Editor's Review

"I repeat nobody; no minister of government can purport to make law or do things that appear to be interpreted that they have made law." 

National assembly speaker Moses Wetangula on Wednesday, September 27 halted the implementation of the recommendations of the Presidential Working Party of Education Reforms (PWPER). 

Speaking during a session in the National Assembly, Wetangula said the recommendations cannot be implemented before passing through parliament which has the mandate to make laws.

"I repeat nobody; no minister of government can purport to make law or do things that appear to be interpreted that they have made law, because they have no capacity to make any law," said Wetangula.

The National Assembly Speaker directed Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah to engage Education CS Ezekiel Machogu and come up with a comprehensive statement on the issue.

“Majority leader you will have to engage the minister and I direct you to bring a comprehensive statement on that issue on the Tuesday after next week,” he directed. 

File image of President Ruto receiving a report from the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms

Ichung’wah on his part said nobody including cabinet secretaries has the power to make laws adding that they can only make recommendations.

“Nobody including Cabinet Secretaries have the power to make law even a presidential working party. The best they can do is to make recommendations which, if adopted, those that touch on statutes, then it must begin from this House,” said Ichung’wah.

PWPER as recommended among other things the modification of the Competency Based Curriculum(CBC) to achieve desired objectives.

The task force also recommended that the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) reduce the number of learning areas not to exceed five in pre-primary, not more than seven in lower primary and not to exceed eight in upper primary.

It also recommended the Ministry of Education discontinues the categorization of public secondary schools from the current nomenclature (national, extra-county, county, and sub-county) to career pathways (STEM, social science, and arts and sports science).