CS Jacob Kaimenyi, KNUT’s Sossion face off­ before House Committee

Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi (left) and Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion before the House Committee on Delegated Legislation at Parliament Buildings, Thursday. [PHOTO: MOSES OMUSULA/STANDARD]

NAIROBI: Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi and Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) Secretary General Wilson Sossion Thursday differed in front of a parliamentary committee that had summoned them.

It took the intervention of Committee on Delegated Legislation Chairperson William Cheptumo to cool tempers. Kaimenyi and Sossion differed on whether due process was followed in arriving at the contentious Basic Education regulations that were gazetted on April 8.

"I need to be protected. No personal attacks," Kaimenyi shouted, in response to a statement Sossion made.

Earlier before the meeting kicked off, Sossion said Kaimenyi was accompanied by uninvited stakeholders whom he said the CS "compromises to sneak in contentious policies and regulations".

"You have come with the so-called stakeholders that you have used to run down the ministry," Sossion told Kaimenyi, who was accompanied by Kenya National Association of Parents Secretary General Musau Ndunda and Elimu Yetu Coalition National Coordinator Janet Muthoni.

An irritated Kaimenyi shouted back: "Sossion don't talk to me like that. I have told you many times that I am older than you," he said, pointing at Sossion.

"Are those my stakeholders? They have also come for the meeting and we must respect them. They are not mine. Chair, please don't listen to him. Thank you very much," said Kaimenyi with a firm face.

Cheptumo said the committee is not aware of any fights between the Education ministry officials and Knut. "There is no war. Whether perceived, imagined or real. Even if it is there, we leave it to them but as a committee we have not resolved that there is a war. We only invited you here to listen to you," said Cheptumo.

At the centre of the dispute are the contentious education regulations that gave the Education CS more powers over teachers. The regulations were sent to the House committee after Knut threatened to rally its members to boycott work, claiming the regulations seek to amass more powers from the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

Thursday, TSC differed with Kaimenyi over the definition of a "head of institution", saying it had also asked for a review of other key clauses in the regulations. TSC Chairperson Lydia Nzomo said the definition of a "head of institution" as contained in the regulations is inconsistent with the Constitution, Basic Education Act and the TSC Act, 2012.

Knut also argued that the ministry is fully in charge of Boards of Management (BoM) and that heads of institutions are the secretaries to the boards. "They can manage accountability through BoMs because it's these boards that run schools. Creating another agency in the name of head of institution will cause chaos," said Sossion.

In the regulations, Kaimenyi wants all school heads be made accounting officers under authority delegated by the ministry. Kaimenyi argued the resources under school heads must be accounted for and said the Basic Education Act mandates him to delegate authority.

Dr Nzomo said the TSC Act defines a head teacher as "the lead educator or administrator in a primary school level educational institution appointed by the commission as such and responsible for the implementation of the educational policy guidelines and professional practices".

Another stakeholders' meeting is scheduled for next week.