NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 26 — Democratic Party of Kenya (DPK) leader and former National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi has called on Parliament to urgently table the Elections Amendment Bill, 2024, before the signing of a tender contract for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) technology.Muturi said the Bill should be considered on the floor of the House without further delay, arguing that its recommendations would strengthen safeguards for the 2027 General Election.In a statement issued on Wednesday, Muturi questioned why recommendations arising from the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) process had remained before Parliament for 17 months without being debated.He said the NADCO process emerged from a bipartisan initiative that involved broad public participation and that its recommendations therefore carried a national obligation.“How can a Bill arising from such a process remain in committee for 17 months? At what point does prolonged inaction cease to be ordinary legislative delay and become a glaring question of sabotage?” Muturi posed.He challenged Parliament to explain the delay and urged multilateral partners who supported the dialogue and electoral reform process to also demand answers.The former Speaker urged MPs to draw lessons from the 11th Parliament, when he presided over the House as it considered electoral reforms arising from the bipartisan Orengo-Kiraitu process.He said the experience demonstrated that contentious political issues could be addressed through dialogue, compromise and legislation.“NADCO was founded on the same spirit. Its recommendations should not be allowed to languish in a committee without a clear explanation to the Kenyan people,” he said.Muturi said the immediate responsibility now rests with Parliament, urging MPs to ask National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula to facilitate consideration of the Bill.He wants the legislation considered before the IEBC technology tender is awarded, arguing that the legal framework should provide the necessary safeguards before major technology and vendor commitments are made for the 2027 elections.Muturi also challenged President William Ruto, who is seeking re-election on the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket, to demonstrate his commitment to a transparent and credible electoral process.“The country does not need another explanation for delay; it needs action. The Bill must come to the floor now, while there is still time to strengthen the electoral framework before 2027,” Muturi said.The call comes as IEBC faces scrutiny over its procurement of a new Integrated Elections Management System ahead of the 2027 General Election.Muturi’s intervention places renewed focus on the delayed electoral reform legislation and the safeguards that should accompany the acquisition of election technology ahead of the polls.
Read briefing NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 26 – Members of the National Assembly have passed the Basic Education (Amendment) Bill, 2025, paving the way for the formal recognition of Alternative Provision for Basic Education and Training (APBET) institutions and potentially opening access to public funding for thousands of learners in informal schools.The Bill, sponsored by Mathare MP Anthony Oluoch, seeks to bring APBET institutions into Kenya’s basic education framework and address gaps affecting children who rely on non-formal schools, particularly in informal settlements and marginalised communities.Moving the Bill during Second Reading, Oluoch said the proposed reforms would strengthen the implementation of constitutional guarantees on equality, human dignity and the right to education under Articles 10, 27, 43 and 53 of the Constitution.Kibra MP Peter Orero said APBET institutions play a major role in educating children in informal settlements, where their numbers far exceed those of public schools.“In Kibra, there are about 300 of these schools, while public primary schools are only 11. Many students therefore end up in APBET schools,” Orero said.He urged Parliament to support the legislation, saying formal recognition would enable children in informal settlements to benefit from government support.“This is an opportunity to ensure that children in informal settlements can access education and that resources trickle down to them through recognition of their schools,” he said.Seme MP James Nyikal said the lack of formal recognition had created a significant funding gap, leaving vulnerable learners without adequate public support.“Education is a basic right in our Constitution, yet the current system does not adequately recognise APBET. In some areas, there are more children in these schools than in formal institutions, yet they are excluded from funding,” Nyikal said.If enacted, the proposed law would include APBET institutions in the definition of basic education institutions and provide for their representation in national and county education structures.It would also facilitate funding for infrastructure and learning materials, potentially increasing public investment in schools serving children in informal settlements.The Bill further proposes that county governments maintain a database of APBET institutions and introduces flexibility in registration requirements.The measures are intended to give the government a clearer understanding of the number and location of APBET institutions and the learners they serve, while strengthening oversight of the schools.Ruraka MP Moses Kajwang supported the reforms, describing the formal recognition of APBET institutions as long overdue.“It is unfortunate that it has taken this long to recognise vulnerable children in informal settlements and rural areas who lack access to education,” Kajwang said.The passage of the Bill marks a significant step towards mainstreaming APBET institutions within Kenya’s education system.If the proposed law comes into force, the schools would gain greater visibility and regulatory recognition, while potentially becoming eligible for increased government support for infrastructure, learning materials and other educational needs.The reforms are expected to have a direct impact on thousands of learners who depend on informal schools for access to basic education.
