Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has promised to donate Ksh300,000 to Komarock primary school for their after-exam party.
Speaking on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, Gachagua who was monitoring the ongoing Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) exams opined that he was giving the school's headteacher Ksh300,000 for the students to celebrate after their exams set to end tomorrow, Wednesday, November 30, 2022.
He also promised to give teachers Ksh100,000 for work 'well done'.
"So mnamaliza mtihani kesho? Alafu muende nyumbani si nipange bash kidogo the following day, hapo iko sawa? So what I'll do after you are through with exams I will give the headteacher 300,000 so that after the exams you can come and have a bash muagane kwaheri.
"Also we will not leave the teachers behind I think they have also done a goood job, I will leave 100,000 for the teachrs so that pia hao washeherekee," Gachagua said amidst cheers from the students.
More than two million Standard Eight and Grade Six learners commenced their national examinations on Monday, November 28, 2022, representing the highest number to ever sit the primary school national tests.
This also marked the first time Grade Six candidates will be sitting a national exam after the introduction of the Competency-Based Curriculum in 2017.
Gachagua asks for donations
The latest comes barely days after Gachagua called on Kenyans to contribute a percentage of their salaries to a drought response kitty.
Speaking during the Launch of the National Steering Committee on Drought Response on Friday, November 25, 2022, Gachagua alluded that the drive would help save the lives of those affected by the adverse effects of drought across the country.
"We as a government are making a special appeal to all Kenyans and various stakeholders to support us in saving the lives and livelihoods of our people. We appeal to Kenyans of goodwill to contribute a percentage of their salaries to a pay bill number that will be established soon to contribute to the drought response kitty," the DP stated.
The second-in-command also appealed to Kenyans in food-surplus counties to channel their contributions through the office of governors and respective commissioners who will work hand in hand with the task force set to be unveiled.
"We appeal to Kenyans in food-surplus counties to make their contributions to the office of governors and their respective county commissioners, the governors and country commissioners will work with the task force to be unveiled today, "Gachagua added.
At the same time, the former Mathira Member of Parliament (MP) noted that the contributions would only be made through official channels outlined by the task force committee and further cautioned cartels and fraudsters against taking advantage of the situation for their own benefit.
"There will be no parallel pay bill and means of contributing to this appeal other than the official channels that will be outlined by this committee by the end of the day," he stated.
"We warn cartels, conmen and fraudsters who want to take advantage of this initiative to con Kenyans' money. We want to tell conmen and fraudsters and all those people who want to take advantage of this very difficult situation that they will not feel peace in their lifetime,"he added.
Further, Gachagua announced that the Kenya Defence Force (KDF) officers had offered to forgo a one day's salary to contribute to the response kitty and equally urged the media to lend a hand by popularising the initiative.
"Our men and women in the KDF have offered to forego a one-day salary to contribute to the drought response kitty. We send out a request to the media to make a financial or in-kind contribution in terms of airtime and newspapers space to popularise the appeal and the pay bill number," he added.
