had significant effects on children, teachers, schools and society at large. Education policies have also changed over the years. Today, for example, those of us who went through the old system went up to standard eight, while children today are undertaking the Competency Based Education (CBE). All these challenges and changes are affecting our children, and they need to be guided through them.

In 2001, corporal punishment in schools was banned and replaced with more appropriate approaches to discipline and behaviour modification hence, guidance and counselling of pupils and students became an important aspect of school life. Additionally, support for guidance and counselling in schools has been recognised in policy documents such as the Kenya Education Sector Support Programme of 2005, which detailed the Government's plan for education and identified guidance and counselling as one of the areas requiring support. Where guidance and counselling services are available in schools, they remain largely informal, inconsistent and under-resourced. In many cases, teachers are assigned counselling roles without professional training or sufficient time to address the complex issues affecting learners. As a result, the support provided is often inadequate and lacks the structure and professionalism required to address modern psychological challenges.

As corporal punishment remains banned and children become more aware of their rights, guidance and counselling becomes an important channel for reaching children in schools. Children, particularly teenagers, experience a period of storm and stress characterised by mixed reactions, being happy at one moment and extremely sad at another. Their reactions to situations are likely to be intense and volatile, while parents may be too busy to give them quality time and attention.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, the responsibility is left squarely on the shoulders of teachers to help students make decisions about aspects that affect their lives. Therefore, this necessitates strengthening guidance and counselling programmes in schools. For this reason, this Motion proposes introducing mandatory, structured, and timetabled guidance and counselling programmes in all public and private primary and secondary schools across the country, implemented through the Ministry of Education. This programme will ensure that learners have access to trained counsellors who can provide professional psychosocial support, life skills, education and intervention when problems arise.

Early intervention during the formative years of a child's development is essential in preventing long-term psychological harm and guiding learners towards responsibility. A child's foundation is very important. I remember when we were being brought up we would go through counselling in churches. I also call on churches to provide counselling sessions for children. When children grow up knowing God, it plays a very important role in their lives.

Second, the Motion proposes developing a National Policy Framework for recruiting, accrediting, and deploying professionally trained school counsellors. This will ensure that counselling services in our schools are delivered by qualified individuals equipped with the expertise to support learners effectively.

Third, the Motion calls for integrating mental health education, child protection awareness, personal safety training, and life skills development into the curriculum. These elements align with the goals of the CBC, developed by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD). It seeks to nurture not only academic excellence but also emotional intelligence, resilience and responsible decision-making.

A structured counselling programme will also help address serious national concerns such as drug and substance abuse among young people through education and early detection. We know exactly what is happening because of social media, mobile phones, and television. Through education and early detection, schools can work closely with institutions such as the

National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) to protect our learners from addiction and harmful influences. Additionally, proper counselling services will strengthen discipline and reduce cases of school unrest. Many student strikes and indiscipline arise from unresolved frustration, emotional distress, or lack of communication between learners and school authorities. Providing professional support systems will help learners express their concerns constructively and resolve conflicts peacefully.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, the Motion further calls for adequate allocation of resources to support counselling services and the establishment of clear referral mechanisms between schools, child protection institutions and other relevant Government agencies. Such coordination will ensure that cases of abuse, neglect or serious psychological distress are handled promptly and professionally.

This Motion safeguards our children's well-being. It recognises that education is not only about books and examinations but also about nurturing healthy, confident and emotionally stable individuals who can contribute positively to society. If we fail to address the psychological and social challenges learners face today, we risk raising a generation that is academically trained and emotionally unsupported. If we act now, we will build a stronger education system that protects, guides and empowers every child in our country.

I will conclude by stating that despite the many challenges school guidance and counselling face in Kenya, there is a consensus that they play an important role in students’ development, as evidenced by numerous calls from the Government to implement them. Further, given the volatile situation in Kenyan primary and secondary schools today. the Ministry of Education and its stakeholders must strengthen guidance and counselling by providing teacher counsellors to every public school, facilitating their training, and providing the necessary resources to enable them to perform their duties. I, therefore, urge this honourable House to support this Motion and commit ourselves to creating a safe, supportive, and nurturing learning environment for all Kenyan learners.

I beg to move the Motion and request Hon. Murugara to second. I thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

of them involved classrooms being set ablaze, and at times, we lost lives, which is absolutely worrying and alarming.

In September 2024, the country was shaken by the tragic fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County, where 21 young learners lost their lives. If we look into the history, tragedies such as the Kyanguli Secondary School fire claimed 67 young lives in 2001. A dormitory was deliberately set on fire by fellow students. We cannot overlook what recently happened in Utumishi Academy. Further back, we had a school in Meru, St. Kizito Secondary School, where a similar incident took place, and we lost lives. This may be from fire tragedies, riots and boys in neighbouring schools attacking girls' schools. We must ask ourselves the vital question: what is the root cause of all this?

These tragedies are not isolated incidents but are warning signals to us. These are young people whom we say, from time to time, are the leaders of tomorrow. They are seated in the Public Gallery today, but they will sit in this hallowed Chamber tomorrow. They will be Members of Parliament representing various constituencies and counties, as provided for in our Constitution. Research and parliamentary reports have consistently shown that unresolved student grievances, peer pressure, examination anxiety, drug abuse, and poor communication between the students and the administration often trigger school unrest. In many schools today, guidance and counselling exist only on paper. In reality, teachers already overwhelmed with teaching duties are expected to double up as counsellors without proper training, facilities, or support. That is the problem that has been noted.

In all schools today, a teacher is designated as the guidance and counsellor teacher. However, that teacher may have no training whatsoever, is loaded with subjects in classrooms, and has no time to talk meaningfully to these young people. This is why I thank the Member for Nyeri Town, Hon. Rahab Mukami, very much. As an astute mother, she has brought a Motion that cares for children and our future generation. This is highly important and commendable.

