Learners at Muruguru Junior Secondary School will have something to smile about following the handing over of a modern laboratory to the institution courtesy of Kenya Pipeline Company PLC Foundation.
The facility constructed at a cost of Sh5 million also comes with fully installed solar power connection and lab equipment for use by students during practical lessons
Speaking during the handing-over ceremony, KPLC Foundation Director Dr. Irene Wachira said the corporation sets aside Sh 150 million every financial year to improve learning facilities in all the 47 counties.
Dr. Wachira further said the Foundation was working with local communities and leaders to identify priority projects that need urgent intervention prior to embarking on any development.
“We are here to launch a modern Science lab for Muruguru Junior Secondary School and what prompted the Kenya Pipeline PLC Foundation is a call from the local community to come and assist them because they did not have a laboratory. Sometimes learners were forced to either do practical lessons on a Saturday or on a Sunday in nearby schools that had laboratories.
But that was becoming very difficult and with a school with a population of 284 students that was not possible,” she said.
Dr. Wachira said the Foundation would continue to partner with relevant stakeholders in improving learning facilities across the country and clarified that such work is not meant for a particular county or region.
She exuded confidence that the new facility would not only ease the problem of learners having to seek such facilities elsewhere but also enhance practical science skills for the pupils.
“This laboratory alone used approximately Sh 5 million. It is quite modern. It has a capacity of 40 students are any given period and we are positive because we go around the country in all the 47 counties and we do projects everywhere. We don’t do so many projects in one county alone,” she added.
On her part, Muruguru Comprehensive School Principal Mary Githitho thanked KPLC Foundation for aiding in the building of the laboratory whose construction she termed a timely gesture.
Githitho said the facility will help also address the challenges that had dogged both learners and tutors in the past forcing them to walk to neighbouring schools to undertake their science practical lessons.
“Before the lab was built we have been having a lot of problems because the science teacher has been carrying the items needed by use of a paper bag to the classrooms. The KPC Foundation has done a lot for us.
The learners have been trying to do their experiments and data collection and assessment but with a lot of challenges a lot of difficulty because the teacher has to call one student after another so that they can undertake their experiments. However, with the construction of this laboratory, he will be taking all of them at the same time,” she said.
Nyeri Town MP Duncan Mathenge who was present during the function lauded the partnership between KPLC Foundation and learning institutions which he termed a game changer in pursuit of academic excellence.
Mathenge said his office had received similar assistance from other players including the Safaricom Foundation and Cooperative Bank of Kenya to help come up with learning facilities and, in the process supplementing what the NG-CDF was doing at the grassroots.
“In the Muruguru –Gatitu ward we have done one Junior Secondary School laboratory in Kiambwiriri and Kiamuiru through partnership with KPLC Foundation.
This morning we have analysed and seen it is possible in the next financial year of NG-CDF to finish all the JSS labs in the remaining 16 JSSs. But because our money can’t stretch far enough money can’t stretch far enough and we have gone for partners,” he said.
by Samuel Maina and Stephen Nderito
