The National Government has said it will run a five-year school feeding programme to support primary and secondary schools in insecurity-prone areas in the North Rift region.
Defence Cabinet Secretary Adan Duale said his Ministry will provide food supplies on a yearly basis through Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) camps to all affected schools, renovate classrooms in addition to construction of boarding facilities in Chesitet primary school, Kositei primary school and Kapedo Mixed secondary school in Tiaty West sub-county, Baringo County to ensure retention of pupils in school.
Duale who was accompanied by Governor Benjamin Cheboi, County Commissioner Stephen Kutwa and Area MP William Kamket was speaking on Thursday during the inspection of building projects in the three schools where renovation is set to be completed by end of August this year noted with concern that the enrollment rate was quite low due to insecurity and a case like Chesitet primary where they were only 87 pupils.
“We want all children in Chesitet primary school to increase to over 300 and through the KDF we will build more classrooms and maintain a school feeding program so that more children are retained in school,” Duale said.
The CS further urged parents to ensure more children enroll in school as it was their right and the government was committed to ensuring that banditry prone parts of Baringo North, Baringo South and Tiaty East and West sub-counties would benefit from the school feeding program to ensure they get an education.
On health, the CS said mothers and children were eligible to receive health services in the Chesitet KDF camps to avoid loss of lives.
“Criminals will not be given treatment in the KDF camps and I want to urge every residents to surrender any illegal firearms as we plan to deploy National police reservist to help in maintaining security,” Duale said.
Cheboi said the county government would employ more Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers to be deployed in these schools to ensure that pupils get a good education, just like in other sub-counties.
“We want to urge the government to construct boreholes and purchase water tanks to ensure the community benefits and does farming for sustainable development,” Cheboi said.
Tiaty MP William Kamket lauded the CS for the support, adding that they would work together in ensuring enrollment and retention rates of children so that they benefit from the school feeding programme.
Kositei Primary head teacher John Apotole lauded the ministry’s efforts in renovation of classrooms, construction of more classrooms, dormitories and abolition blocks and providing food for the students as they were able to have more children in school.
- By Caroline Cherono