Our learners are navigating complex challenges in schools, such as mental health struggles like anxiety and depression, especially because of exams. That is not the only challenge. Even during our time of yore, we would actually get damn scared when exams were near. Sometimes we could go on a rampage, not just in schools, but also in university. Students would riot, trying to find ways to avoid exams. So, challenges are not limited to these youngsters; they have always been there.

Drugs and substance abuse are another challenge which our children knowingly or unknowingly engage in. Sometimes it happens because they are not guided and counselled. Sometimes parents abandon their roles of caring for their children by not checking what they eat and drink, among other things.

We have bullying and cyberbullying. Molesting children in school, what we used to call ‘monos’ those days, used to happen. I am sure it does not exist anymore. When it used to occur, it would put students and pupils under great pressure. We have other social vices that come along, including family breakdowns and domestic violence. A father attacking a mother, or a mother attacking a father, in the presence of youngsters. That is a very bad example, which is really traumatising to young people. Children do not want to see their parents fighting, and they should never have to. We should discourage ourselves from doing these things, especially in front of our children, because it affects them.

We also have relationships that start when students are very young. They may lead to young girls' pregnancies. There is also career confusion and fear of academic failure. This is where parents insist that their children should become doctors even when a child may not have the ability to be one. Instead, they may be one of the best musicians in the country. This is why CBC is commendable to a great extent, because it tries to identify a young child's talent and save them. But before that happens, parents insist that their children become lawyers,

engineers, or other highly regarded professionals, without caring about talent. This is why we need professional support from school counsellors who receive regular training. The Government should make it mandatory to train guidance and counselling teachers so that children in primary and secondary schools are supported. Once that is done, it will be much easier to support them in university. This is because when they enter university, most of them are of the age of majority. That said, we can guide them.

What does this guidance and counselling programme ensure? It ensures that every learner has access to professional psychological support; schools establish structured counselling programmes, and teachers are trained in basic counselling and mentorship skills. It also ensures that students will have safe spaces to express grievances before they escalate into unrest. This is an absolutely very important Motion. I commend Hon. Mukami for this good work and urge this house to pass the Motion, and we move on to take care of our children.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, I beg to second.

had there been a programme of guidance and counselling in the school. Maybe they had one, maybe they did not. So, this is a very important Motion. I wish that once we pass it, it can be turned into a Bill so that it becomes mandatory.

We have issues every other day. We hear about mental health challenges even among adults. What about young children in school? We need to get teachers to take courses. We also need to strengthen whatever programmes exist within the Ministry of Education. Once we get that in place, we may not eliminate what young children are suffering from, but we may reduce what they are going through. So, I join Hon. Mukami in supporting this Motion.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

need. They also have enough space in the classrooms and can do what they want to do. But in public schools, and we know this because of where we come from, we have overcrowded classrooms. A few teachers are trying to teach students. We also have challenges relating to new technology in all public schools. Poor infrastructure also affects the students.

Sometimes when our students get sick, especially young girls, they miss classes. When they are on their monthly periods, they sometimes end up missing classes because of the challenges they face. When they miss classes, we all know very well that when they come back, they face some challenges. Therefore, we should, as a government, propose the improvement of physical structures in every school so that every school will have a good number of students in every class. When it comes to sickness or any other health issue that may force a student to miss classes, they should get the necessary advice or counselling so that they can cope with the situation.

Another challenge is financial stress. Some of our students or young people come from very humble backgrounds, and there are conflicts at home. Students from single-parent families, or those raised by single mothers face different challenges because their school fees are not paid on time. They may also be bullied because of their social challenges and other related issues. In fact, together with counselling, we should suggest how we can overcome some of these challenges, including financial challenges. This will enable the management of schools to be careful and ensure that our students do not face challenges as a result of such circumstances.

I support this Motion and agree with Hon. Rahab that we introduce mandatory, structured and timetabled guidance and counselling programmes in all public and private primary and secondary schools in Kenya. We should also allocate adequate resources to support counselling services in schools. When we do not have enough finances, these students face challenges.

In addition, we have church-sponsored schools. We also have nearby churches and mosques that can provide counselling programmes as the Government plans to implement this initiative. This is a responsibility that belongs to all parents, teachers and the Government. Let us not leave it to the schools alone. It is a shared responsibility. Let us try to mould our young people so that they can become better people in future and lead this country with a lot of respect. We congratulate our young people for their performance and everything. Let us pray that this Motion will be implemented.

taught on how to behave. Now that we have done away with FGM, I want to ask those who are still practising it to stop; there is an alternative way of dealing with the youth. That is where the church can come in to support and counsel our youth.

The same applies in schools but as Hon. Rahab has put it very clearly, counselling is done everywhere and anyhow. Even our mothers, including ourselves, talk to our youth, but we are not trained. Sometimes, they may not be in a position to let us know what they are going through, including our own children. You will realise that they may not open up, but when a trained counsellor comes in, they will be in a position to open up. This is where the Government is being asked, through the Ministry, to introduce mandatory, structured and timetabled guidance and counselling programmes in all schools; not only public schools, but also private schools, both at primary and secondary levels. When they reach university and college, at least the burden will have been lifted.

I also want to support the fact that cases of sexual violence against children are on the rise. Some of our minors have been abused or even killed by individuals known to them or even those who are not known to them, including relatives. I say this with a lot of heaviness in my heart because on Saturday 15th at 10.00 a.m., two bodies were found in a sugarcane plantation in Soliat Ward of Kericho County. The bodies were those of Victor Kipkoech, an 18-year-old form four student, and Patricia Chepkoech, a Form Three student. These bodies were found after the two had been killed, and at least three or four people have been arrested in connection with the incident. It is very painful that a student who was supposed to sit for examinations is no more. Whether they had a relationship or not, we only know that they were killed. Therefore, when we talk of minors being killed by individuals known or unknown to them, such incidences also traumatise students in schools.

