Tharaka Constituency MP Gitonga Murugara has declared that all Day Secondary School students in the constituency will not be charged school fees, warning school principals against sending learners home over fees.
Speaking to journalists, Murugara said parents will only be required to provide basic necessities, including school uniforms, books and shoes, to enable their children to attend classes.
The second-term legislator cautioned that any school administrator who defies the directive will face consequences, adding that his office will convene an education stakeholders’ conference in February to discuss shared responsibility, establish accurate student numbers and agree on how funds will be distributed to every institution.
“All our day schools will be free. Our students will only need uniforms, books and shoes. No one should send day school students home over school fees, and anyone who goes against this will not be spared,” Murugara said.
The MP said his office has invested heavily in improving education infrastructure across the constituency, noting that there are about 275 public primary schools and 70 secondary schools.
“I have already changed the face of Riamwanki, which was in a bad state, by building seven new classrooms. In each of the schools, I have built not less than two classrooms,” he said.
Murugara reaffirmed that education remains a top priority, saying his office will continue upgrading learning facilities to improve academic outcomes and boost student performance.
“We will continue investing in modern education facilities, including new classrooms, administration blocks and well-equipped laboratories, to create a conducive learning environment for our students,” he said.
However, the legislator lamented that despite the constituency’s vastness, poor management in some learning institutions has contributed to average performance.
“We have a big problem with school management, which is affecting performance, but we are working on it. I appeal to parents to enrol their children in local schools instead of only preferring long-established boarding schools. We have introduced a new policy to ensure bright students are placed in our local schools,” Murugara said.
The MP also defended his development record, saying he has performed well compared to the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) allocations received by the constituency.
