By Johnston Keti
Approximately 100,000 pupils in Samburu County are expected to be issued with birth certificates by March 31.
Samburu County Director of Education Zachary Mutwiri said that approximately 50 thousand primary school pupils, 10 thousand from secondary and 40 thousand from ECD will receive birth certificates so that they can qualify to be registered under the National Education Information System (NEMIS) before the March 31st deadline set by the ministry of education.
However, parents in the county have complained about the slow process at the civil registration offices in Maralal town.
Elizabeth Letiriwa said that she has been following up birth certificates for her nine children at the Maralal civil registration office for some time now.
She said she had to travel 200 kilometers from Wamba in Samburu East to Maralal town since the department of civil registration have no offices in the area.
The mother of nine said that she was forced to sell five goats to enable her meet the travel and accommodation expenses.
“It cost me Sh8,000 on boda boda fare from Ndunyu nasipa village in Samburu East since there are no public service vehicles and to my disappointment I have to pay accommodation for over one week in Maralal town,” She lamented.
Alfred Lenyarua, also from Samburu East said that teachers have been chasing away pupils who don’t have birth certificates.