We should not forget the cases of unrest in our schools and incidents of fire that occur in our schools. All this tells us that counselling services are needed like yesterday and, therefore, a national policy framework should be provided. It should be provided, and trained personnel in schools should be part of the people we have. This can only happen when resources are allocated. Adequate resources should be allocated to the counselling departments and services in schools. Some schools do not even have a room or an office for a counsellor. That office should be located away from the general school environment or in a place that is conducive for students to seek counselling services. If it is located in a place where everybody can see, these students may not even seek the counselling services. I support this and say that our students need support. Parents, on the other hand, need support. I am saying this because some parents are not in a position to provide counselling and need support from trained personnel.

We also realise that the many cases of school unrest, emotional distress and even poor academic performance can cause our students to become traumatised and stressed. Some of our parents, because they do not understand, will always make noise at our children. When that happens, they can even take their own lives. I already have a case. Last week, a student was buried because the father had complained and made noise at this student, saying, “you are not performing well. You are doing this and that.” The child felt that there was no other option. He took his own life, which is another loss to us. In this case, I feel we need to make these services mandatory. I want to insist that, as a House, we support this Motion, and I would ask Hon. Rahab to move this one beyond being just a Motion. If we can have it in the form of a Bill, it will help us to sort out these issues. Indeed, I support it, and I feel that teachers will appreciate this. The community will appreciate the same. Once more, I support.

population of this country to grow from infancy. Why do I say this? Our children grow to become adults. We are leaving this country to them. We must start asking ourselves: What kind of people are we leaving behind? Schools are the factories for generating the strong population of any nation and so, abandoning our children at that age becomes a very serious issue in the future. Many of us who are seated here are beneficiaries of traditional upbringing. We are also beneficiaries of a time when schools were owned by the community, and not just by parents and teachers. We are beneficiaries of strong religious and cultural upbringing. We are beneficiaries of a system of education that emphasised patriotism, professional growth and how to become successful in the future.

We are now in an era where parents are absent from home. Where do our children get advice? I want to congratulate our mothers, because when the fathers have disappeared, mothers have always been there. Congratulations to our mothers. When you go to school meetings, you find mothers. You go to schools and find that it is the grandparents who are taking care of our children. That kind of child should be treated in a very special way.

What am I saying? This Motion is trying to fill a gap that needs to be addressed. There is a problem. There is a serious problem. There are cases of suicide, school unrest, school dropouts, either because of pregnancy or simply desertion, cases of early marriages, and cases where we have seen some young people involved in crime, drug abuse, stealing and so on. If counselling is going to help, then we need to support it. I support it because the children have been left to the parents, and some of those parents are absent.

Counselling is very important because our Constitution created a serious gap. It gave our children a lot of rights. Even basic discipline has now vanished because parents, teachers and the community feel that if you touch a child, the Constitution says this is what is going to happen. We are dealing with an environment that is not very good. This element of private schools versus public schools is another issue. We have to create a community of patriotic Kenyans where respect is a key factor. There is war everywhere, in newspapers, on television and at political rallies. We have left our children wondering which one they should follow. We need to promote our children to become very good citizens. This is one very important Motion that we need to support if we are ready to rescue the future generation of this country.

This issue of the Gen Z uprising could be a result of our failure to mould our children to become patriotic, so that they see everything through politics. It is high time we started addressing how these children can change their behaviour. There are issues of discipline and the emotional well-being of our children. How do we deal with stress among our children? Anxiety? Family problems are too many. All these Members of Parliament tell us every day that they are dealing with an issue related to family conflict. The churches are dealing with issues of family conflict every week.

If you look at some areas, there is poor performance. How do we address the issue of improving academic performance in some schools? I have a very important case, and I want you to hear this. I have an orphan who scored an A- (minus), and she desired to study medicine and surgery. But now she cannot be admitted because of limited spaces in universities for medicine and surgery. The child is now being forced to study chemistry at the university. This is a child who would want to pursue a career in medicine but the society and the Government does not give her an opportunity because of limited space. I am sure this child will be stressed as she grows up.

We have to guard our children from exploitation. Some of them are being taken advantage of because of poverty. Poverty has become a very serious issue. Some of our children, both boys and girls, are being sexually exploited. There is no money. We have to be close to these children and start teaching them how to survive. We have to guide them how to walk together as a community. Poor and vulnerable children are a concern to all of us. Hon.

Members, when you see unrest, it is not because these children are clueless or they do not belong. It is because of the absence of something.

I challenge the Ministry of Education and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to take the first lead. They should not wait until Members of Parliament come up with a Motion or a Bill to make counselling mandatory. Hon. Rahab Mukami has come forward because the Ministry of Education has failed to address the issue. Hon. Murugara has come forth because TSC has failed to address this matter. The failures of the society and absence of parents are issues that need to be addressed by this Government and all of us. This has come at the right time and we really need to be careful with what we are leaving behind. I fear for our children and for the next generation. We have this opportunity to bring change. I thank the Broad-Based Government for championing change today because these are some of the issues it is addressing. I support His Excellency the President in ensuring that quality assurance is being restored in primary schools.

When you speak about career, especially in the CBC era, many students do not know where they want to go. The 8-4-4 curriculum was a bit predictable. If you got certain grades, it determined the course you would study but with today’s CBE curriculum, students might end up misplacing themselves in careers. Therefore, guidance and counselling will enable teachers to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the children. They will properly guide them to exactly what they need to pursue as a career. We are also likely to face another challenge. Because of the different pathways under this new curriculum, students or pupils will find themselves in a school that is pursuing a different pathway and sometimes that pathway does not match their strength or their area of interest. Therefore, they need to undergo guidance and counselling to know whether they need to change their school or whether they need to align accordingly.

I do not want to speak much, but I congratulate my colleague, the Member who has brought this very timely intervention. I urge my colleagues to support this so that when the students open, this is made mandatory. We will see a lot of improvement. When we were in school, there was civic education. Civic education taught us patriotism and similar lessons. It was mandatory even when we were in primary school but today it is not. Guidance and counselling will also teach our students how to be patriotic and how to respect their parents and leaders. It will teach them how to carry themselves going forward so that they do not copy every other thing they see on the internet.

