The government has kicked off construction of a new primary school in Kiuu ward, Ruiru sub-county to decongest the overstretched Mwiki primary school.
MP Simon King’ara told journalists during the groundbreaking ceremony that the state has already acquired a three-acre piece of land at Manguo area in Githurai 45 where the new school is being put up.
He noted that the government has injected sh 7 million in to the project which will go a long way in decongesting other jam-packed schools in the area including Kimbo and Kwa Ng’ethe primary schools.
King’ara said that the project is expected to be complete in three months adding that it will accomondate 1500 learners.
“This project is a reprieve to parents and children in this highly populated area who have been trekking for many kilometers to other schools nearby. We are running against time to complete it as scheduled given that schools are re-opening on January 4, 2021,” he said.
The MP said that the contractor has been instructed to complete the project swiftly while observing quality of the work done. “We want to give our children and teachers a conducive environment to learn and work from as well as ensure we improve education status in Ruiru constituency,” he said.
He noted that schools in the area especially Mwiki primary school are highly congested and are still grappling with shortage of infrastructure to effectively accomondate learners.
He reiterated his calls to have all public primary schools be issued with title deeds to ward off notorious and greedy land grabbers.
King’ara noted with concern that lack of the ownership documents have created a lee way for grabbers, who use fraudulent means to process sham documents, to encroach and perpetrate their crimes.
Land parcels belonging to schools meant for expansion of the institutions are at the hands of corrupt individuals. My Bill will ensure that all title deeds processed for the public lands are revoked and the parcels given back to the institutions,.
We must protect all public spaces because we wouldn’t have gotten the new school if we had given land grabbers a field day to grab the land,” he added.
Parents who spoke to journalists expressed their delight terming the new project as godsend.
Mercy Wanjiku, a parent said that the new school once complete will end the agony their children have endured for many years trekking for over five kilometers to nearby schools.
“Our children have been suffering a lot especially during rainy seasons since this place is prone to floods and is rendered inaccessible. With a school in the vicinity the suffering will be a thing of the past. We plead for its swift completion,” Wanjiku said.