- Education stakeholders say inadequate dormitories, libraries and multipurpose halls continue to affect schools across Samburu County.
- Regional Education Director James Indimuli says government funding should be complemented by parents and other stakeholders.
- KUPPET wants MPs to use NGCDF resources and the government to establish a special infrastructure fund for Samburu schools.
Schools in Samburu County continue to perform well in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) and co-curricular activities despite inadequate infrastructure that education stakeholders say requires urgent intervention.
Learners from the county have excelled in activities such as science and engineering fairs, drama, music and sports, but some schools lack essential facilities, including multipurpose halls, adequate dormitories and well-equipped modern libraries.
Stakeholders interviewed by Education News said improving the facilities would create a more conducive learning environment and enable learners to compete effectively with their counterparts in other counties.
They called on the government, Ministry of Education, elected leaders and other partners to work together to address infrastructure gaps in the county’s schools.
Samburu County has two national schools, Maralal High School and Kisima Girls High School, which admit learners from different parts of the country.
Despite their performance in academics and co-curricular activities, stakeholders said infrastructure in the schools requires further improvement to match their national status.
Indimuli calls for joint intervention
Rift Valley Regional Director of Education James Indimuli said the government provides infrastructure funding to schools but called for additional support from parents and other stakeholders.
Indimuli said he had visited Maralal High School and observed the state of infrastructure at the national school.
He called for urgent measures involving all stakeholders to improve facilities and provide learners with an environment that supports academic achievement and talent development.
KUPPET wants special infrastructure funding
Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Samburu County Chairman Ruben Kwendo similarly called for urgent measures to improve school infrastructure across the county.
Kwendo urged stakeholders to jointly identify sustainable solutions to the challenges and called on MPs in Samburu County to use National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NGCDF) resources to improve facilities in both day and boarding schools.
He also appealed to the government to consider establishing a special infrastructure fund for schools in Samburu to provide essential facilities such as modern multipurpose halls, dormitories and libraries.
“Samburu County has two national schools, Maralal High School and Kisima Girls High School. Their infrastructure should be upgraded to match the status of national schools,” said Kwendo.
He said extra-county and other schools in Samburu face similar infrastructure challenges despite teachers working hard to improve academic performance and support learners in co-curricular activities.
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Kwendo maintained that improving school facilities would provide learners and teachers with a better environment for teaching, learning and talent development.
By Peter Otuoro
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