Learners at Kaveti Primary School in Embu North Sub-county and the community around have a reason to smile following the opening up of a 1.5 kilometers new link road.
The road connecting two adjacent villages to be done courtesy of Kieni South Ward MCA Barnabas Njama at a cost of Sh. 1.8 million comes as a relief to pupils at the school who will be able to get to school and back home with ease.
Learners have for the last 10 years been forced to trespass on private farms and on many occasions getting turned away by owners for trampling on crops and forced to take a long route to school.
Pupils narrated the ordeal they have been going through getting to school especially during the rainy season when the footpath cutting through farms is rendered impassible.
‘It has been hectic for us to wake up early and end up getting to school late and punished,’ said class eight pupil Kevin Murimi.
He said Pre-Primary Education 1 and 2 learners particularly bear the biggest brunt as they must be assisted to cross the adjoining stream during the rainy season with some getting swept away.
Teacher Ms. Njiru said enrollment was very low as parents kept off the school over inaccessibility, saying they expect things to change with the new development.
Parents equally hailed the initiative, saying they can rest easy as they release their children to go to school assured they will arrive and get back home safely.
They also said the road will open up trade opportunities as their farm products will get to the market on time and reduce post-harvest losses.
The MCA appreciated the families that agreed to surrender portions of their farms to create the road in exchange of a small token from the County Government.
He said the road will not only be widened but properly murramed and compacted to also make it motorable to open up the area for business as well.
Source: Kenya News Agency