Ganze MP Teddy Mwambire has launched the construction of two more secondary schools for girls in the constituency as part of efforts to curb teenage pregnancies.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Mwambire led the groundbreaking of the Kauma Girls High School in the newly formed Kauma subcounty and Bahero Girls High School in Ganze subcounty.
The two schools are expected to start admitting students in January. Each has an allocation of a hundred chairs and lockers.
This brings to five, the total number of girls secondary in Ganze.
The constituency already has three girls’ schools —Mwangea Girls Secondary School, Bamba Girls High School and Ganze Girls High School.
Speaking during the groundbreaking of the Bahero girls, Mwambire said he initiated the projects after it emerged that most girls fall prey to sex predators while on their way to school.
He said the establishment of the girls’ secondary schools will address the teen pregnancy menace in Kilifi.
“Ganze currently has five boys’ secondary schools which are Godoma, Jaribuni, Ganze, Vitengeni Baptist and Jaribuni boys. All these schools were mixed but later girls were phased out," he said.
"This meant they have to seek education elsewhere. I am still wondering why only the girls were phased off. To bridge this gap we had to build new schools for the girls and I am proud I have constructed three new schools."
Christine Chivatsi from Kauma said the construction of the school is a reprieve for the girls and their parents.
“Our girls have to walk long distances to school. This makes them easy prey to sex pests when they commute daily from home to school,” she said.
“Some parents choose to hire boda boda riders to take their children to school but because of the distance and the riders carry excess passengers sometimes causing accidents."
Kauma subcounty deputy county commissioner Kefa Kigen said the schools will reduce cases of teenage pregnancies and the distance girls walk to school.
“We expect the cases of teen pregnancies to reduce because the girls will be learning near their homes so teachers and parents will have an opportunity to keep an eye on them. Let us make sure we encourage our girls to focus on their studies because we have the infrastructure,” he said.
The first phase of the project includes four classrooms, six toilets for the girls and four for the teachers.
The second phase will include the construction of an administration block and the third phase will focus on the construction of laboratories.
“We are putting up complete schools where students can start learning immediately the construction is complete in about three months. Ganze has for long been lagging behind in academics but we are slowly changing the narrative,” Mwambire said.
On Wednesday, Mwambire led the construction of an administration block at Bamba girls.
The school received a certificate of full registration from the Ministry of Education. The school currently has a population of more than 100 girls.
The MP said he will soon facilitate the construction of a special school for girls who dropped out due to pregnancies.
(Edited by Tabnacha O)
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