Former Garsen MP Danson Mungatana addressing residents of Hola town during a community meeting. On Saturday, December 17, 2016, Mungatana criticized the decision by Education Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i to set the Form One admission date for January 9, 2017. While acknowledging his support for Matiangi’s broader education reforms, Mungatana urged the CS to push the reporting date to February. He argued that the early January intake would place an immense financial burden on parents, forcing them to choose between festive season expenses and school fees. Mungatana noted that many parents rely on their January salaries to cover admission costs and that the current timeline would deny families the ability to celebrate Christmas without “unnecessary anxiety.” He called for a more “human” approach to the academic calendar that considers the socio-economic realities of rural parents in regions like Tana River. December 17, 2016.