Education CS nominee proposes low-cost boarding schools to tackle North Eastern insecurity

Education CS nominee Julius Ogamba has proposed the establishment of low-cost boarding schools to ensure students in the North Eastern areas learn in schools that are easily secured.

Appearing before the Committee on Appointments on Thursday, Ogamba said the initiative aims to address the ongoing challenges of insecurity that have affected the educational environment in the region, including the reluctance of teachers to be placed in those areas.

“On the North Eastern teachers refusing to report because of insecurity, the only way it can be solved is by working together with the Ministry of Interior to come up with parameters and strategies to ensure that the teachers are secured. Among those would be coming up with the creation of low-cost boarding schools so that the students can be studying in one place which can be easily secured,” he said.

"There's no miracle I'm going to perform. There are problems in that sector that will be dealt with head-on," he added.

He also acknowledged that if he is appointed to the Ministry, he will create Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges in the country and designate a few to become centres of excellence.

“We have countries like Sudan and Congo that are not as advanced in technical studies as we are. That way, we can have students from other countries coming here to study,” he said.

Ogamba also said he is worth Sh790 million which is in the form of land. He added that he has tea, trees, vehicles, farm equipment, and income from the law firm.

According to Ogamba, he said he is fit for the job since he knows what to lack of education feels like. He said he has been able to educate 600 children from humble backgrounds and some of them are in various schools.

“I am very passionate about the public sector. As I sit here, I have educated over 600 children, they have gone to various universities and schools. I come from a humble background, and I have seen what education can do. I know when you disadvantage a child, you have taken away their life. Education is the only thing that can help children in this country to move to where they are supposed to be,” he said.

Ogamba insisted that the Ministry of Education’s role is to ensure access to education for all in the country.

“Our constitution, under articles 43, 53, and 55, provides for the provision of education to the children of the country. The Ministry of Education, under the Basic Education Act, TVET Act, and University Act, expands this mandate so that the provisions therein are undertaken by the Ministry of Education,” he added.