Mugwandi Secondary School in Kirinyaga Central Sub-County, Kirinyaga County is set to be upgraded into a technical vocational institution due to low enrollment over the years.
This comes after the area and school leadership announced the plans to convert the school into a satellite campus of the Kirinyaga Central Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Centre, a move they say will revive the underutilized facility and benefit the surrounding community.
It is reported that the once thriving public institution’s fate get to worst after years of declining student enrolment that saw it remain with only one learner before it was closed down.
The school, which began operations in the late 1990s, recorded a gradual fall in enrollment over the years despite having adequate infrastructure, trained teachers, and government support.
In 2023, the institution had only one student, who was later transferred to a neighboring school, forcing its closure. The decline has continued to puzzle local administrators, teachers, and education stakeholders.
Speaking during an empowerment program in the school ground, Kirinyaga Central Member of Parliament Joseph Gachoki Gitari said the institution was fully equipped and well-staffed but lacked learners due to increased competition from the many schools established in the constituency in recent years.
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“Mugwandi Secondary had everything required for a functional learning environment, including seven teachers. But parents have been opting for other newly built schools within the area, which has resulted in almost zero enrollment. The problem is not the infrastructure; it is the preference parents have for alternative schools,” Gachoki said.
The MP acknowledged that despite efforts by the Teachers Service Commission and the Ministry of Education to support the institution, no sustainable solution had been found to reverse the negative trend. According to him, the closure of the school and its large unused facilities call for a new approach that directly benefits the public.
Gachoki revealed that his office has already initiated talks with the Ministry of Education seeking approval to transform Mugwandi Secondary into a sub-branch of the Kirinyaga Central TVET. He said the main campus currently hosts a high number of trainees, and expanding into Mugwandi will help accommodate more learners.
“We have many young people enrolling in the Kirinyaga Central TVET every year, and the space is becoming inadequate. Converting Mugwandi into a satellite campus will help us decongest the main centre while ensuring the existing school infrastructure is put to productive use,” he explained.
The MP added that the transformation of the school into a technical training centre will open new opportunities for the youth in the constituency, adding that technical skills were in high demand and giving residents a training institution closer to home would improve access, reduce costs, and stimulate local economic growth.
He noted that once the conversion is approved, his office will collaborate with other government departments and agencies to ensure the project is implemented in a manner that benefits the entire community.
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Gachoki appealed to parents and the local leadership to support the proposal, describing it as the most viable long-term solution for the ‘idle’ institution.
“I call upon the parents and all stakeholders to accept this new plan. We must ensure that whatever has been invested here does not go to waste. A TVET campus will serve our youth, empower families, and increase opportunities for employment,” he urged.
During the same visit, Kirinyaga Central Deputy County Commissioner Josephine Mwengi expressed concern over the declining enrolment in several public secondary schools, warning that the trend may weaken government investments in education. She encouraged parents to utilize public institutions within their locality instead of sending their children to distant schools without substantial reasons
“Parents should embrace the schools closest to them. Public institutions are adequately supported by the government and are meant to serve the communities around them. When parents ignore nearby schools, it creates a strain on policy implementation and leads to underuse of public facilities,” Mwengi said.
She announced plans to convene a community meeting where stakeholders, including parents, teachers, education officials, and local leaders, will discuss the future of Mugwandi and collectively agree on the best path forward.
“We will organize a baraza to engage the community so that we can agree on the way forward. The goal is to ensure that every child has access to education and that public facilities are used for the purpose they were established,” Mwengi stated.
By Juma Ndigo
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