The government through the Ministry of Education will look into the possibility of amending the school calendar to ensure mid -term break in first term does not overlap with the Kenya Scouts Founder’s Day celebrations.
Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs Mr Joe Mucheru said he would consult with his Education colleague Prof George Magoha and other stakeholders to look into that option.
Mucheru was speaking at Baden Powell gardens in Nyeri town during celebrations to mark the Scouts Movement Founder’s Day that is celebrated annually on February 22.
“We will work with the other arms of government and Education Ministry to ensure that the Scouts Founder’s Day is taken care of during the time when we have half-term,” Mucheru said.
Mucheru was responding to sentiments raised by Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga and Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu that mid- term break during first term was clashing with the Founder’s Day celebration causing to low turn- out.
He said the amendments could be made so that the day could be marked by majority of students together as it was an important occasion.
The CS noted that the scouts’ movement inculcated critical values to the young people who would transform the country through its vibrant programmes that equipped them with practical transformative skills.
Mucheru urged the Kenya Scouts Association to take its proposals to the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) on what they would like included to cater for their interests and better the association.
“Take the things you would like to be done for the movement to be entrenched (in BBI) so that the young people also significantly enjoy the benefits,” Mucheru said.
He said that the movement had played a key role in channeling the energies of the young people to exploit their full potential in physical, intellectual and social abilities to develop themselves and the country.
He added that the movement had transformed many youths into responsible and patriotic citizens.
Mucheru said the Kenya Scouts Association has a membership of 2.1 million and ranked the best in Africa and sixth globally adding that the government was appreciative of the movement in initiating peace programmes in conflict areas.
“This is evident in the theme of this year’s Founder’s Day celebrations; “Scouts promoting diversity and inclusion for National Prosperity”.
Speaking during the same occasion, Nyeri Governor Mutahi kahiga disclosed that the county would in October this year hold the World Parliamentary Scouts Association Conference.
Kahiga added that the conference would begin the process of making Nyeri County the ‘scouting city of the world’.
By Mwangi Gaitha
