Basic Education PS Belio Kipsang has lauded Baringo County for beating all odds to post impressive quality grades in last year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination with the region sending over 24% of its candidature to the university.
Dr Kipsang said despite the region facing unsurmountable insecurity, flood and drought challenges, the county was able to dispatch more students to institutions of higher learning, a figure that exceeded the national average target of 22 percent.
“I want to most sincerely thank this county because this is an area that has gone through much of insecurities and that nature sometimes disadvantaged this place, where we lost a quite number of teachers, children because of banditry attacks and some schools to Lake Baringo after the water body burst its banks,” lauded the PS.
Speaking at Kenya School of Government (KSG), Baringo campus, during the ongoing county dissemination forums on Fourth Medium Term Plan (MTP IV), 2023-2027 period, the Basic Education PS also lauded the county for managing to send more than 42 percent of the candidates to tertiary institutions thus allowing almost 70 percent of the students to progress to the next level of learning.
“That in itself speaks so much to the determination as a county has put notwithstanding the numerous problems you faced. I really congratulate you people for your resilience. The county is performing well in relation to neighbouring stable counties,” noted Dr Kipsang.
On classrooms, the Principal Secretary disclosed that the government through the education ministry is set to construct more than 190 classrooms for junior school in grade nine in Baringo County before the end of this year so that come January no child will miss a class.
The PS stated that by January next year the government will have established 16,000 new classrooms across the country to accommodate grade nine JSS students with 190 of these facilities being done in Baringo.
Governor Cheboi in his address called for establishment of more boarding schools in Tiaty constituency to boost enrolment and retention of pupils.
He recommended the utilization of equalization funds already availed by the national government to put up the institution facilities to mob up eligible learners who are likely to drop out due to rampant retrogressive cultural practices such as female genital mutilation and forced marriages.
Cheboi added that vocational training centres (VTCs) is a critical sector that the county is focusing its attention as it chunks out graduates with relevant skills and knowledge most required in job creation and export to foreign countries in dire need of them like Germany and South Korea, where the President visited recently to seal a deal on the same.
The half day event presided over by Cooperatives and MSMEs Development CS Simon Chelugui was attended by principal secretaries Peter Tum (Sports), Harry Kimutai (Health) and Professor Julius Bitok (Immigration service).
Others in attendance included county commissioner Stephen Kutwa and a host of CECs and members of county assembly led by speaker Vincent Kemboi.
By Jacinta Kipruto and Joshua Kibet
