Parents of Riangabi DEB Primary School in Gesusu Ward of Nyaribari Masaba Constituency, in Kisii have raised alarm over the declining standards of education in the school over the delay of commissioning of new classrooms to provide conducive learning environment to the learners.
Speaking to Education News on Wednesday, they complained over the delay of commissioning the newly constructed classrooms for their children who are taking their studies in cold and leaking makeshift class classrooms that were constructed with the financial aid from Safaricom Foundation as the organisation continued completing the new ones.
“Safaricom Foundation completed all the new classrooms six months ago and left them but the local leaders have refused to launch them as pupils suffer in the early old wet and cold makeshift classrooms,” Said Samson Mokaya.
They accused local leaders for the delay alleging that there was conflict of interest between former CS for education and area MP Daniel Manduku over leadership superiority in the constituency and ownership of the project.
They claimed that the nine class rooms were constructed through financial donations from Safari Com Foundation under the initiative of former CS for education Ezekiel Machogu and commissioning them without his presence, could be a despise.
Others accused the area MP Daniel Manduku for delaying to open the classrooms untill next year as a delaying tactic to enable him claim ownership of having steered the project and gain political mileage.
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“When we were ready to open the new classrooms for our children in June the MP sent the police men who ordered parents out of the compound and stopped the celebration.” Said one parent who did not want to be named for security reasons.
In a letter shown, and said to have been written by CS for education Julius Ogamba, to the School’s Management committee, he explained the reasons for postponing the commissioning of the classrooms from this term to next year.
The letter stated that it was not possible to accommodate the public on the school compound to celebrate the opening of the classrooms because candidates are busy preparing for the National examinations.
Efforts to reach him for comment did not succeed.
Gesusu Ward MCA Anthoney Kerage who spoke to Education News, admitted there were disagreements about the time of the commissioning the classrooms and who will preside over the function.
“I heard about the conflicts from parents but as for me I decided to distance myself from the involvement because primary education management is not a devolved department as it is under the National government.” He said
The MCA promised to talk to both CS for education Julius Ogamba and area MP Daniel Manduku on the clarity concerning who and at what time the classrooms will be launched.
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He asked all leaders from the area to put their political differences aside and unite for the common development of the area.
“I will talk to both leaders for the way forward, then I will tell you when they give me direction on this matter.” He said
Kerage thanked the Safaricom Foundation for supporting the construction of modern classrooms and equipping them with computers and modern lockers saying that they will boost the morale of pupils to love education.
By Enock Okong’o.
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