Leaders Urge School Reopening Delay Amid Flood Crisis: 150 Schools Damaged
A group of church and political leaders has requested that the government delay the reopening of schools on Monday because of the current flooding in the country.
Up to now, 150 schools nationwide have been impacted by flooding, with several still underwater and missing roofs just hours ahead of their planned opening.
Classrooms that have collapsed, flooded schools, and damaged rooftops are the sights ahead of the scheduled reopening of schools due to the recent heavy rainfall across the nation.
It is a scenario impacting 150 schools where students are anticipated to return for the second term starting Monday.
At Sikinga Primary School in Nambale, Busia County, more than 600 students will be required to share four classrooms due to strong winds that removed the iron sheets from 10 classrooms.
Phanice Ngaira, Principal of Sikinga Primary, expressed the magnitude of the loss, stating, “The damage is extensive because besides classrooms, there are desks, chairs, and stationery, things that cannot be repaired, the loss is over a million…”
Joseph Matini, Chairman of Sikinga Primary, appealed for assistance, saying, “We request assistance from anyone who can help us so that we can erect these classrooms and the children can continue with their studies…”
The school is one of eight schools in the county that might need to halt classes to accommodate necessary repairs and allow floodwaters to recede. In the Budalangi Constituency, a flood-prone area, at least six primary schools, and one secondary school have experienced flooding issues.
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The affected locations are Maduwa, Runyu, Bulwani, Budala, Namabusi ACK, and Musoma Secondary School. More than 1,700 flood victims have experienced a double tragedy as they have been instructed to leave the schools they were using as shelters.
Christine Omondi, who lives in Budalangi, spoke about her struggles, while Budalangi MP Raphael Wanjala supported her views.
Those who have been displaced by floods in Nairobi are facing a similar situation and are taking refuge in local schools in Mathare and Kiamaiko.
A group of church and political leaders have expressed worries about reopening schools while the country is still dealing with the consequences of floods.
Rev. Thegu Mutahi, Moderator of PCEA, emphasized, “Schools are set to reopen tomorrow but we urge that if there’s any place where children could be at risk, those schools should not reopen because we do not want to lose our children…”
Eugene Wamalwa, Party Leader of DAP-K, added, “We want to request that as schools are set to reopen tomorrow, it would have been better if the government considered postponing school reopening because the situation is dire…”
Kalonzo Musyoka, Party Leader of Wiper, stressed the urgency of the matter, stating, “Raila and a team of MPs said this government should declare this an emergency issue, they don’t seem to have taken this matter seriously, so these issues are very important…”
The Education Ministry has announced the formation of a multi-agency team to tackle the issues caused by the rainfall and prevent harm to students.
Leaders Urge School Reopening Delay Amid Flood Crisis: 150 Schools Damaged