With those very few remarks, Hon. Deputy Speaker, I beg to support this and I wish that all my colleagues also support this so that it can go through. Thank you.

kuelewa kile anachotaka kufanya kisha akifika mbele, badala ya kupoteza pesa za mzazi na muda wake pia, anabadilika na kudai kuwa hataki kile anachosomea. Hii inatokana na kukosa kusaidiwa kufanya uamuzi mzuri.

Nasaha katika shule pia husaidia wanafunzi kuelewa changamoto zao na kupata msaada unaotakikana. Mwanafunzi akiwa na matatizo fulani kisha apate nasaha, ataelewa changamoto zake mwenyewe. Wakati mwingine, hawawezi kujielewa wasipoelezwa. Akishajitambua na kujielewa, anaweza kupata msaada unaostahili. Kwa mfano, saa zingine hutokea mwanafunzi hajui ugonjwa umefika mapema au ameathirika na ugonjwa fulani. Mwanafunzi yule huenda akawa na shida nyingi shuleni kumbe yatokana na matatizo ya kiafya. Akipata nasaha na kuelezwa kuwa haya ni mambo ya kawaida, atajielewa na kupata matibabu mapema na ataendelea vyema maishani.

Wakati mwingine, mwanafunzi anaweza akapata mimba ya mapema. Hatutaki mimba za mapema lakini ikishatokea, hakuna haja kufanya dhambi kubwa zaidi kwa kuavya mimba au kujiua. Akipata nasaha, atajua namna ya kupata msaada.

Nampongeza sana Mhe. Rahab Mukami kwa kuleta hii Hoja nzuri sana kwenye Bunge. Kaunti ya Nyeri haikukosea kumleta hapa. Nawasihi wamlete tena na tena. Mbeleni, tunataka achaguliwe kama Gavana wa Nyeri. Ahsante, Mhe. Spika wa Muda.

banned corporal punishment but we did not have a way of replacing the role of corporal punishment in the education sector. I agree that corporal punishment was retrogressive…

(Hon. Babu Owino and other Members consulted loudly)

Hon. Babu Owino, please continue with your consultations but make sure that the laughter is not that loud so that you do not disturb the Member for Nyeri Town.

changamoto nyingi sana. Madawa ya kulevya yameweza kuingia katika shule zetu na watoto wetu wanayatumia.

Mitandao imechangia katika ushawishi; uwe mzuri ama mbaya katika maisha ya wanafunzi. Vilevile, kuna changamoto za kijamii. Katika jamii zetu utapata ndoa nyingi zimevunjika. Hivyo basi, watoto wanabaki na mzazi mmoja, iwe mama ama baba, hii inakua changamoto kubwa sana. Wanafunzi wanaopitia changamoto hii nyumbani na hawawezi kuizungumzia kuna uwezekano wakawa wanahitaji ushauri.

Pia, kuna changamoto za kiuchumi. Watoto wengine wamezaliwa katika hali ya umaskini sana, hivyo basi, wanapata msongamano wa mawazo na changamoto kubwa katika elimu yao. Mwongozo na ushauri unasaidia nini kwa wanafunzi wetu? Tunaona kwamba hata katika kuchagua masomo ambayo wataendelea nayo, lazima wapate ushauri na mwongozo. Iwapo wanataka kusomea taaluma fulani kule mbele baada ya masomo, lazima wapate mwongozo ili wajue kuwa ni masomo gani watatia bidii na kuyapa kipaumbele ili waweze kufikia shabaha yao.

Vilevile, tunaweza kusema kwamba mwongozo na ushauri hazitawawezesha kufanya maamuzi sahihi. Mwanafunzi akiwa na msongamano wa mawazo ufikie hata kiwango cha depression, yaani msongamano wa mawazo ambao unaleta hitilafu ya kiakili, hali hiyo inaweza kuwachochea kutaka kujitoa uhai. Inaweza pia kupelekea kupigana na kuleta uhasama shuleni. Hivyo basi, lazima waweze kupata ushauri.

Katika mambo ya kuacha dawa za kulevya, lazima watoto hawa wapatiwe mwongozo na ushauri kwa sababu si rahisi. Iwapo mtoto ameingilia dawa za kulevya na zimemwingia sana katika mwilini na kwenye damu, lazima apewe ushauri na dawa ambazo atatumia na aelezewe kwa nini inafaa awache matumizi hayo.

Tumeona matukio mengi sana. Juzi tuliona shule moja ambapo wanafunzi na walimu walikuwa wakipigana mawe— walimu walikuwa wamejificha pale wakirusha mawe, na wanafunzi nao wakirusha mawe. Taswira kama hiyo ni mbaya sana katika jamii yetu na katika taifa letu. Taswira kama hiyo haiwezi kukoma kama hatutashauri na kuwapa nasaha wanafunzi na walimu wetu. Ikiwa hivi, walimu wanafunzi na wazazi wataweza kushirikiana vizuri. Yote haya yatawezekana tukiweza kuwapa nasaha vile inavyostahili.

Nataka nizungumzie suala la kuongeza ujasiri. Mwanafunzi lazima awe na ujasiri katika mambo ya kielimu. Je, atapata vipi ujasiri? Ujasiri unakuja kwa kupatiwa mwongozo, ushauri, mifano na kuelezewa na wale waliowatangulia. Wanaweza kuwashauri kulikuwa vipi na vile walivyofanya ili wakaweza kutimiza malengo yao. Jambo kama hili ni muhimu sana. Tutajuaje hisia za wanafunzi, ilhali wanafunzi ni wengi na kila mwanafunzi ana tabia zake? Kila mwanafunzi huwa na hisia kuhusu jambo fulani. Lakini ukimuita mwanafunzi na umshauri, utajua hisia zake ziko wapi. Hata ikiwa amepangwa kuwa na hisia mbaya, hisia nzito ama kupanga matukio mabaya, akishauriwa mtu ataweza kubaini kuwa mambo hayako sawa na kunaweza kuwa na hatari.

