The Mpesa Foundation is set to undertake an infrastructural upgrade at Masita Comprehensive School in Bondo Sub County at a cost of Sh50.7 million.
Through the Citizens of the Future programme, the foundation will construct nine classrooms, an ECD centre, an ICT lab, an administration block, an ablution block and a kitchen at the school.
Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony for the upgrade, Safaricom Foundation Chairperson Joe Ogutu said the Citizens of the Future programme aims at improving infrastructure in selected schools in the country and equipping the schools with ICT facilities to prepare the students to serve in a digital economy.
The upgrade of the school facilities is expected to be completed in July this year, with the handing over slated for August.
The Principal Secretary (PS) in the State Department for Children Affairs, Ms Caren Agengo, who was the chief guest at the ceremony, said the upgrade will not only improve learning and teaching conditions for both pupils and teachers but will also give dignity, especially to female pupils.
“What Safaricom has done will ensure we have a safe and conducive learning facility, which will go a long way to improve grades but most importantly, it will give dignity to our female pupils through better sanitation facilities,” said Agengo.
She was flanked by Trade PS Regina Akoth, who observed that the ICT hub will give the students an opportunity to learn digital skills which are essential not only in doing online jobs but also in undertaking trade for economic growth of the country.
Bondo MP Dr Gideon Ochanda, who graced the occasion, commended the Mpesa Foundation for supporting school infrastructural development in the country.
Ochanda observed that with over a hundred schools in a constituency, the NGCDF kitty would require close to Sh2 billion for infrastructure upgrades for each constituency across the country.
He challenged corporate entities in the country to emulate the Mpesa initiative on school infrastructure development programmes to improve learning facilities in the country.
By Brian Ondeng
