Thika Town Member of Parliament (MP), Patrick Wainaina, who was named the best performing MP by the Mizani Africa Awards last week attributes his win to the many school infrastructural development projects that he has initiated in his Constituency.
Wainaina said he has managed to transform the area’s education sector for the three years by focusing on doing facelifts for dilapidated classrooms and equipping them with desks and other materials to help learners.
Speaking after meeting National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG/ CDF) officials in Thika town, Wainaina, an Independent MP said his work didn’t go unnoticed, citing last year when the NG/CDF officials used the Covid-19 period when learners were home from March last year to January this year to rehabilitate schools.
“I found a struggling education sector where most schools lacked gates, fences and others didn’t have windows. We have fixed all that to the extent that some are attracting learners from neighbouring counties,” said Wainaina.
Among the schools that Wainaina has managed to change face are Gatuanyaga and Kamenu Primary Schools in Thika West Sub- County and Ngoliba Primary School in Thika East Sub- County.
These are among the most populous in the Constituency and now boasts of burglar proof windows and doors, cemented floors, rehabilitated toilets, kitchens and roofing.
“The schools had broken window panes, cracked floors and walls, wooden doors and lacked proper sanitation. With the NG/CDF, we have managed to rehabilitate them for safe learning,” he said.
Other parameters considered by Mizani while issuing the award are economic empowerment and prudent management of CDF.
He said through issuing of Uwezo funds and other programmes he has initiated, they have supported over 2,000 groups some of which have made huge strides economically.
Wanaina said empowerment programmes have lifted several groups that were almost folding during this Covid-19 period.
“The groups have also been awarding tenders of construction and refurbishment of classrooms,” MP added
This is not the first time the MP is receiving awards due to performance. In 2019, Thika CDF won an award for best financial reporting at the 18th, edition of financial Reporting Awards that year.
The first time MP castigated leaders who rather than working for their electorate, used the opportunity to steal from them, saying such leaders lacked vision for the country.
Wainaina and Westlands MP, Timothy Wanyonyi, tied at position one with (65.9 per cent) followed by Uriri Ogolo (65.5 per cent) and Kiharu MP, Ndindi Nyoro (65.1 per cent) among others.
By Muoki Charles
