By Norah Musega
Members of the National Assembly have been urged to spearhead the fight for teachers’ welfare as the Covid-19 bites.
Mr. Joseph Nyamuthe eying Rangwe parliamentary seat in 2022 said the elected leaders must consider discussing the effects of Covid-19 on frontline workers at the National Assembly and push for action on their welfare.
Addressing the press at Kisumu International Airport yesterday, Nyamuthe noted the need to include teachers in the list of front-line workers due to the risks they are currently facing as they provide education services to their clients during this pandemic.
“Our teachers have been risking a lot to give their services through naturing the future brains of this country and I challenge members of Parliament to consider the welfare of the teachers of today through advocacy,” said Nyamuthe.
Teachers’ unions have been demanding risk allowance in the recent past with the latest being the officials from Migori County who threatened to down their tools come January for lack of favorable working conditions during the pandemic period.
“There is need by government and other leaders to ensure they come up with means of facilitating and encouraging teachers, health workers and other front-line workers and also to ensure their safety as they provide their services. Leaders are elected to help advocate the welfare of their constituents and the time is now,” he noted stressing the need to utilize CDFs’ to put up more classrooms to enhance social distancing.
The businessman is set to donate desks and face masks to schools within the constituency as a way of boosting education during the pandemic.
Nyamuthe who also met a group of teachers in a closed-door meeting pledged his support in the fight to scale down the virus through the provision of PPEs.
Through my foundation, I have budgeted to give face masks, water buckets and bursaries to 250 students as it has been the norm every year.
“My foundation gives bursaries to students from within the constituency to help facilitate their education school fees and especially those from poor families to intensify the rate of literacy within the area for better future of our constituents. This year won’t be different despite the pandemic but we are currently going to boost learning conditions by providing some of the things they need to enhance hygiene and social distance,” he added.
