MY WINSTONE MUSISI
Political leaders and principals of public secondary schools in Nandi County are up in arms against the regional government’s administration for issuing bouncing cheques to the institutions that were meant to benefit bright learners from poor backgrounds.
They have castigated area governor Stephen Sang led devolved government for allegedly issuing the bounding cheques worth sh 67 million which was disbursed to various public secondary schools targeting the more than 200 students from poor background.
Led by Mosop MP Vincent Tuwei, the leaders have asked the Ethic and Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the matter with a view to bring to book those involved in the scheme to deny the learners from enjoying their right to education and get a chance to pursue their dream careers.
He claimed that more than 2,000 students from poor family backgrounds risk dropping out of school when schools reopen towards the end of April after failing to secure county bursaries to finance their secondary education.
“It is very sad for the county government of Nandi to issue bouncing cheques in bursaries to public secondary schools meant to benefit bright students from poor backgrounds,” said Tuwei.
The lawmaker said that to make the matters worse the devolved unit has remained silent on the matter leaving parents of the affected learners in suspense of the fate of their children’s education.
Tuwei has accused the governor for not minding the welfare of the learners after it emerged that part of the said bursary fund has been diverted to bankroll campaign activities of close allies of the first term county boss.
A Principal of a secondary school in Mosop constituency who declined to be named said that he received four bad cheques from the county totaling sh 80,000 for four needy learners.
“I cannot understand why the county government can issue my school with bad cheques to the said bright students from poor family background when it has knowledge that its bank account has no sufficient funds,” she said.
Another school principal from Chesumei constituency who sought anonymity expressed similar complaints of bad cheques in his school where the education of six students who were to benefit from the bursaries now hangs in balance.
“It is true that the entire secondary schools in Nandi County have been issued with bad cheques. We have tried to raise the alarm but nobody from the governor’s office wants to hear our plight owing to the fact that this is a campaign period,” he added.
Efforts by Mwanahabari.co.ke to reach the governor were futile as all his phone were switched off by time of going to press.