The National Assembly’s Committee on Education is pushing for urgent reforms in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector after a nationwide inspection of 27 national polytechnics revealed major challenges, including unresolved land ownership issues and lack of basic infrastructure. Speaking during a meeting with the Principal Secretary for TVET, Dr. Esther Muoria, MPs expressed concern that 147 TVET institutions still do not have title deeds, making it difficult to develop the institutions and protect them from land disputes. “Out of the 147, 12 institutions are in court over land matters, 16 are awaiting adjudication, and 37 are…
Author: David Wafula
Public hearings on two important Bills—the Finance Bill 2025 and the Virtual Asset Service Providers Bill 2025—have officially kicked off. The hearings, being held at the Edge Convention Centre in South C, Nairobi, are set to run for two weeks and will involve discussions with both stakeholders and members of the public. The hearings are being led by the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning, chaired by Molo MP Kuria Kimani. Speaking during the first day of the hearings, Kimani clarified that the Finance Bill 2025 is not about introducing new taxes but about cleaning up Kenya’s…
The Ministry of Health is asking for an extra Sh3.65 billion to deploy 5,499 intern healthcare workers across the country. This comes after it emerged that the current budget estimates have only allocated Sh4 billion, falling short of the Sh7.68 billion needed. Appearing before the Budget and Appropriations Committee chaired by Alego Usonga MP Samuel Atandi, Health Committee Chairperson and Seme MP James Nyikal said the funds are urgently needed to honour the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and deploy the interns, who have already completed the balloting process. “The Ministry of Health has proposed the allocation of the Sh3.65 billion…
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested two employees of Mumias Level 4 Hospital in Kakamega County for allegedly demanding and receiving a bribe of Sh200,000 to facilitate payment for medical equipment supplied to the hospital. The suspects—William Mmasava, a Supply Chain Officer, and Linet Kavaya, a Biomedical Engineer—were arrested on May 21, 2025, at the KCB Mumias branch shortly after allegedly receiving the bribe from a supplier. According to EACC, the investigation began after a report was filed on May 16, 2025, by a supplier who had delivered an X-ray scanner worth Sh1.4 million to the hospital. The…
Journalist and former NTV news anchor Smriti Vidyarthi has secured a new job months after leaving Nation Media Group (NMG). In an announcement made on Thursday, May 22, Vidyarthi revealed that she has joined The Nature Conservancy (TNC), a global environmental organization. She will serve as the Executive Communications Officer for Africa. “I’m turning the mic and lens to nature,” said Vidyarthi. “I’m excited to announce that I’ve joined The Nature Conservancy (TNC), a global conservation organization whose mission is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.” Vidyarthi expressed her enthusiasm about using her skills to…
Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday said Tanzanian authorities have denied it access to activist Boniface Mwangi since he was arrested in Dar es Salaam on Monday. Mwangi was arrested by suspected military officers after travelling to observe Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu’s treason trial on Monday. His whereabouts remain unknown. This came as a group planned to protest in Nairobi to push for the release of Mwangi. Anti riot police were deployed outside Tanzanian embassy in Nairobi where activists were Thursday expected to converge to demand for the release of Mwangi from detention in Tanzania. In a statement, the…
The National Assembly Committee on Education has put medical service providers to task over ongoing problems in the Teachers’ Medical Insurance Scheme. Top officials from the consortium managing the scheme appeared before the Committee to answer questions. They included MParmanand Mishra, Chief Operating Officer of Medical Administrators Kenya Ltd (MAKL); Dr. Felix Wanjala, CEO of Bliss Healthcare; and Mr. James Njuguna, GM Operations at MAKL. The consortium, led by Minet Kenya, was awarded the contract to manage the scheme from 2022 to 2025. It operates under a hybrid model that combines insurance and capitation. Other members of the group include…
Senator Hamida Kibwana has raised concern over the poor housing conditions faced by forest rangers working under the Kenya Forest Service (KFS). She is seeking answers from the Senate Committee on Land, Environment, and Natural Resources about what she describes as deplorable living conditions for the rangers. “Forest rangers play a vital role in protecting our forests, which are crucial for biodiversity, water catchment, climate control, and the livelihoods of millions of Kenyans. Despite this, their welfare, especially housing, has been severely neglected,” Senator Kibwana told the Senate. She explained that many rangers live in unsafe and unsanitary conditions, lacking…
