- Hells Gate MCA Wamaitha said a new school will be built to ease congestion at Mirere, which enrolls about 2,000 students.
- Construction will be at the site of the old Karagita airstrip and a market will also be built for residents.
Image: GEORGE MURAGE
Tens of secondary school students have dropped out in the last one year to join illegal fishing around Lake Naivasha.
The Ministry of Education said informal settlements around the water body were the most effected by dropouts. Those cutting class continue to rise by the day.
The problem emerged during a prize-giving ceremony at Mirera High School, Naivasha, which is the largest learning institution in Nakuru county with an enrollment of about 2,000 students.
Last year, the school, in one of the largest informal settlements in Naivasha, was among the top KCSE performers, with 53 students set to join universities.
Naivasha MP Jane Kihara who was the guest of honour expressed her concern over the high number of students involved in illegal fishing.
She called on the security team to swiftly address the situation before more minors, mainly from the informal settlements, joined the illegal trade.
“We have information that tens of students are dropping from school to join fishing despite the dangers in the lake, and it's time we took action,” she said.
Kihara revisited the recent demonstrations by Gen-Z where her offices in Naivasha town were torched, terming the period the darkest in her political career.
While calling for responsible protest, she said the arson had paralysed operations in the government offices, adding the message from the youths had been received.
Principal Apollo Kamau admitted that tens of students had dropped from the school and joined the illegal fishing trade in the lake.
He added that the situation had been worsened by substance abuse due to the school’s proximity to the nearby Karagita slums.
“Despite all the challenges and the high population in this school, we managed to produce some of the best students in KCSE last year and 53 of them are joining universities," he said.
Naivasha deputy county commissioner Josiah Odongo said that the government had released more than Sh40 million towards improving infrastructure in junior secondary schools in Naivasha.
“We are, however, worried by some people who are inciting the youths over petty issues, thus affecting their education, and we shall not tolerate this,” he warned.
Hellsgate MCA Virginia Wamaitha said plans were underway to construct another school in the area to decongest Mirera High school.
“The government has given the greenlight to use the old Karagita airstrip and this land will be used to construct a school and market,” she said.