Waiguru distributes free uniforms to 15,000 ECDE learners

The Kirinyaga government has started distributing free school uniforms to over 15,000 Early Childhood Development and Education learners.

Governor Anne Waiguru said on Thursday that this makes Kirinyaga the first in the country to give free uniforms to all its learners.

 “Today, we are giving out 15,000 school uniforms for each and every ECDE learner in our schools. The complete set of uniform consists of shorts, shirts, sweaters and socks for boys and tunics, blouses, sweaters and socks for girls,” she said.

 “This uniform is stitched at Kaitheri Apparel Factory in Kirinyaga county by our women empowerment programme called Wezesha Mama. It is the same programme that does bed sheets and curtains for our hospitals, so that we can reduce costs.”

 Waiguru said the project will be expanded to produce a large number of uniforms as the county prepares to produce a second complete set of uniforms for the learners in three months.

 The uniforms have distinct colours for different constituencies. Ndia and Mwea constituencies have blue uniforms while the children of Kirinyaga Central and Gichugu will wear green.

 The governor said the ultimate goal is for each subcounty to have a unique colour of uniforms.

The government also distributed learning materials including exercise books, textbooks, pencils, rubbers and modelling items.

Kirinyaga is also planning to launch as school feeding programme, where every ECDE learner will be provided with milk twice a week.

Other projects include provision of free shoes to the young learners. The government will work with the Export Processing Zone to make the shoes.

Butchers and farmers will be educated on hides and skins management so that they can supply them to potential leather processors.

 “We will be processing them at the EPZ industrial centre to leather and we already have somebody willing to help us make the children's shoes,” Waiguru said.

 She spoke at her office in Kutus when she disbursed Sh147 million bursary cheques to 45,000 students.

The beneficiaries were 35,656 secondary students, 5,443 from colleges and 3,901 from universities.

 “Prior to this, we have cumulatively disbursed bursaries worth Sh413.8 million in the last six years benefitting 146,211 deserving students,” she said.

 The governor urged bursary recipients to put extra efforts in their studies as the financial support can be the door to endless opportunities in their lives.

 Kirinyaga assembly majority leader Daniel Kibinga termed the disbursement of the bursaries timely to enable parents and learners plan for the second school term.

 He said that the county is set to achieve many development milestones due to the harmonious working relationship between the assembly and the executive.

MCAs present at the event said the bursaries and uniform distribution will ease the burdens on parents.