ELGEYO MARAKET, Kenya – Marakwet West MP Timothy Kipchumba has raised concerns over plans to declassify Elgeyo Marakwet County as a hardship area.
In a meeting with the county education fraternity among other stakeholders, the vocal MP termed the plans as not only illegal but also illogical.
“As leaders from Elgeyo Marakwet County, we vehemently oppose any attempt to declassify our county as a hardship area,” said the MP elected on an independent ticket.
Kipchumba maintained that the teaching fraternity of Elgeyo Marakwet County will not allow the benefits that it has been enjoying to be taken away.
“Unfortunately, we were told last week by the Prime Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi, that there was a task force dubbed the Interagency Technical Committee that came up with these recommendations,” added Kipchumba.
Is Elgeyo Marakwet County classified as a hardship area
Kipchumba’s remarks come when there have been recent reports on the matter.
Elgeyo Marakwet is currently considered a hardship area. However, plans to declassify it have sparked opposition.
This suggests that the status is subject to change and is a topic of ongoing debate. The context of the hardship designation likely relates to allowances, such as those provided to teachers, which could be affected by any reclassification.
If you’re teaching in hardship zone and you haven’t committed your pay to loans please don’t do so. The country is broke and the government is clutching on every straw available for survival. Soon hardship allowance and even house allowance shall be gone forever. uda government
Meanwhile, MP Kipchumba slammed the taskforce, claiming that it never consulted the people of Elgeyo Marakwet County.
“I want to inform the Prime Cabinet Secretary and members of that taskforce that they never consulted the people of Elgeyo Marakwet County. There was no public participation, meaning that the proposal is null and void,” explained the lawmaker.
Why MP Timothy Kipchumba is against the taskforce report
According to the MP, the taskforce report is half-baked and should never see the light of day.
“I want to say that before they think of doing anything of classifying hardship as extreme and moderate, they must bring a proper policy document to Parliament of giving us parameters of determining hardship allowance in this country,” the MP explained.
Kipchumba further said that he will lead other county leaders in tabling their objections against the proposal before the National Assembly as a matter of urgency.
“If our recommendations are not heard and determined, we will make sure that this particular proposal falls on the face of it since it is illegal,” he added.
