Owalo presides over groundbreaking of Sh35 million school upgrade project

By Peter Ochieng

Deputy Chief of Staff in the Executive Office of the President, Performance and Delivery Management, Eliud Owalo on Thursday presided over the ground-breaking ceremony for a school infrastructure upgrade at Oboch Primary School, in Rarieda, Siaya County.

The project is being funded by MPESA, to a tune of Sh35 million.

Addressing residents, Owalo said it will go a long way in uplifting the standards of education in the area.

“We thank the MPESA Foundation for this noble gesture that will go a long way in uplifting the standards of education in the school for the benefit of the local community and Kenya at large,” he said.

The former ICT and the Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary (CS) urged area residents to support President William Ruto’s broad-based government, saying that he means well for all Kenyans.

He assured the school community that by next week, Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA) officers will be on the ground to carry out a feasibility study on where to drill a bore, after teachers informed him of the perennial water challenge at the school.

Additionally, he urged Kenyans to register with the new Social Health Authority (SHA), ahead of its rollout on October 01, 2024.

The Oboch Primary School project, MPESA Foundation chairman Joe Ogutu said, is under Safaricom’s Citizen of the Future Program, which seeks to empower pupils and students for a great future ahead.

“Partnership is very important. You cannot leave the government alone to do all these,” said Joe.

Upon completion, he requested teachers and pupils to take care of the facilities for future generations.

The project is expected to be completed in the course of the year.

The school will have an administration block, a computer lab with computers, grade 9 classroom with lockers and chairs, kitchen, 12-door latrines for pupils, 6-door latrines for teachers, a modern fence, and tables and chairs for the Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) class.

Grade 1-8 classrooms will also be renovated.