Rangwe MP Lilian Gogo cuts the ribbon as she hands over a bus to Olare Secondary School in Kochia Ward/ Robert Omollo

Rangwe MP Lilian Gogo has urged parents in the constituency to prioritise taking their children to school to acquire an education for a better future.

Gogo argued that educating children is one of the best ways of transforming society for future social and economic development.

She said this in reference to rampant cases of school dropouts, which are reportedly rife not only in the constituency but across the county.

Dropouts are promoted by the triple threat, which includes HIV infection, sexual and gender-based violence and teenage pregnancies.

Rangwe is among the constituencies in Homa Bay County with a high prevalence of school dropouts among adolescents.

Rangwe MP Lilian Gogo with a team of Olare Secondary School community during delivery of the school bus in Kochia Ward/Robert Omollo

Gogo said encouraging children to go to school and retaining them in school could also reduce cases of the triple threat.

"Education is necessary for the socio-economic development of any society. Let parents in Rangwe encourage their children to go to school. It is the best way of helping them for the future," Gogo said.

Speaking when she handed over a 51-seater bus to Olare Secondary School in Kochia Ward, the legislator said she would not like to see children of school-going age loitering around without going to school.

According to Gogo, the constituency has good arrangements for supporting the education of needy children by giving them bursaries.

Rangwe MP Lilian Gogo waves to students and parents at Olare Secondary School during delivery of a 51-seater bus to the school in Kochia Ward/ Robert Omollo

For example, at Olare Secondary School, all Form Three and Grade 10 students had their fee arrears cleared by the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF).

The school has also benefited from improvements to its learning infrastructure.

The majority of learners at the school are day scholars.

"We shouldn't be witnessing children missing school because of sickness developed from unnecessary sexual intercourse. Students should focus on their studies because that's what will positively shape their future," she said.

The bus was one of 22 vehicles the MP's office has purchased for different learning institutions in support of education in Rangwe Constituency. Gogo said she is targeting 37 buses to address transport challenges in schools.

She called for the appropriate use of the bus to benefit the school and its stakeholders.

"The bus will be used to support the school in undertaking extracurricular activities such as sports and school tours. The community will also use it at an agreeable fee and the money used in running school activities," she added.

The school's principal, Rose Onditi, said they had experienced difficulties attending co-curricular activities due to a lack of a bus.

She said they were sometimes forced to hire a Probox or Nissan to take students to science congresses, sports activities and other events.

Onditi said owning a school bus would now cut costs as they would avoid further hiring.

She expressed happiness that the economic status of the school would also improve.

"I encourage learners to work hard and get good results as a reciprocity to the bus they have been given. I believe there is going to be improvement in academic performance of the school," Onditi said.