The Senate’s Education Committee is sold on the idea of laptops for Standard One children.
The chairman of the committee Mutahi Kagwe told the Senate Thursday that the project was too important to fail.
“An adult does not promise a child something and they do not deliver. It will be a shame for all parents in this country if we fail to give laptops to the Standard One children (having promised that they will get the laptops in the election campaigns),” said Mr Kagwe, also the Nyeri Senator.
Speaking just two days after a meeting with the Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi, the Nyeri senator said the laptop project should not be pegged on lack of classrooms in some of the counties in the country.
“The reason that we don’t have schools in some areas, shouldn't be reason why we should not go for the laptops, because even under a tree if you have the laptops, you can receive reading material, and read them,” said Mr Kagwe.
“The debate that has been going on about these laptops is a very good one. It has centred the debate on the use of technology. We do not have a choice. We must use technology. If we don’t do it, we will be doomed… We have to teach our children that technology is our lifestyle."
He said Sh27.5 billion will buy laptops, while Sh15 billion will be used to connect some 10,184 schools to the power grid.
“Let us not forget, that as soon as transformer is connected to a school, people living around there can get power. If our children are integrated in this system from the word go, we can improve our nation faster than we can blink,” said a passionate Mr Kagwe, whose party Narc, is in the ruling Jubilee coalition.
Kiraitu Murungi (Meru) said during his tenure at the Ministry of Energy, he initiated a programme for universal connectivity of electricity and prepared a rural electrification masterplan, and that all figures to connect primary schools had been drawn.
Mr Kagwe confirmed that the Ministry of Education and that of Energy will be ordered to give details of schools that will have transformers fitted.
Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o (Kisumu), also , a former minister of Planning said the procurement of laptops ought to be worked out so that the theft of funds, and the possible purchase of substandard equipment, are all discussed.
“We know we have had a problem in successive governments with this issue of procurement. Good ideas come and then vultures hijack them and make nonsense of these ideas, especially, where big money is involved. And on this one, big money is involved,” said Prof Nyong’o.
The implementation of the whole project will cost the taxpayer Sh53 billion. The money has already been allocated.
