Following rain failure in most parts of Kitui county for several seasons, the education sector has been adversely affected by ongoing famine.
Residents in Mwingi central subcounty depend on farming to pay school fees and cater for their families.
For the last two years, most areas in Mwingi have experienced minimal rainfall, which has led to crop failure in the region.
Rebecca Muasya, an early education teacher at Ndithi Primary School said following the long drought teaching has been hard.
"As teachers, we are forced to use our own money to buy foodstuffs for some of these children, who hardly concentrate in class after coming to school on an empty stomach," she said
Muasya also added that apart from them sleeping in class due to hunger, the majority of the learners have abandoned school.
"Many have since stopped coming to school and after follow up parents say they have nothing to feed them with so coming to school becomes a burden," she said.
Muasya is pleading with the government to re-introduce school feeding programmes to boost education in the region.
Muimi Mutua, a parent said residents aged between 36-60 have a heavy burden as they do not receive any aid from the government yet the most of them have the extra burden of paying school fees.
David Mutua, another parent with three learners said times are tough as he solely depended on green grams farming but the rains have failed.
Kitovoto Mutinda, Mwingi central youth leader who's also vying for Waita MCA urged government to intervene and re-introduce school feeding programme
He also urged political leaders to conduct peaceful elections and not incite youths to fight.
(Edited by Tabnacha O)
