Education CS Prof George Magoha is in hot soup after he allegedly gave false information on the government’s preparedness for reopening schools during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The CS who is now set to be summoned by the National Assembly has been put on the spot by Kenyans who asked him to resign citing incompetence.
Ndhiwa MP Martin Owino, who is also a member of the National Assembly Health Committee said Magoha lied to Parliament that the government had put all measures for ensuring that learning by Form Four, Class Eight, and Grade Four pupils would take place in a safe manner.
The committee says that preparations that include the availability of sanitizers and water points are nowhere to be found in schools.
Investigations, Owino says, revealed teachers and pupils in many schools live at risk of contracting Covid-19 due to lack of adequate preparations by the Ministry of Education.
“A lot of risks of contracting covid-19 still lurk in schools and that is where infections many students have been infected,” Owino said.
Furthermore, there was no disbursement of capitation fees to cushion students from being sent home due to the inability of their parents to pay school fees as promised.
“Many parents complain of financial challenges due to covid-19. Principals have told me they lack funds for running schools because the government has not released the capitation fees,” Owino said.
The lawmaker said that Parliament will summon the CS in a bid to get an explanation and find an amicable solution.
“We must summon Magoha because we are concerned by the health of teachers and pupils in our schools,” Owino said.
