[Kisii Governorship aspirant Manson Nyamweya in a past event. He now wants Jubilee to refund parents with money paid in the past years. Photo/Nation]
Kisii County governorship aspirant Manson Nyamweya yesterday challenged the Jubilee government to refund fees paid by parents on public education.
He said Jubilee should refund parents the monies already spent as a first step in implementing the free education program.
“If Jubilee is serious about implementing the free education pledge, it should first refund the parents all the money they have so far spent on educating their children this year. They should be sent the money via M-Pesa or deposits in their bank accounts as soon as possible,” said Mr Nyamweya.
The incumbent South Mugirango MP said the government had already subjected parents to expensive education that required the purchase of textbooks, uniforms, stationery and other items, straining them financially.
“It is a shame that Jubilee still continues to impose a heavy burden on parents despite the harsh economic climate of escalating food prices and inflation. It should move with speed to relieve them of their suffering by immediate fulfilling the pledge instead of making it a campaign tool to entice them to vote for it,” he said.
Speaking at Kiogoro, Nyaribari Chache constituency on a campaign tour, the legislator said Jubilee was doing Kenyans a disservice by making free education a campaign promise yet it had funds to implement the program.
“Why are Kenyans being forced to wait until the elections are over before they can enjoy the benefits of free education yet Jubilee has already promised to give it to them? We want to be relieved of the education burden now,” said Mr Nyamweya.
He criticized the government for spending what he termed “an unnecessary amount of time on empty talk and fantastic promises which it did not have the capacity to implement”.
“Jubilee has perfected the culture of filling newspaper reports and broadcast hours with empty talk and fantastic promise which it has no intention of ever fulfilling. We are tired of this talk-centred regime,” said the Mr Nyamweya vowed to weed out corruption, clannism and nepotism in the county government once elected to office, saying the three ills had stagnated service delivery.
He accused the administration of favoring some regions and clans in the county at the expense of others, saying the youth had also been marginalized in major county appointments.
“Our current administration has concentrated on distributing the meagre public resources allocated to the region to a few favoured areas and individuals at the expense of many suffering youth that could have benefitted from equal access to opportunities and development funds,” he said.
Mr Nyamweya said youths in most regions across the county had not yet felt the effects of devolution because of clannism, nepotism and corruption.
“Many qualified graduates and diploma holders are languishing in joblessness due to the corrupt tendencies of a few individuals in this administration who have locked them out of jobs that could have transformed their lives and those of their communities,” said Mr Nyamweya.
He asked residents to vote for the constituency’s KNC candidate, Ms Rael Otundo, saying she was best placed to steer it to greater heights of development.
Ms Otundo, a land valuer by profession, is seeking to oust incumbent MP, Jubilee’s Richard Tongi.
She told residents she would ensure they received allocations from the Uwezo and Youth Development Fund to assist them in business projects if elected.
Ms Otundo accused the incumbent of doing little to alleviate poverty among the constituency’s residents, urging them to express their anger at the ballot.
“I urge you to express your disappointment with his leadership by voting him out on August 8. Your vote is your only ticket to ensuring you get focused, sensitive and committed leaders into office,” said Ms Otundo.