Several Schools to Defy Ruto’s Directive Amidst School Reopening Headache
Next week, thousands of students may not be able to return to school due to floods damaging many institutions, leaving classrooms submerged and toilets swept away.
In some areas, families displaced by floods have sought shelter in classrooms and school compounds, compounding the issue. Parents express concern over their children’s potential academic disadvantage in this situation.
The Education Cabinet Secretary, Ezekiel Machogu, declared on Thursday that due to heavy rains in certain regions, schools in several parts of the country may not reopen.
Tana River, Homa Bay, and Kisumu counties are among the affected areas. Machogu confirmed that these schools will remain closed and alternative learning methods will be considered for students in these regions.
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In Nyanza alone, about 40 schools in Kisumu, Migori, and Homa Bay are either underwater or functioning as shelters for displaced families.
For instance, Oseth Primary School in Nyando is entirely submerged, accessible only by boat, with neighboring homes also evacuated and unreachable.
Likewise, Ombaka Primary School serves as a refuge, its classrooms housing numerous families displaced from Ombaka village.
At Oseth Primary School, 37 women and their children share cramped classroom space. Rosemary Birenge, Kisumu’s director of education, confirmed that Nyando and Kadibo sub-counties are heavily affected, mentioning schools like Ahero Girls, Kolunga, Kowala, and Oseth Primary as severely impacted.
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Ahero Girls’ chances of reopening next week are slim due to partial submersion and contaminated drinking water from boreholes. In Migori, around 10 schools face similar challenges, remaining inaccessible and underwater.
Moreover, Machogu reported that 95 per cent of schools in the country are prepared for students to resume learning.
