Governor bans pupils from entertaining guests at rallies

Pupils entertain guests during a past Mashujaa Day celebrations in Homa Bay county. Laikipia Governor Ndiritu Muriithi has banned pupils in his county from attending rallies. [File, Standard]

Laikipia Governor Ndiritu Muriithi has maintained his stand against pupils attending rallies to entertain politicians.

Last week, the governor cut short pupils from Tharua Primary School who were entertaining guests at Lamuria trading centre.

Instead, he ordered them to go to class, earning some critics for his action.

Yesterday, Kenya National Union of Teachers, through its women national representative Jecinta Ndegwa, demanded a public apology from the governor for rebuking the pupils.

But the governor stood his ground, saying that pupils should concentrate on learning and not entertaining politicians.

Beg for money

“What are we really teaching our children when they spend the whole day in public rallies? They should not be used to beg for money and other things from politicians through songs,” he said.

He noted that it was also wrong for teachers to teach the young ones songs that praise politicians to get favours from them.

“We are turning our children into beggars instead of showing them direction on how to solve problems," he said.

Knut branch has since given the governor a three-day ultimatum to offer a public apology.