By Felix Wanderi
Kiambu Constituency Member of Parliament Jude Njomo has lamented that the form one placement system has disadvantaged students from his Kiambu County whereby they have received fewer slots to join good high schools within the county. `
Njomo said that when he was elected as the Kiambu MP in 2013, he found out that the transition rate was at 48 percent with most students who are admitted at the schools in Kiambu coming from different counties.
Speaking at St. Peters Secondary School in Ndumberi, Kiambu on Tuesday during the issuance of bursary funds worth Sh32 million, the MP said that only 20 percent of students from Kiambu were given a chance to join good high schools in Kiambu yet they were built by the people of Kiambu.
He said that by building the day schools, the transition rate so far has risen to 95 percent and will not relent in advocating for day schools as converting schools to boarding schools is reverting back on the progress of students joining form one.
“We have started building modern day schools so that we find a safe place for our children to learn closer to their homes. We started with St. Peter Tinganga HGM, St Joseph Riabai, Kiuu river, Kasarini and St Ann and Juaqim Secondary Schools and we are negotiating with catholic church to allow us to build Gichocho secondary school,” said Njomo.
The legislator said that the schools will remain to be day schools and are in agreement with the school boards that the schools should remain so.
“I was called for a ‘harambee’ to convert Tinganga Day School into boarding but I refused since it was the parents who are being asked to contribute money,” said Njomo.
Njomo warned that those day schools that will be converted to boarding school will not get any funding from the constituency NG-CDF.
“We have renovated all the schools in the constituency, we have built basketball pitches, football grounds, ablution blocks, swimming pools, installed electricity and WI FI, built administration blocks and equipping them so that our children can get quality education and have a conducive environment for learning.
“We are not doing this so that children from other constituencies can occupy our schools,” said Njomo.
He noted that through NG-CDF they have started building kitchens in schools so that students can be able to be getting hot lunch within the school.
He said that he will be looking for well-wishers who can help fund the school feeding programme so that the students can be in school at all time.
