Lamu East MP Captain Ruweida Obo has called on parents and guardians to ensure their children remain in school, warning that lack of education fuels unemployment, early marriages and crime in the constituency.
Speaking during the Patte Girls High School prize giving day, Obo emphasized that education is the only pathway to improving living standards and breaking the cycle of poverty affecting many families in the area.
“It is only through education that the standards of living for our people will improve and reduce the state of joblessness and early marriages,” Captain Ruweida said before a gathering of education stakeholders and community members.
The MP expressed particular concern about rising crime levels in Patte Island, cautioning that lack of educational opportunities could push youth toward violent extremism.
“Parents and guardians must ensure that their children go to school to reduce crime, especially within Patte Island, which can also lead to youths later joining violent extremist groups,” she warned.
Captain Ruweida revealed that students from Lamu East are receiving substantial financial support through bursaries, with the national government providing Sh7,000 per student through the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF), while the county government contributes Sh10,000 for each learner.
“There is goodwill on the government’s part to ensure that no child drops out of school, thus parents and guardians should do their part,” the MP said, urging families to take advantage of the available support.
The ceremony was graced by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula as chief guest, alongside Budalangi MP Raphael Wanjala and the County Women Representative Muthoni Marubu.
In a major boost to the school, Wetang’ula announced a personal donation of Sh500,000 towards the teachers’ welfare account, while Wanjala contributed Sh100,000, H Marubu (Sh100,000), with Ruweida adding another Sh100,000 to support teachers morale.
Teachers were also rewarded with gas cylinders for their exemplary performance, while 15 laptops were distributed to university students, who scored C+ and above in their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examinations.
The school also received a Sh2 million grant for refurbishment, signaling a major investment in improving learning infrastructure.
In a gesture of community empowerment, residents from Patte, Mtangawanda, and Bahamisi villages equally received gas cylinders through their self-help groups, under a women’s empowerment program supported by President Dr. William Ruto.
In his remarks as the chief guest, Wetang’ula conveyed the president’s commitment to ensuring better security for economic development in the region.
“On my part, I have personally requested that a railway line be constructed from Lamu port to Mariakani to boost employment in the area,” the national asembly speaker announced.
He also pledged to provide one scholarship for a student to study abroad and promised to lobby for more presidential scholarships for youth in Lamu County.
Additionally, the Speaker committed to engaging the State Department for ICT to provide computers for the school’s recently constructed computer laboratory.
Wetang’ula also expressed support for NG-CDF as a vital tool for grassroots development and urged residents to embrace negotiated democracy, ensuring county leadership positions are distributed across ethnic lines.
He praised Ruweida’s parliamentary performance and called on residents to re-elect her, while rallying support for President Ruto’s development agenda.
By Amenya Ochieng
