Igembe Central Member of Parliament, Dan Kiili, has distributed food supplies to secondary schools in Kiengu Subcounty, Igembe Central Constituency, to support learners sitting their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.

The distribution exercise, held at Njoune Chief’s Camp, brought together school principals, education officials, administrative officers and members of the community.

Speaking during the exercise, Kiili said the food supplies were intended to ease the burden on parents and ensure candidates remained in school as they undertook their national examinations.

He said 18 public secondary schools and two private institutions in the subcounty had benefited from the initiative, adding that learners who sat the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) and Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) had also been catered for.

He expressed confidence that the candidates would perform well, calling on residents to embrace unity and work together to advance education and development in the constituency.

The MP also highlighted the government’s support for education, saying the constituency’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institution was an important investment that residents should support alongside existing schools.

He further attributed ongoing development initiatives to the constituency’s political alignment with the national government, saying his re-election would place him in a better position to serve in parliamentary committees and lobby for more development projects.

Kiengu Subcounty Director of Education Muthamia Mwenda welcomed the intervention, saying the 20 secondary schools in the subcounty had received food supplies to sustain candidates during the examination period.

He said the support had come at a critical time when schools were facing financial challenges, particularly due to difficulties experienced by parents who depend on miraa farming as their main source of income.

Kabukoro Secondary School Principal, Charles Nairuti thanked the MP for extending the support to both public and private schools, noting that learners from the two categories deserved equal consideration.

Nairuti said poor miraa prices had affected parents’ ability to meet school fees obligations, leaving several institutions struggling financially at the beginning of the year.

He said previous bursary support from the MP’s office had helped schools retain learners, while an earlier donation of beans had enabled Form-Four candidates to remain in school during the final preparations for their examinations.

Nairuti said the latest consignment of beans and rice had arrived at an opportune moment, noting that the food initially available at the school was only sufficient to sustain learners for few days.

He expressed optimism that the additional supplies would enable candidates to concentrate on their examinations without disruptions occasioned by food shortages.

By Kamanja Maeria and Brenda Gakii