Interior Principal Secretary Eng Karanja Kibicho has directed National Government Administration Officers (NGAOs) to join other frontline actors in addressing school fires and students unrest.
Karanja told the administrators to plug into the efforts by other stakeholders towards finding a permanent solution to the worrying trend of gross indiscipline in some of the learning institutions to ensure uninterrupted learning within their areas of jurisdiction.
“We are experiencing a spate of school fires across the country. You must move in and lead from the front in mitigating the trend. This looks like a cyclic thing that the Ministry of Education is investigating, and all we can do is to ensure we are as vigilant as we can get,” he said.
The PS who was addressing National Government Administrators from Kitui County, stated that the intention is to ensure active consultations amongst stakeholders so that all existing and emerging issues are dealt with proactively including fatigue and stress among students.
“As a Ministry responsible for ensuring that there is order, we have instructed our officers to ensure that the consultation systems within the schools are functional and that the committees that are supposed to ensure that the teachers, students and parents remain on talking terms are activated,” he said.
Earlier on, Kibicho, who was hosted by Governor Charity Ngilu, toured the Kitui County Textile Centre (KICOTEC) where production of uniforms for NGAOs and other government institutions is underway.
The PS said the next step in Kenya’s industrialization journey is to stop the importation of fabrics by investing in cotton growing in the country, with a view to promoting locally-made textile products.
“We just graduated new Assistant County Commissioners and they were all donned in uniforms made by KICOTEC. This is what Industrialization entails. We must now think about expanding the market. What we are planning to do is to stop the importation of fabrics and start thinking how to grow our own cotton,” the PS said.
He later inspected the production of cabro paving blocks, a county venture that has also created job opportunities for residents especially among the youth and women.
On her part, Ngilu said the county has taken the Big 4 agenda very seriously, adding that her administration is planning to set up two more textile facilities in Mwingi and Mutomo in order to engage more residents in a meaningful employment.
By Yobesh Onwong’a
