Former Principal Secretary Irungu Nyakera wants Parliament to pass a law requiring the government to provide free school uniforms to learners in public schools across the country.
Nyakera says the proposal would use the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NGCDF) to support a programme aimed at helping parents meet the cost of sending their children to school.
He argues that the price of uniforms adds to the expenses families face when schools reopen, alongside the cost of books, stationery and other learning requirements.
In a statement, Nyakera said the lack of a school uniform should not prevent a child from attending school. He called for a government-backed arrangement that would ensure learners in public schools receive uniforms at no cost.
The former PS has already started testing the idea in Makadara, where he is seeking to become Member of Parliament.
On Wednesday, November 11, he launched a programme targeting vulnerable learners moving from Grade 6 to Grade 7 in public schools within the constituency. Those selected will receive uniforms without their families having to pay.
Furthermore, local tailors will be engaged to tailor the uniforms. According to Nyakera, the engagement will provide a chance for skilled laborers in Makadara to generate income from the initiative and feed their families.
According to the Member of Parliament, he will use the pilot initiative to showcase how the proposal can be put in place in order to lobby for legislation that will incorporate the proposal in the NGCDF initiative.
If the proposal is accepted, the proposal will benefit the learners in the public primary and secondary schools in the entire country through collective effort rather than individual efforts.
Besides the cost of textbooks, the cost of school uniforms has attracted concern due to pricing and lack of sufficient suppliers to the parents. Questions have been asked on whether there are enough sources where the parents can buy the uniforms for their children.
The proposal comes at a time when President William Ruto has promised to help the local manufacturers of leather shoes to sell shoes to 14 million school-going children in Kenya.