Leaders in the pastoral communities have accused the ministry of Education of neglecting public schools in their region by denying them infrastructure development funds.
The leaders led by Governors, Ndiritu Muriithi (Laikipia), Prof John Lunyangapuo (West Pokot), Laikipia North MP Sarah Lekorere, Former National Assembly Speaker and National Cohesion and Integration Commission Chair Francis Ole Kaparo lamented that students especially from the pastoral communities were not at par with their counterparts in other regions due to failure by the government to deploy funds for infrastructure development in their schools.
Governor Muriithi accused the Ministry of Education under the leadership of CS George Magokha of not uniformly distributing the Ksh.18 billion grant and loan from the World Bank equally despite residents from the marginalized counties having to pay towards the loans equally.
He faulted the Ministry for investing heavily in improvement of school infrastructure in selected schools in various parts of the country while neglecting other schools in underdeveloped regions.
Ms Lekorere accused the ministry of facilitating banditry and cattle rustling among the pastoral communities by denying their children the rights to education.
Ole Kapro said leaders from the region have managed to foster and restore peace among the pastoral communities but there were no schools for the communities to take their children to.
The leaders who spoke at in Kirimon area in Laikipia North during the opening of Naibor Amani Primary School.
They tasked the government distribute fund equally to help in expansion of infrastructure in underdeveloped schools to ensure 100 percent transition policy.
Naibor Amani Primary School stands as a beacon of hope for peace and sanity in the once lawless jungle that over the years has been an arena of cattle rustling and banditry.
Kirimon area has also been known for retrogressive cultural practices like female genital mutilation (FGM) and early marriage which have enslaved the community and denied many children their right to basic education.
The decision to set up the school in the location that has never had a registered primary school was conceived through a partnership between the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) and Loisaba Conservancy.
Area leaders are optimistic that Naibor Amani Primary School will help in minimising cases of cattle rustling and banditry between the Turkana, Samburu, Pokot, Kikuyu and Maasai communities as they interact, courtesy of the institution.
