By Betty Luke
Isiolo North MP aspirant has criticized local elected leaders for neglecting poor learners and failing to support and uplift schools at the grassroots.
Mr Mwenda Thuranira, a businessman-cum-politician said it was unfortunate that majority of the leaders were not bothered by the hard economic times that parents and learners continued to go through.
He said majority of the parents were wallowing in poverty and unable to fend for their families let alone buy school uniform and pay school fees for their children.
“If they cannot help our people, let them vacate the offices. It is devastating that some parents cannot even afford school uniforms for their children and no one cares,” said Mr Thuranira in what was construed to be a direct jab on incumbent MP Hassan Odha.
Speaking while donating school uniforms, sanitary towels and food items to learners at Waso Primary School, the politician said it was the high time leaders assisted the community by providing solutions to the challenges they currently face.
“A leader is identified by the situation in their community,” he said adding “The government should create favourable policies that will ensure that locals at the grassroots benefit”
Twenty nine (29) needy learners, ten boys, benefited with new school uniforms through the well wisher who promised to extend the project to other vulnerable pupils in the region.
Ms Caroline Nguru, a parent at the school, said the help was timely as she was reeling from the biting effects of harsh economic times caused by Coronavirus pandemic which had made it hard for her to even provide for her family.
“I have never benefited from such a program and I am happy that my child will now be neat while at school,” elated Ms Nguru said.
Teachers at the school appealed to well wishers to extend a helping hand to the institution as several other learners are in dire need of uniforms and foodstuffs.
The teachers said they are sometimes forced to chip into their pockets to help the needy pupils.
“We have had cases where a pupil’s performance drastically drops because of the challenges they are experiencing. We (teachers) are therefore forced to chip in and assist,” Waso Primary School Headteacher Charles Githaiga said.
