The school feeding programme in all ECDE centres in Kerugoya has taken off as the Departmental Committee on Education evaluates its annual work plan.

The County Executive Committee Member (CEC) for Education, James Mutugi, has announced plans by the County Government of Kirinyaga in partnership with the donor community to enforce a school feeding programme in all ECDE centres across the County.

This, he said, will benefit a total of 15,000 pupils who are domiciled in pre-primary schools across the 20 wards in Kirinyaga.

Mutugi further said that plans are at an advanced stage to construct 15 state-of-the art ECDE classrooms by the end of the 2023–24 financial year.

He also pointed out that the department, in the spirit of implementing the competency-based curriculum (CBC), has set aside a total of Sh5 million for the implementation of digital learning in various pilot centers.

The committee on education, chaired by Murinduko Ward MCA Charles Nyamu, was also briefed that a total of 34,799 students benefited from the Sh108 million bursary kitty, with 3017 university students, 4209 tertiary institution students, and 27,573 secondary school students retained in school courtesy of the bursary intervention.

Nyamu urged the CECM to be steadfast in disbursing bursary funds on time in order to cushion students and parents from inconveniences such as missing classes.

Beatrice Mitaru, a Nominated Member representing persons with disabilities, questioned the delays in establishing a vocational centre of excellence for people living with disabilities at Kamaigua Vocational Centre.

In his response, the CEC said that plans for the said interventions are currently being handled by the Department of Gender and that a modern dormitory has been built to that effect.

Meanwhile, CEC urged members of the education committee to allocate the department more resources, as that would help in implementing key programmes that have been earmarked in the work plan.