By Malachi Motano
Poor infrastructure and shortage of teachers in schools in West Pokot County have been blamed for poor performance in the 2020 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education KCPE and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education KCSE exams.
According to a section of leaders in the County, the Ministry of Education should deploy more teachers in the region to help improve learners’ performance.
The leaders, led by Kacheliba Member of Parliament Mark Lomunokol said the Constituency Development Fund CDF has been allocating funds to improve school infrastructure but there is still much to be done.
Speaking after handing over a Sh7 million bus to Kiwawa Boys Secondary School that was bought by CDF, the MP said Kacheliba constituency is lagging behind in development due to insecurity.
“Insecurity also affected Pokot North Sub County and thus there was no time to develop, close to 180 schools in my constituency are dilapidated they need to be constructed,” he said.
The MP added that the area usually experiences drought throughout the year and urged the government to implement affirmative action to help the area catch up with the rest of the country.
“We are changing and people are embracing education, the Pokot community is yearning for development and education I ask stakeholders to come and help improve infrastructure,” he added.
The County Woman Representative Lilian Chepchokai noted that the county is still marginalized and schools are grappling with infrastructure challenges. She noted that some of the cultural practices are now outdated and FGM has drastically dropped.
Sigor Member of Parliament Peter Lochakapong said most of the schools are understaffed which contributes to poor performance.
“There is shortage of teachers in most of the schools; the Teachers Service Commission should balance deployment of teachers in some of the marginalized counties,” he appealed.
Lochakapong urged the County Director of Education to give returns of understaffed schools within the county now that peace had resumed across the county and TSC should take action.
He added that schools need to be built well to accommodate learners. “They should focus more on boarding schools because parents are pastoralists,” he said.
