The government has to put in place and established Implementation Committees at the sub-county level to make sure that compliance measures to enable the schools open up in a conducive learning environment.
Moyale Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) William Kakimon while speaking today during the issuance of acceptance letters to local artisans after the tendering exercise in his office today called on the artisans who have been awarded the tenders to fast truck and make sure that the works has been completed within the specified time.
He said that as a way of fairness, openness and transparency of the process a similar version had been adopted like the one in the Kazi Mtaani Initiative to identify and pay qualifying artisans,
Kakimon said ten contractors and artisans out of the 19 who had applied mostly the youth were given the tenders to fabricate 1050 desks and 550 lockers and chairs adding that the move will up-lift the living standards of the youth. He further added that the nine who did not quality to be awarded with the tenders did not have permanent premises where they can be traced.
The Government has allocated Ksh.1.9 billion for the purchase of locally assembled desks to both public primary and secondary schools.as a way of preparedness of opening up of schools following the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, the desks and lockers are required in both primary and secondary schools in a bid to meet the required guidelines and specifications of social distance issued by the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO).
“The tendering committee which comprised of multi-agencies from different national government departments to oversee everything was done with a lot of transparency had before anything else to move for a fact finding mission to the artisans’s premises and workshops to establish whether they were genuine people with skills so that the government does not lose its funds to unscrupulous business people “. Kakimon said.
The DCC said the program by the government was aimed at giving the local business people within the sub-county to mitigate with a sense of confidence so that they can uplift their living standards and that those who won the tenders to supply the desks to schools will be first paid a 50% down payment to fast truck the process and also enable them meet the quality expected.
Kakimon said that although the pandemic had affected the economy, the government had given the first priority to the education sector thus establishing the implementation committee who will supervise evaluate and monitor the fabrication and provision of the desks in public institutions to make sure that when schools open the learners will have their own dignity.
He however called upon the parents to ensure that their children are back to school as soon as they are opened to avoid them lagging behind the school time table.
By Gatana Muchira.
