Traders get more days to tender for school desks

The government has extended the period for tender application for school desks by another week to allow more workshops submit their bids.

Education CS George Magoha said the tenders have not been awarded and application deadline had been moved to September 25 from last week, Friday.

“We want more workshops with the capacity to make the desks registered. This money is for our Jua Kali sector and should be utilised within the sector,” said Prof Magoha yesterday in Kakamega as he inspected desk workshops.

Of the 416 secondary schools to be considered, 235 secondary schools will each get 50 desks where a total of Sh44 million will be used.

The State has earmarked Sh1.9 billion for the education sector to open up schools and colleges as the Covid-19 pandemic subsides. Part of the money will be used to buy masks for all primary and secondary school learners.

Magoha said secondary schools will be allocated Sh1 billion while primary schools will have Sh900 million from the stimulus package for preparation to manage effects of the pandemic.

The CS, who made a tour of some of the workshops in the county, expressed displeasure with the level of capacity of the workshops and asked them to “properly prepare for the big task at hand”.

At the same time, the CS fired a warning shot at contractors and brokers strategising on how to reap big from the tenders, saying the work will only be given to local Jua Kali artisans.

From the set plan on how the desks will be given to schools, Magoha said every sub-county will at least have 15 schools benefiting.

“If a sub-county has three schools, they will all receive and if they are 15, all of them will be considered. For sub-counties with more than 15 schools, the county tendering committees under county commissioners will consider schools on need basis,” he said.