In a country where the cost of education is driving parents to despair, Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro has seemingly performed a miracle. The legislator has announced that over 12,000 day secondary school students in his constituency will pay only Sh1,000 per term this year, with the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) footing the rest.

The radical subsidy is part of the Kiharu Masomo Bora programme, a model that has turned the constituency into a national benchmark for CDF management. By allocating a massive chunk of his development kitty to education, Nyoro argues he is investing in the "software" of the economy—human capital—rather than just the "hardware" of roads and buildings.

The Math Behind the Miracle

"We have done the math, and it works," Nyoro told parents at a bursary issuance rally in Murang’a. The subsidy applies to all students in day secondary schools, effectively making education free for the vast majority. The Sh1,000 paid by parents is strictly for "recurrent lunch costs," ensuring students remain in class on a full stomach.

• infrastructure Overhaul: Alongside the fees, the MP has embarked on tiling all classrooms and renovating laboratories, arguing that a dignified environment is a prerequisite for academic excellence.
• Food Security: The programme also includes a feeding component, sourcing maize and beans locally to support Kiharu farmers, creating a circular economy within the constituency.

A Political Masterstroke?

Critics view the aggressive philanthropy as a springboard for Nyoro’s national ambitions, cementing his status as a potential successor to the region’s kingpins. But for the mama mboga in Murang’a who no longer has to sell her goat to pay school fees, the politics is irrelevant. The relief is real, and the question on everyone’s lips is: if Kiharu can do it, why can't the rest of Kenya?