- He equally urged the youths to embrace the clarion call of pursuing education as that is one of the most valuable treasures that they can inherit from their parents.
- He noted that long gone are days when land inheritance and other repugnant cultural beliefs overrode education.
Image: WANGECHI WANG'ONDU
In an effort to secure the future of Kirinyaga youths from the bondage of illicit brews, the Kirinyaga County government has urged parents to prioritize taking their children to tertiary institutions after they complete basic education.
The County's Education CEC James Kinyua Mutugi termed as unfortunate the many children who are not advancing their education in technical and tertiary institutions due to various reasons.
He termed the situation as a ticking bomb into their future and that of the community.
Speaking in Kangai Ward, the CEC decried that about 800 youths within the ward are out of school despite having completed basic education.
As such, he said they can easily be lured into negative peer pressure which can result in their engagement in illicit brews and substance abuse as well as becoming easy targets for criminal-related activities.
He equally urged the youths to embrace the clarion call of pursuing education as that is one of the most valuable treasures that they can inherit from their parents.
He noted that long gone are days when land inheritance and other repugnant cultural beliefs overrode education.
"The war on illicit brews and drugs should be faced head-on by both the community and those in authority. One way to fight the menace is for parents to take personal responsibility in ensuring that their children are in school," he said.
As a result, he implored the parents to consider the value of education and consider taking their children to at least local Polytechnics where they can be equipped with skills in order to become productive members of society.
He noted that apart from Kangai Ward, the government has since established Polytechnics in Mwea West Sub-County where students can acquire skills which are in line and in handy with the job market in the modern-day world.
He however noted that the County government will soon establish a local Polytechnic within the ward in order to cater for the needs of the locals.
"Even as we embark on establishing a Polytechnic within the ward, we want to urge our students to pursue their education in the neighbouring polytechnics within the Sub-County such as the Kiamikuyu Polytechnic which is closer."
Mutugi further said the government had since given priority to skills-related courses due to the shift in the job market and the needs of the modern world.
He urged parents not to shy from urging their children to pursue such courses.
He said the skill-based courses have the ability to create more job opportunities for as many people as possible owing to specialized training endowed to each expert.
He spoke during the distribution of bursary cheques worth Sh4.4 million set to sponsor 1,500 students drawn from Secondary, Colleges and Universities.
He noted that the Waiguru-led administration will continue partnering with the locals in improving the state of education and will also continue increasing the bursary allocation in future years in order to support many more students from needy backgrounds.
Area MCA Njiru Wambu lauded the County government for giving a weighty priority to the establishment of a local polytechnic within the area.
He said through public participation, he will ensure that the idea is supported overwhelmingly and ensure that the County secures the land where the institution will be built.
Wambui further reiterated the need for an increase in bursary allocation so as to support as many needy students as possible with sufficient funds.
He decried that currently many needy students are constantly out of school due to lack of enough School fees to cater for their education.
In addition, he urged the locals to unite in order to win the war on drugs, especially on the youths.
He said with a sober generation, there will be productivity and improved security within the ward.
Local Chief Stanley Waweru called for a concerted effort with the community in order to effectively win the war on illicit brews.
At the same time, he urged the community to work with other grassroots leaders in order to enhance security in the area and also report criminal activities to the relevant departments.