MP Odege wants Nyatike gazetted as hardship area as Ntutu calls for vigilance  

Nyatike Member of Parliament (MP) Tom Odege has reaffirmed his commitment to championing the award of hardship allowance for civil servants working in the constituency, saying the semi-arid conditions in the area warrant special consideration.

Odege made the remarks while issuing a school bus to Gunga Senior School in Nyatike West, noting that public servants posted to the region deserve the same benefits as their counterparts in areas with similar climatic challenges.

“Nyatike is categorised as a semi-arid area. We cannot have government officials working here without hardship allowance while officers in other areas with similar conditions are benefiting from the same,” he said.

The legislator, who also serves as Secretary General of the Civil Servants Union of Kenya, said he would continue engaging relevant government agencies to ensure the constituency is gazetted for hardship allowance.

“As the Secretary General of the Civil Servants Union of Kenya, I understand the concerns of our workers. I will push until Nyatike is recognised for hardship allowance because the conditions here justify it,” Odege added.

On Grade 10 placement, the MP urged parents to consider enrolling their children in local schools, citing improved infrastructure across several senior schools in the constituency.

“A lot of our senior schools in Nyatike have improved infrastructure and are ready to cater for the educational needs of our learners. Parents should have confidence in our local institutions,” he said.

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Odege, who toured several schools to inspect ongoing infrastructural development projects, disclosed that Sori Comprehensive and Sori Senior School will benefit from the upcoming Ksh1.4 billion Sori Affordable Housing Project set to begin in February.

“The Sori Affordable Housing Project will open up this area economically and socially. Our schools, including Sori Comprehensive and Sori Senior School, will benefit from the expanded opportunities,” he noted.

He further appealed to parents whose children may have been placed in schools outside Migori County to reconsider local options if facing logistical challenges.

“If our children have been placed in other schools outside Migori County and parents are finding it difficult, I urge them to consider our county schools so that they can settle them as time is running out,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Narok Governor Patrick Ntutu has urged parents to remain vigilant during the ongoing rainy season as schools break for the short holiday.

Speaking at Kimogoro area in Narok South, Ntutu warned that swollen rivers and flooded trenches pose a serious danger to children playing outdoors during heavy rains.

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“As our children go home for the short holiday, I want to urge parents to be extra careful. Trenches and rivers can overflow at any time when it rains, and this can put the lives of our children at risk,” said Ntutu.

The governor appealed to parents and guardians to closely monitor their children and educate them on the dangers of playing near flooded areas.

“Let us caution our children and ensure they do not attempt to cross flooded rivers or play near drainage channels. Their safety must come first,” he added.

At the same time, Ntutu announced that the county government will disburse bursaries in April to support needy students across the region.

“We will be issuing Narok County bursaries in April. I call upon all leaders across the county to work closely with village elders to identify genuinely deserving children so that no needy learner is left out,” he said.

He emphasized that education remains a key priority for his administration, noting that the bursary programme is aimed at easing the financial burden on parents and ensuring learners remain in school.

“Our goal is to support vulnerable families and ensure every child in Narok County has access to education,” Ntutu said.

By KIMUTAI LANGAT