Machakos school resorts to green energy due to rampant outages

Rampant electricity outages coupled with high bills have prompted Lukenya Girls Centre of Excellence to resort to green energy.

The school’s principal Carolyne Muema said they installed solar energy to fix the two challenges in the school located 17 kilometres off Mombasa road along Devki – Joska road deep in Kwamboo village, Kinanie division.

Green energy is any energy type that is generated from natural resources such as sunlight, wind or water. It often comes from renewable energy sources.

“We have also decided to switch to solar power, green energy due to the high electricity bills and blackouts that we have been experiencing,” Muema told the Star on Thursday.

The public school has a student population of 420.

Muema said the green energy usage also complements to their efforts of climate change mitigation which they are passionate about as an institution.

She said they were doing everything possible to conserve the environment as well as mitigate on effects of climate change in the community.

“We are an institution that is keen on mitigating climate change. We are involved in tree planting and rainwater harvesting,” Muema said.

Muema said water was scarce in the institution since it’s located in a dry place.

She said they share a borehole with the community.

Muema said students were keen on conserving the environment. They feed cattle all the grass they cut in the school compound and use the rest for mulching trees so as not to dry.

“We do a lot of soil conservation around the school community. Where we notice soil erosion, we move in with the students and conserve it. We have filled up all gullies and trenches which were around,” Muema said.

She said they were doing tree nurseries of different species that can survive in the hostile environment to donate to the community.

“We received an award from Governor Wavinya Ndeti on World Environmental Day, she recognized our efforts in environmental conservation and due to the deforestation that has taken place in the Lukenya ranch area, she recognised our efforts in tree planting, soil conservation, sensitizing and educating the community around our school on matters climate change,” Muema said.

On matters of academics, the school has been steadily improving in KCSE exams registering a mean score of 5.22 in 2023 examinations.

Fourteen candidates who managed to get to the university this year from the 2023 class were on August 2 issued various awards from the school’s principal, teachers, and Board of Management alongside PTA officials.

Two of the girls were awarded laptops during the event conducted at the institution during the Prize Giving Day attended by hundreds of parents and guardians as well as various guests and officials from the Education Ministry and Teachers Service Commission.

Muema said the girls made them proud despite the many challenges they faced as an institution.

She said they had a mean score of 5.22, an improvement as compared to the year 2022 when they managed to send six girls to university while only two managed to qualify for university in 2021.

Athi River subcounty director of Education Peter Oina lauded the school for consistent improvement in KCSE examinations.

“I know that the target you had set as a school was higher, but you have improved,” Oina said.

Oina told the learners to not only work hard but work smart.

“For the girls, for you to pass exams, you need to set a goal. You must have a career target, then work towards achieving it,” he said.

He encouraged teachers across the subcounty to work as a team for the learner's best interests.

Oina also told parents to be supportive by creating a good rapport with the teachers who teach their children.

“Know the teachers who teach your children and provide for them their needs,” he said.

He said parents should discuss with school heads on fee payment modalities in case they have problems retaining children in school.

“Parents should be responsible and love schools in which their children learn. Teachers also need to love schools where their children learn and support the institutions,” Oina said.