Nearly 500,000 Students Out of School Three weeks after Reopening
Three weeks after schools in Kenya reopened, 497,783 students are still unable to attend classes, remaining at home or in temporary shelters due to extensive flooding and heavy rains across the nation.
The Ministry of Education (MoE), Save the Children, and Unicef conducted joint assessments that reveal over 3,781 classrooms and 18,615 toilets as flooded and unfit for use. The severe weather has delayed the reopening of schools by two weeks.
The floods and landslides have claimed the lives of 242 adults and 73 children. Save the Children reported an increase in waterborne diseases like diarrhea and cholera among children, with Ministry of Health reports indicating that 49 percent of cholera cases involve children between the ages of one and ten.
This rise in disease was followed by the bursting of sewer lines in certain parts of the country, causing fecal matter contamination of classrooms, playgrounds, and homes.
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Inger Ashing, CEO of Save the Children International, stated that the floods are disastrous for children, infringing on their rights.
She highlighted how the climate crisis disproportionately impacts children, who contribute least to its causes and are least equipped to handle its effects.
Government spokesman Isaac Mwaura provided a different perspective, reporting a lower number of affected individuals.
The floods impacted 306,522 people from 61,304 households, resulting in the displacement of 293,205 people from 58,641 households, many of whom are children.
Mohamed Abdiladif, interim country director of Save the Children, stressed the urgent need for the government to allow displaced children to enroll unconditionally in nearby schools.
He also urged the implementation of public health measures to mitigate the risks of waterborne diseases in schools with damaged sanitation facilities.
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Abdiladif emphasized that every child has the right to a quality, safe, and inclusive education.
The Ministry of Education announced a one-week delay in the half-term break, but did not specify if they would extend the school year to make up for the lost time.
Dr. Belio Kipsang, the Principal Secretary for Basic Education, made the decision to stick to the original dates after consulting with the Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association (Kepsha) and the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (Kepsha).
Nearly 500,000 Students Out of School Three weeks after Reopening
