Call for Government to Pause Implementation of Education Taskforce Report
National Assembly minority leader Opiyo Wandayi is urging the government to halt the implementation of the People’s Working Party on Education Reforms (PWPER) report recommendations. The legislator from Ugunja constituency asserts that the execution of the education taskforce report is in violation of the country’s constitution, as it was not presented in Parliament before implementation. Wandayi calls for an immediate suspension of the report’s implementation until it receives approval from Parliament.
Speaking at Ugunja Technical and Vocational College (TVC), Wandayi expressed concern that the task force appeared to be redesigning the Kenyan constitution without following proper procedures. He emphasized the need for both houses of Parliament to scrutinize the report’s contents, make amendments if necessary, or reject it entirely. According to Wandayi, such parliamentary involvement is crucial for the successful implementation of the report.
The minority leader criticized certain recommendations of the task force, particularly the proposal to revert the management of Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centers to the national government. He interpreted this move as an attempt to amend the Constitution through questionable means, potentially depriving counties of essential resources. Wandayi called for resistance against such changes.
Additionally, Wandayi expressed skepticism about the government’s directive mandating school fee payments through the eCitizen platform. He suggested that there might be sinister intentions behind this directive, raising concerns about its potential impact on accessibility and transparency in education funding.
Addressing a separate issue, Wandayi cautioned against the rising trend of communities storming schools and attacking teachers over poor performance. He emphasized the existence of proper channels for addressing grievances and discouraged resorting to violence, urging a more constructive approach to resolving concerns related to education.
