I used entertainment allocation to fund Mock exams, says Rasanga

Governor Cornel Rasanga, in defiance, has said he will send success cards with his portrait to all the schools in Siaya County for students sitting national exams. (Photo: Collins Oduor/Standard)

Siaya Governor Cornel Rasanga has defended his move to sponsor standard eight Mock exams claiming that he used part of the county entertainment allocations.

The governor justified his actions saying that out of the money he was given to administer, he took some little entertainment money to sponsor exams for the purpose of evaluation prior to the commencement of Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE).

Speaking in his Segere home, Alego Usonga Sub County where he met teachers, Rasanga argued that he was only promoting the education of the children in his county.

"We want our county to get an honorable number in this country. We are preparing our pupils in standard eight right now such that at the time they will be clearing their secondary education, we should be able to get a good statistics of those who will join university, but we can only do that when we promote education,” Rasanga said.

Rasanga argued that in other counties, there are projects that support primary schools and they bear governors’ portraits yet no concerns had been raised.

“In Mombasa, there is milk project, with governor's portrait on it, Machakos County (has) sponsored exam, with governor's portrait. Same to Kisii and Bomet Counties, yet I am being crucified for doing the same," he lamented.

The governor maintained that he will sponsor more exams for primary schools despite opposition from the ministry for as long as the children perform better in national exams.

Success cards with his portrait

He further revealed that he will send success cards with his portrait to all the schools in the county for students sitting national exams.

"I want the success cards to also carry the same information the Mock exams had so that those fighting me can go back and report. I will do it come rain come shine," said the defiant governor.

The governor was reacting to an incident that led to the interdiction of education stake holders in the county and dissolution of education board by Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i.

The county government had sponsored the illegal Mock exams to a tune of Sh1.7 million and the papers had the portrait of the governor, which caused a stir in social media and the entire country as people claimed that he was using the exam to campaign.

Knut strike

Meanwhile, Rarieda sub county Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut)officials have threatened that the county will boycott exams and teachers down their tools should the CS fail to reinstate the interdicted education officials and county education board.

Led by the executive secretary for the branch George Anyano, the officials raised concerns on why the officials were interdicted as the national exams approach.

They accused the CS of politicising the situation and asked him to reconsider his stand on the interdiction of the officials.

They told the CS to allow the students finish the remaining papers in preparation for the national exam.

Anyano said that the interdicted directors did not ask the printers and publishers to draw the portrait of governor on the exam papers.

"These officers are innocent and they never organized for these exams. The CS should stop behaving politically because evaluations and Mocks are done everywhere in the country. KNUT, KEPSHA asked the governor to organize the exams. The directors did not sit and organize the evaluation," he added.