The Government is tracking down some 4,291 pupils who were selected to join secondary schools in Central Region but are yet to report to their respective schools.
National Government Administration and Education Officers across the five counties in the Region have been directed to conduct a door to door search for the missing pupils who sat for their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education last year and ensure they report to schools.
Central Regional Commissioner, Wilfred Nyagwanga, during a media briefing, Tuesday, said the government was concerned over the fate of the missing pupils and has instructed County Commissioners and County Directors of Education in Murang’a, Nyeri, Nyandarua, Kirinyaga and Kiambu to ensure they attained a 100 per cent transition from primary to secondary schools.
During the briefing also attended by the Central Regional Coordinator of Education, Margaret Lesuuda, Nyagwanga gave a breakdown of the number of pupils yet to transit to secondary schools with Kiambu leading with 1,862 pupils yet to report to selected secondary schools.
Murang’a County has 1,635, Kirinyaga 351, Nyeri 437 while in Nyandarua six pupils are missing according to figures released by the Ministry of Education with Ms. Lesuuda, saying Laari recorded the highest proportion of missing pupils in Kiambu owing to prevalent child labour associated to the thriving vegetable market whose produce is mainly destined for the coastal markets.
Nyagwanga said administration and education officers across the region have now been detailed to use all means to ensure that the missing pupils are traced and enrolled in secondary schools.
He said the government was committed to ensuring that a 100 per cent transition rate is achieved in all the counties adding that parents who fail to give a satisfactory explanation on why their children were not in schools would be prosecuted.
The administrator at the same time cautioned school heads against allowing public functions to be staged in their institutions contrary to the Covid-19 containment protocols.
He said learning institutions were out of bounds to everyone apart from the teaching and non-teaching fraternity adding that the government will not sit back and allow the safety of learners to be compromised.
Nyagwanga told politicians flocking to schools ostensibly to issue bursaries to seek other venues to hold their ceremonies and at the same time directed national government administration officials to strictly enforce all Covid-19 containment measures as outlined by the Ministry of Health without any exceptions.
By Kiamah Wamutitu
