Free meals, Sh1000 fees for all day secondary learners in Kiharu

All day secondary school learners will pay only Sh1,000 per term and enjoy free meals six times a week in an ambitious programme launched by Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro. 

Nyoro, ranked the best-performing legislator by pollsters, launched the Masomo Bora programme in the constituency on Thursday.

The elaborate launch was attended by more than 20 MPs from across county who are seeking to learn from the new programme.

Some 15,000-day secondary school learners will benefit from subsidised fees.

The programme started its pilot phase start last year in February and benefited all 62 day secondary schools.

Under the programme, each learner in schools that charge Sh10,500 annually had Sh5,000 cleared while students in schools that charge Sh12,000 annually received Sh7,000, leaving parents with fees amounting slightly over Sh1,000 per term.

Schools are allowed to charge not more than Sh1,000 for tuition but no infrastructure development charges.

“The mission of the programme is to ensure that all students in Kiharu constituency have equal access to quality and affordable education,” the MP said.

In several meetings held with principals in December, Nyoro said there were complaints over the high cost of living straining school operations.

Consequently, he announced this year the programme will cater for any extra costs required to ensure parents continue paying the same amount of fees.

In addition, some Sh100 million been set aside in Kiharu NG-CDF under the programme to develop school infrastructure.

This include construction and renovation of laboratories, libraries, classrooms, multipurpose halls and other development needs.

Another Sh20 million has been set aside to purchase revision materials for all 62 day secondary schools.

“All day secondary schools to be fully tiled and be landscaped by installing cabros," Nyoro said.

Speaking at Mumbi grounds in Murang’a town during the launch, Nyoro added that the programme will be improved to make learners’ experience in schools pleasant.

The programme facilitates a feeding programme that sees all learners get a cup of porridge at 10am and lunch for six days in a week.

The menu includes githeri for three days and rice with beans or dengu (green grams) for three days.

This year, Nyoro announced that learners will have chapatti as part of their lunch menu every last Friday of the month.

“Last year, some students complained that the porridge had too little sugar so this year, we will increase from the 10 grams we’ve been adding to 15 grams. We cannot give them more for health reasons,” the MP said.

In 20 day secondary schools that have less than 100 learners, the MP said Form 1 learners who join the schools will not pay any fee for the first term.

The low number of students, he explained, is occasioned by the competition posed by other neighbouring schools.

Last year, Kiawambeu Secondary School had less than 25 learners, Mweru had 40, Kambirwa had 50 and Gikandu had less than 100.

“Even if the learners paid all their school fees, these schools cannot sustain themselves due to the low number of students and we will support them under the programme,” Nyoro said.

Form 1 students will also have free uniforms to encourage more admissions.

Last year, the programme set aside Sh10 million to provide revision books to day secondary schools and another Sh10 million will be used to buy any needed revision books.

The programme will also establish laboratories and tile the schools in a bid to provide learning facilities similar to those in boarding schools.

Nyoro appealed to parents to ensure they pay their fees to ensure the schools are run efficiently.

“We also don’t want parents to pay fees for the whole year even when they can because the money can be used for other activities and affect schools’ operations,” he said.

Students from other parts of the country who have relatives in Kiharu constituency, and who are willing to join local day schools, will also be eligible to benefit from the programme.

The MP who hails from Gaturi area said he started the programme to ease parents’ burden as they educate their children.

The programme, he said, will also motivate students to perform better as it will provide a conducive learning environment.

“I come from a poor family and encountered many hardships as I went through school. This is why I want to make it easier to students,” he said, adding that many day schools in his area had registered an improvement in the recently announced KCSE results.

MPs praised the programme as visionary and ambitious, urging students to take advantage of the programme to focus on the studies and perform better.

Nyoro was voted the best performing MP in the country by Infotrak last year and has had several groups of MPs visit his constituency for peer-to-peer learning.