Read briefing NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 26 – Members of Parliament have called for a probe into the deactivation and subsequent reassignment of dormant Safaricom numbers, warning that the practice could leave customers exposed to fraud, loss of funds and unauthorized access to personal information.The concerns were raised in the National Assembly after Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss presented a petition by Thompson Kirongo seeking an investigation into the telecommunications company’s handling of inactive SIM cards.The petition has been referred to the Public Petitions Committee, which is expected to establish whether the practice complies with laws governing consumer protection, data privacy and the management of financial assets.Under the current practice, SIM cards that remain unused for a specified period, ordinarily six months, can be deactivated before the number is eventually assigned to another subscriber.Kirongo argues that the system could disadvantage customers who are unable to use their lines for extended periods because of illness, travel, incapacitation or other circumstances.Presenting the petition, Shollei said customers who later sought to reactivate their lines could discover that they had lost access to mobile money services, financial accounts and personal information previously associated with the number.“The petitioner states that, consequently, the subscribers who resume use of their lines may find they are unable to access communication services such as mobile money accounts, financial services or personal data associated with the SIM card,” she said.The petition has also drawn attention to numbers registered to deceased persons, particularly where they remain connected to M-Pesa accounts, bank accounts and other financial services.The petitioner wants Parliament to determine how such numbers are handled during the administration of estates and whether reassignment could interfere with the rights of beneficiaries and authorised representatives under the Law of Succession Act.Lawmakers also want information on what happens to funds linked to dormant or deactivated numbers and whether money that remains unclaimed is transferred to the Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority where applicable.Matuga MP Kassim Tandaza told the House that he had personally encountered problems caused by the reassignment of a mobile number.He said he once sent money to a number saved in his phone under the name of a known contact, only to discover that the number had since been allocated to someone else.“I have personally fallen victim to a situation where I sent money to a number saved in my phone under a specific name, only to realise later that the intended recipient had not received the money because the number had been reassigned to a different person,” Tandaza said.He urged Safaricom to establish a notification system that would alert people who have previously stored a number in their contacts before it is reassigned.“We cannot hold the receiver responsible for this issue. It is within Safaricom’s capacity and responsibility to ensure that once they reassign a number, they notify those who had previously saved that number,” he said.Samburu West MP Naisula Lesuuda said the issue had become more serious because telephone numbers now serve as access points to financial services and personal accounts.She called for stronger safeguards for M-Pesa and other accounts connected to numbers belonging to deceased customers.“What Safaricom should primarily focus on are the fraudsters who exploit people’s numbers for extortion,” Lesuuda said.She noted that politicians were particularly exposed because their telephone numbers are often publicly available.Sigowet/Soin MP Justice Kemei said Parliament should review safeguards governing the telecommunications industry as mobile communication becomes increasingly central to everyday life.While acknowledging that operators need mechanisms for dealing with dormant lines, Kemei said customers should be given sufficient notice before their numbers are disconnected.“Fundamentally, the mobile network service provision in this country is dominated by just three institutions,” he said, calling for scrutiny of the regulatory framework governing the sector.Nominated MP Irene Mayaka said the issue should also be examined through the lens of Kenya’s data protection laws.She urged Safaricom to demonstrate to the committee how it safeguards customers’ personal information when numbers are disconnected and subsequently reassigned.“Safaricom needs to inform the Public Petitions Committee about their compliance with these laws in the context of disconnections and the reassignment of SIM cards,” Mayaka said.“We need to ensure that people are adequately protected in terms of how their personal information is exposed when this reassignment is being done without even their knowledge.”Endebess MP Robert Pukose called for the petition to be dealt with urgently, citing cases where fraudsters allegedly impersonate people after obtaining access to numbers previously associated with their contacts.
