- The residents said teachers are reluctant to take up jobs in the over 201 primary and 97 secondary schools in the sub-county.
- They said there are very few medical facilities, making locals travel long distances in search of medical care.
Image: FELIX KIPKEMOI
Residents of the Chepalungu subcounty petitioned the National Assembly to intervene and have the area gazetted as a hardship area.
They further asked MPs to make any other recommendation they deem fit to address their problems.
In a petition presented on their behalf by Chepalungu MP Victor Koech Mandazi, the residents said Chepalungu subcounty meets the requirements of a hardship area due to its land being purely black cotton soil and fairly flat terrain leading to deplorable road networks that have to be redone every year.
They added that movement in the area is hampered and locals lack clean drinking water and basic social amenities.
“The geographical orientation and rugged rocky terrain in most parts of the sub-county have made it impossible for public service providers among them Kenya Power to access villages leading to very low electricity connectivity,” they said.
They added that the fairly flat terrain and poor road network of infrastructure make the area inaccessible.
The residents claimed that surveys have shown the water table is at an average depth of 220 metres below the surface, making underground water expensive and uneconomical.
“Teachers are reluctant to take up jobs in the over 201 primary and 97 secondary schools in the sub-county with those already posted there seeking transfers elsewhere due to non-payment of hardship allowances by the government,” the petition reads in part.
They said there are very few medical facilities, making locals travel long distances in search of medical care.
“Despite Chepalungu subcounty having met the criteria used to qualify and gazette it a hardship area, the government and relevant agencies have not effected it to date,” they said.
Chepalungu subcounty borders two constituencies which are in the same climatic conditions yet both have been gazetted as hardship areas.
In March, a petitioner has called for the gazettement of Rachuonyo North subcounty in Homa Bay as a hardship area to ensure adequate provision of teachers in the area.
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula said Fedrick Gaya, in his petition, averred that Rachuonyo North has high poverty levels that adversely affect both teachers and learners.
“Further the petitioner said schools in the area are understaffed with poorly motivated teachers who have been denied hardship allowances,” he stated in his communication to the House.
He said the petitioner indicated that teachers in Suba North and Suba South subcounties get hardship allowances yet they are also located in Homa Bay.