Lazima tuweze kutoa ushauri na mwongozo ili kuepuka vishawishi vingi sana vibaya ambavyo sasa hivi vinawapata wanafunzi wetu. Ni vishawishi vya mambo mabaya; yakiwemo, mambo ya masago, samahani, mambo ya ushoga. Haya ni mambo yanayotokana na vishawishi vingi kama vile mitandao, marafiki, na mambo mengine. Karne hii ni tata sana. Inaleta mambo mengi sana. Bila mwongozo na ushauri, kizazi chetu kichanga kitapotea sana na tutakuwa tunapoteza taifa letu la Kenya.

Pia, tunataka kutoa ushauri na mwongozo ili kuleta uadilifu. Ili kuwezesha nafasi ya mtu kuwa na uadilifu, lazima kuwe na ushauri na mwongozo. Tunapozungumzia mambo ya ushauri na mwongozo, lazima tuweke mikakati ya kuhakikisha kwamba jambo hili litafanyika, litafana na litakuwa endelevu. Tumekuwa tukizungumza mambo haya mengi sana. Tumeshuhudia matukio mengi sana na visa vingi sana ambapo shule zinachomwa. Kwa nini shule zichomwe moto? Kwa nini wanafunzi wachome wenzao? Kwa nini ifikie kiwango

ambacho mwanafunzi awashe moto na mabweni yachomeke na watoto wachomeke? Haya yanafanyika kwa sababu ya ukosefu wa ushauri.

Vitu vidogo sana vinaweza kuwapatia watoto hisia kali sana. Kwa mfano, mwalimu labda alisema walete pesa ili waweze kuwapeleka mbuga ya wanyama, halafu pengine ile tarehe walikuwa wasafiri isongeshwe mwezi ujao, jambo hilo linaweza kuleta hisia kali na watoto wakaweza kuwa na hasira na kuchoma shule. Iwapo tutakuwa na washauri, wataweza kuwashauri watoto hao ili waweze kuelewa kwa nini tarehe ilibadilishwa.

Tutaweza kuepuka hasara nyingi sana ambazo zinatokea katika shule zetu na pia hasara nyingi pia zinazotokea nyumbani mwetu kupitia hawa wanafunzi wetu ambao ni watoto wetu. Mimi nataka kusema kwamba elimu ya ushauri na mwongozo, licha ya kwamba kwa sasa tunazungumzia masuala ya shule, pia tuweze kuangalia taasisi zetu za Serikali. Kwa mfano, Jeshi, ni miongoni mwa taasisi zinazolinda taifa letu, ilhali tunafahamu kwamba wanapitia changamoto nyingi sana. Vivyo hivyo, maafisa wetu wa polisi wanakabiliwa na changamoto nyingi sana. Taasisi hizi zote zinahitaji ushauri ili tuweze kuepuka mambo tunayoyasikia, kama vile askari kupigana kwa risasi, au askari mwanamke ampiga risasi mume wake, na matukio mengi kama hayo. Wakati mwingine unasikia askari amepiga risasi tu kiholela.

Kwa hivyo, swali hili la mwongozo na ushauri ni zito sana. Katika shule, kuna tatizo la unyanyasaji yaani bullying. Hata mimi nilishuhudia bullying nilipokuwa shule ya upili. Tuliambiwa kwamba sisi ni wapya na wachanga, hatujui mambo, na kwamba lazima tuonyeshwe mipango. Katika hali kama hiyo, kuna maonevu mengi na kudhalilishwa. Watoto wengine wana moyo dhaifu, na wakifanyiwa mambo kama haya, wanaona uonevu mwingi sana na kupandwa na hisia nyingi. Hii inaweza kusababisha baadhi yao kufanya jambo mbaya kama kujitoa uhai.

Najua kwamba sasa hivi shule zina matroni katika mabweni ya shule, lakini hawatoshi. Utakuta matroni mmoja tu kwa bweni nzima. Mmoja hawezi kutoa ushauri na mwongozo kwa wanafunzi wote. Kwa hivyo, tuhakikishe tuna washauri wa kutosha na fedha za kuwakimu. Pia, tuweke miundo misingi ili kuwezesha na kuendeleza jambo hili na si kwa shule pekee, bali pia kwa taasisi zote za kiserikali na hata zile za kibinafsi. Hata hapa kazini tunapofanya kazi, kuna mambo mengi sana. Wakati mwingine watu wanatoka nyumbani baada ya kugombana na waume au wake wao, na wanabeba huzuni hiyo mpaka kazini. Hivyo basi, kunakuwa na msongo wa mawazo na migogoro.

Nashukuru sana Mheshimiwa Rahab kwa kuleta Hoja hii muhimu. Ahsante sana.

kazi wanayoifanya walimu wetu sasa hivi, lakini hatuwezi kuwabebeshea mzigo mwingine wa mwongozo na ushauri. Tume ya Huduma za Walimu iajiri wataalamu wanaojua kazi hii. Walimu wabaki kufundisha tu.

Mhe. Spika wa Muda, wataalamu hawa lazima wawe na sifa fulani. Lazima wawe wacheshi, friendly, waelewe saikolojia ya watoto, na waweze kutangamana nao, ili watoto wapate urahisi wa kuzungumza na kufungua matatizo wanayoyapitia. Nikiangazia Malindi na Kaunti ya Kilifi, asilimia 15.9 ya wanafunzi wetu wanaugua ugonjwa wa msongo wa mawazo (unyogovu) au depression kwa kimombo. Asilimia 10.9 wanaishi na kiwewe na wasiwasi wa kupitiliza, kwa kimombo anxiety.

