The Nyeri county residents have been urged to support the government’s initiative to realize 100 per cent transition of last year’s KCPE candidates to secondary schools.
Businessman, Antony Maina Mithanga said concerted efforts are required to ensure every child transits to secondary school.
“We want to ensure that in Nyeri County we have 100 per cent transition to secondary schools,” he said.
Speaking at St. Joseph Mwenji Catholic Church in Nyeri town constituency on Sunday, during an Education Day organized by the area parish priests and other stakeholders, Mithanga acknowledged that some students have failed to join secondary schools due to financial challenges and called on the community and other well-wishers to assist them.
At the same time, the businessman started an education foundation that would be assisting poor and bright students’ access secondary education.
However, he said mere transition to secondary schools was not enough and the residents should also ensure those who sit for KCSE also transited to universities and other middle-level colleges.
“Let us also ensure there is 100 per cent transition of our KCSE candidates to universities and other colleges,” Mithanga said.
On radicalization of students, Mithanga asked parents to monitor their children to curb the vice. “We have noted with a lot of concern that there are people coming to this region with a view to recruiting our young people into activities that border on criminality,” he said.
He added that such activities are closely associated with terrorism and therefore urged parents, teachers, school managers and security forces to move with speed and curb radicalization in the area.
“We have had some isolated cases on terrorism and if we address the needs of young students in terms of career formation we will be able to curb radicalization,” he noted.
Mithanga advised parents and teachers to monitor any unusual habits being exhibited by their children, including withdraw symptoms and change of friends, so as to help in eradicating radicalization.
Speaking during the same function, the Parish Priest Fr. S.K Kamondo asked the government to actively involve the church during school bursary allocations, adding that the church was in a position to identify the neediest cases on the ground.
By Mwangi Gaitha
