By Dennis Bett
Education Cabinet Secretary, Prof. George Magoha, has said that they have released Sh3.2 billion for the payment of CBC classrooms contractors across the country.
He revealed that 1,300 contractors have so far received their dues which is being paid through Mpesa money transfer as the funds were released four months ago.
He further gave the government assurance to all other contractors building the classes that they will receive their payments once they complete the work according to the standards set by Ministry of Education.
The CS who was speaking during an inspection tour of CBC classrooms in Keiyo North Constituency, Elgeyo Marakwet County, instructed contractors who are yet to complete the classrooms to do so within the next 10 days.
“We are moving to the second phase of the construction in the coming month and we cannot do so if we have not completed the first phase,” the CS said.
Magoha regretted that only one classroom has been completed in the insecurity prone Kerio Valley and vowed to ensure that the classes are built even if it takes the army to do it.
“We shall ensure that every classroom is built, we shall even take the army there,” Magoha vowed.
He said if the government administered the national examinations in the area, then there was no reason why classes should not be built in Kerio Valley saying all Kenyan students should gain access to education facilities wherever they are.
The CS said he was happy that some private schools had already started the construction of CBC classrooms, saying that they will start inspecting to ensure they are built according to the set standards.
He called on private schools especially in major towns like Nairobi, Kisumu and Eldoret to construct classes to accommodate pupils transiting to junior secondary school.
He said with the on-going placement of students to secondary schools, there were many pupils from private schools who were competing for public secondary schools.
The CS however called on Kenyans to accept placement to any school saying all schools are the same and the Teachers Service Commission posts qualified teachers in all secondary schools in Kenya.
