Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya says county education needs salvation

By Kennedy Okwatch

Kakamega, Kenya: Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya has asked education stakeholders to stop politicking and work together to reverse dwindling education standards in the county.

Oparanya said it was discouraging that most schools which were academic powerhouses ten years ago cannot produce even the best students in the region.

He regretted the declining performance over the years despite most schools having better infrastructure and staff than other regions.

“We had the best performing schools in this county ten years ago. Our schools were the models in the country and we used to admit students from all over the country. Where did the rain start beating us?” he posed.

Funeral speakers

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Speaking at Shamusinjiriri Secondary school in Ikolomani constituency on Wednesday, Oparanya said all issues affecting performance in secondary schools must be addressed.

He said a task force that was formed to investigate the downfall trend of education in the county has come out with recommendations and his government has organised a meeting with all stakeholders in May.

“Kakamega County, with over seventy schools, only had 60 students with a mean grade of A in last year’s KCSE results while  Chavakali school (in Vihiga) alone got over 80 As and Kapsabet High school had over 100. So who is to blame for this poor results? Is it teachers, politicians or the community?” he asked and warned teachers from engaging in politics at the expense of teaching.

“Most of our teachers are now politicians. They engage in politics more than teaching. They have become main speakers in funerals than in class,” he said.

Kakamega County registered 20,996 candidates in the 2013 examination and was ranked 15 nationally coming behind Busia and Vihiga counties from the region. The county produced only two schools among the top 100 nationally: St’ Peter’s Mumias Boys High School and St Peter’s Seminary which were ranked 69 and 83 respectively.

Oparanya cited Musingu High School as one of the schools that have seen their performance dropping each year.

He said he has appointed himself the patron of the good schools that have been performing dismally in the national examinations.

National limelight

“I will become the patron of the top schools that are now registering mediocre results as parents pay a lot of money for their children. I am starting with Musingu and I will ensure by next year, we are back in the national limelight,” he said.

Oparanya said out of 123,365 candidates who attained marks required to join universities nationwide, Kakamega County produced less than 10,000.

He urged all leaders from the county to work with the schools administrations to ensure high education standards are restored.

“The future of our children depends on education and we should stop risking their lives using petty politics and corruption. We have bursaries from ward to national level for our children and it is up to us to breed a convenient environment for education in the county,” he said.

Meanwhile police in Kakamega town have arrested 16 people of Ugandan origin alleged to have been in the country illegally as operation “Usalama Watch” continues across the country.

Those arrested include ten men and six women who are set to be arraigned in court to answer charges of being in the country without legal documents.

Kakamega Central Deputy OCPD Daniel Kinyua confirmed the incident and said the arrested persons have been in the town for unknown duration without legal documents.

“We arrested 16 people of Ugandan origin on Sunday night. They do not have legal documents to be in the country and they will be arraigned in court to answer charges,” said Kinyua.