The education sector is set to receive the highest share of the National Government’s proposed budget for the 2025/26 financial year. According to an analysis by the Parliamentary Budget Office, education has been allocated Sh701.1 billion, which represents 28.1 percent of the total budget. This significant allocation will go toward school capitation across primary, junior secondary (JSS), secondary, TVET, and university levels. It will also cover salaries for teachers, instructors, and lecturers, as well as the development and maintenance of school infrastructure and other related areas. The report was presented to the Budget and Appropriations Committee chaired by Alego Usonga…
The Ministry of Co-operatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development has inaugurated an 11-member Transition Board to oversee major reforms at the Kenya Union of Savings and Credit Cooperatives (KUSCCO). The board will lead the transformation of KUSCCO into a modern National Cooperative Federation. It is expected to protect the interests of SACCO members, recover lost assets, and guide the organization towards becoming a more efficient and accountable body. Co-operatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya said the restructuring is part of broader efforts to strengthen the cooperative movement in Kenya. “This board has a big role to play in…
The Ministry of Co-operatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development has announced a three-month suspension on the registration of new Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOs). Co-operatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya said the move will allow a newly formed committee of experts to review the SACCO sector and recommend legal and institutional reforms. At the same time, the government has introduced two new bodies to help improve governance, accountability, and regulation within the cooperative sector. These are a Committee of Experts to review the SACCO Societies Act and a Transition Board to guide the transformation of the Kenya…
Taita Taveta Senator Johnes Mwaruma has raised concerns over the failure of the Taita Taveta County Government to remit staff SACCO contributions and loan repayments to Qwetu SACCO and other financial institutions. Speaking in the Senate, Mwaruma asked the Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations to urgently investigate the matter. “The County Government has been deducting money from employees’ salaries for SACCO savings and loan repayments. However, these deductions have not been sent to Qwetu SACCO and other financial institutions as required by law and by the agreements in place,” said Senator Mwaruma. The ODM lawmaker wants the committee to…
Nominated Senator Karen Nyamu has called for urgent action over what she describes as harassment, abuse, and violent eviction of hawkers by Nairobi City County enforcement officers. Raising the matter in the Senate, Nyamu asked the Standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations to investigate growing reports of mistreatment of traders in the Central Business District (CBD). “Recent events in the CBD have revealed disturbing incidents involving county enforcement officers and hawkers,” said Nyamu. “These include physical assault, extortion, and even sexual abuse, especially targeting female hawkers. These acts are illegal and go against Articles 28 and 29…
Members of Parliament have questioned top officials from the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) over idle funds, poor planning, and procurement irregularities flagged in recent audit reports. The National Assembly’s Public Investments Committee on Social Services, Administration, and Agriculture (PIC-SSAA) summoned NSSF leadership on Tuesday to respond to concerns raised by the Auditor-General for the financial years 2021/2022 to 2023/2024. The meeting was led by the committee’s Vice-Chairperson, Saboti MP Caleb Amisi. The audit revealed that NSSF collected Sh105.3 billion in revenue—Sh26.3 billion more than the budgeted Sh78.9 billion. The extra income came mainly from increased member contributions under the…
The Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has announced that a number of technical courses will be phased out starting November 2025. In a circular issued on May 5, 2025, KNEC Chief Executive Officer David Njengere informed principals of TVET institutions, county and sub-county directors of education that the affected courses have been under review by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) since 2009. According to Njengere, most of the non-modular courses have already been replaced with new modular courses developed for TVET institutions across the country. “Institutions were expected to fully migrate to the new modular courses within five…