Prof. Margret Kamar the Higher Education minister planting a tree at the Kitale Technical institute as his counterparts Forestry minister Noah Wekesa and Justice Minister Eugene Wamalwa look on. Photo | Leonard Wamalwa.

As major political parties in the country continue to scramble over the way to share the nine slots of the East African legislative council, Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Eugene Wamalwa has called on them to mind the gender sensitivity and also put into consideration the minority groups such as the disabled in their nominations.

Speaking at Kitale Technical Training Institute during the official opening of an ultra-modern library the minister said that as much as politicians focus on their interests and their political parties, they should remain within the requirements of the new constitution.

"Women in this country should be given chance to lead and even in the ongoing East African legislative nominations it should not be about politicians or political parties but consideration should be given to the women and other minority groups such as the disabled among others," Wamalwa said.

The minister who was in the company of higher education minister Professor Margaret Kamar and Wildlife minister Dr. Noah Wekesa also issued a tough warning to corrupt people who are always fond of grabbing land belonging to public utilities such as educational facilities and others noting that Trans Nzoia county has been a victim of such vices for a long time hence deterring development for many years.

He said the government shall not give any slight chance anymore to land grabbers whom he said suffer from a disease known as 'Grabiosis' which he said it is high time the disease came to an end.

In her addresss, Professor Margret Kamar who was the guest of honor urged students in technical institutions to take their education with a lot of seriousness bearing in mind that they are being bred not for local market alone but for international market.

The minister pointed out that Europe and America are desperately in need of people with technical skills and thus Kenyan graduates might be major beneficiaries if they acquire the required standards that can match the international job market.

"We have established that Europe and America continents are desperately lacking technical skills in their human resource because their technical people are aging and thus we want you to know that we are not preparing you for our own local market alone but for the international market too," said Kamar.

She revealed that her ministry will soon be working in conjunction with that of labor to put in place modalities to start marketing the technical graduands on the World market.

The Eldoret East MP further noted that there is dire need to have more technical institutions unveiled in the country especially in the North Rift where she earmarked Lodwar and Kapenguria as the places where the government should put up more technical institutions to alleviate the pressure exerted on Kitale Technical which is the only institution in the region at the moment.

She pointed out that as the universities continue producing engineers, such institutions should also continue producing enough technologists and technicians that shall have to work in tandem with the engineers. One engineer is supposed to have four technologists and a similar number of technicians working under him or her.

At the same time the minister promised to have the Kitale Technical Training institute upgraded to a national polytechnic in what was seen as a response to minister Wamalwa's appeal to the government to have the institution elevated to a national status.