Gusiiland MPs bank on NG-CDF for public school facelifts

Workers doing finishing works at Nyamwetureko Primary School in Bonyamatuta ward, West Mugirango. [Eric Abuga, Standard]

A section of Members of Parliament in Gusiiland have embarked on giving dilapidated public primary schools a facelift using the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF).

West Mugirango MP Stephen Mogaka said the facelift of school infrastructures in his constituency aims at giving teachers a thrilling move and a journey of hope to the pupils.

More than 40 Primary Schools in the Constituency are undergoing a total overhaul in their infrastructure, such as roofing, grill doors and windows to tiled floors and spacious verandahs.

Mogaka said the journey to have decent schools is about responding to genuine needs among learners and teachers.

“Providing the best learning environment can be motivating to learners, and encourage them to do more to transform the communities. This is the best gift we can give our children and a safe reservoir to invest in,” he said.

The MP said decent and modern school infrastructure, away from dilapidated floors and walls, will motivate learners to work hard and reciprocate to their families and the community.

“All public schools across the constituency shall be transformed to give the institutions a new face. I was at Nyamira Primary School within the Township Ward, where my story began during my Primary Education. The school and many others need a facelift, I am impressed with the ongoing works so far,” said the legislator.

He said under his leadership, he will prioritise learners’ needs by attending to pleas to change the story in the education sector.

NG-CDF channels more funds to education, security sectors

In Nyaribari Masaba, 20 years later, some public primary schools still have mud-walled classrooms and worn-out iron sheet pit latrines.

Area MP Daniel Manduku said his focus is to do a total makeover in primary schools for the next 12 months.

“We have schools that have not received government funding for 20 years. The iron sheets are falling off the roofs and the walls are not fit for learners,” he said.

According to him, clan politics to blame for dragging the development agenda.

“We are losing a lot because some leaders have remained static. There should be distribution of resources based on priority areas.For me, education is key,” he said.

Nyaribari Chache’s Zaheer Jhanda has also allocated millions of shillings to renovate public schools in his constituency, a largely cosmopolitan area in Kisii.

“I don’t want to have a scenario where some areas are ignored in terms of development just because they are from a particular clan. I don’t represent any clan in my constituency, and I will have the funds allocated on a needy basis,” Jhanda said.

He said it is a shame that in this century, there are pupils learning from under trees and others under iron sheet classrooms.

To him, the decision to introduce free and compulsory basic education led to an increase in school enrolment, hence the need to have proper infrastructure in schools.