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The Nairobian

Pastoralist MPs reject Cabinet's plan to dissolve nomadic education council

North Eastern

By Antony Gitonga | Jan 30, 2025

The Chairman Pastoralists Parliamentary Group Sheik Abdullahi Bashir flanked by fellow MPs address the press in Naivasha over the move to dissolve the National Council for Nomadic Education in Kenya (NACONEK) on Jan 28, 2025. [Antony Gitonga, Standard]

MPs from the Northern frontier have rejected the government’s plan to dissolve the National Council for Nomadic Education in Kenya (Naconek) and reduce it to a department within the Ministry of Education.

The Pastoralists Parliamentary Group (PPG) has opposed the proposed changes.

Speaking in Naivasha, the over 100 legislators criticised the decision made last week, warning they are ready to seek legal redress to prevent the dissolution of the Council.

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The Council, which is responsible for providing meals in schools among other functions, was one of the nine state corporations dissolved last week, with its functions transferred to the Ministry of Education.

However, lawmakers argue that the decision jeopardizes the welfare of over 1.5 million students who rely on the school meal program.

The MPs argued that the Cabinet resolution failed to provide a clear rationale for NACONEK’s proposed dissolution, despite its unique mandate as provided under the Basic Education Act.

“We call for the immediate removal of NACONEK from the list of entities proposed for dissolution, as it plays a critical role in advancing education for marginalized communities,” said Sheik Abdullahi Bashir, Pastoralists Parliamentary Group (PPG) chairman.

They also questioned the lack of public participation in deciding to dissolve the council.

They also raised concerns about the lack of public participation in dissolving the council.

Eldas MP Adan Keynan said the government should allocate more funding to the council instead. “For years, pastoralist communities have struggled to educate their children, and we cannot stand by as the government scraps NACONEK, which has been instrumental in this effort,” he said.

Lagdera MP Farah Maalim alleged that some leaders were targeting the billions of shillings allocated to NACONEK, which he believed was behind the decision to dissolve it.