More public schools from Gesima ward are set to get cement and gravel to improve their floors in a move aimed at fighting jiggers within the region, area MCA has said.
Ken Atuti on Monday at a local fundraiser said many institutions were suffering from jigger menace in silence with old floors being the ‘friendly environment’ to jiggers.
He urged well-wishers who have been leading the anti-jigger campaigns from the region to join his administration to fight the menace as a team saying majority of the groups were not proactive in dealing with the menace that has allegedly stalled learning of a number of pupils.
“I will be donating more cement to all public institutions so that we can have classrooms neatly floored. Poorly floored classrooms paves way for jiggers which have apparently led to a number of children bowing out of school. I also plead with anti-jiggers groups to come together and work with my team so that we become proactive in the anti-jigger fight,” he said.
He also challenged the ministry of education to chip in and remedy the situation since education wasn’t a devolved function.
“When jigger menace hits schools with poor hygiene and uncemented floors which gives favorable environment for jiggers its grassroots leaders who are attacked by the electorates. The national government should come out and refurbish most of the institutions which are in deplorable conditions,” he added.
According to him, the number of cement to be donated for the sole purpose refurbishing floors will depend on the immediate need of specific institutions and will be based on the outcome by a committee from his office that is currently visiting the institutions (both primary and secondary schools)