Kaloleni MP Paul Katana put on his old school uniform — well, a somewhat larger one — and started a drive to stamp out drug use by schoolchildren.
He was joined by fellow alumnus and his Ganze counterpart Teddy Mwambire.
Katana said the programme will soon start in high schools in the constituency. He said he wants to ensure retention is 100 per cent.
Speaking in Tsangatsini on Monday, Katana said drug abuse among schoolchildren has hurt children's lives and their academics.
“We will ensure bursaries are fairly distributed to ensure no student remains at home for lack of fees. We will also be talking to our students to shun abusing drugs. This will motivate them when they see their leaders engaging them directly,” Katana said.
On Saturday, Katana and his Ganze counterpart Teddy Mwambire caused a stir at Mariakani Secondary school when they attended the school’s AGM donning school uniforms of their former school.
They promised to offer mentorship programs to the school and urged other leaders to do so.
The leaders said the uniform gesture was to show their commitment to helping their former school and encourage students that they can make it in life.
"I was here from 1995 and Katana was in his fourth year. We felt we should remind ourselves of those days by putting on the school uniform,” Mwambire said
Katana said mentorship programs offer a way of improving grades as the students will see role models in the old students.
They promised to involve more old students to assist the school in infrastructure development and improving performance.
They were accompanied by Kilifi county nominated senator Christine Zawadi.
At Tsangatsini the MP inspected a building whose roof was blown off by strong wind last week. Fifteen students sustained minor injuries as they scrambled to flee.
Katana promised to put up a new building through NG-CDF.
