The forgotten village in Mathioya with no ECDE centre

**A young man walk past an electricity pole hanging precariously in** **Mathioya.** [Boniface Gikandi, Standard]

A village in Murang’a County remains an island as it lacks good roads, a nursery school, electricity and piped water, with the residents appealing for support.

The absence of an ECDE centre in Kahwai village, in Mathioya, forces the young parents to trek more than five kilometres to the nearby Gitugi Primary School to escort their children with more challenges during the rainy seasons.

The mothers bear the brunt of carrying their young ones to school early in the morning and take them home at 3 pm when classes close.

Rosemary Mwangi, an elder at Kahwai village, says since she moved to the locality in the 1980s, there has been no attempt by the successive governments to establish a nursery school.

“Lack of the nursery school is a burden to the parents who are forced to take their children to schools in turns,” said Mwangi.

“The community in Kiru and Gitugi face a threat of being swept away by Mathioya river owing to lack of a permanent bridge for use by Kahwai and Warugara villages,” she said.

Irene Wachera and Lucy Wambui say taking the children to the nursery schools has been a hectic moment for the parents, especially those with twins.

Wachera says women remain the most affected persons, in taking the youth to school.

“I escort all my three children to school daily, and the eldest is in form two,” said Wachera.

Wambui said some families in the locality have failed to take their young ones through nursery education, citing difficulties in walking.

“There are grandmothers left to cater for the young ones and lack the energy to take them to the nursery school located at Gitugi primary school,” said Wambui.

Eliud Macharia, a village elder, says the community plans to lease land after the government failed to put up the establishment.

The community, he said, demands roads be fixed, and Murang’a County Government come to their rescue in the matter concerning the ECDE centre.

“Most parents prefer escorting their young ones to school in the morning instead of paying boda boda service, a walk that takes about 45 minutes, while boda boda charges Sh150 per trip,” said Macharia.

Gitugi MCA Edwin Wairagu said the issue of the nursery school in the locality remains complicated as there is no public land in Kahwai village.

The area is also prone to landslides, where some people relocated to safety grounds after the disaster struck that left Maina Kimiri dead and scores injured.

“Lack of public utility land in the locality saw the county government building ECDE centres at Kanjahi and Gitugi primary schools, which are operational,” said the MCA.

Mathioya MP Edwin Mugo said the elders from the village approached him in matters about the connection of electricity after years of waiting, among other needs.

"Kerra has tendered a road designed to pass near Kahwai village to connect with the neighbouring Kiru ward at Warugaraga area, for connectivity,” said the MP.