West Mugirango Member of Parliament Stephen Mogaka has urged students to take their education seriously and make the most of their parents’ sacrifices, saying academic success offers a pathway to better career opportunities and financial independence.
Speaking over the weekend while joining candidates in prayers at various churches, Mogaka encouraged Grade Six and Nine learners preparing for assessments and Form Four candidates sitting their national examinations to remain focused and work hard to achieve their ambitions.
He said education had become an increasingly valuable investment as diminishing land sizes and declining returns from cash crops made it difficult for families in the Gusii region to depend on agriculture alone for economic security.
“You can no longer brag about your parents’ property or land because our already diminished land sizes in Gusii land have become indivisible, and their production is not economically sustainable. The only property you must invest in at the moment while you are young and reap handsomely in the near future is education,” Mogaka said.
The legislator noted that many households that traditionally relied on cash crops to finance their livelihoods were struggling with declining earnings, leaving farmers concerned about the economic returns from agricultural production.
“Most of those parents who depend on cash crops to sustain their households can no longer brag about it because the then celebrated ‘boom bonus’ in the past years from cash crops has nose-dived to unimaginable levels, leaving farmers decrying economic exploitation through farming cash crops,” he said.
Mogaka encouraged learners not to be discouraged by the perceived shortage of employment opportunities in Kenya, noting that education could open doors to opportunities both locally and internationally.
He said strong academic performance could enable students to secure promising careers, become innovators, establish businesses and create employment for others.
“This is the time to draw your life trajectory by the grades you will score in your assessment and examination, which is set to begin next week. Your ambitious career dreams are valid, and pursue them seriously because you have all it takes to achieve them,” he said.
The MP urged candidates to maintain discipline throughout the examination period, follow guidelines issued by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) and cooperate with school administrators to ensure smooth examinations.
He also challenged learners to honour the sacrifices made by their parents, guardians and well-wishers by remaining committed to their studies and producing good results.
Mogaka wished the candidates success, urging them to demonstrate that the resources invested in their education had not gone to waste.
By Deborah Bochere