Vile vile, inasikitisha na kutisha zaidi kwamba asilimia 40.2 ya wasichana wetu waliobalehe wamewahi kufikiria na kujaribu kujitoa uhai. Nikikumbuka vizuri, kuanzia mwaka jana hadi sasa, tumezika zaidi ya watu nane waliojitoa uhai kwa sababu ya msongo wa mawazo. Kati ya hao wanane, mmoja alikuwa mwanafunzi, naye alijitoa uhai kwa sababu ya shida kama hizi.

Vile vile, sisi kama wazazi tufanye wajibu wetu, na walimu wafanye wajibu wao. Tukiweka wataalamu watakaowasaidia watoto kwa mwongozo na ushauri, matatizo kama haya ya msongo wa mawazo, wasiwasi, na fikira za kujiua, angalau watapata nafasi ya kuzungumza na asilimia kubwa itapata msaada.

Huko Malindi, Kaunti ya Kilifi, inasikitisha kusema kwamba asilimia 12 ya wasichana wenye umri wa miaka 15 hadi 19 wamepata ujauzito na wamekuwa akina mama. Wataalamu kama hawa wakishirikiana na kujadiliana na watoto hawa, idadi hii itapungua. Tunataka kujua ni sababu gani zinazofanya watoto kupata mimba za mapema. Tunataka watu wanaoweza kuzungumza nao na kujenga urafiki nao, ili kuhakikisha kwamba tatizo hili la mimba za mapema linaangaliwa kwa makini.

Hapa Pwani, tuna tatizo ya dawa za kulevya. Takwimu zinaonyesha kwamba asilimia 84 ya watumiaji wa dawa za kulevya katika ukanda wetu wameingiziwa katika matumizi ya bangi, muguka na miraa. Uraibu kama huu huanzia shuleni. Kwa hivyo, ni muhimu kwa jambo hili kulazimishwa na kuwekwa katika orodha yetu ya mada za kushughulikia ili watoto wasaidiwe.

Ijapokuwa tunaunga mkono Hoja hii ili tupate wataalamu watakaowasaidia wanafunzi wetu, haimaanishi kwamba tusahau wajibu wetu kama wazazi. Watoto ni wetu. Sisi ndio tunaowazaa. Ikiwa mpango huu utaendelea, natoa wito kwa wazazi wenzangu kwamba wajibu wa mtoto ni wako wewe kwanza. Sisi wazazi tuwajibike na tukubali majukumu yetu. Tukae na tuzungumze na watoto wetu. Kama Serikali, tuweke wataalamu watakaowasaidia watoto wetu kwa mwongozo na ushauri. Ushauri wangu ni kwamba tuungane kama Wabunge na tupitishe Hoja hii ili TSC iajiri wataalamu hawa, na tusaidie watoto wetu.

PROVISION OF SUPPLEMENTARY SECURITY SERVICES BY NYS GRADUATES

THAT, aware that approximately 18,000 youth graduate from the National Youth Service (NYS) annually; further aware that, Article 55 of the Constitution requires the State to take measures, including affirmative action programmes to ensure that the youth access training, employment and opportunities to participate fully in the social, economic and political life of the nation; appreciating that, the Government has in the recent years rolled out deliberate programmes aimed at equipping NYS graduates with skills for employment into the disciplined services and key sectors which include

agriculture, construction and security; noting that, government institutions continue to engage private security firms to supplement uniformed officers in providing security services, thereby incurring significant recurrent expenditure; further noting that, the NYS graduates possess foundational training in discipline, security awareness, public service ethics and emergency response, making them suitable for deployment within government institutions; recognising that, there is need to have a balanced approach that promotes youth employment through structured engagement of the NYS graduates, while preserving opportunities for private security firms to continue to operate and partner with government institutions; this House, therefore, resolves that the national Government develops and implements a policy framework and guidelines to steer government ministries, departments, agencies, on–

1. (a) prioritisation of engagement of the National Youth Service graduates to provide supplementary security services to public entities;
2. (b) the criteria for determination of a formula for allotment of a quota of provision of security services in public entities to the NYS graduates, and private security services firms; and
3. (c) modalities for structured recruitment, deployment and terms of service, including remuneration, training and career progression for NYS graduates engaged to provide supplementary security to government entities.

FORMULATION OF NATIONAL POLICY ON POWER SUBSIDIES FOR EXPORT AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION

THAT, aware that agriculture remains the backbone of Kenya’s economy, contributing substantially to the GDP, rural employment, and foreign exchange earnings, with key export crops such as coffee, tea, avocados, cut flowers, macadamia nuts, cashew nuts, and related horticultural produce collectively accounting for a significant share of the country’s total export value; further aware that these commodities are largely produced for the export market, positioning Kenya as a global leader in cut-flower exports, one of Africa’s largest producers and exporters of avocados and macadamia nuts, and a major supplier of tea and coffee; noting that the commencement of duty-free access to the Chinese market for these products effective May 2026 presents a historic opportunity to widely expand export earnings, create thousands of rural jobs, promote value addition, and strengthen the country’s position in global agricultural trade; concerned that the high cost of electricity in Kenya, as evidenced by commercial and industrial rates significantly exceeding those of regional competitors such as Ethiopia and Tanzania, continues to erode the competitiveness of export-oriented agriculture by inflating the costs of critical operations such as irrigation, cold-chain storage and logistics, processing, drying, grading, packaging, and other value-addition activities essential for meeting stringent international quality, food safety, and phytosanitary

standards; cognisant that affordable and reliable power supply is a critical input for smallholder farmers, farmer cooperatives, aggregators, and agro-processors engaged in these export crops; further cognisant that the lack of targeted electricity subsidies has led to reduced profitability, discouraged investment in modern technologies such as solar-assisted irrigation and energy-efficient cold rooms, and increased vulnerability to global price volatility and climate shocks; acknowledging that whereas, the National Energy Policy 2025–2034 and the Policy Framework for Sustainable Financing and Subsidy Management in Agriculture provide a broad foundation for targeted interventions, no specific mechanisms exist on subsidised electricity tariffs exclusively for export- oriented agricultural production, processing, and related infrastructure; now therefore, this House resolves that the Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum formulates a National Policy on Power Subsidies for Export- Oriented Agricultural Production that provides for tiered electricity tariff subsidies including off-peak and time-of-use rates, exclusively for registered producers, cooperatives, processors and exporters of coffee, tea, avocados, cut flowers, macadamia nuts, cashew nuts and other designated export crops.

