Sh 16million has been granted by the Japanese government to boost boost education standards in West Pokot County through construction of classrooms in different parts of the county.
The Japan Embassy to Kenya has rebuilt Kaghmuu Primary School in Lelan ward in Pokot South Sub County which was destroyed by landslides in 2019 at a cost of Sh7 million and has commenced the construction of modern classrooms at Ortum Boys High School at a cost of Sh9 million.
The Japanese ambassador to Kenya Ryochi Horie who visited West Pokot County to inspect the projects being funded by his government said Kenya and Japan have always enjoyed a cordial relationship.
โThe relationship between Kenya and Japan is exceptionally close and Kenya is the largest recipient of Japan official development assistance in sub-Saharan Africa,โ said Horie.
Spearheading peace activities
Mr. Horie added that the Japanese government has continued to provide grants to Kenyaโs schools, medical institutions, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) since 1989. The ambassador who handed over the Kaghmuu Primary School classrooms reiterated that it was his strong wish to improve the quality of education in the remote parts of the county.
โWe have been working on large scale infrastructure projects such as constructing roads and bridges but we prioritize improving the lives of ordinary Kenyan people through grassroots assistance,โ he explained.
He commended the peace ambassador Ms Tegla Lorupe who hails from the region for spearheading peace activities in the county which he noted had given a peaceful environment to the Japanese government to invest in education.
โI have just signed a contract grant of constructing Ortum classrooms, the funds will be used to construct extra classrooms and provide a more friendly learning environment,โ stated the Japanese envoy.
More than 300 projects amounting to Sh2.3 billion have been funded across the country noting education is their main focus through providing scholarships for Kenya youths and also by setting up schools.