Read briefing NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 26 – Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has challenged Kenya to unlock the full potential of its Sh397 billion meat industry by investing in value addition, processing, technology and premium export markets.Kagwe said Kenya’s livestock sector had reached a strategic turning point, with a large livestock base, growing domestic demand, entrepreneurial capacity and geographical advantage providing a strong foundation for regional and international competitiveness.Speaking during the official opening of the Kenya Meat Expo 2026, the CS said the country produced 613,627 tonnes of meat in 2024, valued at approximately Sh397 billion.He said meat production increased by 10.2 per cent in volume and 30.5 per cent in value compared with 2023.Beef accounted for about 260,000 tonnes valued at Sh160 billion, while significant opportunities exist in goat meat, mutton, poultry, camel meat, pork and emerging value chains such as rabbit meat.Kagwe, however, said Kenya must do more to retain value within the country, warning that continued export of live animals deprives Kenyans of employment and business opportunities.“When we export the animals, then we are sending out jobs. We are exporting jobs to Europe. We are exporting jobs to Dubai. We are exporting jobs to the Middle East,” he said.The CS called for increased investment in meat processing, branding and product development to enable Kenya to export finished meat products and ensure farmers and pastoralists earn more from their livestock.Kagwe said Kenya has approximately 2,000 slaughter facilities, comprising 49 large slaughterhouses, 322 medium slaughterhouses and about 1,530 slaughter slabs.He said the priority should now shift from expanding the number of facilities to improving their quality, efficiency and capacity utilisation.“It is not just a question of quantity. It is also an issue of quality,” he said.The CS called for improved hygiene, meat inspection, refrigeration, regulatory compliance, waste management, logistics and market connectivity to enable Kenyan meat products to meet international standards and attract premium prices.He said the meat value chain starts from animal production and extends to processing and consumption, making animal health and food safety critical to the sector.Kagwe highlighted the Animal Identification and Traceability System (ANITRAC) as a key component of the government’s strategy to modernise the livestock sector.The system will enable authorities to trace animals from their origin and ownership to vaccination records, movements and eventual slaughter.“Going forward, every Kenyan animal should have an identity and a traceable history,” Kagwe said.He said the technology was being developed locally, including chips and systems by Kenyan universities.ANITRAC is also expected to strengthen efforts to combat livestock theft and banditry by making attempts to interfere with animal identification detectable.Kagwe called for increased investment in improved livestock genetics, artificial insemination, breeding, animal nutrition and commercial feedlots.He also urged investment in climate-smart livestock production, water pans, boreholes and livestock insurance to protect farmers from losses caused by drought, floods and other extreme weather events.He said feedlots should have adequate feed, water and supporting infrastructure, while insurance schemes should provide protection against climate-related losses.Kagwe urged the government, county governments and the private sector to work together to strengthen the livestock value chain and create new investment opportunities.The CS challenged young people to view livestock beyond traditional herding and embrace opportunities in breeding, animal nutrition, processing, manufacturing, technology, branding, logistics and trade.“Ukulima wa ng’ombe ni pesa. Na nyama siyo tu chakula. Pia ni pesa. Nyama ni chakula, na nyama ni pesa,” he said.Kagwe also highlighted the potential of hides and skins, saying proper handling of animals can improve the quality and value of by-products and support the growth of Kenya’s leather industry.He said Kenya should also pursue new international markets, citing Algeria and other markets with demand for livestock and meat products.Kagwe recalled Algeria’s previous indication of demand for one million goats during Ramadan, saying such opportunities demonstrate the potential available to Kenyan livestock producers.“We want new markets. We want new enterprises. We want new jobs. We want new opportunities for livestock producers,” he said.Kagwe said stronger investment across the meat value chain would enable Kenya to move from exporting raw livestock to exporting higher-value meat products while creating jobs and increasing incomes for farmers and pastoralists.
Read briefing 