STREAMLINING ADMISSION, CAPITATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE IN SENIOR SCHOOLS

Education, in collaboration with other relevant Government agencies and stakeholders—

1. (a) Recalibrates the education capitation formula to reflect actual infrastructural capacity and ensure that schools receive proportional and equitable capitation so as to incentivise enrolment diversification and achieve equitable distribution of learners across the school categories;
2. (b) develops and enforces guidelines for capping the number of streams per category of schools at a maximum of 10 for C-1 schools, eight for C-2, five for C-3, and three for C-4 schools, with each stream not exceeding 40 students; and
3. (c) implements a targeted and accelerated infrastructure upgrade programme in C-3 and C-4 schools, including classrooms, laboratories, ICT hubs, boarding, sanitation and amenities so as to achieve infrastructure standardisation across all categories of schools, safeguard the quality of education, and systematically eliminate overcrowding in C-1 and C-2 schools.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, this House is aware that cases of fires in schools, including the most recent one at Utumishi Girls Academy, make the headlines in this country but shortly after, the country moves on. As a country, we have never bothered to address the root cause of the problems we face in our schools. After the school fires, we heard Ministry officials saying that part of the reason for our problem is the 100 per cent transition. There is nothing further from the truth, because the number of secondary schools in Kenya can still comfortably absorb and accommodate all the students who transition from the primary level.

Kenya has 9,500 secondary schools today. They are split into four categories: C1 schools, 204; C2, 692; C3, 1,373; and C4, 7,234. The appetite towards feeling that all students need to go to C1 schools is where our problem begins. If the Ministry and the Government put concerted efforts to ensure that we improve infrastructure in all our schools, because the teachers are the same and have similar qualifications, then we will avert these problems. The appetite for us to have our children in boarding schools separates the parents from the children and sometimes parents do not know the behavioural change of their very own children.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, money follows the child in the current capitation system. Some schools have even resorted to examination cheating to be seen to be performing well to attract students, therefore turning our schools into business centres. A school with 3,000 students has one football pitch, one dining hall with a capacity of less than 1,000, no basketball court, and no swimming pool. All these add to the pressure, whereby children do not have places to engage in extracurricular activities, which help them ease the academic pressure they experience on a day-to-day basis in schools as well as the pressure from their parents to perform.

Education is not our business, but we are all aware that some principals in this country have seen an opportunity in the schools. If this Motion is adopted and implemented, C1 schools will only be allowed to admit not more than 400 students in Grade 10. If this is done for three consecutive years, enrolment at a C1 school will not exceed 1,200 students, a C2 school will not exceed 960 students, a C3 school will not exceed 600 students, and C4 will not exceed 360 students. This will ensure that schools that currently have only 20 students start getting more students and, therefore, capitation will follow them. This will mean C1 schools will be receiving a maximum of Ksh26 million in capitation as per the Government policy of Ksh22,000 per student. Currently, a C1 school with over 2,500 students receives more than Ksh55 million. Meanwhile, a C4 school with 60 students receives only Ksh1.3 million. There

is no way we can improve these schools if we do not have students in them, because capitation will always follow the child.

We now have a number of C1 schools where the principal runs a budget that is more than three constituencies combined. In a school with 3,500 students, capitation alone from the Government is Ksh77 million. Add the money they collect from students to buy uniforms, at around Ksh20,000 per student, which is another Ksh70 million. Remedial classes and other activities that they charge, which are never fully accounted for, exceed Ksh52 million. The school fees for a C1 school are normally over Ksh120,000 per child, which amounts to Ksh420 million. Therefore, such a school alone should even have its principal appearing before committees of Parliament to account for the public funds because at some point, such a school receives in the tune of Ksh1 billion in a year.

These inequalities are what has led Government officials to determine the amount to allocate a school upon visiting them and seeing the magnitude of the school. They decide to perhaps give a school Ksh100 million yet there is a school in one of the constituencies that does not have a single laboratory. If this Motion is adopted, we will have an equitable distribution of the number of students across the country. We will not have the pressure of children not being adequately attended to due to the sheer number of students and classes. For example, there are schools with 33 streams in Grade 10 alone, with totals of 100 streams. A principal trying to manage over 3,500 students means that the staff population is also big. Therefore, the principal will not only be dealing with students but also handling staffroom politics.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, exam management in some schools is also a nightmare and a headache for the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC). A school with a candidate enrolment of 1,000 students, under the standard spacing requirements, is a nightmare for KNEC. We have severally sat with KNEC, and most of the challenges come from overpopulated schools because their infrastructure is not well suited or designed to handle such numbers during examination periods.

After the school fires took place and a number of students were interviewed, a few issues came up. Firstly, most students said they were not being listened to and that no one paid attention to them. This is understood because if a class has 50 students and a teacher's workload is more than thrice, the class teacher will never have time to interact and get to know what his or her students are up to, what challenges they face, what mental issues they may be having, and what problems they may be carrying from home. Lack of individualized attention is what leads school children to adapt to groupings and peer pressure that easily causes negative influence on them.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, as we have always said, education is not a competition. Education is aimed at imparting knowledge and preparing young people to fit into the society and be productive citizens who will participate in building the nation during their adulthood. Today most schools have been converted into business enterprises. Most schools are seeing how much cereals can be supplied, and how much fees can be collected. So, the boards of management of schools focus on the financial aspects more. If we put a cap on this, we will take education back to what it is supposed to be - where teachers and Boards of Management know that their core role is to educate the child. We need to cut the numbers. We need to have a cap so that if your school is category C1, for instance, the integrated education management system at the Ministry locks you out the moment you hit 400 students in admission. That will allow the students to be absorbed by other schools.

