Murang’a: Murang’a Woman Representative, Betty Maina, has sponsored the construction of ablution blocks in three primary schools in Maragua to enhance sanitation for the school children. Speaking at Matanya primary school, the MP underscored the importance of a safe and conducive learning environment in public primary schools, adding that sanitation is crucial for the smooth running of educational institutions.
According to Kenya News Agency, Maina visited Kiyo, Muchagara, and Matanya primary schools in Maragua Constituency, where she delivered one million shillings to each school. She emphasized the significance of prioritizing the welfare of children, responding to a plea by residents to help them build new toilets in the schools. Maina highlighted the urgency of the matter, noting it involved the safety of the children.
“A while back, worried residents from this area told me schools do not have safe toilets for their children. As leaders, we cannot wait for a tragedy to happen then come to react after a child falls into the toilet,” she stated. Maina explained that the funds she delivered were a donation from the President, and she promised to bring more money, acknowledging that the one million shillings given to each school would not suffice for the completion of the toilets.
She urged the Ministry of Health, through the Department of Public Health, to inspect the toilets in all primary schools and close those that are not safe. Meanwhile, Maina challenged Members of Parliament to allocate some of the NG-CDF funds to improve basic infrastructure in schools, asserting that citizens need to see proper utilization of the funds in their constituencies. “It is a shame that the residents are asking the President for something as basic as toilets when there is NG-CDF,” Maina lamented.
Emphasizing her commitment to serving the people who elected them, Maina stated that even as leaders take different political positions, they must prioritize serving the community. One of the residents, Philomena Kariuki, expressed relief that the poor state of toilets in schools, a constant concern, would be addressed, ensuring better facilities for the children.
“As parents, we worry that our children will contract diseases from the toilets, especially the small children in pre-school who have to use the same toilets with the older children,” Kariuki stated. William Mungai, the head teacher at Matanya primary school, commended the initiative by the Woman Rep, noting that some of the school’s toilets, built in 1967, are unsafe and at risk of collapsing.