Protests in Samburu after MP's statue allegedly costing Ksh.15M erected in school

Residents of Archers Post area and a section of parents of Uaso Girls Secondary School in Samburu East have protested the erection of a statue of Samburu East Member of Parliament Jackson Lekumontare at the learning institution.

The residents accuse those behind the project of misusing funds meant for development to put up the statue, which they claim cost Ksh.15 million.

They are now calling on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to investigate the matter.

During Citizen TV's visit to the school, we established that the statue has been erected a few metres from the school’s main entrance.

“Kitu kubwa ni hiyo pesa kutumika kununua hiyo sanamu yenye iko ndani ya shule, na mkienda mtaona sanamu iko hapo. Na hata Rais wetu ambaye tunampenda Ruto hajawahi kuweka picha yake kwa pesa, hajaiweka State House, hajaiweka kwa shule anazojenga, na hata hajaiweka kwa affordable houses ambazo ziko hapa,” said David Lokia, an area resident.

“Tena nimesikia hii sanamu ametengeneza na 15 million, na kuna watoto wanatarmack hapa. Hawapati bursary ya kwenda university, hawapati ya kwenda colleges. Na hiyo 15 million kama wangepatia watoto, si tungekuwa mbali,” said a parent, Lenkopito Lepereko.

However, the accused Member of Parliament and the school principal have dismissed claims about who funded the statue and its alleged cost.

“Ata mimi sijui ni ngapi, sina Habari, but we have never funded anything of that kind,” said Samburu East MP Jackson Lekumontare.

“We were the ones as a school who decided that we were going to appreciate the school patron in our own way. We thought as a school we would appreciate him by installing that statue, and it has cost only Ksh.150,000 using our own proceeds from the garden,” stated Uaso Girls Principal Julia Lesupeer.

To the school leadership, the statue was a gesture to honour the school patron for initiating notable development projects. However, the move now appears to have attracted a lot of unwanted attention.