With those remarks, I beg to move and request Hon. Irene Mayaka to second.

Nyamira, for bringing this very important Motion to the House, which I second. It is a Motion that seeks to streamline admission, capitation and infrastructure management in senior schools. As it has been said by the Mover, there are different categorizations of our public schools at the moment. During Grade 10 intakes, we witnessed that some national schools admitted more students than their allowed capacity.

If we do have a structured way of ensuring that student admission to schools in the various categories is capped in terms of the numbers they can take, we will be able to ensure that students are managed better in terms of learning and safety. The environment in which they operate will be better. Even the teacher-student ratio will be manageable. It does not make sense when a school has too many streams. A class teacher may not even know the names of most of his students because they are too many. There will be no personal relationship between a student and a teacher.

The second thing is about the bed capacity in boarding schools. If, for example, a school is supposed to admit 400 Grade 10 students but it ends up admitting 800 students, it means that in some instances, you could even have children sharing beds. This could lead to many of the immoral issues that we are facing. This is very important. Sometimes many students perform well. So, schools do not lock out students who have done well in their exams despite the fact that they may not have the capacity to handle too many students.

Hon. Temporary Speaker, even the quality of meals that our students get in schools is affected because a school that should have 1,000 students has 2,000 students. That means the quality of food that they get is bad. Some of the issues that we have, like the strikes and burning of schools, are as a result of some of these things. It is incumbent upon us, as the National Assembly, to ensure that we ask the Ministry to put in place guidelines and structures that are very specific and cannot be affected by these circumstances. For example, when you look at the university admissions right now, one of the issues that the medical faculty faces is admitting more students than they should in some of the top universities. These are the repercussions and issues that Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) and the different departments within the education system have that cause problems to an extent that people do not receive quality education.

We also need more national schools like Alliance Girls High School, Mangu High School and Precious Blood Secondary School, Riruta across the whole country. If we have them in place, it means that the amount of capitation will dwindle down to the other schools that we have and there will be equitable sharing of resources because money follows functions. Nyamira Boys High School has good infrastructure because a majority of the students in that region go to Nyambaria High School or Sironga Girls High School, which are national schools. The other schools suffer because of lack of capitation.

Hon. Clive Gisairo has brought a very important Motion. He is a Member of the Departmental Committee on Education. I know he has a lot of experience in terms of the feedback they receive from different learning institutions and the State Departments within the education sector on this particular issue. I support the Motion and encourage Hon. Members to support it too, so that it moves forward to the implementation stage. With those few remarks, I second.

Let this House be in the forefront of ensuring that when we pass this Motion by Hon. Gisairo, its implementation is followed to the letter. We do not want to be a House that debates a Motion, passes it unanimously, but there is no follow-up on the same. I would want to see a different scenario come January next year during Grade 10 admission. Every school should admit the capacity that the Ministry has allowed them. If we over-enroll students, even the capitation that will go to such an institution will not match with the number of students. As I support this Motion, I would like to say that let us walk the talk.

Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

we sometimes need to put our foot down. You cannot have schools like Alliance High having more than their fair share simply because funding must correspond to the number of students. We have recently seen student unrest. I heard Hon. Mukami, as I was coming, move a very

good Motion on a mandatory guidance and counselling programme in all primary and secondary schools in Kenya. Why are we counselling yet we are the cause of the problems? We are the ones putting too much pressure. How can one teacher be responsible for 500 students? Those are schools, not political rallies! In that situation, we will have children who will grow up indisciplined. They will not listen to anyone, care about society, or have values because values are no longer inculcated in schools. How can you inculcate values in 4,000 students in a stream?

If we are serious as a country, this should be considered a crisis and dealt with as a crisis. As Parliament, we need to put our foot down. There are too many changes taking place that we, as a country, do not understand. Explain the changes to us before you effect them. What is the purpose of these changes? If something is good, do not change it. You can improve it, but do not change what is working. Whenever we try to change what is working, we create more mess. I want to thank Hon. Gisairo, and hope the Ministry of Education is listening. If it is not, let Parliament put its foot down and deal with it. If we need to go back to the old system, let it be so.

I thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker.

You are welcome to the National Assembly to observe the proceedings of the House. We also have students seated in the Public Gallery from Live and Learn in Kenya Education Centre, Nakuru West Constituency, Nakuru County. You are welcome to the National Assembly to observe the proceedings of the House. Hon. Murugara, you may proceed.

RECRUITMENT AND REMUNERATION OF COMMUNITY HEALTH PROMOTERS

way to compensate what they do for us. A little of the stipends come from the national Government, the rest of it is paid by the county governments and you know county governments, for the umpteenth time, will always complain that they do not have Exchequer, or they do not have money. So, these people have to go for long periods without drawing those very little miserable stipends.

Having looked at what is in the Bottom-Up Economic Transformative Agenda (BETA), such that we look at those who are at the grassroots, I now urge this House to actually consider this Motion in a very favourable manner, which is that we must formulate, as we are going to do for the village elders... I was privileged, on the 28th February 2019, to bring a Motion to this House regarding their remuneration. Today, inasmuch as they do not have remuneration properly scheduled, they do have stipends that are going to them for the very first time since Independence. So, we are making a step forward, and it is this step forward which we now want to extend to the CHPs. They are strewn across the country and they do equivalent amount of work right from the villages to the sub-locations and locations.

We cannot continue to have people rendering a great service to the country without proper facilitation and remuneration. If we do this, then we go against what we have actually sworn to do in our BETA programme for the country, which is what we are anchored on. Therefore, today, we debate right from Article 43 (1) of the Constitution, which provides for Universal Health Care for the country…

ADJOURNMENT

1. 1.00 p.m., this House stands adjourned until this afternoon at 2.30 p.m.

Prepared by:

Directorate of Hansard and Audio Services

Parliament of Kenya.

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Published by:

Clerk of the National Assembly

Parliament Buildings

Nairobi, Kenya.