Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba appearing before Senate on October 1, 2025. Photo PBU 
By Andrew Mbuva
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba on Wednesday came under intense scrutiny in the Senate as lawmakers demanded answers on the state of Junior Secondary Schools (JSS), the ongoing lecturers’ strike, and the alarming rise of school dropouts among girls in Kilifi County.
Appearing before the Senate, Ogamba acknowledged that JSS was still grappling with a raft of challenges ranging from staffing, independence, and inadequate infrastructure.
He however assured lawmakers that the Ministry was already reviewing the system to respond to emerging concerns from teachers, parents, and legislators.
“The process of reforming Junior Secondary is in progress. At the appropriate time, Parliament will be presented with proposals for its consideration,” the CS said, noting that the current structure was based on recommendations of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reforms.
He admitted that some teachers had been compelled to handle subjects outside their areas of specialisation, but defended the practice, citing gaps created by the competency-based curriculum.
“All teachers in Junior School have undergone retooling to fully equip them with pedagogical and content skills,” he explained, adding that recruitment in sciences, mathematics, and technical subjects was being prioritised.
Lawmakers also pressed him on the dire state of laboratories and workshops in JSS. Ogamba cited the construction of 23,000 new classrooms and directed schools to repurpose existing spaces for practical learning, supported by Ksh.4,000 annual allocations per learner for infrastructure maintenance and improvements.
Beyond JSS, senators shifted focus to the lecturers’ strike, which has paralysed learning in public universities. The CS maintained that the government had honoured all commitments under the 2021–2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), but revealed a dispute over the sums required to settle arrears under the 2017–2021 deal.
“The courts have already issued an injunction against the strike and directed both parties to verify the exact figures. Negotiations for the 2025–2029 CBA should begin during the 2025/2026 cycle, yet dons are raising premature concerns,” he told senators, while accusing lecturers of insincerity. The case is scheduled for mention on October 6th.
Tensions heightened when Kilifi Senator Stewart Madzayo raised the plight of thousands of girls dropping out of school in his county due to poverty, early pregnancies, and domestic caregiving. Ogamba admitted the situation was “dire,” citing data from the National Council for Population and Development showing that Kilifi recorded 9,578 teenage pregnancies in 2019 alone.
But senators accused the Ministry of failing to act decisively against perpetrators of sexual exploitation. Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna led the charge, insisting that the Ministry should take up the responsibility of being the primary complainant in such cases.
“The Ministry has figures—6,000 teenage pregnancies in Kilifi alone. How can they claim not to have data on the perpetrators? Passing responsibility to the DPP is disingenuous,” Sifuna charged.
Several colleagues backed him, calling for greater accountability from the Ministry in safeguarding learners.
Despite the sharp exchanges, CS Ogamba insisted that the Government was committed to steering reforms in education guided by evidence and consultation. “Our goal remains to ensure that every Kenyan child has access to quality and relevant education,” he said.
