Parents within West Pokot County have been warned against absconding their parental responsibilities, and urged to prioritise education to promote posterity
Tapach division Assistant County Commissioner (ACC) Ibrahim Masiaga noted that his office had been handling numerous cases of child neglect, especially in terms of those meant to transit to form one with parents neglecting the responsibility of paying school fees.
Speaking during commissioning of an ultra-modern dining hall at Kamelei Peace Day and Boarding Primary School Kamelei Location in Pokot South Sub County on Wednesday, Masiaga said his administration would not condone any cases of parents passing the buck to each other whenever cases of child neglect arose.
“The government is concerned about some parents refusing to pay fees for their children when they want to join high school even when they have the capacity to do so,” the ACC regretted.
He argued that West Pokot County was lucky because various stakeholders have joined hands to assist parents meet school fees levies through issuance of county government, National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) bursaries among others with parents being left with little amounts to pay from their pockets.
He observed that the area being along the border of West Pokot and Elgeyo Marakwet counties, it has become a trend for some parents to migrate to the other side when children demanded for fees to join high school.
The administrator condemned those parents that showed reluctance over the educational welfare of their children especially those born out of wedlock noting that each of the two parents must play their part in ensuring such children get their right to education without discrimination.
“We shall not allow parents throwing responsibility to each other on matters of their children’s education. If there are marital differences, the child should not be the one to be sacrificed,” maintained the ACC.
Masiaga further regretted that some parents shy away from selling their animal stock to pay fees for their children.
“We know that times may be challenging but if you have livestock why can’t you use the investment to make your children have access to education which is even a greater investment?” wondered the ACC while calling on parents to play their role in helping school administrations provide better learning environments through paying fees promptly.
Meanwhile, Masiaga has advised residents to embrace family planning so that they could raise families that they can manage without stress.
He reiterated that empowering children through education would help in addressing family conflicts that usually arise from scramble for family land resources.
“If you don’t educate your children it is going to be a ticking time bomb because when your children grow up, the only investment they will be looking at is the family property. They will demand for its subdivision and by then you will be old and in case you object, that is how they will start fighting you,” he explained.
By Richard Muhambe
