The Kenyan education Cabinet Secretary, Amb. Amina Chawahir Mohamed, is this year’s winner of of the Women of Excellence award.

Making the announcement yesterday, the African Union and the Diaspora African forum said they were honouring the first woman minister for education in Kenya for her long and outstanding work in girls’ education and governance.

The annual African Women of Excellence Awards (AWEA) recognises and honours women of Africa and the diaspora who have contributed to the struggle for political, social and economic independence.

This year’s theme pays tribute to the first iconic recipient of the AWEA Committee’s Living Legends Award Winnie Madikizela Mandela.

Previously, Mohamed served as the minister for foreign affairs and international trade, deputy executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme and permanent secretary in the ministry of justice, national cohesion and constitutional affairs where she played a key role in creating the 2010 Constitution in Kenya.

Most recently, she has worked tirelessly in the arenas of women’s empowerment and girls’ education in Kenya and around the world, especially as co-chair of the Commonwealth High Level Platform for Girls’ Education which works to put 130 million out of school girls back in the classroom.

Speaking to the Inter Press Service (IPS) Amina Mohamed said, “the AWEA is a great honour which I accept with humility and gratitude; and which I share with my family, colleagues and friends who have encouraged me all along. The award is recognition that I have made a demonstrable contribution towards the progress of my country and in enriching the lives of our people. It is a very important award that will no doubt inspire other women in the country, and especially young girls, to develop confidence in themselves and in their ability to make positive and tangible impact in their communities and nations”.

The elegant Amina who served as the Cabinet Secretary (Minister) for Foreign Affairs and International Trade and was the first woman to hold this position in Kenya. During this period, she raised Kenya’s international foreign profile leading to the highest increment of Foreign Direct Investment to the country by 400%. The country also received during her tenure the highest number of Heads of State and Government and dignitaries in history.

Amina further added that “the well-being of our country, now and in the future, lies in our hands. Building a country is a collective responsibility and exercise in which each one of us has a role to play and a contribution to make. In making our contribution, in whatever capacity, we must embrace the virtues of hard work, careful reflection, patriotism, honesty, accountability, justice and fairness and the pursuit of public good. I believe that my adherence to these virtues have inspired this award. I am grateful to my family, friends and colleagues for their continued support.”

Ambassador Amina has been attending the ‘Leave No Girl Behind’ Conference, in New York, at the annual United Nations General Assembly which commenced on Monday September 24, 2018.

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Education Cabinet Secretary, Ambassador Amina Mohammed, has refuted claims that the full implementation of the new Competence Based Curriculum, CBC, has hit a snag. Amina  says that all interventions have been put in place to ensure full roll out the new curriculum in January 2019. CS Amina was speaking at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum studies after leading a consultative meeting on curriculum implementation, today. Amb amina chaired the Multi-Sectoral National steering committee on curriculum Reform as part of an ongoing intensive review process to assess the implementation of the new curriculum. Last week, the Kenya Publishers’ Association lamented on the government’s sluggishness in providing guidance and resources for development of the new curriculum. The Publishers said they have not prepared instructional materials for grade four, ahead of the  new 2-6-3-3-3 education system full roll out. Read more details here.. implementation of new Curriculum-hits a snag due to lack of learning materials

CS Amina added that “mobile phones will not be allowed in schools. In fact, only centre managers will be authorized to have these devices and the phones will be monitored. As we commence this year’s examinations period, we count on all our colleagues to assist in delivering credible processes and outcomes. Our country deserves this, the children deserve this, their teachers deserve this and the future demands this”.

Yesterday, the Parliamentary Committee on Education faulted the Ministry, of Education, for failing to provide updates on its preparedness for the forthcoming National examinations. Led by Hon. Julius Melly, the Tinderet Member of Parliament who is also the chair to the committee, the MPs said they had summoned CS Amina to shed more light on the fate of the over 4,000 students affected by insecurity in various parts of the country.

Read more details here..head teachers faulted for sending candidates home to bring fees as mps criticize CS Amina’s absence ahead of exams

But, speaking to the media today at the KICD, in Nairobi, the Education CS reiterated the Government’s commitment in ensuring that the new curriculum is rolled out next year, as scheduled. “Going forward, we plan to supply necessary Curriculum materials to all schools to enhance the learning and teaching environment”, Amina told journalists. The CS who has been out of the Country for official duty assured teachers that they will get adequate training in order to handle the new Competency Based Curriculum. “We also plan to step up the level of preparedness among teachers to handle the CBC. We plan to hold the third National conference in Curriculum reforms in December of this year”, Amina added.

Ambassador Amina exuded confidence that full roll out of the CBC for grade one to three will go on as planned, next year.

Elsewhere, the Education PS, Dr. Belio Kipsang, has suspended annual leaves for all education officers till examinations are over. In a Circular to all Regional Coordinators of Education, RCEs, the PS directed that all educational officers on leave to resume duty immediately. The officers are required to help in administering the National examinations.

In a rejoinder, the interior cabinet secretary, Dr. fred Matiang’i, has assured of adequate security during the examination period. “It is inflexible commitment; almost militaristic to support clean exams. We will provide all the security we need”, said the fiery and no nonsense Cabinet Secretary, who initially led the Education docket where he introduced far reaching reforms. Speaking at Kereri Girls Secondary School in Kisii County, yesterday ,while commissioning a new dormitory, Dr. Matiang’i promised thorough interventions from his Ministry to ensure that  the examinations will proceed smoothly.

” This year, the change that you are going to see from my end, of Security, in terms of managing the exams will be much more swift than we were last year in getting the crooks”, Matiang’i said. Already, the Kenya National Examinations Council, KNEC, chairman Prof. George Magoha has highlighted areas and individuals under the spotlight for examination related malpractices.

The Kenya Certificate of Primary Education and Secondary Education exams kick off at the end of this month.