House chaos as MPs clash on teachers pay

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Pauline Atieno, a Standard Seven pupil at Amani Primary School in Mikindani, cries after pupils were sent home by the headmaster following a nationwide teachers’ strike that started June 25, 2013. President Uhuru Kenyatta’s party Thursday mobilised its MPs to save the laptops project for schools after deputy minority leader Jakoyo Midiwo tried to re-allocate money from the scheme to pay teachers higher salaries as their strike entered the third day Thursday. Photo/LABAN WALLOGA  Nation Media Group

By JOHN NGIRACHU Jngirachu@ke.nationmedia.com AND CAROLINE WAFULA cwafula@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Thursday, June 27  2013 at  20:13

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s party Thursday mobilised its MPs to save the laptops project for schools after deputy minority leader Jakoyo Midiwo tried to re-allocate money from the scheme to pay teachers higher salaries as their strike entered the third day Thursday.

Deputy Speaker Joyce Laboso had to call the vote twice — once through acclamation and later a physical ballot — to save the project, a key pillar of the Jubilee Coalition’s election pledges.

Mr Midiwo had attempted to take Sh53 billion from the Education Ministry’s vote and give Sh47 billion to pay teachers, Sh3 billion to be shared among political parties, Sh2 billion to the Auditor General and Sh1 billion to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

By removing the money from the Education Ministry, the laptop project would have gone without funding.

During the campaigns ahead of the March 4 General Election, Jubilee had promised to give every child joining Standard One next year a free laptop.

Earlier in the week, teachers had demanded that the money set aside for the laptops be diverted to pay salaries. The teachers have been on strike since Tuesday.

During the second vote in Parliament yesterday, Jubilee garnered 98 votes against Cord’s 75, to defeat the proposal seeking to divert the laptops cash.

Chaos erupted soon after but before the committee could report to the full house with Cord MPs making attempts to grab the mace.

The Speakers’ procession left the House amid singing, chanting and singing by some MPs.

The Education Ministry had sought Cabinet’s greenlight to roll out laptop project in schools.

The ministry sent a memorandum to ministers after the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) completed developing digital content to be used under the free laptops programme. It includes content for Standard One and Standard Two pupils in five subjects to be completed by June 2013.

The Cabinet later discussed and approved it and gave the ministry a go-ahead to execute the plan.

A concept proposal has also been presented to the House Education committee and endorsed. Government departments involved in the process include the Treasury, Office of the President, E-Government, ICT Board, Teachers Service Commission and Vision 2030.

The project has been criticised by teachers and a section of MPs.

KICD has also prepared content for Standard Three to Standard Eight pupils in Mathematics and Science.

National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale Thursday said the government was working on training modules for teachers and master trainers.

He told the House that a device-testing framework had also been put in place through the national ICT Innovation and Integration Centre.