Must pupils faint in class to get food in Mwingi North?

Some pupils are so weak from hunger that they faint in class.

There's no feeding programme to keep them alert and in school.

As a result, all 270 schools in the Mwingi North have received food donations from MPs and well-wishers.

Parents from Kalima-Mundu Primary School in Kyuso subcounty have said four pupils fainted in class from hunger.

Their families are suffering due to drought from inadequate rainfall.

Muthakye Mutisya said her Grade 5 daughter was among those who fainted from hunger, adding it was difficult to feed her family.

“The night before, I had cooked a quarter kilo of green grams and shared it among my six children. But that wasn't enough, they were still hungry, which led to one becoming weak and fainting in class." she said.

Hearing of the fainting, MP Paul Nzengu mobilised well-wishers to donate food across the constituency.

Companies, including Simba Cement and Savannah Cement, donated more than 500 bags of maize for schools throughout the vast constituency.

Speaking after the food distribution at Kamuwongo Primary School, Nzengu thanked well-wishers and said people were in dire need of more help from the national government.

Nzengu said though President Uhuru Kenyatta had declared the drought a national disaster, too little was being done by the national government to help schools.

Head teacher Peter Kivurya of Kithumuoni Primary School in Kakuyu both attendance of learners and their academic performance had dropped due to drought and hunger.

He called for reintroduction of school feeding programmes to maintain learners' health and keep them in school.

Stephen Musyoka, the human resources manager at DEVKI or Simba Cement, said companies were committed to helping the needy. He said limestone mining is to begin in Ngaaie, which will help raise money for the community.

(Edited by V. Graham)