High Court Orders Reopening of Hillside Endarasha Academy’s Boarding Section for KPSEA Candidates.
The High Court in Nyeri has directed the reopening of Hillside Endarasha Academy’s boarding wing, allowing 24 Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) candidates to stay on campus as they prepare for their national exams scheduled for next week.
These candidates will join their 57 peers, who will take the exams as day scholars at the same institution.
In an order issued on October 24, Justice Magare Kizito reversed an earlier ruling from October 17, which had delayed the boarding facility’s reopening. This delay was due to pending health and safety assessments by the Ministry of Education regarding the school’s conditions.
Justice Kizito had previously instructed the County Director of Education, Jane Njogu, to inspect the academy and provide a compliance report on the school’s adherence to safety regulations.
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However, lawyer Mumbi Kiarie, representing the County Director of Education, the County Education Board, the Cabinet Secretary of Education, and the Attorney-General in this case, informed the court that she received the inspection report only late in the evening on October 23.
She requested additional time to thoroughly examine the document and verify compliance with the court’s requirements.
Update on Electrical Installation Compliance
The school’s owners, David Kinyua and Mary Wanjeri, along with the Board of Management, informed the court that an electrical installation exercise had been completed by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority on October 23, following previous court instructions.
However, the report from this installation had yet to be submitted to the court. Earlier, Justice Kizito had ordered a repeat of the installation work due to concerns that the initial work was conducted hastily in a single day.
The court instructed the school’s management to provide ongoing reports on the progress of safety-related implementation at the academy.
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In the lawsuit, the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), Elimu Bora Working Group, and activist David Karani allege that the school’s owners and the Ministry of Education were attempting to reopen the boarding section prematurely, without addressing all necessary safety protocols.
The case is scheduled to resume on December 20, when the court will assess the situation further and decide whether the boarding facilities at Hillside Endarasha Academy can fully reopen.
High Court Orders Reopening of Hillside Endarasha Academy’s Boarding Section for KPSEA Candidates.
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