School gets shiny new bus but no road to drive it on in West Pokot

Annet E.L.C.K. Senior School in Sigor Constituency, West Pokot County, has a brand new school bus. The bus was funded through the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF). It was meant to transport students safely to and from school.

But there's a small problem. There's no road leading to the school.

The irony isn't lost on locals. The bus arrived in the area recently, bringing hope to learners and parents. But it can't reach the school gate because the road infrastructure simply doesn't exist. Students still have to walk long distances or find alternative transport to get to class.

NG-CDF is a Kenyan government program that sends money directly to constituencies for local development projects. Schools, roads, water projects, and health centres are common beneficiaries. In this case, the fund provided the bus, but road construction wasn't part of the package.

Sigor Constituency is a rural area in West Pokot, a county in the northern Rift Valley region. The terrain is hilly and remote, making road construction expensive and slow. Many schools in the area are inaccessible by vehicle, especially during the rainy season when dirt tracks become impassable.

The situation has sparked debate on social media. Kenyans are asking: what's the point of buying a bus if you can't drive it to the school? Some are calling it a classic case of poor planning. Others say it shows the disconnect between what constituencies fund and what communities actually need.

A parent who spoke to local media described the bus as "a white elephant." The parent, who requested anonymity, said the money would have been better spent on grading the road first.

The school administration hasn't commented on the matter. But the bus remains parked, waiting for a road that may take years to build.

This isn't the first time such a situation has occurred in Kenya. In 2023, a school in Baringo County received a bus but had no road to access it. In 2024, a health centre in Turkana got an ambulance but the only road was a dry riverbed. The pattern suggests a systemic issue: projects are approved without considering whether basic infrastructure exists.

For now, the students of Annet E.L.C.K. Senior School will continue walking. The bus will stay parked. And the community will keep wondering who approved the funding without checking if there was a road.