Children drawn from the 30 wards in Narok County had a rare opportunity of sitting in the County Assembly chambers and debating a motion on issues pertaining to children matters.
The children appointed Victor Cheruiyot Kirui from Trans Mara East Sub County as their speaker while Lucy Yiamat from Narok East was appointed the Deputy speaker.
They also appointed a clerk, leader of majority and minority and sat in the assembly for two hours debating a motion on ‘Accelerating 100 percent transition to secondary in the county’.
Some of the points that the children debated were the challenges to 100 per cent transition to secondary school education where the children said it was mainly hampered by harmful cultural practices like early marriages.
Other challenges named by the children included high cost of boarding fees in secondary schools, bad reputation of certain secondary schools that discouraged parents from taking their children there, and few secondary school chances compared to candidates who completed primary school in the county.
The learners debated that for 100 percent transition to be achieved, the children should stop engaging in early sexual activities, share the challenges they undergo with responsible people and accept and celebrate their KCPE results and the schools they are called to join.
The parents were also asked to celebrate their children when they receive their KCPE results and encourage them to join the schools they are called to as well as saving money early for their children’s secondary education.
The children also debated that the county government should come in to give bursaries to the needy students as well as building more secondary schools in the county.
Narok Children Director Pilot Khaemba, said the points raised by the learners were recorded in the assembly’s Hansard department and would be forwarded to the relevant department both in the County and National Government.
Faith Sadera, who represented Narok Township ward, said she learnt a lot in the County Assembly saying she would go out there to ask her agemates who were not in school to go back to school.
“I felt honoured to be called an Honorable member. This challenged me that if I work hard in school, one day I can make it to parliament,” she said.
Mercy Seriyian from Suswa ward lauded the County Speaker for giving them a unique opportunity to sit in their seats and have a taste of how business is conducted in the house.
The opportunity, she said, motivated her to work hard in school and to mentor other young girls to read hard so that someday they could also sit in the Assembly.
Victor Kirui, the day’s speaker reiterated that the experience encouraged them to be influential leaders in future and formulate laws to govern the nation.
By Ann Salaton
