Politicians in Kisii County have been challenged to support children in their academic endeavors instead of giving them handouts.
Speaking at Ibeno primary school when he presented book donation to Ibeno ward schools, Kisii coordinator for Ford People party Steve Arika accused politicians in Kisii of bribing children, saying that can affect their concentration to education.
Mr Arika also blamed teachers for the tendency among students for singing to specific people in public forums with an aim of fetching money from them.
He urged teachers to guide pupils and students well and avoid the tendency of flattering guests for handouts.
The former civic leader was referring to the Nyaribari Chache parliamentary aspirant Zaheer Jhanda, who at the beginning of last month during sanitary harvest event at Ibeno primary school, gave Sh100 to each pupil of a school that flattered him.
“We are misleading our children. Instead of pupils entertaining the guests in the sanitary harvest event, they started flattering guests for political handouts. It's not bad to sing and mention the visitor’s name in the song, the mistake is when a politician like it was in Ibeno gave the pupils money. That is bribing and corrupting their minds,” he lamented.
Arika added, “Instead of giving money to each of the pupils, he should have bought them something or give the money to their teacher to buy them something. Teachers should not also psychologically prepare pupils that if they sing individuals, they will be given money. It's not bad if they are appreciated for the good work but it should be procedural.”
The Ford People coordinator observed that many street children get attached to money at an early age that prompts them engage in criminal activities.
Arika presented 50 cartons of exercise books to six schools from Ibeno ward courtesy of Elijah Obebo who is a publisher based in Nairobi. He had promised to donate the books to Ibeno primary schools during the sanitary harvesting day.