Gituto: Residents of the Gituto area in Wangu Ward participated in a public forum to resolve a dispute arising from the proposed location of a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) centre. The TVET centre whose proposed construction site is in Gatheru has caused serious disagreement among local people.
According to Kenya News Agency, the meeting, which was a follow-up on an earlier session, was spearheaded by Kiharu Member of Parliament Ndindi Nyoro, who emphasised the importance of involving the community in decision-making on public projects. “I have postponed the launch of the construction in Gatheru because leadership means working for and with the people,” he said. He urged residents to be patient and assured them that their views would be taken into consideration as he stressed the need for leaders to prioritise the needs of their constituents.
The MP also highlighted that Kiharu is the first constituency in Kenya to have two TVET institutions. “There is no other single constituency with two TVETs like Kiharu,” he said. He explained that the proposed TVET project would be co-funded by the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) and the Ministry of Education. “NG-CDF will contribute Sh10 million, while the Ministry will provide about Sh45 million. I have already set aside our share,” he said.
The MP encouraged residents to express their views openly and honestly, saying, “Don’t hold back. Say what you really think. That’s how we build together.” During the meeting, the Head Teacher of Gituto Primary School, Agnes Ng’ang’a, urged the residents to consider the broader needs of Kahuro Sub-county when deciding on the TVET’s location. “We are talking about learners from Mukumu, Matharite, Gatara, and other areas,” she said, pointing out that discussions around establishing the institution date back to 2019.
She also raised concerns over the declining population in the area, noting that the school had 350 pupils in 2017, but now only has 203. “The student numbers have been going down, and they haven’t transferred to other schools,” she said, adding that the class with the highest enrolment currently has only 28 learners.
One of the residents, David Mafure, argued in favour of moving the project to Gituto, saying the development would benefit the area economically. He also noted that there is sufficient land in Gituto and the institution would be centrally located in order to serve the entire Kahuro region effectively.