President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday hosted a number of high school students in his office at State House where he allowed one of the pupils to make a phone call to Deputy President William Ruto.
During an interaction with students, drawn from various schools across the country under the Pupils Reward Scheme (PURES), Suleiman Ahmed of Mnara High School got a once in a lifetime opportunity to speak to the DP and Inspector General Joseph Boinnet.
"Delighted to watch and listen to Suleiman Ahmed of Mnara High School speak to my Deputy William Samoei Ruto and the Inspector General Joseph Boinnet from my office, during an interaction with students drawn from various schools across the country under the Pupils Reward Scheme (PURES) mentorship programme," the Head of State posted on Facebook.
[caption caption="President Uhuru Kenyatta with students under the Pupils Reward Scheme (PURES) in his office on 10/7/2018"]
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The Pupils Reward Scheme (PURES), is a mentorship programme under the Presidency.
President Kenyatta and First Lady Margaret Kenyatta launched it in early 2015. Besides mentoring the students on the need for hard work and choosing their careers wisely, the programme cultivates leadership skills and gives them an opportunity to share experiences on national values such as integration and ethnic harmony in diversity.
Through the project – the first of its kind in the country – beneficiaries are facilitated to visit State House to interact with the President and the First Lady.
President Kenyatta explained that the main objective of the project was to inculcate the spirit of service which has become rare in the Kenyan leadership and community at large.
He added that the project enabled young people to experience what it takes to be in government leadership and to offer services.
“It is very unfortunate that in recent years as a country we have lost that spirit of service. We have embraced negative values that in so many ways have resulted in our children losing hope," the Head of State stated.
The President observed that the negative values in the society have largely to do with leaders who have not exhibited the spirit of selflessness, service and sharing amongst the youth.
[caption caption="President Uhuru Kenyatta with students under the Pupils Reward Scheme (PURES) in his office on 10/7/2018"]
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“We have tended to personalize leadership as opposed to growing it, we have tended to think that leadership is inherited or belongs to a certain class of people to exclusion of others,” he said.
The President said the programme will cultivate a desire amongst the youth to work hard to achieve the best and also aspire to get into public leadership.
The first batch of beneficiaries comprised of 25 boys and 23 girls from all counties who excelled in their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams last year. The students were accompanied by their teachers.
[caption caption="President Uhuru Kenyatta with students under the Pupils Reward Scheme (PURES) in his office on 10/7/2018"]
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The First Lady stated the project signifies the President’s desire to mentor the younger generation.
“Presently the Pupils Rewards Scheme is designed to allow children from all over the country to visit State House to meet with H. E. the President," the First Lady conveyed.
