By Kevin Odera
Chesakam Primary School candidates from Baringo County have made an appeal to the government for food assistance as they sit for their national examinations.
The school, located in Tiaty, Baringo County has seen a mass dropout of students due to lack of supply of food rations by the government which was effected because of the drought that had hit the region.
Dominic Likulu , a teacher, says that the school received the last food ration from the government way back in April this year.
“Most parents refused to release their children to school in the just concluded term because we had insufficient food. They preferred to move with them in search of food, pasture, and water for their livestock,” said Likulu.
Likulu added that lack of food has seen a large number of children dropping out from the school.
“At the beginning of the year, we had 300 pupils but that number has declined to about 100. The pre-school section which had around 100 now has only 20 pupils,” he said.
Two Chesakam candidates, 14-year-old Irene Chepukat and Christopher Kapkomor, 17, stated that they are confident they will perform well in the national examinations despite the challenges they are facing.
A frail Chepukat says that she has been surviving on water and occasionally on food that the school provides due to the contributions that teachers make from time to time to support the few candidates left in the school.
“I am used to having one meal a day. I have trained myself to stay in school and study ahead of the exam. Luckily we have a borehole where we get clean water which has really helped us. As for food, that depends; on a good day we get well-wishers and the teacher who prepares a meal but most of the time, the water comes in handy,” she says.
Kapkomor, on the other hand who has been walking for four kilometres to school daily says that he is confident and positive he will do well in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE).
“I am ready for the exams. I try as much as possible to ensure that I attain good marks to get placement in a good secondary school out of Tiaty,” says Kapkomor.
A total of 632 KCPE candidates and 901 Grade Six candidates will be sitting the national examinations in the region.
