Murang’a residents want the agricultural sector to be given top priority in the 2024–2025 financial year.
The residents who aired their views at Kiriaini Secondary School in Mathioya during a public participation forum led by members of the parliamentary committee on budget said that they would like more funds to be channelled towards agriculture as that was their main source of livelihood.
Other items they listed as top priorities are education, water, roads, and health, respectively.
One of the residents, Mary Thuku, said she would want the government to prioritise tea and coffee among other agricultural products, as agriculture is the main economic activity in the region.
“We want the money meant for tea and coffee to be released on time; we also want electricity and water for irrigation,” she said, adding that the cost of water was currently very high.
Thuku also asked the government to prioritise higher education, saying the government should continue allocating higher education loans for needy students in universities and colleges.
Gerald Maiyuru, another resident, called upon the county governments to lower the costs of various business licenses for traders.
“The county governments should be considerate and lower the costs of licenses so that we can do business,” he said, noting that higher licenses may be a hindrance to young people seeking to venture into business.
Area MP Edwin Mugo, who is also a member of the budget committee, underscored the views of the residents by asking the government to fast-track the waiving of debts owed by tea factories and coffee cooperatives so that farmers can enjoy benefits from their agricultural produce.
“Mathioya residents want the government to put more money into coffee, tea, macadamia, avocados, and milk because a majority of the people here are farmers,” the MP said.
Mugo further said that he would like the budget committee to allocate funds for stalled projects, especially those started during the previous regime.
“Residents want stalled roads like the Maumau road and the Kanjama – Chui road completed,” he said.
Kiambaa MP John Njuguna, a member of the budget committee, revealed that every constituency has been allocated Sh50 million for electrification in a bid to ensure more Kenyans have access to electricity.
Meanwhile, the Mathioya MP, issued bursaries worth over Sh. 63.7 million to students in secondary and tertiary learning institutions.
Mugo, speaking at another ceremony held at Mananga Secondary School that was attended by local secondary school heads among other community leaders, said the bursaries will aid in keeping all needy students in school and ensure they get education.
The MP said the bursaries were distributed equitably without discrimination, noting that previously there had been systems that discriminated against poor performing children.
“We have had people discriminate against students performing poorly in schools, but that has now changed as we believe all children have a right to stay in school,” he said.
The MP increased the bursaries for all students in boarding secondary schools and tertiary institutions to Sh7,000 from the previous Sh6,000; those in day schools will get Sh4,000, while those in special schools will get Sh10,000 each.
The bursary will be disbursed electronically and sent directly to the schools in what the MP termed as an online bursary system.
The parents who benefited from the bursary were delighted, saying it was a big relief during these tough financial times.
“This bursary has come as a relief because my child has been at home for lack of school fees after my efforts to plead with the school principal failed,” Wambui Ndirangu said, adding that the amount allocated per child has been increased, which is a huge relief for many struggling parents.
By Purity Mugo
