- The contractor has threatened to evict Form Four candidates from newly built classrooms at Nyakorere SDA Secondary School over more than Ksh2 million allegedly owed by the Bomachoge Borabu NG-CDF office.
- Parents have appealed to the Sub-County Director of Education to intervene after the contractor stormed the school and ordered students out of a classroom during preps.
Parents of Nyakorere SDA Secondary School in Kenyenya Sub-County have expressed fear over the learning of their children in candidate classes, saying they are studying in an atmosphere of uncertainty as national examinations approach.
Speaking to Education News at Nyagancha Shopping Centre, the parents said there is growing tension between contractors and the Bomachoge Borabu NG-CDF office, which allegedly has not cleared more than Ksh2 million owed for the construction of new classrooms. The contractor, Mr. Daniel Onsase, has threatened to eject students from the classrooms unless his dues are paid in full.
“I used my own money and borrowed from friends to complete the work. I am now under a lot of pressure from my casual labourers who worked on this site because I promised to pay them after the work,” said Onsase.
The parents said the contractor stormed the school last week and ordered Form Four students out of one of the new classrooms during preps, causing panic among the candidates. They have appealed to the Sub-County Director of Education to urgently intervene.
When Education News visited the school, it established that the new classrooms were fully completed and are already in use by the candidate classes. The structures were well finished, with painted walls, proper roofing and cemented floors, providing a much-needed facelift to the school, which has been struggling with congestion. However, some walls had writings to the effect of rural electrification scribbled on them, an indication that the rooms may have been used as temporary stores for NG-CDF materials before being handed over.
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Elsewhere, at the neighbouring Bombaba Borabu Ward, the Principal of Kiango Comprehensive School, Mrs. Elizabeth Nyamboki, has called upon parents to be keenly conversant with the ongoing exercise where Grade 9 pupils are choosing the Senior Schools they will join for Grade 10 next year.
Nyamboki said this year the number of schools with proper career pathways has been reduced from 9 to 8, a move that will bring stiff competition among pupils who do not get proper guidance.
She explained that Senior Schools have now been classified from C1 to C4 depending on infrastructure, staffing and the pathways they offer, and parents need to visit schools and consult teachers to help their children make informed choices. “C1 schools are well equipped to offer triple pathways while C4 schools offer limited options. Parents must understand this,” she said.
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She cautioned parents against forcing their children to choose career paths against their abilities. “If you force a child who is gifted in Arts to take STEM because you want him to be a doctor, you will frustrate him and that will be detrimental for the rest of his life. Let the child’s talent and ability guide the choice,” she warned, urging the Ministry of Education to send more career guidance officers to rural schools before the selection deadline lapses.
By Enock Okong’o
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