Embu speaker Josiah Thiriku and Mbeere North MP Muriuki Njagagua have demanded an explanation from education officials over failure by students to attend national music festivals.
Participants from Mbeere subcounty failed to travel to Kabarak University for lack of money.
Njagagua and Thiriku said they were very disappointed that teachers and pupils who had trained for the festivals failed to travel.
Njagagua said there was a cartel of officials which must have pocketed money that had been paid to cater for the transport and other needs of the students.
The lawmaker said each pupil pays Sh30 for extracurricular activities every year and that over Sh30,000 had been contributed in Mbeere and given to the subcounty director of education.
He demanded to know why the pupils were not participating in the festivals and yet money had been given out.
He threatened to mobilise parents not to pay such fees next year and only allow their children to participate in music festivals up to county level.
“There is no reason for a pupil to prepare himself but when the time for going to nationals come, he does not go. We are wasting a lot of human resources since such money is being pocketed by some individuals,” Njagagua said.
He said parents will raise the matter with Education CS George Magoha and PS Belio Kipsang.
Thiriku demanded to know from regional organisers where they took the money to. The speaker said all primary school winners from Mbeere who had qualified for the national festivals were left stranded at their home.
“Mbeere has got talent and there are people deliberately killing that talent. We are not going to allow this to happen,” Thiriku said.
edited by peter obuya
