Poor performance of pupils, increased drop outs as drought worsens in Mwingi

 All the 270 schools in the Mwingi North constituency have received food donations from their area member of parliament in partnership with well-wishers, amid claims that pupils had started fainting in school due to hunger.

The call for aid by the area MP Eng. Paul Nzengu yielded fruits with mining companies in the area led by Simba Cement and Savannah Cement companies helping raise over 500 bags of maize which were yesterday supplied to schools in various parts of the vast constituency in order to sustain pupils in school for the remaining period until end of this term.

Speaking after doing the food distribution at Kamuwongo Primary School, Mwingi North MP Paul Nzengu thanked the well-wishers for their generosity and said that the state of hunger in Mwingi North was dire and needed further intervention by the national government.

Mr. Nzengu said that although President Uhuru Kenyatta had declared hunger a national disaster, too little was being done by the national government in commitment towards fighting hunger in arid areas.

Peter Kivurya who is the headteacher at Kithumuoni Primary School in Kakuyu Location pointed out that attendance of learners in schools as well as their academic performance had dropped due to prolonged drought in the area.

The school head called for re-introduction of the school feeding program in schools in order to help retain learners in school.

Stephen Musyoka who is the Human resource manager at DEVKI (Simba Cement) said that the chairperson of the group of companies had committed himself to aid the needy in Mwingi North.

Ngaaie area in Mwingi North has huge limestone deposits which remain unexploited to date as drought situation worsen amid Covid-19 economic fallout.

 STORY By BONIFACE MWANIKI, EDITED By MUSYOKA NGUI