Stick to devolved functions, MP advises Governor wa Iria

Murang'a County Assembly majority leader Mr Erick Kamande addressing the press when he scoffed at Maragua MP Mary Waithira saying MCAs will ensure no learner will be sent away from day secondary schools over failure to pay lunch fee. [Photo:Boniface Gikandi]

Governor Mwangi wa Iria has been accused of meddling in national government affairs.

Maragua MP Mary Waithira said the governor's directive that the lunch programme in schools be made optional and that students be allowed to carry food from home amounted to interfering in the management of secondary schools, which was a national government function.

County Assembly Majority leader Erick Kamande said MCAs would conduct surveillance in day secondary schools to ensure that learners were retained even if their parents failed to facilitate the lunch programme.

The MP said the county government had not exhausted its mandate in certain functions such as early childhood development and education (ECDE), adding that Mr wa Iria should stick to the devolved functions.

“Nursery schools are in a deplorable state and I will not entertain the idea of trying to interfere with education systems in my constituency." Ms Waithira was speaking at Kiambaa Primary School.

Mr Kamande said the MCAs would ensure that the national government policy on 100 per cent transition to secondary school was not interfered with because of the whims of a few people.

The disagreement between wa Iria and the MP started last August after the county government's Sh1 million cheque to support the Maragua bursary scheme bounced. The governor declined to replace the cheque, arguing that the bursary programme initiated by the MP lacked structures.

Last week the governor allocated Sh20 million to enable 1,000 needy students to join Form One.