The Kenyan government has allocated Sh3.9 billion for the construction of an additional 15,021 classrooms for Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) by 2025. The classrooms will accommodate the first grade 9 learners.
The Education Cabinet Secretary, Hon. Ezekiel Machogu, said that a further Sh9 billion will be provided by the World Bank for the construction of 9,000 classrooms. The government will also provide support from the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NGCDF).
The Cabinet Secretary made the remarks while he officially opened the 63rd Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Annual Delegates Conference at the Kasarani Sports Complex, Nairobi.
Hon. Machogu said that the government is taking steps to ensure that schools have the necessary infrastructure, where teachers and learners can effectively perform in a conducive environment.
KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu commended the government for recruiting over 56,000 teachers in less than one year.
He also urged the Ministry of Education to start negotiations with the teacher employer TSC for intern teachers to be placed under permanent and pensionable terms.
The KNUT Secretary General said that the capitation for schools must be revised upwards due to the increased cost of living.
Mr. Oyuu also asked the government to consider introducing affirmative action in marginalized communities so that education can be managed uniformly across the country as teachers continue to shy away from arid and semi-arid areas.
