Author: Hezron Rooy

Moi Girls High School Bus Carrying 52 Passengers Swept Away by Floods The 52 passengers on the AIC Moi Girls High School bus narrowly escaped death after the vehicle they were traveling in was swept away by flooding. The bus was donated to AIC Moi Girls in 2021 by then-President Uhuru Kenyatta as part of a package of ten buses that the government distributed to secondary schools and community institutions around the country. On Sunday night, Samburu County Police Commander Thomas Ototo acknowledged to the press that the incident took place in Suradiru, within the same county. A video obtained by Teachersupdates.news showed responders assisting the occupants…

Students Stranded Following Machogu’s Midnight Directive to Extend School Holiday Students around the country were left stranded after Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu abruptly pushed back the school opening date to May 6.  Machogu issued a midnight instruction stating that it was wise to postpone the reopening date due to flooding in numerous parts of the country. This was made a few hours before the formal start of school on Monday, April 29. In Ruaka, students trembled in the cold, waiting for school buses that never arrived. While some school administrators read the directive that was distributed via social media, some students did not. Students in Kitengela and Athi…

Sakaja Defends Machogu’s Midnight Directive, Fund All Stranded Students Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has asked his staff to visit all matatu stages and provide transportation for all stranded students returning home. While talking on Radio Citizen, the governor announced that he would personally visit the matatu stages to lend a hand. He explained that some of the students had already left their houses when Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu issued a directive to extend school resumption dates to Monday, May 6.  The governor vowed that all students trapped in Nairobi, regardless of county of origin, would benefit. He claimed to have seen numerous…

KNUT Asks Primary Teacher Interns to Stay Away from JSS Demonstrations The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has asked primary school interns not to take part in the secondary school (JSS) teachers’ demonstrations. This is after the Kenyan Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) announced plans for a peaceful demonstration on Monday, April 29th, across the country. This demonstration follows a recent ruling at the Employment & Labour Relations Court regarding the status of junior secondary school teachers hired as interns by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu emphasized the importance of maintaining focus on teaching responsibilities, particularly for primary teacher…

KUPPET to Lead JSS Intern Teachers Demonstrations on Monday; Reasons In response to a recent judgment by Hon. Justice Ongaya regarding the legality of internship positions under the Teachers Service Commission, the Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers have announced plans for a demonstration. The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) leaders will lead the demonstration across various counties on Monday, April 29, 2024. The demonstrations will take place in the towns of Kapsabet, Narok, Iten, and Kilifi, among others, concluding at the TSC county offices. The intention is to urge the TSC to address salary disparities between interns and teachers on permanent and…

Ministry of Education Postpones School Opening By One Week Due to Heavy Rains Due to the ongoing severe rains, the Ministry of Education has taken decisive steps to ensure the safety of all students and staff across the country. Last week, the Ministry asked its field officials to collect data from all Basic Education Learning Institutions around the country to assess schools’ readiness for the Second Term, which begins on Monday, April 29, 2024.  “After careful consideration of this assessment, the Ministry of Education has made the decision to postpone the reopening of all primary and secondary schools by one…

KNUT Calls for Immediate Release of School Capitation The Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) in is advocating for the timely release of school capitation.  According to the Kipkelion KNUT branch Executive Secretary David Bore, head teachers want the government to raise the capitation rate to compensate for inflation.  “As schools reopen for second term, we are demanding the immediate disbursement of capitation to avert a crisis in learning institutions,” Bore stated in a statement.  Students will return to school on Monday for a 14-week second term, with a half-term break set between June 20 and June 23. Bore noted that the administration recognizes that…

Flooding Damages 150 schools As Pressure Mounts on Govt to Suspend School Reopening  A group of church and political leaders has urged the government to postpone the reopening of schools starting Monday due to the country’s severe flooding. Flooding has so far damaged 150 schools across the nation, with some still submerged and without roofs hours before the reopening date. Collapsed classrooms, inundated schools, and wrecked rooftops—these are the scenes ahead of the country’s scheduled school reopening. The scenario impacts 150 schools, with students expected to return for the second term on Monday. Heavy winds have ripped the iron sheets off ten…

Parents Call for Postponement of School Re-Opening in Flood-Prone Areas The Kenya National Parents Association (KNAP) has encouraged the government to reassess school opening dates in flood-affected regions. With some dwellings and learning facilities damaged by flooding, the association’s Secretary General, Eskimos Kobia, warned that thousands of children’s lives are at risk as schools resumes this week.  This occurred while the Meteorological Department predicted severe rains in the next few days, with over 70 people reported dead and more injured or missing. Kobia urged the Ministry of Education to assess the number of schools affected by the rains and change opening…

Schools Reopening: CS Murkomen Issues Directives to Parents and Motorists Kipchumba Murkomen, the Transport Cabinet Secretary, urged parents to ensure that the vehicles used to transport their children to school are safe.  In a statement on Sunday, the Cabinet Secretary stated that parents must ensure their children travel on safe roads even as heavy rains continue to fall across the country. He also pledged to stop all drivers who violated traffic laws. “We will hold drivers accountable for their actions that endanger the lives of other road users by ignoring traffic regulations or crossing dangerous waters,” he said. He noted…