By Tony Wafula
Bumula Constituency has recorded a major turnaround in academic performance climbing from position nine to the top three in Bungoma County Bumula MP Jack Wamboka has said attributing the academic improvement to sustained investment in education through bursaries, scholarships and infrastructure development.
The DAP-K lawmaker spoke this at Kibuke Primary School during the commissioning of modern classrooms on Tuesday.
Further, Wamboka observed that when he took over Bumula in 2022 the constituency was behind in terms of academic performance claiming that through his consistent support the constituency has risen from number 9 in the county to top 3.
“Kimilili and Kanduyi Constituencies are the ones doing well in Education I want to tell my colleagues Didmus Barasa (Kimilili) and John Makali (Kanduyi) that Bumula is eyeing their numbers,” he said, adding that through his continuous bursary and scholarships support Bumula will top in the county.
Wamboka added that under his constituency leadership he started a scholarship where all bright and needy students across the constituency are supported to access education citing Emmanuel Sikuku of Maranda High School who scored an A plain in the 2025 KCSE.
The MP committed to help the top scorer to take his medicine degree in Kenya and later support him to join an overseas university of his choice.
Sikuku, who scored 376 marks in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) noted that his journey at Maranda National School has not been easy, attributing it to the low income by his family.
Sikuku attended Kibuke Primary School in Bumula Constituency.
“I had a big problem of fees payment because my parents do not have stable jobs, I fully relied on the county scholarship for my Secondary Education but was dropped off along the way,” he said.
Sikuku reports that he was enrolled on the county scholarship in Form One.
The top scorer revealed that after he was dropped off from the county scholarship, he got another sponsor, Bumula MP Jack Wamboka, through the NG-CDF confirming that the lawmaker awarded him a special bursary to fund his education.
“I thank God because after I was dropped off the County scholarship, I got our area MP Jack Wamboka who has really supported me finish Form Four,” Sikuku noted, adding that the special support from the area MP varied from KSh10, 000 to KSh15, 000.
He attributed his good performance to hard work, prayers and support from both parents and teachers.
Sikuku noted that his dream is to join Oxford University.
“My dream University is joining Oxford University, it is an institution that I have dreamt of since I was in primary school,” he said.
Bumula MP Jack Wamboka later launched a scathing attack on former MP Mwambu Mabonga alleging that millions of shillings meant to support education in Bumula were instead spent in other constituencies leaving local schools and learners neglected.
“All these resources were channeled to outside beneficiaries leaving the constituency in a limbo,” he said.
He blamed the former MP stating that the politician did not have knowledge on how to improve and support education.
Wamboka further blamed the former MP for what he described as poor and incomplete education infrastructure across Bumula, claiming that many of the classrooms constructed during his tenure were either shoddy or abandoned midway.
He said the state of learning facilities paints a grim picture of neglect with some projects stalling shortly after groundbreaking while others were completed using substandard materials.
“When you walk in all these Bumula schools, you will either find a stalled project or shoddy ones. That is why I am determined to change the narrative,” he stated.
Wamboka said that his administration is prioritizing quality, accountability and value for public funds to ensure learners study in safe and conducive environments.
He cited incidents where NG-CDF records indicate that funds were allocated to renovate 10 classrooms but in reality no classroom was face lifted.
“Classrooms in Netima, Kimaeti and Kimwanga classrooms were stalled, yet records show that funds were paid to the respective contractors,” Wamboka alleged.
For the five years, Wamboka said that the former MP completed 19 projects, affirming that during his three years in office he has been able to complete 77 projects.
“By June 2027, all my projects would have been completed, I don’t want to leave behind stalled projects and pending bills,” he noted.
To address the burden of high electricity bills in public schools across Bumula, the MP said he plans to shift learning institutions to green energy solutions.
He noted that many schools are struggling to settle monthly power bills, money he says would be better spent on learning materials and improving academic standards.
Wamboka mentioned the Sh700 million Namuningie dam and the Sh250 million Lunakwe energy centre as projects he is currently championing.
