As most schools celebrated good grades in just released Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), Mwingi East sub-county schools were nowhere to be seen.
Nguni Member of County Assembly (MCA) Jeremiah Mutua who is also the Minority Deputy Leader has blamed famine for the poor results.
Mutua was speaking in Mwingi town where Kitui MCAs met for consideration of the county Annual Development Plan (ADP) for the financial year 2023/2024 and preparations for vetting of Chief Officers for various county departments.
This comes after the Assembly conducted its public participation on the ADP last week.
He said following failed rains, drought negatively affected education in the area as learners could not concentrate on empty stomachs.
"The drought experienced following failed rains led to massive school dropouts and this time again, will not be exceptional as the locals have not harvested anything," he said.
Drought effects
Jeremiah added that the learners, after failing to go to school due to hunger, went to the bushes to collect the herbal gum used in making perfumes that attract up to Ksh1,000 per kilo.
He, therefore, called on the county and the national governments to intervene and ensure the reintroduction of school feeding programs to boost education.
"The entire Mwingi East has been performing poorly and this has been accelerated by drought. We call for the intervention from both governments in order to boost education," he added.
Munyoki Mwinzi, his counterpart from Kyuso in Mwingi North, echoed his sentiments saying locals are in dire need of relief food distribution.
"Locals do not have anything to eat. There's no way a child will focus in class on empty stomach," he said.
