The recently launched Imarisha Elimu programme in Thika Constituency, where day secondary school learners are paying Sh2,500 per term as well as receiving free lunch, has gained momentum, leading to an increase in student retention rates.
During a tour at Jamhuri Secondary School to monitor the progress and impact of the programme yesterday, Thika Town MP Alice Ng'ang'a said most of the schools where the programme is being implemented have recorded increased population this term, since learners are no longer being sent home to collect school fees.
She said retaining learners in school will help in improving performance in national examinations, revealing that her constituency performed dismally in last year's Kenya School for Secondary Education (KCSE), with hundreds recording E Grade.
This, she attributed to frequent absenteeism due to students being sent home for school fees caused by financial hardships among parents. "So far, so good.
