Homa Bay County Governor, Gladys Wanga unveiled an ambitious plan today to construct 160 modern classrooms for Early Year Education pupils across the county.
The announcement was made during the launch of the ‘Genowa Ondoa Kaunda’ Classrooms Initiative at God Ndonyo Primary School in Kibiri Ward.
"This great initiative will significantly improve our educational infrastructure," said Governor Wanga, addressing a gathering of officials and community members.
"We're building on last year's success, where we constructed 80 classrooms. In the next phase, we'll have added 240 new classrooms, a stark contrast to the mere 20 built in the previous decade."
The project aims to enhance the quality, accessibility, and affordability of early childhood education in the county.
Construction will be carried out through community labor-based contracting, a strategy designed to inject financial resources directly into local communities.
"This approach not only ensures rapid development through economic stimulus, but also provides valuable employment opportunities for our youth and women," explained the County Executive Committee Member for Education, Martin Opere.
"It's a win-win situation for both our education system and our local economy," Opere added.
The CECM for Finance and Economic Planning, Solomon Obiero, highlighted the economic impact of the initiative. "By employing local labor and resources, we're creating a multiplier effect that will boost our county's economic growth," he stated.
This latest development follows a trend of increased investment in early childhood education infrastructure, ward-based roads and water projects in Homa Bay County.
Residents of Kibiri Ward hope that the improvement of such learning environments will lead to better educational outcomes for the county's youngest learners.
As construction begins, the county chief pledged to maintain transparency and efficiency throughout the project's implementation. She warned project management committees to be vigilant to ensure project success.
“I urge all project management committee members to make sure all the EYE classrooms are built as per the bill of quantities.”
The initiative is expected to be completed within the current fiscal year.