The Kakamega County Education Director Mr. Tom Alex Majani addressing school heads and education stakeholders from Lugari District. [Photo | Joseph Amunya | West Fm]

Parents and Stakeholders have been asked to invest in education sector in order to spur economic growth and development in Kakamega County.

Addressing school heads and education stakeholders from Lugari District at Lumakanda Teachers Advisory Centre Hall, the newly posted Kakamega County Education Director Mr. Tom Alex Majani promised to turnaround the sector, noting that teachers were agents of economic change and development.

Majani said Kakamega County was the second largest in term of size and population, but regretted her low number of qualified human resource required to drive its development agenda under the new system of devolved government.

He appealed to all stakeholders including teachers, parents, opinion leaders and the political class to work as a team and support the education sector, which he noted was the only one mandated to train and produce a qualified human resource for the county’s development programmes.

“For any meaningful development to take place the world over, it calls for a well trained human resource. Other development sectors cannot perform if the education sector is asleep. Therefore as educationists we have no choice but provide key industries with qualified professionals such as doctors, engineers and lawyers for Kakamega County to attract investors and compete favourably with other counties,” said Majani.

Regretting the slow pace of economic growth and development in the region, the education director blamed local politicians and leaders accusing them of not willing to involve professionals.

“We must have a paradigm shift in nearly all government and private sectors for this region to jumpstart and develop. Politicians and leaders must be ready to embrace professionals of this area in their boardroom development meetings. On their part, area residents must also be willing to transform and change attitudes,” said Majani.

“Our people need to be enlightened that wealth is not with how many indigenous heads of cattle one has but with the quantity and quality of milk and meat production,” he added.

Majani was on his first familiarization tour since he was recently appointed County Director of Education for Kakamega.